Judge, 1931-05-23 · page 11 of 36
Judge — May 23, 1931 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# The McWhibble Scandal (Judge Magazine) This is a satirical story about a wealthy broker caught in a scandal. Morton McWhibble has written a romantic letter to a cabaret girl, who uses it to sue him for $50,000 and leaks it to newspapers. The scandal embarrasses his wife, Ermintrude, who has just achieved her ambition of becoming president of the Town and Country Literary Club. The humor targets both characters: McWhibble's foolish sentimentality (quoting Tennyson to a cabaret dancer) and Ermintrude's pretentiousness and concern for social status over actual marital betrayal. The bottom cartoon shows two figures in what appears to be an artist's studio with the caption "Yeah—well, if you're a painter, then I'm a man of letters!"—a quip about artistic credentials and verbal facility, likely mocking pretension in artistic circles. The satire reflects early 20th-century anxieties about social reputation, infidelity among the wealthy, and women's newfound ability to use legal systems against men.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE THE McWHIFFLE SCANDAL Morton MeWuirrre was in one sweet jam. That * baby-eyed little blonde had worked fast. Just one Iet- ter he'd written her, and now she was suing him for fifty thousand dollars. J. Mort hadn't been given a break, She'd trotted right to her lawyer with the letter. She had sent the original to court, and copies to the newspapers. Wealthy Broker Sucd by Cabaret Girl!” J, Mort shuddered as he glanced n at the headlines. And right in the middle of the story was that fool letter: “Darlingest Little Sweetiekins: “Hurry k to the city. You don't know how I miss my baby, honey. Like that fellow Tennyson put it, Tam ‘lonely as a cloud when you're away.” Your oh, so lonesome and blue. ” —"Mort. Well, he'd go right home and face the music. Wow! B-r-r-r-r- J. Mort shivered as he thought of the scene Ermintrude would put on. A fine mess to get into just as she had realized her ambition of years: election as presi- dent of the Town and Country Literary Club. Ermintrude had pride enough for a dozen women, This disgrace would be more than she could stand. Her club career would be ruined. Her picture, too, would be in the papers, no doubt, before the case was settled. }. Mort ki he was sunk the moment he opened the front door. She stood there, with a copy of the paper in her hand and fire in her eyes. Lonely as a cloud,” she hissed.“ © that fellow Tennyson put it!” (Continued on page 31) “Yeah—well, if you're a painter, then I’m a man of letters!” comicbooks.com