Judge, 1909-10-23 · page 9 of 16
Judge — October 23, 1909 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous comic strip about Arctic exploration, likely referencing early 20th-century North Pole expeditions (when such claims were contested and newsworthy). The protagonist "Nervy Nat" appears to be an opportunistic character who attempts to claim or exploit Arctic discoveries. The satire mocks several things: the absurdity of Arctic exploration itself, the showboating around polar "discoveries," and the commercialization of exploration (references to picture postcards, zoos, and clubs suggest turning exploration into public spectacle). A passing reference to a "Jeff and Johnson" prize fight suggests boxing celebrity gossip was colliding with serious exploration news in public consciousness. The final panel's joke about strangers kissing and stealing watches is period-typical humor about urban pickpocketing and unwanted physical familiarity. The overall tone is lighthearted mockery of exploration pretensions and the media circus surrounding them.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
yyy fap; but as you live around here, perhaps you Nat—" Well, here we ny one has any picture postals 2° Shades of Queensberry ! there ’s.a prize fight. It can’t be Jeff and John- hnson couldn't have consented to this climate. Gittap, Rudolph! let us draw I'm going to wayer the remains of my popcorn on one or t’other !” ole is thee blocks to your left—just past the old swim- Id have ponted it out to you. I’m sick of directing ny picture puzzle!” - | iil . Americans ve! bravo! yoi! yor! Hurroo! Wie y Nat—""Vhere's it! Now, good people, | ‘Ibe fearfully obliged if you ‘Il ¢ it and put it in the subway or the Bronx Zoo, or in the Union League Club; but let part of the map and I sud- me bey of vou, when [ come ashore, restrain yourselves and don’t kiss me, as mother ove the arctic reservoir! Now, Rudolph, just hike seal endwich in it for you if we get away with this s | wasn’ nS | &asn't looking for this swollen icicle at all at the afternoon air up this always said, "Don't let strangers kiss you—you might lose your watch !" DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH POLE it OUTWITTED BY NERVY NAT. comichooks.qeln)