Judge — January 15, 1887 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a political cartoonist pleading with a figure labeled "Ben" (likely Ben Franklin, given the historical context and iconography) not to abandon him. The cartoonist is shown surrounded by his work—sketches, caricatures, and satirical drawings scattered about—suggesting his livelihood and creative output. The satire appears to comment on the cartoonist's dependence on political figures or historical symbols for inspiration and relevance. By personifying "Ben" as the cartoonist's last hope, the piece humorously suggests that without such figures to satirize, the political cartoonist has no material and thus no purpose—a meta-commentary on the profession's reliance on controversial subjects and personalities to sustain itself.