Judge — September 18, 1926 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a reader-participation contest page, not a political cartoon. Judge magazine invited readers to complete an unfinished comic strip for a $25 prize. The three panels show a domestic bedroom scene: Panel 1 depicts a woman in bed with exaggerated features (likely ethnic caricature, common to era publications). Panel 2 shows a man in bed, apparently reacting with disgust or alarm. Panel 3, the completed example by artist "Mel Cross," shows both figures outside on a rooftop at night, juggling what appear to be sausages while thinking about food—a punchline suggesting marital discord or absurdist humor. The contest invited amateur submissions to finish the strip with humorous endings. This reflects early 20th-century magazine culture combining reader engagement with the casual ethnic stereotyping typical of period American humor publications.