Judge, 1930-06-28 · page 8 of 37
Judge — June 28, 1930 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Books Soon Wear Out" by Jack Cluett This satirical article mocks 1920s-30s publishers' complaints about book durability and sales. Four elderly publishers debate solutions around a mahogany table while attempting to lift Ludwig's "Life of Hoover"—too heavy to manage. The satire targets publishers' absurd cost-cutting proposals: selling books by the pound, clipping prices of Richard Halliburton's volumes, using books as door stops, or even having customers read books in deck chairs without opening them. The cartoons ridicule publisher desperation during economic hardship. One illustration shows a sleeping figure labeled "Pete" while colleagues scheme nearby, capturing the exhausted state of the publishing industry. The piece's humor derives from the industry's increasingly ridiculous survival tactics rather than addressing fundamental market problems.
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Books Soon Wear Out By Jack Cluett Freee solemn, elderly publishers, wearing the conventional eye shades and red pencils of their profession, sat round a mahogany table in the Inner Sanctum of Schumann and Shister. In the center of the table lay a full morocco- bound volume of Ludwig's “Life of Hoover.” The presi- dent of Doubledoor, Dayon & Co. tried to lift the tome, but it was too heavy. Puffing for breath, he said: “What's the use of cutting of that book to a dollar when you can't even “You're not supposed to lift a book,” said G. P. Putman; “you're supposed to read it, and then when anyone asks you for a match you can say: ‘No—but have you read Ludwig's “Life of Hoover The president of Fairer & Rhinestone said: “I think us publishers ought to sell books by the pound. For instance, a lady would come into Brentano's and ask for a pound and a half of ‘A Farewell to Arms.’ Then the bookseller would put it on the scales and say: ‘How about a basket of mushrooms to go with it, Mrs. Diddy?’ Mrs. Diddy would tell the bookseller, ‘No, thanks, she’s going to squeeze it into beef juice by, so he'll be big and strong like his dadd. Sone ror a Host anp Hostess “We might clip the price of Richard Halliburton’s books “The Campbells aren't coming, Hurrah! hurrah!” and sell them for door stops,” said the president of Mobbs-Berill. The president of Bon Ami & Liver- wurst said: “If we were his publish- ers, I'd clip Richard Halliburton and to hell with the doors. Or, better still, let him swim through the Panama Canal with a lead-bound volume of the ‘Royal Road to Romance’ tied around his neck.” Mr. Schumann finished editing the 112th edition of a cross-word puzzle book and said: “Speaking of cutting prices to a dollar, we're selling edi- tions of Chic s new book by the bushel, like potatoes.” “That's nothing,” said Mr. Berill, ve contracted with Eddie for a new book, entitled ‘My Wife Is in Your Hands.’ The beauty of this book is that it has only two covers, with nothing inside.” Mr. Dayon How do you read or don’t yo asy,” replied Mr. Berill. “You sit in your deck chair with the covers open.” Mr. Shister said: “I'd rather pub- lish a book by Upton Sinclair than any author I know. With his books, our sales problem is reduced to a minimum. For instance, we published a book called ‘Oil,’ told the Watch and Ward Society about it, shipped 5,000 copies to Boston and, before they had a chance to ban it, we had the whole first printing dumped into ne Reel Boston” Harbor, Along. about the “S-sh! For Pete’s sake, don’t wake him up!” (Continued on page 31) 6 comicbooks.com