Judge — September 14, 1929 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Radiator Cap" — Judge Magazine Cartoon This is a humorous illustration titled "Ancient Sources of Modern Inventions," specifically about the radiator cap. The cartoon depicts a chaotic mythological or fantasy scene where various creatures (demons, monsters, fantastical beings) are engaged in what appears to be a primitive version of heat management or steam control. The joke satirizes the idea that modern inventions have ancient predecessors. The radiator cap—a practical automotive component—is humorously traced back to an imaginary ancient scenario of magical creatures managing fire or heat. The artist (signed "Forbell") uses surreal imagery to make the technological mundane seem absurdly grandiose by claiming mythic origins for something as ordinary as a car part.