Judge, 1904-08-13 · page 3 of 16
Judge — August 13, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip titled "Nervy Nat Has His Fortune Told" (No. 27). The narrative follows Nervy Nat, a working-class character in a top hat and plaid pants, visiting a fortune-teller at the seaside. The fortune-teller warns him of a waiting brunette, a dark gentleman to beware, and a bruise coming from a woman's jealousy. The comic plays these warnings for comedic effect as Nervy Nat encounters various characters—women and men—who progressively fulfill the prophecies through romantic entanglements and physical altercations. The satire appears to mock both fortune-telling superstitions and the romantic misadventures of ordinary men, using slapstick humor and exaggerated consequences to create the joke.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nervy Nat—"'I've taken a holiday at the seaside, and, by Jove! I'm going to do every stunt on the beach. | will start right by having my fortune told. Rockerfeller, maybe, is going to dine with me, or perhaps Russell Sage is going to adopt me—who knows? A paltry dime shall not stand between me and a straight tip.”” 3. Fortune-re.ter—" There is also a dark gentleman you must beware of, mister."" Nervy Nar—"‘Never mind, old lady. Don't begin telling me un- pleasant things.”” 2) Fortune-reiier—"‘There is a brunette waiting for you on the a ch" Nervy Nat—'' Say no more, oh, prophetess! I have never yet kept a lady waiting, and I'm not going to begin now. It is my future lady- love.”* 4% f ithe \ War a Nervy Nat—"'I can't be mistaken—'tis my brunette! What a glad surprise she witl have! The rosy blush that will come stealing over her downcast face when | make myself known! Ah, the exquisite joy of an- ticipation! | must say she is a very marked brunette. Suppose she is fearfully sunburned; but then, old Nervy, you like that sort of thing.” 5. Tue sxuwerte—"How dass yo' lay yo'r han’ on me, yo" white Nervy Nat—“ Echoes of Dahomey! if I haven't made a mistake!" - 6. Tue DARK oENTLeMAN—"‘I's gwine ter cyarve yo’ inter strips fer ‘sultin’ mah baby!" Nervy Nat—" Do you know, | believe things are looking rather dark for me.” NO. 37,—NERVY NAT HAS HIS FORTUNE TOLD. comicbooks.com