Judge — July 13, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis This John Conacher cartoon from *Judge* magazine depicts two German military figures (identifiable by their spiked Prussian helmets and uniforms) walking through a cemetery. One wears a cape and appears elderly or skeletal; the other is a uniformed officer. They're examining a gravestone marked "FRITZ," surrounded by skulls. The dialogue—"The American Army is a Joke, father" / "Yes, Willy, I'm afraid it's going to be a HUGE Joke!"—is darkly ironic satire. The German figures are dismissing American military strength, but the surrounding graveyard and skulls suggest their own devastating losses. The cartoon mocks German confidence while warning that American involvement would prove catastrophically costly for Germany. This likely dates to World War I era, when the U.S. was still neutral or newly involved.