Judge — October 21, 1916 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Animalville Opens the Football Season—Ayrshires vs. Percherons" This is a humorous cartoon depicting an anthropomorphized animal football match. The title identifies the teams as "Ayrshires" (a dairy cattle breed) versus "Percherons" (a draft horse breed), transforming livestock into sports competitors. The cartoon is a visual joke playing on animal characteristics: the Percherons' strength and size versus the Ayrshires' smaller stature. Various animal spectators crowd a makeshift field with crude goalposts, creating chaotic game action filled with physical comedy typical of Judge magazine's slapstick humor. The satire likely mocks the era's obsession with competitive sports while anthropomorphizing animals provides lighthearted entertainment. Speech bubbles with animal sounds ("MOO," "NEIGH," "BAAA") emphasize the absurdist nature of the scenario, appealing to Judge's middle-class readership seeking comedic relief.