Judge, 1907-02-23 · page 16 of 16
Judge — February 23, 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a slapstick comic strip featuring two characters: "Nervy Nat" and "Sergeant Caduc" (a French-accented police officer, suggested by the dialect). The humor centers on a vacuum cleaner—a relatively new household technology in the early 1900s. The joke: Nat demonstrates the vacuum to Caduc, who is skeptical and impatient. When Nat reverses the lever (panel 4), the vacuum operates in reverse, explosively sucking up dust and debris instead of cleaning. This traps both men in a cloud of filth. The satire mocks both new technology and the French character's exasperation with Nat's incompetence. Caduc complains at the end that if Nat had simply waited until "the sixth picture" (as apparently expected in comic conventions), they could have avoided the mess—a meta-joke about comic strip formulas. The strip's humor derives from physical comedy and character frustration rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Nervy Nat—*Caduc, you re extraorainarity premature! You shouldn't show up until the sixth picture. What means this positively pushing previous- ness on your part. eh?" ‘Sercent Capuc—"'Hal | tak: ze horns by ze bull zis week—yes, no? It ees zat It may be you might do somesing!"’ 3, Nervy Nat—"' Now, Caday, wnuse she cleaning person has 5) 2. Nexvy Nat—''Is it not marvelous? Stop a second, Caduc, old cha and gaze at this amazing arrangement. | wonder what it is?” Seroent Canuc—* Ma fwa! ees it zat you know him not? He ees a vacuum cleaning—ze leetie pipes of hose snuff up ze poussitre—ze dustiness— ness par?” 4. Nervy Nat—"‘ Now, I just reverse the lever and there you are! Oh, 1 moment, we will investigate this curious invention. Take a cursory glance down the macaron!. Do you see anything, Willie? Seroent Canuc—'* Nossing but a darkness “"— beg your pardon, old feliow! Oh, | hope you'll believe me when I say | am more than sorry! It’s the stark-naked truth at that. I'm more than sorry— I'm dee-lighted °— Ni Nat “ Spulg — grilb — ug — chrilpowgopski—g-r-r-r—pwowl— 6. Nervy Nat—‘t Now you see, Caduc, what happens when you do thir 7 Caos ‘ } school” & © vere . out of place. If you'd waited in a rational, gentlemanly way till the sixth p ture to make your weekly arrest we would neither of us be in this filthy, I= possible condition. 1 should like to curse, but Jupcz won't stand for it.” corvmaxt 1007 a7 svoek Courany punLaNEnd 208 FOURTH AVE. REW YOM NERV NAT AND THE VACUUM-CLEANER. comicbooks.com