Judge, 1897-10-09 · page 16 of 16
Judge — October 9, 1897 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous sequential comic strip about a female artist attempting to paint a lion's portrait in the desert. The joke progresses through eight panels: A woman artist asks a lion to sit for a portrait. The lion agrees but becomes increasingly agitated as she draws him piece by piece—first his head, then body, then legs. The satire appears to target the fashionable "New Woman" of the late 1800s: the independent, bicycle-riding female artist venturing into unconventional spaces (the desert, alone with a wild animal). The humor lies in the absurdity of her polite, artistic pretensions clashing with the obvious danger and the lion's growing irritation. The title puns on "tail" (the animal part) and "tale" (the story), suggesting both a literal and figurative narrative. This reflects period anxieties about women's changing social roles and their entrance into traditionally male-dominated activities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
co No. 3. Ob, Mr. Lion, what a lovely ensemble you have! Will you sit while [make your portrait on the ground ?” No, 7.——and this is— No. 8. ——your tail. Ta-ta.” COPYMONT 1807 EY THE JUDGE PUBLISNIEG COMMUNY OF NEW YORK. : ‘Sackett Wihalns Lithe 8 Pry Ca Mew/fork. ~ THE TAIL OF A LION AND THE FEMALE BIKK-RIDING ARTIST ON THE DESERT. . i comicbooks.com