Judge, 1910-12-03 · page 38 of 52
Judge — December 3, 1910 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a parody of Sherlock Holmes, the famous fictional detective. The protagonist is named "Shylock Kombs" (combining "Shylock," the Jewish moneylender from *The Merchant of Venice*, with a play on Holmes). The satire mocks Holmes's deductive methods through absurd comedy. Kombs demonstrates his "detective skills" by stating obvious facts—that Watson smells like soap (because he visited a barber), that Watson is broke (because he retrieved his watch from hock), that objects in the room are a desk, chair, and violin case. Each "deduction" is comically trivial, deflating Holmes's famous intellectual superiority. The humor works through exaggeration: Watson increasingly questions whether these obvious observations constitute real detection. The final gag—when asked what he's touching with his hand, Kombs cannot answer—suggests his method collapses under scrutiny. This parodies the Holmes stories' popularity while poking fun at overly elaborate reasoning about simple matters.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE SHYLOCK KOMBS—DETECTIVE hy KRONAND OIL WHATSON!" see that you have keen st Kombs, rubbing his hands. oking a three-for-fiv Je a deal with hil you are said “ce 1 that you visited a relative, Come, come,” always overwhelming me with the results of y But how on ¢ interposed the other deductions, some of which I can understand. Hum! simple as Greek s generally sell at the price Th ticking of your watch my dear fellow, when once you know my methods. Stoxic nentioned: you still a half-smoked stub in your fingers poking out of your vest pocket. and. the tells me of your your Uncle.” Absurdly si Tadmit. But what are you doing have her two are with that towel Ifolded himself; sut down in his office chair demonstrate the m the key Whatson sht think I have discovered to it Give me a AML rigs Your barber. \ fact Hum! you smell like soap Whatson grinned. Bi he was his friend. He would test it further Who called y this morning? errand?”* x my you know it? dear fell How did loubt as te the claim of ottice and what was his \ patient called to pay his bill, Unusual, but true Wonderful! But how did yo You were broke yesterday ML your watch out of hock and did some shopping.” SCEPTICS MAY COME AND SCEPTICS MAY GO Ah did Toby Ir rvelous! marvele But [am still unconvinced \ button.” “What kind of a button?” “An electric bell butte Amazing! Incredible!” “Hum! one of the rud “But kK the bell button? the bell.” ments, that.”* my d And he grinned how did you know th: there’s where [have you! What kind of Mahogany chai Kombs, you really surpass: yourself What have I got my finger on?" had my finger nd of a knife is this which [have in my pocket? “A pocket knife.” “and Whatson placed his hand on an object hard dof a desk is this?” \ writing desk." “But what style?” Old style. my dear Whatson, and seco What kind of a case is in yonder comer lin case.” Ay ; But here's a tough one My desk chair. T heard “Astounding, Kombs! But 1h hand to his head. What is my h Nothing!” And Wh: it squ BUT THE FAITHFUL AWAIT HIM EVER. ve one more test,” don now." I-hand,” What am I touching with my raising his son hurried home to think it over —Harold Skinner. comicbooks.com