Judge, 1907-07-27 · page 7 of 16
Judge — July 27, 1907 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic satirizes a British aristocrat—Sir Reginald, Lord Somerville, nicknamed "Nervy Nat"—a pretentious upper-class Londoner vacationing abroad. The humor targets his affected mannerisms and bumbling attempts at flirtation. In each panel, Nervy Nat encounters water-based mishaps while trying to impress women ("fair water-sprites," "Genevieve"). He makes grandiose, flowery declarations ("fresh and sparkling with dew") that fall flat, gets dunked repeatedly in boats and bathtubs, and physically collides with obstacles. His companion Algernon (seemingly a dog) suffers collateral damage. The satire mocks British class pretension—his ornate speech, theatrical gestures, and assumption that charm and eloquence will work universally. Instead, he's repeatedly humiliated by practical reality. The "foreigner" insult from a water-sprite suggests he's abroad, making his failures even more embarrassing. The comic ridicules the type of vain, incompetent British gentleman popular in American satirical magazines 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 Nat—" By my hilt! but here is one of those cute little eighteen- 2. Nervy Nat—"' Look out, Algernon! Be careful of this shoe-horn. If dollar bath-tubs that send so many people to Davy Jones's locker every sum- you so much as wag your tail after you are in you are quite likely to have a mer, and on yon bank are two wood-nymphs gathering sunflowers. Nathantel, cool morning dip; and as for me, I've had too many lately.”” yours for sport!" 3. Nervy Nat—* Ah, good-morning, fair water-sprites! Allow me to gather 4. Nervy Nat—" Whoa, Algernon! Who in Quaker oats {s rolling this for you a few of these German pancakes. How cool and delicious itis! Yes?” ornery hat-box? Charge, you brute! or I'll caress your beautiful British Fain warer-sprite—'* How cool and fresh you are is more like it! Be- countenance with this butter-paddle."* gone, you insolent foreigner!” 6, Nervy Nat—' Your deductions are quite correct, Genevieve. I am, as you say, fresh and sparkling with dew. If you care for any of these pond- llles, so plentifully festooned about my manly form, get next." NO, 8—SIR REGINALD, LORD SOMERVILLE, ALIAS NERVY NAT, LATE OF LONDON, PICKS POND-LILIES CorvmanT 1907 BY JVOOE COMPANY PUBLIONERD £28 FOURTH AYE, REW YOR, AND SEEKS A FLIRTATION. comicbooks.com