Judge — November 5, 1927 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon titled "Judge" depicts a tall, thin gentleman in formal attire (top hat, coat) standing above a shorter, rounder figure labeled "Bootleg." The standing figure holds a document labeled "Prohibition," while the kneeling figure represents illegal alcohol production/distribution. The satire criticizes Prohibition's practical failure: despite the legal ban on alcohol, bootlegging thrived as a black market enterprise. The cartoon suggests that the judge (representing law and authority) cannot control or suppress the bootleg trade through mere legal decree—the two figures remain in close, seemingly inseparable relationship. Published in *Judge*, a satirical magazine, this reflects 1920s-1930s American frustration with Prohibition's inability to eliminate alcohol consumption, instead spawning organized crime and corruption.