Judge, 1907-05-11 · page 16 of 16
Judge — May 11, 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comedic strip about "Nervy Nat," a brash character who takes an airship journey. The satire targets early aviation enthusiasm and male braggadocio around 1910s space-age fantasies. **Key references:** - Panel 1: Nat dramatically claims he'll visit Venus via wireless postcard—mocking exaggerated claims about new technology - Panel 2-3: He boasts to women about his adventure and "higher life" experiences - Panel 4: References Lieutenant Peary (Arctic explorer), suggesting Nat will become famous by claiming planetary discoveries for the U.S. - Panels 5-6: He encounters an alien civilization and condescendingly claims their territory **The joke:** Nervy Nat embodies the arrogant American adventurer, making grandiose claims about space travel while displaying typical period prejudices and self-importance. The comic mocks both the wild optimism about aviation technology and masculine posturing of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Nervy Nar—"t Adoo, maze onfons: adoo! It may be forever: it may 2. Biro—"' Oh, look who's here! be for several days more than that, But, belleve me, | don’t touch Mars at Nervy Nat—" Come, take a ride in my air- Say! [used to snicker all—none of those one-night stands. Venus listens pretty good to me. Don't when they spoke to me of the higher life: but I'll take those snickers back be surprised to get a wireless postal-card from me, postmarked Venus.” It's all to the adequate. It's piles of fun to rip those sassy, self-satisfied clouds up the back.”* 3. Nervy Nat—**Gather ‘round me, girls! Oh, say! this is downright 4. Nervy Nat—‘t Well, I'll just claim this planetine for the U.S. A., and shabby of you, Ethel—and you, too, Sadie—after my coming all this way to when I go back home I'll spring a few lectures on‘ Furthest Up’ and make see you. | have slathers of new stories to tell you. Well, run, then, you Lieutenant Peary look like a bed-ridden old invalid. Gee! weren't those girls nasty, unattractive Lizzies! Anyone would imagine | was a virulent case of foolish?" scarletina "— § Doo-star—" Welcome to our city! Grerer-r!" ‘ : ! Sackray de vontgree! Tunnair! Dyer-de- Nervy Nat—"'Sure thing! [can feel I'm as welcome as jury duty. ‘That must be old Cereal, the dog-biscult star. I've missed my boat, that's 5 old chap! So glad you were here to meet certain. But ! can see the earth, all right, and that hot, red blur must be me! Very nice and thoughtful of you. This drop of mine, my boy, will make Paris "*— the fall of Adam an obsolete phrase.” COPTmDGNT 1997 BY JUDGE COMPANY PUBLIANERS 228 FOURTH AVE. MEW YORK NERVY NAT AS AN AERONAUT. Nore . ‘ Lidress JUDGE COMPANY, 225 Fo t comicbooks.com