Apologies for the delay on posting some of the past few rejects. I intended to get them all posted in advance so that the Top 31 would unfold seamlessly, but it’s just been a busy enough past few weeks that I didn’t get as much done as I hoped. But the gaps have been filled, and every day from here on out is pre-posted to run on time, ensuring there will be no further gaps or days without a Top 31 entry.

I’ve tried to make it a rule to not include any rejects that I had already posted earlier in the year. There’s always a little internal struggle with that — do I save this great reject for the countdown, knowing that I love it and it will rank highly? Or do I post it now, so as to maximize its timeliness? I slipped up with #18, forgetting I had posted that on Halloween, so we have a new #18 in its place. Here are links to all of the other great rejects from the past year in case you missed them first time around.

• A rejected cartoon – Feb 8
• A big week – web exclusive – May 9
• Thursday reject – July 3
• Because they’ll never run in the Journal Star – Aug 1
• Watch out, Missouri – Sep 8
• Happy Halloween – Oct 31
• Life imitates art – Nov 4

This week’s Letters to the Editor included two transcribed voicemails, leading off with this beaut:

My wife just brought home the Reader, and I’m looking at your cover story “Go Directly to Jail…and Die” (December 11). I’ve read the first paragraph of the darn thing, and I see it’s an illegal alien juvenile delinquent that went to jail, and that’s as far as I’ve read. And I don’t give a s*** if he died in jail. He’s an illegal alien, should have been deported, and I don’t want any more sob stories about illegal aliens. I’ve heard enough sob stories about illegal aliens. And with the damn Obama in the White House we’re probably going to have them crammed down our throat. The worthless Bush did nothing to get them out of here. The damned Obama’s not going to do anything, and that old clown McCain wouldn’t have done anything either if he’d been elected. I’m sick to death of illegal aliens. They’re all over the place here. I don’t want any more sob stories about them. Thank you very much. Good-bye. And if he died in jail, f*** him. I don’t give a s***.

Just remember — if you disagree with people like this, you are angry, bitter and hateful.

That cartoon idea even came before endorsement season the presidential endorsement:
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