Judge, 1907-11-09 · page 10 of 16
Judge — November 9, 1907 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip following the character "Nervy Nat," a mischievous young servant employed by an elderly, deceased employer ("old Defunctus"). The six-panel narrative shows Nat exploring his late master's home, discovering a medicine cabinet of alcohol bottles, and searching specifically for whiskey labeled "Rye." The satire targets **Prohibition-era anxieties** (the strip is dated 1907, before national Prohibition but when temperance movements were gaining momentum). Nat's quest for hidden liquor in a doctor's cabinet—combined with the reference to "suffering prohibition"—mocks both the hypocrisy of wealthy employers keeping contraband alcohol and society's anxiety about alcohol availability. The "family skeleton in the closet" reference adds another layer: the joke conflates literal horror (discovering a skeleton while burglarizing the house) with the moral scandal of discovering the household's drinking habits. The humor relies on working-class irreverence toward social pretense.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Nervy Nat—"* This playing nurse-girl for old Defunctus Is rather to the 2. Nervy Nat—‘*Ah, hal A cupboard filled with a motley crew of bottles ennui. Now ts my opportunity to pipe around this boneyard, and mayhap | with imported names on them. I deduce that my august employer was once might find something that will stick to my fingers. Sleep on, you old an- an M.D.—M.U.D. now. Well, I'm seeking a rather plebelan-looking bottle tique! Snore your block off. Peace and qulet for yours.”” dark in color and with the simple little word Rye on it. It does not appear to be in the same class with these.” 3. Nervy Nar. cupboard! Now, watch jo, hol I'm next! The Nervy Nat— Suffering prohibition! what the""—— Help! Murder! your Uncle Nat get a strangie-hold on the joy-bottle.” " 4. Ne Fire! Wow! wow! wow!' 5. Nexvy Nat—' Great spuds! I didn't sign to work In a morgue, you 6. Nervy Nat—'' That's the first experience I ever had with the family old lobs*er!"* skeleton in the closet, and, by the great jumping Jupiter! the last. I'm in y choice condition now, am I not? I guess I've been running since three o'clock. | wish I had brakes on me."* NO. 23.—NERVY NAT GETS CURIOUS. COPYRIGHT 1907 BY JUDGE COMPANY, FUBLISMERS, 225 FOURTH AVE, NEW YORK. NOTE—The First Series of Nervy Nat's Adventures is now ready, handsomely bound, tu book-form. Price, 75 cents; 10 cents additional for postage when ordered by mail. Address JUDGE COMPANY, 225 Fourth Avenue, New York, comicbooks.com