Judge, 1907-02-02 · page 16 of 16
Judge — February 2, 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic strip follows the character Nervy Nat, a mischievous con artist, as he exploits various situations for petty profit. The satire targets early 20th-century urban hustles: Nat steals an oil-sticker's abandoned bills and bucket to create fake "bill-sticking" jobs; he mocks a drunk woman on a wall; he illegally posts advertisements; and he exploits a theater evacuation by charging admission to view posters as impromptu "ballet." The final panel introduces Sergeant Cadic, a presumably corrupt policeman asleep on duty, whom Nat claims not to recognize—suggesting police negligence enables such street-level scams. The ending joke involves absurd French exclamations and a casual exchange about eating one's family. The overall satire mocks both small-time urban con artists and the municipal incompetence that allowed them to operate unchecked on city streets.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Nervy Nat—" Badness gracious meh! what a careless oill-sticker to go off and leave all his bills, and his bucket of breakfast-food, too! I'll take ‘em along and have a little bill-stickerfest of my own “—— 3. Nervy Nat—' By Jove! that is an awiul bumpy wall. Holy Hubers! look who's here! Ah, madame, that is what drinking ‘alf-and-'alf does for you. If you had only stuck to denatured alcohol you would not have come to this. I will erect a grandstand here and make a few nearly-honest cen- times "— 6. Nexvy Nat—" Pardon me, friends; but through the sudden indis of the ballet | shall have to ask you to disperse quietly. The ushers will see that all the exits are open—and the orchestra will play ‘Samson et Délilah.” I beg of you not to crowd unnecessarily "— COPYIANT 1987 BY JUCGE COMPANY PBLIOHERS 229 FOURTH AVE. KEW YORK NERVY NAT 2, Nervy Nat—"‘Here is an opportunity, with a capital ‘OP.’ I know against the law to post bills here, therefore ‘twill be all the more’ fun course that can’t be my old pal Caduc asleep on duty. No, no; it cannot t=! I must be momentarily cock-eyed to imagine this is he.” 4. Nervy Nat—" Right this way, ladies and gentlemen and others! [1 best show in town—the poster ballet! Sterilized opera-glasses to hire in the lobby. You'll do the management a favor by not purchasing tickets in the gutter. You'll have to hurry if you want to see this, as our engagement is limited to “— 6. Sercent Capuc— Sacré omelette au rhum! Zis time you one fot years get. If not | eat my whole family—yes, no!” os Nervy Nat—" It's a matter of the utmost indifference to me. If you !=¢! that your digestion will stand it, why, go ahead—it's wholly a matter of t-ste- I prefer spring duckling myself." POSTS A BILL. comicbooks.com