Judge, 1925-05-23 · page 27 of 36
Judge — May 23, 1925 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Horatio Van H. Paper, a fictional eccentric inventor credited with inventing disposable paper cups, paper towels, and paper matches. The satire traces his origin story: as a mischievous child in 1876, Paper was dropped on his head by a nurse, supposedly explaining his lifelong obsession with practical jokes and inventions designed to frustrate people. The humor lies in the absurd premise that someone would deliberately invent products meant to *fail* — cups that dissolve, towels that disintegrate, etc. — played as elaborate pranks on the public. The accompanying "Reactions" chart humorously lists human responses to such pranks (indignation, degradation, etc.). The lower cartoon illustrates the "first cuddle" — presumably showing the chaotic results of these faulty products in action. It's a parody of the "Great Man" origin story, mocking both Victorian biography conventions and newfangled disposable products.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
of these stereotyped tricks and. re solved to invent new pra own to play upon the public, - ing the possibilities in public drinking cups, Horatio set to work to invent a cup of his own whieh would melt away and fall apart in the hands, spilling water over the chin and down the collar, These soon became known among his friends er's Cups” and were carefully Jed whenever possible. Public towels also were just so much meat to this eccentric inventor, who rapidly devised a towel which would disintegrate at the first touely of water. Encouraged by his sue- cess he applied this principle to ot atilities, and. te ‘Towels” (as they are c public Spoons, Paper Matches products of Horatio’s sense of lnimer have served to bring this inventor's Device for dealing with those masterful salesmen. name to the lips of every citizen, in ° : one way or another. — Corey Ford The Origin of Paper Cups etn Investigation by Jevcr's Scientific Reactions Funny bones f Human Censor’ Indignation Expert [5 1876.9hen I was three Gears aren't Degradation Sentimental Detrimental nex careless nurse. Adorable ak The only mention of the incident Vivacious at this time appeared ina Baltimore Delicious paper, and merely stated: “HL V. Paper. aged three, was dropped on his 1 nurse. The weather will continue cloudy.” van R. Paper ars old, he was drop- on his head by strippe ad by a care As a result of this unfortunate accident, little Horatio really a normal boy a in life lay in plaguing the other children, tying — th knots while they were in swimmii putting live toads in their beds at night, pulling out their chairs from sin the h good fun, slyly cutting ws never His joy r clothing in under them, and occasional spirit of hig off a leg. his p begun to send for the practical jokes that were advertised in the backs of mi nystify your friends and provide an hilari- ind his pranks with > powder, laughing gas, or some zines, guaranteed “to ous evening snec: Je of potassium which he mixed | one day, would fill a book or some- times a hospital. i} In time young Paper grew weary comicbooks.com