Judge, 1930-12-13 · page 8 of 36
Judge — December 13, 1930 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Judge" Page Analysis This page contains a comic strip titled "A Matter of Policy" by Chet Johnson (signed at bottom). The strip depicts a conversation between an editor and a new staff member about establishing editorial standards for a comic strip. The editor explains policies regarding character dialogue and sound effects—notably that parrots should say "Eeeeeeck!" rather than "Awwwrrr!", pigs should grunt "Squeeeece!" not "Oink! Oink!", and ducks should say "Honk! Honk!" (not "Yank-yank-yank!"). He emphasizes consistency and reader preferences, mentioning they polled readers who demanded changes. The humor satirizes editorial micromanagement and arbitrary creative restrictions. The comic strip's visual gags show characters falling through a manhole to illustrate these absurd stylistic rules. The right sidebar contains unrelated brief news items about gangster activities and other contemporary topics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Matter of Policy “MP ius comic strip of yours is clever,” admitted the editor to the newest member of the art staff, “but we can't use it unless you make some important changes. “You must understand that we have established certain policies and stand- ards that we must adhere to. I will show you what I mean: “In this scene, where you have the three little boys handing the parrot a stick of dynamite, tying a bunch of firecrackers to the pigs’ tails and put- ting outboard motors on the ducks, you have violated some of our most rigid ethics. “You have the parrot screaming j } H ‘Eeeceeek!’ Our research staff has reported, after long study, that ‘Awwrrrerk!’ is the only manner in which a parrot should be quoted. “Your pigs are grunting ‘Sque Our style on pigs is ‘Oin! Oink! The fireers pigs’ tails should ‘Boor «++ Phot! and not ‘Ba Oink! kers tied to the !... Bam! Bang! Bang!’ The reason for this is obvi- ous: In every package of firecrackers at least one does not explode, see? The public would be quick to notice | in your picture the absence of a | ‘Phut!’ “Let us consider the ducks. ‘Honk! Honk!’ is obsolete duck language. “Yonk-yonk-yonk!" is our style. A ‘o we let a ‘Honk! Honk!’ fifty-seven subscribers few week: ow, about this scene where the fat man falls into a manhole. You have ‘Pow!’ over the manhole. Our | style for manhole falls i } Recently we polled our res i found them decidedly plop-minded. ' i | Just make those changes, old man, and we may be able to do something with this strip of yours!” —Cuet Jounson JUDGE Gangster Activities ur Gullet Gang from Detroit dropped into New York last week and gave a lead shower for “Zulu” ognionini, until then, a popular local bootlegger. Twenty thousand dollars was col- Newsstands’ and Variety S tective Association, “Junk” Diggins, president, announced, yesterday. ‘The money will be used to purchase “Stut- tering” Willie Whitington a seat on the magistrates’ bench. igar-face” Cornpone and a few friends gave a surprise party ro last week, and put Tony The Hell's Annex Mob opened a branch of the Chasem National Bank, in Harlem, the other night. The Yiello crowd announce the dis- solving of the Smuttz-Gropper_part- nership, in the and dyeing field. The junior member of the firm has retired to St. Vitus Hospital where he is aiding the surgeons in their probe for bullets. Manager Joe Venetza reports that “Lefty” Orillio’s pitching arm will be in shape by next Satur night, when he will be selected to toss the first bomb at the opening of “Bugs” Moron's new night-club in the Loop. Dana L. Cote Travel Note I’ve noticed this fact as I've traveled afar: No matter how lovely the spot, Some people are happy wherever they are And others wherever they're not! —A. L. L. comicbooks.com