Judge, 1931-01-31 · page 2 of 36
Judge — January 31, 1931 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is primarily an **advertisement for Judge's Second Crossword Puzzle Book**, using humor to promote the product. The cartoon depicts a man playing loud brass cymbals during evenings, making him unpopular with neighbors. A neighbor gave him the crossword puzzle book as a Christmas gift, and it successfully redirected his attention—now he's quiet and his neighbors are happy. The satire is straightforward: the puzzle book is presented as a gift that transforms antisocial behavior. Rather than targeting a specific political figure or current event, it's **social satire** about annoying hobbies and neighborly relations. The humor relies on the exaggerated contrast between the cymbal-playing nuisance and the reformed, puzzle-absorbed man. The advertisement then encourages readers to purchase the book for $1.50, positioning it as an ideal gift for various occasions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The man whose picture you See (his name is withhold by request) Spent all his spare evenings playing his pet brass cymba!s—thus becoming very unpopular. A good neighbor sent him Judge's Second Crossword Puzzle Book as a Christmas gift. What a change! His neighbors are quiet and contented, and he-e-e has not stopped laughing ever since. See what a simple gift will do. Judge's Second Crossword Puzzle Book will furnish many hours of pleasant recrea- tion. In addition, it is an ideal gift for sailings, birthdays, anniversaries and appendix operations. Send in $1.50 and get the only humorous crossword puzzle book in captivity. JUDGE PUBLISHING CO., INC. 18 East 48th Street, Now York, N.Y. Dear Sirs: Please send me copies of Judge's Second Crossword Puzzle Book, at $1.50 each, for which | enclose $ comicbooks.com