Judge — May 21, 1927 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Him and Her" by Blooey — Judge, May 21, 1927 This comic strip satirizes domestic conflict through physical comedy. The four panels show escalating violence between a couple: the man "POW"s the woman, she retaliates with "ZOWIE," he strikes back with "BLAM," and she counters with "ZOP." The final panel labels this "THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAGEDY"—suggesting the cartoonist is darkly mocking American marriage as mutual combat rather than partnership. The title "Him and Her" emphasizes the symmetry of their conflict. This reflects 1920s anxieties about changing gender roles post-suffrage. Rather than condemning either party, the satire presents matrimonial violence as reciprocal farce, critiquing both spouses' behavior equally through slapstick absurdity.