Judge, 1923-09-15 · page 23 of 36
Judge — September 15, 1923 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Kelly-Springfield tire advertisement** disguised as comic content. The cartoon depicts two men in a vintage automobile (appearing to be from the 1910s-1920s era) having a conversation about tire durability. The humor relies on the dialogue: one man suggests his friend got excellent value from his tires, which have lasted so long he can now afford a new car. The friend responds that he'd promised himself a new vehicle when these tires wore out—but they show no signs of failing, so he's stuck keeping his old car. This inverts typical consumer expectations: usually, purchasing new tires means upgrading the vehicle itself. Here, Kelly-Springfield's durability becomes a comedic problem for the owner. The advertisement then pivots to selling the tire's actual benefits: longevity, safety, and value. The tagline "It costs no more to buy a Kelly" promises affordability without sacrificing quality—a common early 20th-century advertising claim.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FLLLOWw/e don't you thi u've had your money's worth out of th 1. Tom, I promised myself a new car when this set of tires wore out but blamed dow't look like they'd last forever.” ELLY-SPRINGFIELD Cords will not last. for- ever but they will come as near it- as any tire ever made. In addition they will give you service practically free from tire trouble, assure you safety from skidding on nearly any kind of road in any kind of weather and increase the pleasure of your motoring 100 per cent. Tt costs no more lo buy a Kelly. comicbooks.com