Judge, 1906-08-04 · page 16 of 16
Judge — August 4, 1906 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1908 comic strip from *Judge* depicts "Nervy Nat" playing pranks on "Sergeant Caduc," a French police officer. The humor centers on Nat stealing the sergeant's fire hose and spraying him, then leading him on a chase through sewers and water pipes while mocking him verbally. The satire appears to target French police ineffectuality and the stereotype of the bumbling foreign cop. References to "General Bingham" (likely Police Commissioner William O'Brien or similar reform-era figure) and "cleaning up the police-force" suggest contemporary American police reform debates. The repeated phrase "sacré" and exaggerated French mannerisms ("polly-voo") reflect period stereotypes of French characters in American comics. The underlying joke: an American protagonist outwits and humiliates a foreign authority figure through pranks and quick thinking—a common theme in early 20th-century American popular humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Nervy Nat—'' Ah, there's Caduc in a sort of an écru study. Some- 2. Nervy Nat—" The man who was madder and the hose! Oh, say, how the expression of his back is a bit too self-satisfied to sult me in my \'m having such a lovely party! If only General Bingham could see me present mood. | believe I will borrow this hose from the gentleman tn now! Talk about cleaning up the police-force! I'm going to soak this the generous pants "— Uttle polly-voo cop right down to his Irimost convictions.”” : 3. Seroent Canuc—" Sacré water-wagon! You me to the skin wet— 4. Nervy Nat—"Come on, you loam-headed. camel-shouldered toy yes, what for?” cop! When I get out the other end Ill perch over the opening and swat Nervy Nar—"* Looking upon you, as | did, as the flower of France, him one on the newel-post that will make an eminent astronomer of I thought you needed a little watering. Now, If you catch me before | him,” reach that large sewer-pipe I'll be ‘it,” and we'll start all over again.”* can hear him coming now. Little does . Sencent Capuc—"'It ts zat you are arrest!" that a man‘e-size headache awaits him at the end of the line. ‘If a body Nervr Nat—“Caduc, you're an unfeeling animal. My estimate of hits a body comin’ thro’ ipe.' Gee! I'm getting a cramp in this you was pretty low; but to snéak up ona chap in that anderhand way, arm. | wish he'd hurry ‘especially when I had every reason to expect you in another direction— Corvmiant 1908 87 JUDGE COMPANY PUBLISHERS, 26 FOURTH AVE. KEW YORK ‘Well, mere words are futile." NERVY NAT FOOLISHLY TRIFLES WITH SERGENT CADUC. The First Series of Nervy Nat's Adventures is now ready in book-form. Price, 7.5 cents ; 10 cents additional for postage when ordered by mail. dress Mt Company, 225 Fourth Avenue, New York. comicbooks.com