Judge, 1928-02-25 · page 17 of 36
Judge — February 25, 1928 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a darkly satirical fake advertisement for "Gamble Soup" in Judge magazine. The satire mocks both poorly-made commercial soups and domestic violence. The cartoon depicts a chaotic kitchen scene where a woman wielding a hammer appears to be attacking someone in a large soup pot, with small figures (possibly children) fleeing below. The advertisement's "jokes" are shockingly cynical: it suggests that serving canned soup instead of homemade meals is preferable to divorce as a solution to unhappy marriages—implying wives should poison their husbands with dangerous, contaminated soup instead. References to "sash-weights" (murder weapons), the soup "bites the hand," needing "gas-masks," and describing it as a "troublesome soup" all suggest lethal poisoning. This reflects early 20th-century dark humor about domestic discord, while also satirizing the quality and safety of mass-produced canned foods. The "Liberty Number" theme suggests commentary on women's limited options and freedoms within marriage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Liberty Number of Judge When “Come out of the Kitchen” is a warning to the family! Here is a fact of interest to every housewife in America: Every day in countless homes throughout the nation, where sash-weights were formerly popular, soups made outside the home are now being served. Divorce is slow and unreliable. Everyone takes a chance with Gamble Soup. Serve him Gamble. Innumerable housewives have found it the new, easy way to happiness. Each Gamble Soup is a mystery-piece of its kind--the result of careful research through the best highways of America; and sorting and combining the resultant trophies after Gam- ble’s exclusive recipes. And Gamble, remem- ber, is sanitary. All our white-wings wear gloves. Gamble Soup is a troublesome soup to make. Often it bites the hand that stirs it. Yet, de- spite the high price of gas-masks, it is yours for the asking. 12 scents a can. ee REMEMBER: THE BEST SOUP IS ALWAYS A GAMBLE! comicbooks.com