Judge, 1926-09-18 · page 13 of 36
Judge — September 18, 1926 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Sardinia the Fair" Satire Explanation This is a humorous fairy tale parody mocking **W. K. Fish, a real sardine corporation magnate**. The joke: Fish is so obsessed with business success that when offered a princess and vast estates, he agrees to an impossible "task"—opening a tin of sardines using only the tiny opener included in the package. The satire targets Fish's arrogance and commercial single-mindedness. He boasts of building his empire from "a single goldfish" and claims he "never failed at anything," yet he cannot accomplish a simple, everyday consumer task. The 1,001 skulls represent previous suitors who failed, creating dark comedy around the trivial obstacle. The other cartoon snippets appear to reference **P. T. Barnum** (famous showman) and boxing/athletic culture, likely separate satirical pieces in the magazine. **Context for moderns**: This reflects early 20th-century American satire about industrial magnates and their detachment from ordinary life.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE Sardinia the Fair oo grinning skulls looked down from the castle walls of the Prin- Sardinia the Fai Seated in the royal courtyard, W. K. Fish, President of the mam- moth W. Kk. Fish Sardine Corpora- tion, the man who had made the sardine what it is to-day, glanced up at the skulls. Then he glanced down into the beautiful, fish-like eyes of the Princess Sardinia. “What is the proposition?” he de- manded. “IT have sworn a vow,” explained the Princess, “that I will wed the man who succeeds in performing a certain Task. Any male human being or what ha ‘ou who can do the Trick wins my heart and hand and vast estates and—” “Including, I understand, certain valuable sardine fisheries,” inter- rupted W. K. Fish. The Princess nodded. “But whoever attempts this Task and fails,” she continued, “gets his coco chopped off and set up on my castle wall.” “Woman,” retorted W. K. Fish, “Tam the man who built up the mammoth W. Kk. Fish Sardine Cor- poration from a single goldfish which T captured in a Chicago aquarium in 1915. Name the Task.” “Many have failed,” mused the Princess, looking up at the row of skul “Bah!” snorted W. K. Fish. “I have never failed at anything. Don’t waste my time, woman—it’s worth $400 a minute. Name the Task.” The Princess clapped her hands. A slave appeared with a little tin box, which he placed in the hands of the suitor. A beautifully litho- graphed label proclaimed that the contents of the box were Sardines Packed In Mustard Dressing by The W. K. Fish Sardine Corporation “The Ta: explained the Prin- cess, “is to open this thing with the little do-jigger that comes in the package he next day 1,001 grinning skulls looked down from th of the Princess Sardin Asia Kagowan et Woman’s place is on a magazine cover. P. T. Barnum—Comin’ along swell, ain't he, Velasquez! himself all th’ way up from Benny Leonard to Napoleon, an’ he’s on’y been nutty a month, Coacu—Marvelous what progress the men are making with the new tackling dummy! Worked comicbooks.com