Judge — August 29, 1931 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Cross-eyed Diver" This Dr. Seuss illustration depicts an underwater scene with a grotesque, menacing fish confronting a small human diver. The fish has an exaggerated grin with prominent teeth, cross-eyes, and a serpentine body—characteristic of Seuss's surreal style. The caption reads: "CROSS-EYED DIVER—Gawl! He thinks I'm making fun of him!" The joke appears to rely on the absurdity of the situation: the fish's paranoid interpretation of the diver's presence. The "cross-eyed" detail suggests the fish misperceives the diver's intentions. This is likely satirizing paranoia, misunderstanding, or perhaps a contemporary political figure or situation where someone interprets neutral actions as mockery or offense—though the specific reference is unclear without additional context from Judge magazine's publication date.