Judge — May 7, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page showcases winning entries from Judge magazine's "Wiggle-Wobble" contest—a recurring feature where readers submitted humorous cartoon drawings, typically featuring surreal or exaggerated imagery centered on wiggly, squiggly lines as the primary visual element. The prizes ranged from $25 (first) down to $5 (third/fourth/fifth), with "Honorable Mention" recognizing additional submissions. Winners came from across America—New Haven, Wilmington, New York City, and elsewhere—suggesting this was a popular, nationwide participatory feature. The cartoons themselves show crude but inventive humor: musical instruments with contorted features, anthropomorphized objects, and absurdist scenarios. This reflects 1920s popular entertainment tastes—accessible, participatory, and emphasizing visual gags over complex satire. The contest essentially crowdsourced cartoon content from amateur contributors nationwide.