Judge, 1906-11-24 · page 16 of 16
Judge — November 24, 1906 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This comic strip satirizes American overconfidence and incompetence abroad. "Nervy Nat," an American character, volunteers to protect the French president at the Élysée Palace from anarchists. He immediately misidentifies an innocent man as a dangerous anarchist—revealing his inability to discern actual threats. When the real threat (the actual anarchist) turns out to be the president himself, Nat's bumbling becomes farcical. The satire targets both American naïveté about European politics and the anarchist threat that genuinely worried European governments in the late 19th/early 20th century. Nat's boastful patriotism ("The American hero!") contrasts sharply with his utter failure, suggesting Americans were overestimating their competence in international affairs. His final humiliation—wanting to hide underground—mocks American pride deflated by reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tiefense Dafficher Sur peine d’dmende 1, Sercent Canuc—"* Mon ami Nat, | let you off one arrest if you keep out your eye for ze anarchiste who is trying to keel ze president—yes ?” Nexvy Nat—'"Caduc, I'll do it! This is the Elys¢e Palace, where your president lives, nesspar? Well, you trust your Cousin Nat. I'ma sleuth by nature!" 3. Nervy Nat—"‘Ain't he the distinguished-locking old crook? Bet he’s got a record. Just as | expected—he's heading for the pollyvoo white-house. Paris will be garlanded in my honor this evening. * Nervy Nat, the American hero! The saver of the president! Vive le Nat!" 5. Nervy Nat—'I've got him, Caduc—caught him just as he war sneaking into the palace-grounds! You wouldn't have suspected him probably, but my nature is so receptive. I believe I have the sixth senso because "— Sercent Capuc—"' Mon Dieu! CorvmenT 1808 BY Jv08H COMPANY PUBLISHERS 88 Le president lu! méme!"* Seve ea aula NERVY NAT HELPS SERGENT CADUC. Noves— The First Serves of fa en ts mow r y", hamdsomely bound, in 2. Nervy Nat—" By Jove! here comes a suspicious-looking character He's too respectable-looking to be straight. There s anarchist printed a over him. He's my man. If he gets to the president it will be over my defunct mortal coil. 1 swear it!” 4. Nervy Nat—"Not a word, now, old bird! We'll teach you. the French government and I, to go around trying to blow up our best fa lies. We'll give you your choice between having your head cut off from your body or your body cut off from your head—whichever way you select." 6. Nexvy Nat—" Hurry, Caduc, and get me underground in your de: est dungeon! I won't shave for a fortnight now—I'm ashamed to lcok myself in the face. And for heaven's sake, if you have any regard left for me, don't let Jupce know about this!"* form. Price, 75 cents s £0 cents a comicbooks.com