Judge, 1908-01-18 · page 10 of 16
Judge — January 18, 1908 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip following "Nervy Nat," an apparent vagrant or drifter fleeing police after a henhouse robbery. The humor derives from his increasingly absurd escape scheme: he creates a life-sized snowman to fool pursuing authorities and detectives ("Dr. Holmes and Sherlock Watson"—references to famous fictional detectives). The joke escalates when local children discover the snow figure and begin attacking it with snowballs. Nat, hidden inside the hollow snowman, endures the bombardment. He ironically concludes that if the children report the "occupied snowman" to their teacher, there will be a vacant desk—implying he'll be arrested before the child returns to school. The satire mocks both small-town justice systems and the desperation of vagrants, while the slapstick physicality drives the humor for Judge's readership.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Nenvy Nat" Just because some low-dow: night, Lam forced to beat this vicinit in this community; but ‘tis not to be, as the police are on my trail.”* hobo robbed a hen-coop last 2. Nenvy Nat —"' Just as | opined—I hear the pursuers” voices in the back- I would fain tarry a while ground. No two-by-six cow-town jail for mine, | must devise some means to defeat the ends of justice. Ah, I have it!” 3. Nervy Nar—* Uhave at present of making a quick throwing a fit. But back up, Glady This is anything but comfortable, but ‘tis the only means 4. New Nat" Pretty good imitashe of a snow. ange. A layman might think | was to fool old Dr. Holmes and Sherlock Watson, anyway. They think I'ma here is madness in my method.” mile in the lead. Gosh! this cold-storage business is nerve-racking.”” an yes? Good enough ~ Aone Lee 5. Tue Kips" Whee! look at the snow-man! Bing! Bang! Biff!” 6. Nekvy Nat" If Lon Nexvy Nat—" Suffering tripe!” wollop with the fence-rail, th to-morrow.” my hooks on the kid re will be a vacant desk at handed me the the district school . 33.—NERVY NAT He A CHILLING EXPERIENCE. NOTE.—The Firat Sertes of Neevy Nat's Ad for postage ww form. Orier, 75 centay 10 cents additional th Avenue, New York comichooks.