Judge, 1904-01-30 · page 5 of 16
Judge — January 30, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a slapstick comic strip following a character named "Nervy Nat" who stumbles into circus work. The humor relies on physical comedy and verbal exaggeration typical of early 20th-century humor magazines. The plot: Nat sneaks into a circus dressing tent, dons performer tights (comparing himself mockingly to a "Dresden shepherdess"), and is pressed into service as an elephant handler when the regular trainer falls ill. Despite his protests, he's forced to manage the elephant using a "persuader" (prod). The comedy escalates through increasingly absurd insults he hurls at the uncooperative animal—describing it as "prehistoric," "mastodonic," and comparing it to a "flatiron building." The satire appears gentle rather than political—mocking both the character's pretension and circus life itself. The recurring phrase "Nervy Nat" suggests this was a series character, likely appealing to readers through predictable physical mishaps and exaggerated dialogue. No specific political figures or events appear referenced.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1 Nervy Nat—'' This takes me back to childhood’s happy days. This must be the dressing-tent. There is more than one way to get into a 2. Nervy Nat—" These beautiful salmon-colored tights fit me like the skin on the wienerwurst. Don't I look like a Dresden shepherdess? I always was passionately fond of the dear old sawdust ring.”* 3. ‘Te RING-MasTeR—"' Here's a find! Ben All, the elephant-tamer, is sick, and we'll let you take his place—only remember to be kind to the elephant!” Nervy Nat—‘Unhand me, caitiff! I'll have naught to do with elephants.” Rino-master—"*Go on! Climb up there and stick the persuader into him if he doesn’t listen to reason.” Nervy Nat—*Geel | hope they leave this fire-escape up, so I can gently meander back to earth in case anything happens.”" 8. Nervy Nat—"‘Go.on, you prehistoric, antediluvian apology of a mastodonic mass of inse: sate mushiness! Get up and do your stunts, or V'll hand you the sharp er of this toothpick, you lumbering. stodgy, ad- dle-pated, zinc-covered, fou -legged flatiron building!” (Bif’!) 6. Nervy Nat—‘* Curses on the circus!"* NO. 9.—NERVY NAT SEES A CIRCUS. comicbooks.com