Judge, 1927-08-06 · page 9 of 36
Judge — August 6, 1927 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains three separate comic sketches satirizing early 20th-century social conventions and propriety. **Top cartoon**: A man in a car asks directions from a pedestrian who appears disheveled—likely satirizing either confused tourists or the new awkwardness of automobile culture versus traditional transportation. **"A Misfit Merman"**: A morality tale mocking overly conscientious behavior. A swimmer meets a seductive "Lorelei" (mythological siren) who invites him to her island with promises of marriage. Despite her advances, he refuses—not from virtue but from rigid duty, repeatedly insisting he must return to the bathhouse. The satire targets men bound by social obligation so strictly they cannot even recognize opportunity or passion. **Lower vignette**: A naval joke about a gunnery officer named Bloom who asks which eye to shoot an enemy officer in—absurdist humor about military literalism. The page's recurring theme appears to be mocking excessive propriety and rigidity in American social life—suggesting such strictness prevents people from living fully, even when presented with romantic or exciting alternatives.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE left turn at the second cross-roads? A Misfit Merman The Conscientious Bather swam far out to sea, When, to his inadvertent land- ward gaze the bath-house was a mere dot upon the shore, he bunked into a U-No-Me canoe, rowed by a beautiful Lorelei. “Pardon me,” said the Lorelei, resting on her oars, “for bunking into your head.” “Pardon me,” said the Con- scientious Bather, treading water, “for bunking into your canoe.” Both smiled. — Instant the Lorelei smiled, the Conscientious Bather fell in love “Pardon me,” said he—“‘I am tired; also I love you. Would you mind if I leaned awhile on the side of your U-No-Me canoe?” “Lean to it,” said the Lorelei; “Iam a bit balmy about your- self!” And so he leaned. And they chatted; talked about everything under the sun and the air and the And as they chatted, they fell more and more deeply in love with each other. Presently cried the Lorelei in her impulsive fashion: sez ‘STICK AROUND BABE ‘AND PLL'PUT YOUR. NAME‘ ON RROADWAY “Do you see that officer on the bridge of that ship five miles away?” asked a captain of his lieutenant. “Ay, sir,” said Bloom staunchly. “Well, then, let him have one of our 16-inch shells in the eye, Bloom!” commanded Capt. Wrench. “Which eye, sir?” queried Bloom coyly. Did you ever see the beat of that? Sue—IVill you please tell me if this is the third turn to the right after the “Jump into the canoe, my dar- ling, and float with me to my island home! The Conscientious Bather paled. “T couldn't think of it!” he replied. “Calm your fears,” said the Lorelei; “there is a missionary in island home, and he will rry us. Everything will be quite according to Hoyle.” “Couldn't think of it, couldn't think of it. couldn't think of it!” repeated the Conscientious Bather. “And why not?” implored the Lorelei. “T must go home, I must go home, I must go home,” frenzied he. “Are you married?” sobbed the aquatic vamp. “Back to the Bath-House, back to the Bath-House, back to the Bath-House !” reiterated the Con scientious Bather. And why, my love, O why “Much as I would wish to fly, flee, flee, float, fetch with you, Lovely Lorelei, stern duty | de- mands that I be back e’er night fall.” comicbooks.com | \ | i