Judge — November 20, 1909 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous six-panel comic strip (not political satire) featuring a character named John and mischievous possum characters. The narrative shows John attempting to enjoy Thanksgiving Day with possums he's encountered, but chaos ensues: the animals escape, cause destruction indoors, create automotive accidents, and generally wreak havoc throughout the day. The title's concluding moral—"John finds that grouches never pay—be happy on Thanksgiving Day"—suggests the strip satirizes the difficulty of maintaining good humor during holiday celebrations when things go wrong. The repeated disasters serve as comedic commentary on how unexpected troubles (here, wild animals) can disrupt festive occasions, regardless of one's intentions to remain cheerful. This appears to be lighthearted domestic humor rather than social or political commentary.