Judge, 1918-12-07 · page 2 of 32
Judge — December 7, 1918 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is primarily a **humorous advertisement** for "Judge" magazine, disguised as practical advice. The cartoon shows a couple completing Christmas shopping in record time while a clock displays the achievement. The satire targets **post-WWI economic anxiety**. The text mocks the government's hints that citizens should minimize Christmas spending to conserve resources—a reference to wartime or post-war austerity measures. "Judge" (the magazine's mascot/advice columnist) proposes a tongue-in-cheek solution: organize gift-giving into tiered lists ($5 gifts, $1 gifts) distributed through the magazine itself, supposedly solving the Christmas expense problem. The special mention of "soldiers and sailors" receiving extra issues reflects the post-WWI period when servicemen were prominent in public consciousness. The satire's real point: this elaborate scheme is deliberately impractical—it mocks both government frugality appeals and consumer anxiety about holiday expenses.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eB) Well, John, we tinishedin 10 mimites- flat- Che worlds Tecord |. Tobably Py, How To Do Your Christmas Shopping in 10 Minutes There must be a great deal of Christmas feeling this year (as usual) but not very much Christmas fuss. The government has not asked us to conserve Christmas. There is plenty to go ‘round. The govern- ment has simply hinted that we get the minimum Christmas effect this year with the minimum Christmas strain—on other people and on our- selves. Now Judge has a plan by which you can handle your whole Christ- mas in IO minutes—a very fine idea—which is perhaps the only solution to the Christmas problem this year. If this idea does not strike you favorably, Judge gives up your case, and you will have to use your All Right, Judge: 225 Fifth Avenue New York City own ingenuity in regard to Christmas —a pitfall against which Judge warns you. Judge’s plan is this: First, make a list of the folks on whom you want to spend five dollars and tell us to send Judge to them for one year. Then make a list of folks on whom you want to spend a dollar (though you may love ’em as much or more than the others) and tell us to send Judge to them for 13 issues. Give addresses. (And, oh yes, include a check or something to cover the total.) For Soldiers and Sailors If any on the dollar list are soldiers or sailors, be sure to say so, for Judge, in that case, will send 20 issues instead of 13—a special deal Judge is giving to boys in the service. The Happy Medium JUDGE 225 Fifth Avenue, New York City comicbooks.com