Judge — April 30, 1921 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine, April 30, 1921 This illustration depicts two figures fishing by a stream. The caption reads: "Ah jest natcherly knowed dat worm was a liar!" The cartoon employs racist dialect and caricature typical of early 1920s American satire. One figure appears to be represented with exaggerated features associated with period racial stereotyping. The joke plays on a vernacular speech pattern, suggesting one character used a worm as bait while another character claims the worm "lied" — likely a wordplay joke about the unreliability of using false bait or deceptive methods. The satirical point remains unclear without additional historical context, though it may reference broader themes of deception or distrust common in Judge's humor of this era. The racist elements reflect the publication's problematic standards of its time.