Judge, 1936-04 · page 9 of 36
Judge — April 1936 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Historical Context for Modern Readers This page from *Judge* magazine contains Cold War-era anti-communist satire, likely from the early 1950s. The cartoons mock communist propaganda and infiltration fears prevalent in post-WWII America. **Top cartoon:** A judge listens skeptically to a performer (labeled "Mr. Linn") playing guitar with communist-themed jokes, suggesting communist propagandists were disguising ideology as entertainment. **Bottom cartoon:** A child asks an adult about a "sable coat," implying communist infiltrators used material temptations to recruit Americans—a common McCarthy-era anxiety about communist seduction of citizens. The accompanying "bulletins" satirize exaggerated anti-communist warnings circulating at the time, mocking both the communist threat narrative *and* the sometimes-hysterical American response to it. The magazine presents these as absurdist news dispatches to highlight their questionable credibility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
had dD Commu tured Washington, ind driven out the nists, | BULLETIN SUB LEAD | ALI | Montreal, An au- thor ive spokesman in | Washington, D. C., today denied in a lc distance tele- tion that a me had been phone conve communistic re set up in the U FLASH “USUAL SOURCE’ BULLETIN SUB FLASH Montreal, Canada—The “usually relial source” quoted earlier today in dis- patches from Washington, D. C., as saying that a com 2 munistic government had “It’s a good skit, Mr. Linn, but ve never been created in the United heard the jokes before!” States has been identified. It was Al Smith. —Giexn R. Dopp, Flash in the Pan DITOR’S Note: June donable pride in pre lowing news dispatches stolen from the files of the Inter-Empire Pr night by our secret agent X-Y-Z-1. FLASH COMMUNISTIC RE IN U. IME SET UP BULLETIN SUB FLASH Montreal, source in V ada—A usually reliable nington, D, C., was quoted in dispatches to this city today as say a communistic government had be lished in the United States. The red flag waves over the national capitol, this source said. BULLETIN NEW LEAD Montreal, Ca rumor here toc i—An unconfirmed id th M-armed counter revolutionary force was marching on Washington, D. C., in an effort to overturn the Communist government of the United States. FLASH AMERICAN COMMUNISTS OVERTHROWN BULLETIN LEAD ALL Montreal, ceived but Canada—Reports just re- “ . : s yet unconfirmed said here ‘She must want the ol’ man. 1 don’t know today that counter-revolutionary troops anything about a sable coat!” comicbooks.com