Judge, 1921-07-02 · page 35 of 36
Judge — July 2, 1921 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This isn't a cartoon but an **advertorial essay** promoting the value of advertising itself—a meta-advertisement appearing in *Judge* magazine. The title uses a hypothetical example (Maine buying Oregon apples) to illustrate **interstate commerce made possible by advertising**. The piece argues that advertising drives economic growth by connecting producers and consumers across distances. The argument: without advertising, business would "stagnate," large-scale production would collapse, and consumers would remain ignorant of available products. The essay frames reading ads as practically beneficial—claiming readers will learn "much of many things" and get "more for your money" in half an hour. The closing exhortation "Read it—reflect on it—it pays" frames ad-reading as a profitable personal investment, not merely corporate promotion. This reflects **early 20th-century American optimism about consumer capitalism and advertising's civilizing, democratizing role** in distributing goods and information nationally.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
How the Man in Maine Buys Oregon Apples ? OMMERCE lives through the interchange of products. California fruits are sold in Maine. Shoes made in New England are worn on the Pacific slope. Automobiles from Detroit traverse the Florida sands; the North smokes Southern tobacco. And so it goes. Advertising has played an all important part in fostering business growth. Without it we would retrograde half a century, or more. Business would stagnate; large institutions which build cheaply by large production would fade into oblivion; we would live in total ignorance of many things which might add to our wealth, health and happiness. The bread and butter of business depend on advertising, and your interest in it. Read the advertisements. They will be as pro- ductive of results to you as to the companies that pay for them. In half an hour, or less, you can learn much of many things that go to make life what it is. Read the advertising. It enables you to get more for your money by telling you what to buy. It is your guide to what’s good to get. Read it—reflect on it—it pays comicbooks.com