Judge, 1907-08-10 · page 16 of 16
Judge — August 10, 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a six-panel children's comic strip, not political satire. It depicts "Little Johnny" (a city boy) taking anthropomorphic teddy bears on a country vacation. The humor derives from comic mishaps: Johnny confidently drives a horse-drawn cart through rural roads while the bears ride along. The horse, startled by the chaotic passengers, bolts uncontrollably through the countryside, ultimately depositing everyone in Uncle's yard in disarray. The "Teddy Bears" reference likely alludes to the popular toy craze following President Theodore Roosevelt's 1902 bear-hunting incident (which inspired the "Teddy Bear" name). The strip plays on urban-versus-rural culture clash and the unpredictability of rural travel — relatable themes for Judge's early-20th-century readership. The joke is simply slapstick: city dwellers' overconfidence leading to comedic chaos.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mage LITTLE JOHNNY AND THE TEDDY BEARS. THEY GO TO THE COUNTRY FOR A VACATION AND ARRIVE SO SWIFTLY THAT THEY HARDLY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. 1. The city boy thrills with delight 2. Now for a dash through country Whene’er the country looms in sight. The Teds look on, John holds the reins. John and the Teds, with bag and grip, While uncle's in the store, of course Are starting on thelr summer trip. It's up to John to mind the horse. 3. While Johnny tells with glowing pride How fine it ts to take a ride, Old Dobbin turns and gets a full, Square look at what he's got to pull. 5. John hasn't time now to explain 6. And here they land in uncle's ‘That this dash through a country lane It looks like they have’ landed Is a mistake, while Teds suppose Poor aunty runs out and exclaims, It’s Just the way a farm-borse goes. “\ Where have you left your Uncle James?” COPYRIGHT 1907 BY JUDGE COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, 225 FOURTH AVE., NEW YORK. comicbooks.com