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"I call 'em as I see 'em, and if I don't see 'em, I make 'em up." — George Carlin as sportscaster Biff Barf

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One of the bad things about traditional publishing is that once you’ve put something out there, whether it’s a story, a photo or a cartoon, well … you’re stuck with it, for good or ill.

But with the Internet, all things are possible. Make a factual error? Fix it. Don’t like being seen in a photo with, say, Jack Abramoff? Make it go away. Got a couple different takes on a cartoon? Give the folks a look at all of them.

Tom Toles of The Washington Post may not be the first cartoonist to think of this, but he’s the first practitioner of the multiple cartoon that I’ve come across. The Post runs a regular online feature called Toles vs. Toles that shows you both the published version and an alternate, and Toles regularly posts casual sketches online, too. Nifty idea. So naturally, I’m stealing it — for today, at least.

(Cue Rod Serling voiceover) Presented for your consideration: Two versions of the same ‘toon, about a man lost in a world without time. Meet Tyler Hamilton, a mild-mannered bike racer who … all right, enough already; by now, you know the backstory like you know every pothole, corner and hill on your favorite training ride. We’ve gotten a few letters to the editor asking about the outcome of Hamilton’s appearance before the Court of Arbitration for Sport on January 10, and while I have no news to present, I do have an opinion — well, three of them, actually. The first two are presented here, and the third will arrive with the next print edition of VeloNews, bearing the cover date of February 3.

The one that eventually made the magazine is the first cartoon I submitted, but my second idea. The ‘toon at top is the first idea, which I decided didn’t make any sense because the skeletal Nipper (Tyler) is listening to a Victrola, not a telephone. And finally, the ‘toon at bottom is something that popped into my head after the magazine had shipped to the printer, as is often the case.

... and the last one

Photo: Patrick O'Grady/Mad Dog Media

Which is why I say, "Thank God for the Internet."

And, "Hope I’m funny," as the late Richard Pryor once said in opening a concert.

And finally, as a former VeloNews.com diarist once wrote, "Thanks for reading."

Were O'Grady's hopes realized, or does he have two strikes against him? Make the call at webletters@insideinc.com. And remember: We won't publish your letter without your full name, city and state or nation. — Editor