Judge — October 31, 1908 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel comic strip satirizes retail customer service and department store operations in early 20th-century America. The protagonist "Nervy Nat" (a recurring character in Judge magazine) appears to be a scheming retail worker navigating various absurd customer complaints and store situations. The satire targets: 1. **Unreasonable customer demands** – customers complaining about merchandise quality and seeking impossible refunds 2. **Department store inefficiency** – confusion about store layout, bustles, molasses inventory 3. **Worker exploitation** – Nat's struggle to manage demanding customers while following store procedures 4. **Consumer culture** – the absurdity of commercial transactions and customer entitlement The humor relies on exaggerated dialect and physical comedy typical of the era. The title suggests Nat's employment is temporary—he won't last long in this chaotic retail environment. The strip mocks both customer behavior and retail management without clear political messaging.