Judge — November 24, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This single-panel cartoon satirizes economic inequality during a period of claimed "prosperity." A well-dressed gentleman dines alone at a table with apple sauce and wine, while a skeletal figure (representing Death or deprivation) looms menacingly behind him, holding his coat and hat. The warning "Watch your hat and overcoat" suggests theft or loss amid plenty. The caption "Bring on your prosperity!" appears ironic—the cartoon critiques the gap between official proclamations of economic good times and the grim reality facing ordinary people. The starving specter represents those left behind by prosperity, existing in shadow while the wealthy dine obliviously. This reflects common Judge magazine themes criticizing economic disparity and the human cost of capitalist excess.