Judge, 1929-03-16 · page 12 of 36
Judge — March 16, 1929 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Stamp of Correspondence" — Judge Magazine Cartoon This page satirizes job-interview desperation and social climbing. The main narrative follows an ambitious applicant seeking work as an aide to a company president. The humor centers on the protagonist's absurd over-preparation: he obsessively displays his hygiene (mentioning Paree Supporters, Blisterine, and whitened teeth), flaunts half-learned knowledge from reading clubs, and demonstrates parlor tricks—culminating in performing magic he hasn't mastered, accidentally destroying the president's expensive watch while attempting to switch it with a cheap one. The accompanying week-long "Stamp of Correspondence" illustrations show a character performing increasingly ridiculous labor with correspondence stamps, depicting the mundane drudgery of clerical work. The satire targets social anxiety about making good impressions through performative self-improvement—the implicit joke being that such desperate credential-flashing and half-baked cultural knowledge backfire spectacularly. The scattered joke items (about actors on film sets, brand-name cigarettes) are period advertising asides typical of Judge magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Monday = E%’ Tuesday The Stamp of Correspondence The time had come. Twas about to dash forth in search of employment, and I was prepared. In utmost. Thad chosen the posi- tion of aid to the president of the General Mutters Combine as one befitting my training, and with that in mind I walked with a forceful stride past the clerks in the outer office and into the luxu- riously appointed office of the president. ‘The president was caught off guard with his feet on the desk, and it was with a stab surprise that I noticed his trousers carelessly exposed his sloppy socks. Nothing daunted, however, I drew up a chair, and sitting down, crossed my legs to show him that my socks were held neat and secure with a pair of I was prepared to the Paree Supporters. “Vous avez un jolie suite.” I remarked offhand by way of in troduction, and then to show him my versatility, I added, “Yo vengo h n Usted de un His surprise d 1 edged up more closely to show him Thad no sign of nidrosis, or epithelial débris, thanks to a combination of Blisterine, Odor- goshno, and Imperial Manger Disinfectant. Then flashing him a smile which showed plainly my de-nicotinized teeth brushed to a pearly whiteness, and gums with not a touch of the danger line, I spoke concisely and right to the position, Seior was gratifying, alitosis, br JUDGE point about my training and my aspirations. I noticed his fidgeting and his impatic intent on ce to hire me, but Twas ing him my full story before I allowed him to act. I talked about poctry, novels, ies, and bits of history red from Mother Hubbard's Scrap Book: and then commented about “Toils of ony,” the latest book sent from my reading club. Not content with his amazement and wonderment, I spoke of the eve- Friday nings I enjoyed danei ch: ww to ted movements, and playing musical instruments, and told him about the quickness and ease which I mastered difficult pi in a few spare minutes night. Also I spoke of the fact I subscribed to the Dumbbell Training Course to keep my body fit for the strain T knew it would have to stand in his employ; and finally as a bit of good nature, and to show him I was conversant with the lighter bits of life, I took his watch in my hand, and with a light motion learned from Mitt- bb the Mystic, I spirited the piece away, and in its place there appeared one of the cheaper makes of watches. 1 feel to this day that had [finished the last lesson of that course in magic I would have gotten the job, for I dropped his expensive’ wateh in the return act, and in a. slight peeve at that unavoidable catas trophe, he had me taken away, and kicked bodily out the door Of course he was only joking, but I've resolved not to give him an other chance to employ me until I've thoroughly mastered a few more courses in how to obtain a pleasing personality. FL K. Morcay. We understand that John Gil- bert nearly lost his job the other day. ‘The set was all arranged for a passionate love sce and Greta lay smoking on the divan with a packa her side. As the cameras started grinding, John strode in—and ruined vthing. He reached for a Lucky instead of the Swede, » of cigarettes by Sentence with “citrate” “Citrate still, now, and look the little birdie We know a gent who calls his shopper-wife “Light a because of the way she Modern drama is no respecter of mathematics. Nowadays on the © one and one make sex. Sunday comicbooks.com