Judge — September 3, 1921 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Autumnal Leaves in Vallombrosa" - Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis This is a daily calendar comic strip for September-October 1920, satirizing contemporary American events and social issues. Key references include: **Political/Social References:** - **Bootleggers** (top left): Prohibition-era illegal alcohol sellers, a major concern after the 18th Amendment - **Labor Day**: Working-class tensions - **International Order of the Ku Klux Klan**: The KKK's resurgence in the 1920s, depicted checking "firearms at the door" — satirizing the group's violent reputation - **Gabriele D'Annunzio** (Sept 12): Italian nationalist who seized Fiume, reflecting post-WWI tensions - **Prohibition references** throughout (bootleggers, rum, "constitution adopted") - **1920 Chicago baseball scandal**: Likely referencing the Black Sox scandal **The Satire:** The strip mocks contemporary anxieties—organized crime, extremist organizations, labor unrest, and post-war upheaval—through everyday situations. The title "Autumnal Leaves in Vallombrosa" (a literary reference) contrasts poetic sentiment with harsh modern realities.