Judge, 1908-01-04 · page 10 of 16
Judge — January 4, 1908 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a six-panel comic strip featuring "Nervy Nat," a character type common in early 20th-century American humor. The strip depicts Nat encountering various women in a subway setting, pursuing them with increasingly forward and inappropriate behavior—what the text calls "nervy" advances. The humor relies on dated gender dynamics: Nat makes bold passes at women, uses flattery ("queen of the trench"), and responds to rejection with facetious quips about being called a "brute" or sending flowers "to my cell." The "watch-dog of the treasury" reference in panel 2 appears to reference government oversight, though its specific meaning is unclear without fuller context. The satire targets both Nat's presumptuous behavior toward women and broader early-1900s social conventions around courtship and public encounters. The subway setting—a new urban space—frames this as contemporary social commentary on changing city life and gender relations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PP Paris, but those who disa ths of thi Come, Algernon; let's ht for the time 3. ye Newvy Nar—"tOh, lock who's here! Goodness, fair one! how could u travel under ground? I'll follow thee, oh, queen of the trench!"* 2. Nenvy Nat—"* "Tis well the watch-dog of the treasury is d van Winkle act, as it saves embarrassing situations. me, and I am quite positive Algernon has not. nder is the matter? I've got a rush Some one must have 4. Nexve Nar of blood to the head, and the queen ist ga fit opened the back door and let the wind in. “What in purple # . | regret that lever brought you to America. which Iam encumbered, it is against my a lady.” NO. 31.—N RVY NAT. NOTE.—The First Serten of Neevy Nate A fo tage when er HIS ADVENTURE 6. Tne apy Nervy Nar “Help! You're a brute!" * Pardo ine: the brute department is on my right, hear it approaching. All | request is that you forget our first meeting and send a few flowers to my cell occasionally." IN THE SUBWAY. 4. Peter, 75 contay 10 cents additional ‘Avenue, New York. comicbooks.com