Judge — March 10, 1923 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This appears to be a satirical cartoon from *Judge* magazine commenting on the popularity of mystery theater productions. The image shows two figures in dramatic shadow/silhouette against a dark background, their faces partially obscured or rendered mysteriously—a visual pun on the caption's subject. The satire works on two levels: First, it humorously suggests that mystery plays are popular *because* audiences can't see or understand what's happening on stage (the figures are literally hard to make out). Second, it may be mocking contemporary mystery drama as obscure or poorly lit theatrical productions. Without additional context about the magazine's publication date, I cannot identify the specific figures or reference particular theatrical productions of that era. The joke relies on the visual obscurity matching the genre being satirized.