Judge — April 15, 1922 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **tire advertisement disguised as a cartoon joke** from Judge magazine. Two cars have nearly collided in heavy rain on a slippery street. The drivers are exchanging remarks—one asking "Well?" (implying blame or concern), the other responding that the accident was avoided *because* both were using Kelly-Springield Cord tires. The satire is subtle: the "joke" isn't actually funny by modern standards. Instead, Judge is using a near-disaster scenario to advertise Kelly tires' superior grip on wet roads. The punchline essentially endorses the product: good tire choice prevented catastrophe. The accompanying text emphasizes Kelly's "Kant-Slip" technology for traction, durability ("long, uninterrupted mileage"), and price competitiveness. This is early automotive advertising leveraging safety concerns—a persuasion technique still used today, though this execution reads more as straightforward promotion than satire.