Judge, 1916-05-20 · page 19 of 28
Judge — May 20, 1916 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Johnnie Walker whisky advertisement**, not political satire. The cartoon uses humor to promote their "non-refillable bottle" innovation. The joke: A bettor ("Nut") asks a bookie the odds on "Johnnie Walker," treating the whisky brand as a racehorse. The bookie refuses to bet because it's now a "double sure winner"—the new non-refillable bottle guarantees quality consistency since every drop is over 10 years old, making it an unbeatable product. The visual depicts well-dressed gentlemen and a bookie in period dress, with a horse race implied through the betting terminology. The "Born 1820—Still going strong" caption emphasizes the brand's longevity and reliability. This represents early **brand advertising disguised as editorial humor** in Judge magazine, targeting wealthy male readers familiar with horse racing and scotch consumption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Born 1820 —Sutill going strong. Nut (to Bookie): “Wuat price ‘Jounxie WaLKER’?’ Bookie (looking wise): “Not Layine rt, Str.” Nut: “Wuy?” Bookie: “’Cos 11's \ DOUBLE SURE WINNER NOW THEY'VE PUT IT IN THAT NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.” For generations “ Johnnie Walker’? Red Label has led the race, but now it is lengths ahead, and—still going strong. Every drop in the non-refillable bottle is over 10 years old. GUARANTEED SAME QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Agents: WILLIAMS & HUMBERT, 1158 Broadway, NEW YORK. JOHN WALKER & SONS, Lro., Waisxy Distitiens, KILMARNOCK. Scortayn. comicbooks.com