Judge, 1907-03-23 · page 16 of 16
Judge — March 23, 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic from Judge satirizes moral hypocrisy through the character "Nervy Nat," a shrewd con artist who encounters "Serious Person," an earnest reformer visiting Paris. **The Setup:** Serious Person attempts to "save" Nervy Nat from vice and temptation, citing moral principles about resisting earthly desires. **The Satire:** Nervy Nat systematically exposes the reformer's own contradictions and pretensions—noting he was only "looking at pictures," mocking his self-righteousness about being a "countryman," and revealing his hypocrisy ("Do as I say, not as I do"). By the final panel, Nervy Nat turns the tables, lecturing Serious Person about wasting opportunities to learn proper English rather than constantly moralizing. **The Point:** Judge ridicules self-appointed moral reformers as fraudulent, pompous busybodies whose sanctimony masks their own flaws. The "clever rogue exposes the sanctimonious fool" was a standard satirical trope—here suggesting reformers accomplished little beyond annoying better men.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Sexious rexson—" My gocd man, throw away that vile and obnoxious 2. Nervy Nat—" Just as a sporting proposition, Bo, I'll chuck away the weed aid that depraved sheet you are reading. You must put away all earthly paper—I wasn t reading: | was only looking at the pictures—and the imper- desires if you would go to the good place " fecto, Now. my time and undivided attention are yours to command.” Nervy Nat—"'l take it, my very dear sir, that you allude to the region ‘Serious rerson—"" This is my first visit to this wicked city of Paris, and, where the butters-in cease from butting and gentlemen are allowed to rest ?"” seeing you were a countryman of mine, | felt it my duty to save you. ‘Tis only by resisting temptation and“. 3. Serious psrson—': Er—er—and—er—as | was saying, resist temptation 4. Nervy Nat—" Ye gods and little smelts! and is this the ossified scallop and—er "— that was trying to reform me? He said it was his first visit to Paris Well, Nervy Nat—"'Go on, old pal; don't hesitate. You've happened on me he ts coming on handily for a débutant. And the mastodonic impudence of when I chance to be in a very receptive mood. As you were saying. the heav- him! I suppose his motto is the old one, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ ** enly theatre refuses all tickets purchased on the sidewalk ‘"—— 5. Nerv Nat—"Now, you cereal-mouthed, earth-bound, hypocritical old 6. Sercent Capuc—'*It is that it is disgraceful. Cannot you, Nairvie Nat, todent’ look not upon the lips when they are red. Go back to Wappinger of somesing besides think as fighting?” Falls, or wherever you exuded from, and where they don’t really know you, Nerv Nat—'* Caduc, when I think of the opportunities you have had, by is motto over your little iron bed: ‘A tongue-tied preacher is a Joy being in my company, of absorbing really first-rate English, | blush for you— to the very frontier of my capillary appendages I blush for you."* (COPYRIONT 1907 BY 4vORE COMPANY PURLENERS 8x9 FoURTH Ave. mew ror NERVY NAT REFORMS, A REFORMER, forever form. cents 3_£0 cents additional for postage when ordered ty mail. comicbooks.com