Judge — November 18, 1916 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Good Shot on the Border" This November 1916 cartoon satirizes military posturing during the Mexican Border Campaign. Two uniformed officers play billiards while three large cannons loom behind them, pointed outward through window-like openings suggesting fortifications. The title's "good shot" creates a double meaning: it refers both to their billiards game and to military firepower. The satire critiques the apparent disconnect between leisurely, comfortable military life and the serious border tensions with Mexico that had prompted U.S. military deployment. This reflects the context of Pancho Villa's 1916 raid into New Mexico and the subsequent U.S. military response. Judge magazine, a humorous publication, uses this juxtaposition to mock either the readiness of border forces or the casual attitude toward potential conflict.