Judge, 1931-01-17 · page 2 of 48
Judge — January 17, 1931 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising** for Judge's Second Cross Word Puzzle Book, priced at $1.50. The cartoon depicts a domestic scene where a father (Frank) is unemployed due to "the slump in the Bootlegging business," indicating this dates to Prohibition era (1920s-early 1930s). The accompanying narrative is a humorous sales pitch: Pa encounters a newsstand clerk selling the puzzle book and uses it as a conversation starter, ultimately recommending it to cheer up his idle son. The humor relies on the contrast between the "honest, hard-working boy" now idle due to economic conditions, and the implication that puzzle-solving beats getting into trouble. The satire is **economic rather than political**—critiquing Depression-era unemployment and idle youth, while cleverly advertising the product as wholesome entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Its the most reasonable J can just offer [ Ver SQW hea Frank hughinh oe *\ 5000 LAHFS FOR $1.50 IN JUDGE’S SECOND CROSS WORD PUZZLE BOOK Frank is one of the 1,000 policemen laid off due to the slump in the Bootlegging business. Poor Frank, he’s always been an honest, hard-working boy, and this idleness is killing him. Pa and Ma, ’way back in Powder County, have been rack- ing their brains to think of something to cheer up their absent lad and restore his spirits. Pa was in New York this year at the Calve Dealers’ Convention. Pa’s the type that looks things over—he never misses a trick. And, strolling ‘round the lobby of the Hotel, the cutest trick he espied was the little blonde dame at the news- stand, so Pa barged right over to her and said with a sly wink: “Know any hot cracks today, baby?” “Do I!” she came back, right smart. “Do you think I’m selling Jupce’s Cross Word Puzzle Book all day long without ever learning anything?” “Do you know, for instance, that a Postman goes for a long hike on his vacation, but a Mason just gets plas- ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! tered?” “Oh, gosh!” groaned Pa. “I hope cops don’t—my boy is one, out of a job and alone in the big city.” “Cops don’t have JUDGE PUBLISHING CO., Inc. 17. too good a reputation,” said the lass. “If 18 ee ABth Streets: New: Yorks N.Y. I were you I’d buy him this book to cheer DASE — copicsiof Tadaes Seeond him up and keep him out of trouble.” As Cross Word Puzzle Book, at $1.50 each, for which Pa was leaving, Jupcr’s Cross Word Hencioee Puzzle Book tucked snugly under his arm, he shot her another sly wink, and she snapped him up with: “Please notice in that book of yours that when better girls Address. . are made Hispano-Suiza will make them— not an old gink from the stix like you!” comicbooks.com