Judge — October 18, 1930 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Hitch-Hikers" - Judge Magazine Satire This cartoon satirizes the 1920s-30s phenomenon of hitchhiking. The central image shows a large globe in what appears to be a club or public space, surrounded by people in various states of animated chaos—some gesturing excitedly, others appearing agitated or distressed. The title "The Hitch-Hikers" suggests this mocks a social club devoted to hitchhiking culture. The small inset images at top (ship, train, airplane, automobile) represent different travel methods, reinforcing the travel theme. The satire likely critiques how hitchhiking had become a fashionable leisure activity among Americans, turning practical transportation into a social pastime. The chaotic scene suggests Judge viewed this trend as absurd or symptomatic of frivolous "club life" culture—people gathering merely to celebrate hitchhiking rather than undertaking genuine travel.