Judge, 1904-12-10 · page 5 of 20
Judge — December 10, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic strip follows a character named "Nervy Nat," a young man attempting to impress a woman (Miss Teweat) while ice skating. The humor derives from Nat's repeated social failures despite his affected sophistication and self-regard. Nat initially brags about his popularity and skating prowess, then encounters Miss Teweat on thin ice. He flirts ostentatiously ("skate in four languages"), but when she sits down, the ice cracks—and Nat must rescue her from falling through. He blames her for not warning him of danger while simultaneously taking credit for his "public-spirited" rescue efforts. Officer O'Toole arrives to report dangerous ice conditions, which Nat had ignored. The final panel suggests Nat avoids accountability by changing the subject entirely. The satire targets masculine vanity: Nat's self-importance blinds him to real danger, he takes undeserved credit, and he resents the woman for inconveniencing him during his own rescue of her.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~~ Nervy Nat—"' First time I've been able to get away from that plagued Rockaway-hunt crowd. You know | can’t help being popular. | try to be offish and ail that, but they won't have it. It's ‘ Here's Nervy!" and ‘Where's old Nervy?" the whole time. Sneaked away to-day to have a skate. That house-party ‘ll be a frost if I don't turn up; but, darn it all! Vdon't live for that bunch.”* 2 Nervy Nat—" Beauty in distress! Madam, may | presume? Will you exchange that heartless maple for my strong right arm? Let me as- Sure you that in me you see a gifted skatist—one who can skate in four languages. | get a skate on at every opportunity. I shall deem it an honor to escort you over the congealed. Is ita go?” Miss Teweat—" I'm sure it is very kind of you, sir. 1am so timid!" 3. Nervy Nar—'‘ Isn't this all to the hilarious? Well, | should murmur “Oui, Oui!" Miss Tewrnat—" It’s delightful! And I believe it is good for reduc ing superfluous weight.”” Nerv Nat—''Tut, tut, madam! Don’t hint at such a thing. You have a perfect figure for skating. One needs a tiny bit of solidity, such as you have, to get speed, you know. And if the ice was inclined to warp your being on it would prevent it."* Nerve Nat—"‘Let go my arm, madam! Don't you realize what is under this ice? It's water, madam—water! | much prefer to stay on this side. Couldn't you have left it to me to break the ice? It's one of my specialties. You might have mentioned that you were going to sit down "— Miss Tewrtat—" Help! police! assistance! You took me on that thin ice on purpose, you monster!” Nervy Nat—"'i am doing my best, oh, most unreasonable of your unreasonable sex! I'm sure / didn’t ring for ice-water. I'll have you out ina minute. I've got to, you know. If I left you here you'd be a hin- drance to other skaters. And I am nothing if not public-spirited."” 6. -Orricer O'TooLe—"' Be gorry, Nat! Oi'll hov to make th’ char-r-ge agin yez attimptin’ to fill up th’ lake. Faith, an’ Oi wor away aff there be th’ edge av th’ lake, an’ Ol seen thim cracks a-shpreadin’ roight up to me feet.”” jNenv Nar—"" O'Toole, have you got that morris chair for my room yet?” NO, 52.-NERVY NAT ON THE ICE. Ccomicbooks.com