Judge, 1918-05-11 · page 2 of 36
Judge — May 11, 1918 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **wartime propaganda advertising** rather than political satire. The cartoon shows a man (representing Uncle Sam or American authority) conducting an orchestra or band, with the tagline "stopp enviten trubbul!" (stop inviting trouble—likely dialectal spelling for humorous effect). The text argues Americans shouldn't complain about wartime hardships, claiming American soldiers are resilient and maintaining morale. It promotes *Judge* magazine's popularity among servicemen at sixteen cantonments, claiming it ranked third in soldier readership. The advertisement attempts to boost *Judge* subscriptions by appealing to patriotism—"help your Uncle Sam win the war by lending him your smiles"—positioning humor as a patriotic duty. This reflects WWI-era messaging encouraging civilian support for troops through entertainment and morale-boosting publications.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
stopp enviten trubbul! Why brood over war-time conditions? They are trying, they have jolted us out of our complacency, and yet we in America are better off in every respect than any other nation on this torn-up old globe. We are going to win the war—don’t doubt that fora moment. And we are going to win it through American pluck and stamina and our ability to fight and smile at the same time. The American soldier is nota grouch. The boys in France haven’t forgotten how to laugh; the boys in our home camps are the merriest, fun-loving bunch of youngsters anywhere in the world. Recently the librarians at the sixteen cantonments throughout the country took a vote among the soldier readers to ascertain what publications were the most popular. Fudge stood third on the list. Why? It is the most human, the most entertaining, the most genuinely amusing periodical in the land. It is all American and a nation wide. It is committed to the gospel of good cheer. It is a smiling visitant to the home during fifty-two mirth-provoking weeks of the year. Won’t you help your Uncle Sam to win the war by lending him your smiles? Cheer up and subscribe for ‘zdge. Below is your personal smileage ticket. Snip it off zow while the matter is fresh in your mind. A Giggle a Day Keeps Old Grouch Away All Right, Judge: 225 Fifth Ave., New York City I accept your offer—three months for $1. It is understood that you send me JUDGE beginning with the current issue—12 numbers in all. Ienclose $1 (OR) send me a bill at a later date. (Canadian $1.25—Forcign $1.50.) comicbooks.com