Judge, 1930-02-01 · page 4 of 36
Judge — February 1, 1930 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis **Top Comic Strip** ("The shadow boxer makes a bad break!"): Satirizes used-car buying. A buyer and seller (shown as black silhouettes, a period convention for anonymous figures) engage in a sparring match over a vehicle's true condition. The buyer discovers hidden mechanical problems—burned-out cylinders, faulty bearings, disconnected speedometer—after purchase. The joke: inspecting a used car is like boxing in the dark; you only discover damage after you've already been "hit." The advice column warns buyers that dealers exploit ignorance about mechanical condition and past mileage. **Bottom Section** ("Count Your Blessings"): A political speech praising Congress for solving economic troubles. The accompanying illustration shows a father gleefully kicking servants downstairs—a darkly humorous commentary on how prosperity benefits the wealthy while working people remain exploited.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Helping Hands When you have just purchased a used car “Doesn't look so bad at that, but s the insides that tell the story. Start her up and let's hear how she sounds.” “Pretty sweet at that. But you t tell, at first. They fill up the cylinders and joints with extra heavy oil, you know, so you can't tell whether or not the cylinders are scored till it's worked out.” “Six thousand miles? Well, I wouldn't bank on any dealer's say-so. After six thousand, they simply’ dis- connect the speedometer or else turn it back. This bus might have churned out fifty thousand, for all you can tell.” “You didn’t look into the differen- tial housing or inspect the bearings? Tch, tch, teh, That's where these bug- gies begin to crack up on you, old man. Apt to cost you plenty, in the long run.” “Well, it’s a lottery at best, and somebody's got to win every so often. Fella natned Lewie Lee got a good bus second hand about five years ago—ran for a year and a half before the cotter- pins all fell out and dropped him over a bank.” “It’s too bad you paid him the total amount. Suppose this thing goes sour on you next week? A fat chance you'd have of any rebate!” The shadow borer makes a bad break! . cp py . —Srantey Jones Count Your Blessings “Gentlemen, doesn’t it give you a feeling of comfort and security to realize that Congress is once imore in session? Think what it means! All of the problems that have been trou- bling us are now as good as settled— Congress will see to that. Soon we shall have the glorious prosperity of which we have dreamed. “What a truly wonderful institution is Congress! For years these gallant men have been aiding us. No matter how dark prospects looked, we could always depend on them to help us out of our difficulties. And now that they are once more convening, the world seems a brighter place to live in; our troubles are a thing of the past. “Gentlemen, as president of the American Association of Professional Humorists, I think we owe a vote of thanks to Congress.” The fathe. who delighted in kicking suitors downstairs has a special —Ormonxp Rosains exit built. comicbooks.com