Judge, 1908-06-06 · page 16 of 16
Judge — June 6, 1908 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a children's comic strip from Judge magazine featuring Little Johnny and anthropomorphic teddy bears. The narrative is straightforward slapstick: Johnny attempts to teach the bears baseball, but they end up chasing a batted ball down a drain, swept into a stream below, where they accidentally become "caught" on a fishing line. The Irish fisherman character (identifiable by dialect: "Oi," "dhrop," "toime," "St. Pat") mistakes the bears for actual fish, creating comedic confusion. The joke relies on physical comedy and mistaken identity rather than political satire. The strip appears designed to appeal to early 1900s children, promoting a book collection. The "Teddy Bears" reference likely alludes to the popular toy craze following President Theodore Roosevelt (active ca. 1900s), though this is implicit rather than explicitly satirical on this page.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mudge LITTLE JOHNNY AND THE TEDDY BEARS. TO LEARN BASEBALL THE TEDDIES WISH; INSTEAD THEY PLAY AT BEING FISH. 1. One day the Teds, in great surprise, 2. John tells them how, and bids them try, Found Johnny batting up some ” ‘And lines them up to ¢ “Oh, John, dear John!" cry one ani He takes the bat wit! “*We want to learn to play baseball ! And hits an eiegant 3. The Teddies rush in mad pursuit, 4. Ugh! Down the drain the Teddies go And blindly down a drain-hole shoot, Until they reach the stream below. While John, dismayed, sees ball and bear Hurrah! A fishing line ’s in sight; All vanish as if made of air. ‘The bears decide they all will bite.” 5. “Oh, howly saints!" the angler cries, 6. John greets the draggled, muddy bunch, When endless Teddies meet his eyes ‘And calls them “fish” and “* fine for lunch.” “St. Pat! Oi only took a dhrop; “A splendid ‘catch * you surely made-— But, be th’ saints! ‘tis toime to shtop.” ‘Too bad that Mike was so afraid. * COPYRIGHT 1508 BY JUDGE COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, FIFTH AVENUE AND MADISON SQUARE, NEW YORK. The First Series of the adventures of “Little Johnny and the Teddy Bears” is now ready in handsome book form. Price, 60 cents. For sal by book dealers everywhere,or sent postpaid upon receipt of price by Judge Compaay, Filth Avenue and Madison Square, New York." comicbooks.com