Judge, 1928-11-03 · page 8 of 36
Judge — November 3, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Fish Racing as Satire This 1920s Judge magazine piece satirizes the absurdity of fish racing as an emerging fad that threatens baseball's dominance. The headline references **Judge Landis**, the real baseball commissioner famous for cleaning up the sport after gambling scandals—here humorously accused of buying a halibut, suggesting even he's succumbed to fish racing mania. Dr. Seuss's cartoons mock the craze by presenting fish racing with mock-serious coverage: wealthy sportsmen training flying fish, betting on herring, and establishing championship competitions. The sections ("Making a Liability an Asset," "Psychology of Victory," "Advice to Wager Makers," "Hats Off to the Eels") parody actual sports journalism. The joke is that Americans were momentarily obsessed with this nonsensical activity, treating racing fish with the same intensity as legitimate sports. The satire suggests how easily fads capture public imagination, and how quickly established institutions (baseball) could be displaced by ridiculous novelties.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE Fish Racing Growing as Fad “May Supplant Baseball,’’ says Judge Landis (who is reputed to have bought him a halibut). By Dr. Seuss The Psychology of Victory Like race-horses, racing fish must be humored win D'Artagnan t pair of racing 1 in spirits d'Marphy, owner of t Making a Liability an Asset mackerel in all the ¥ When J, Whelp Grimalkin, the Sporting with m1 Millionaire of Los Angeles, died last. spring, favorites ‘a sinni, the sub he left every si hi his submarine monkey, thed Bo won estranged son, J his kennel of Flying: e, these fish sporting circles ad the will, The penniless youth ¢ lered the prop tion with eare. ‘True, there were enough fish to feed him the rest of his life, but as bis father ing » laughing stock em and eat ‘em,” had bequeathed no r sauce to go with them, Jack chose the only other alternative. He would train these doubtful fish to race and win! A consu their slug the sun w k promptly had fish fitt whing! Thus shel the flying fish re: their strength. Their reecnt winnings made Jack twiee as rich his old betting on a pair & cee . Advice to Wager Makers ‘be first thing to of fish is to ascer \ are both of the same . ionship was e Zwirz, whe : came in first on two male herring. sae Although the ep lly the favorit course they took tom one another. Whilst they” were thus dallying, Mr. Zwirz sneaked over for a victory. Deseess aa Hats Off to the Eels It is with regret that we lea after all eels will be ba competing in the International Fish Derby, This new ruling is simply a matter of sour grapes. All eel fanciers and eelophiles know that these slip fellows are so fast that the other fish are ashamed to gainst them. couple of them showing their opponents a clean pair of ‘eels, 6 comicbooks.com