Judge, 1918-03-16 · page 10 of 38
Judge — March 16, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel satirical comic by Alfred G. Ablitzer depicts a working man's financial downfall during what appears to be the World War I era. The protagonist obsesses over an expensive fur coat all winter, neglecting work duties. When spring arrives, he impulsively withdraws money from the bank to purchase it from a tailor. He admires himself in the mirror, thrilled with his acquisition. However, the punchline arrives when he's drafted into military service. Unable to afford both the coat and his new obligations, he must pawn his prized "dream" to a pawnshop. The satire mocks consumer vanity and poor financial judgment—the boob's desire for status symbols overrides both work responsibility and financial prudence, leaving him worse off when circumstances change. It's also a commentary on how military conscription disrupted civilian life and priorities during WWI.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
An-End-of-the-Season Tragedy The poor boob had looked at that fur coat longingly, the winter through, on his way to business. He dreamed about it at his desk, neglecting things he ought to have done to keep on his job. Within a few weeks of the balmy spring he had an irresistible im- pulse, and made a break for the bank. The tailor greeted him as a friend, but he needed no persuasion, and viewed himself with joy in the mirror. Hecarried his purchase home, filled with the ecstasy of possession, only to discover he had been drafted! And in military gear, he took his melancholy way to the pawnshop, where he hocked his dream. Drazen by Aurnen G. Anurrzere comicbooks.com