Judge, 1906-11-03 · page 16 of 16
Judge — November 3, 1906 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic follows an American character ("Nervy Nat") gambling with a French restaurateur named Couvert in Paris. The satire targets American brashness and materialism abroad. Nat wins Couvert's restaurant in a poker game, then comically exploits his victory—demanding extravagant meals with absurd specifications (eight-foot replicas in whipped cream, champagne fanning). His broken-English dialogue and casual attitude toward winning a business mock American arrogance. The humor pivots when Nat—claiming moral principle—returns the restaurant to Couvert, then insults French cuisine by announcing he'll eat only "table d'hotes" (cheap fixed menus) instead. This ending inverts expectations: having conquered the Frenchman materially, Nat defeats him culturally through philistine American indifference. The cartoon satirizes both American tourists' loud materialism and their casual contempt for European refinement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Monsizur Couverr—"*| am getting w'at you call ‘stoong,” but | bet my whole restaurant on zis han’."” Nexvy Nat—" You're on, old fel! I'll just see that mit of yours— not that I'd know what to do with a restaurant, but just for the passion of gambling. | inherit it from my father—he was a sad dog.” 3. Nenvy Nat—" Couvert, my dear fellow, come around any time and V'll see that you geta meal. {am now going in to put your—pardon— my chief grub-artist on his mettle. If I don't have a food-tournament that will make old Lucullus’s efforts look like the simple life I'll give you back your collation pagoda.”* you'll fin Jcking-chair over by the win- pt fyou'll take your cute little feet g- cit ch indebted to you. There's a chauffeur in the next room, ofd hoss, if that's what you're looking for. | never ran a naphtha lunch-wagon in my life. At least, old chap. let me turn over, so I'll '¢ dented symmetrically padres? NERVY NAT PLAYS POKER IN PARIS. Nat ‘Adventur BUTT TaTT 2, Nervy Nat—"' My dear Couvert, how could you expect to win? Why, | had eight aces. That's twice as many as I needed to beat you. You only had a full house. Have you any other wealthy friends that would like to learn our national game? Now, then, as soon as | oil the tracks you shall escort me to your—pardon—my restaurant.” 4. Nervy Nat—"' Before you go any further, Gaspard, send a man here to fan some of this Champagne Spindrift onto my brow. This Eiffel Tower in sardine meringue is very neat: but tell that mud-pie architect down stairs to hustle up an eight-foot replica of the Astor-Lenox-Tilden book-barn done In whipped cream and orchid jelly—and then come back jor orders. 6. Nervy Nat—"'Couvert, | have been thinking the matter over, and | decided, as a matter of principle, never to accept presents from gentle- men. | return your restaurant to you. You have an excellent chef, tut henceforth | am not going to eat any more—that Is to say, real focd. | shall confine myself to table d’hotes.”” Price 25 ce comicbooks.com