Judge — July 20, 1918 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon by Robert L. Dickey depicts two soldiers in what appears to be a WWI-era trench or battlefield setting. The title "The Interrupted Shave" suggests the dark humor of military life — one soldier is attempting personal grooming despite the dangerous, muddy conditions of active warfare. The juxtaposition of mundane peacetime activity (shaving) with the grim reality of combat (destroyed landscape, military uniforms, weapons) creates the satire. The cartoon likely mocks either the absurdity of maintaining military discipline and appearance standards in horrific battlefield conditions, or comments on soldiers trying to preserve normalcy amid chaos. The figure on the left carries a rifle with bayonet, emphasizing the combat context.