Judge — August 3, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "New York Afraid of the Air Raids Iss" This satirical cartoon depicts New York City's panic during air raid threats (likely WWI or WWII era). The six panels mock various fearful responses: emotional goodbyes, people rushing to bed early, masses fleeing the city with belongings, crowds sheltering in underground railways, and economic disruption including child begging at streetcalls. The exaggerated dialect ("iss" instead of "is") appears to mock immigrant speech patterns. The cartoonist satirizes both the hysteria gripping the city and society's collapse into chaos—people abandoning work, homes, and civic order. The humor targets New Yorkers' perceived overreaction to air raid fears, portraying dignified citizens reduced to panicked refugees. Artist Rex Irwin draws these scenarios to ridicule the city's collective anxiety during wartime.