Judge, 1905-12-30 · page 16 of 17
Judge — December 30, 1905 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a multi-panel satirical comic strip featuring three recurring characters: **Nervy Nat** (an arrogant American tourist/businessman), a **Costermonger** (a British street vendor/working-class Londoner), and a **moke** (donkey/cart horse). The satire mocks class conflict and cultural misunderstanding. Nervy Nat insults London's fog and the costermonger's intelligence, dismisses working-class British people as needing "taking down," and later sabotages the vendor's vegetable cart by shifting cabbages to overload the animal. The costermonger's exaggerated Cockney dialect ("'eavin's nime") underscores the class divide. The final panels show consequences: the animal collapses, leading to arrest. Nervy Nat's threat to call the costermonger as a "principal witness"—implying he'll testify against him in court—reveals the cartoon's critique of American arrogance and contempt for working-class British culture, while depicting the class-based legal system's favoritism toward wealthy foreigners.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nexvy Nat—"‘Lunnon at last! How impressive, these fog-painted buildings! How exhilarating the alr! Why, a'funeral in the country is lke a mardi-gras festival alongside of this burg. | wonder If everybody died last week. or” Costeruonczr—"' Hi, there, Lord Rosebery, clear th’ bloomin’ track!"" 3. 7 Nervr Nat—''I believe he's going to take my advice and sell his head. I'll take advantage of his absence and balance up our account. These beastly working-cl need taking down a bit. The Insulting wretch called me Lord Rosebery, too!" Cosrexmonozr—'"* Lord lové a duck! wot yer bean an‘ gawn an’ done wiy th’ moke? Wot in ‘eavin's nime ‘s th’ matter wiv ‘im? W'ere's me cabbage-‘eads ? Nexvr Nat" Thay are each and every one right here. | fst shifted them forward a bit to ease the load on your cousl COMMRIENT 1904 67 JUDEE COMPANY PUBLIENERS, £25 FOURTH AYE. mee Cosrexuoncer— There! wot did Ot tell yer ludship? My moke ain't as heddicated as wot Oi ham. ‘E carn't tell one o° th’ British peers from a hordin'ry bloke, s0 ‘e carn't."” Nervy Nat—"'Then you and the other animal should change places, you impudent fellow! Or ears you might dispose of your top-piece along with the rest of your cabbages. Nevy Nat—“ Now, little moke, gobble, gorge and glut—munch till your little subway 1s full—chew till ail the side aisles are filled and there's atanging-room only! Then we'll see how fast our friend the vegetable gent can drive a eld.” Orricer Surmm—‘* What charge do you make against ‘tm ?"" Costermoncer—"* Sota Ae animits. ‘sir—that's wot!"" Nervy Nat—‘‘I shall call your asinine business partner as my prin- seamen eee a mreoe ee ches not o1 my as you it himself perfectly at home in any of your courts of law.” NERVY.\NAT. THE COSTERMONGER, AND THE MOKE. comicbooks.com