Judge, 1918-06-01 · page 35 of 36
Judge — June 1, 1918 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **fundraising advertisement**, not satire. Published June 1, 1918 (during WWI), it promotes "Smileage Books"—coupon booklets that provided theater passes for soldiers in military camps. The illustration shows a cheerful man in a cowboy hat holding a pass, encouraging civilians to purchase these books. The accompanying poem by "Walt Mason" (a real Judge contributor) shames older men like himself who cannot fight in France, urging them to instead buy Smileage Books to entertain troops. The poem's self-deprecating tone—"I am too fat to scrap...I'm wedded to my easy chair"—motivates readers through guilt: if you can't serve militarily, at least support soldiers' morale. The actual satire is **implicit**: the poem gently mocks civilian reluctance to contribute while younger men sacrifice their lives. Two book sizes were offered ($1 and $5), with Judge magazine itself distributing them as a patriotic service during wartime.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
June 1, 1918 IS A THEATER PASS Send one to a Soldier in Camp Military Entertainme | Int tional Guard Camps large theaters and tents dozen more, gadzooks! and send them to some have been put up in which professional theat- soldier chaps, and help to brighten up their ical companies are giving regular shows, such as maps. O anything that I can do, to keep the boys ‘Turn to the Right,” “Inside the Lines,” and from getting blue, to keep them cheerful, bright “Cheating Cheaters.” Real vaudeville from and sane, and drive the fantods from the brain, Keith’s circuit by special companies, who will play I'll do with forty kinds of glee; so you can always only at the camps; the best concerts, movies and count on me. I am too fat to scrap, myself; old lectures will also be given. age has placed me on thé shelf; I’m wedded to Smileage Books come in two sizes. One contains my easy chair, I couldn’t whip a Belgian hare. twenty 5-cent coupons and costs $1. The other The younger men must fight for me, and see that * contains one hundred 5-cent coupons and costs I have liberty, and all the blessings I desire, while $5. The cost of admission to these shows varies I sit dozing by the fire. For me they’ve left their from two coupons to five coupons, depending on homes and friends, to go where bloodshed never the cost of producing the show. It will never be ends; for me they march on soggy moor, and pains over five coupons. The accounts are audited by and weariness endure; for me to France they will men from the War Department. repair, perhaps to fall and perish there. For me Judge has been appointed a Smileage Head- the brave young men go forth, from east and west, quarters and will receive orders and will forward from south and north, with buoyant hearts that Smileage Books to you or direct to a soldier in must not tire, while I sit dreaming by the fire. camp as you request. Judge donates this adver- And am I such a tinhorn skate that I won’t help tisement and in addition will include a One Dollar to ease the weight of dreary hours the boys must Smileage Book with each Judge subscription sent know? He is a fake who tells you so. Bring direct to us at $5.00 during the next thirty days. on your Smileage Books, my friend. T’ll buy till Book Committee, 225 Fifth Ave. N. Y. my resources end.—Walt Mason in Judge. * * * SEND ONE TO YOUR SOLDIER BOY IN CAMP [ the thirty-two big National Army and Na- [% buy a dozen Smileage books, and then a Judge Smileage comicbooks.com