“Name That Edge Toon: Pointing Fingers” was a Dark Reading cybersecurity cartoon caption contest published August 5, 2024. Its drawing shows workers seated in a circle, each pointing at someone else—an image of blame being passed around while nobody accepts responsibility.
What the cartoon shows
Cartoonist John Klossner depicts a group of workers sitting in a circle and pointing toward one another. Dark Reading frames the scene this way: “Someone did — or didn’t — do something they should or shouldn’t have, but no one wants to claim responsibility.” The joke is about accountability avoidance, not a documented breach, threat actor, or named security incident.
In a cybersecurity setting, the image can suggest disputes over who ignored a warning, left a control unconfigured, failed to patch a system, or made an unsafe change. Those are possible readings of the visual—not claims about any particular organization or team.
How the 2024 contest worked
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Dark Reading |
| Publication date | August 5, 2024 |
| Cartoonist | John Klossner |
| Requested entry | A cybersecurity-related caption explaining the scene |
| Submission deadline | August 28, 2024 |
| Prize | A $25 Amazon gift card for the favorite caption |
| Result | Dark Reading’s September 3, 2024 feature identified David Stokes as the winner |
The invitation used the wording “What’s your take?” and asked readers to “Send us a cybersecurity-related caption to explain the scene, above.” Because the deadline has passed and a winner was later announced, this is a historical contest rather than an open submission opportunity.
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Why “pointing fingers” fits security work
Responsibility gets distributed
Security incidents often involve several roles—developers, infrastructure teams, vendors, managers, and users. A circle of people pointing outward captures what happens when everyone can identify another contributing factor but no one owns the decision or omission.
The joke is about culture, not forensics
The cartoon does not establish what actually happened or who was at fault. It turns a familiar workplace reaction into a visual gag: blame travels around the room instead of stopping with an accountable owner.
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- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
- Includes an expandable inner storage pocket and a pen holder
About the artist
Dark Reading says Klossner has drawn technology cartoons for more than 15 years. The publisher also says his work regularly appears in Computerworld and Federal Computer Week, with illustrations and cartoons appearing in The New Yorker, Barron’s, and The Wall Street Journal. These details are publisher-supplied biographical context.
What the sources do—and do not—establish
- The feature identifies a cartoon and a past caption contest.
- It does not report a specific cybersecurity incident, technical vulnerability, threat actor, or security statistic.
- The $25 gift card was a one-time contest prize, not a cybersecurity measurement or product recommendation.
- The cited pages do not establish that the cartoon is sold as a print, that related merchandise is available, or that a new contest is currently running.
Related Dark Reading coverage
The follow-up feature, “Name That Edge Toon: Bug Off”, published September 3, 2024, reported David Stokes as the winner of the prior month’s “Pointing Fingers” contest.
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- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
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- Hardcover journal with 240 line-ruled pages (120 sheets)
- Built-in elastic closure and ribbon bookmark
- Includes an expandable inner storage pocket and a pen holder
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