Life, 1909-09-16 · page 18 of 32
Life — September 16, 1909 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical attack on monopolistic corporate control of publishing and media. The "Dan Cupid & Co. Intelligence Office" illustration depicts cherubs (representing literature/creativity) being managed by a businesswoman, symbolizing the industrialization and commercialization of art. The "Literary Trust" rules parody actual monopolistic practices of the era—likely referencing real trusts that dominated American industries. The satire targets: - **Commodification of literature**: measuring books by the foot, pricing by author prestige - **Labor exploitation**: underpaying authors with deferred stock, preventing unionization - **Consumer manipulation**: mandatory subscriptions and purchases - **Content control**: prohibiting serious writing or criticism of the trust - **Anti-competition tactics**: absorbing or blacklisting rivals The cartoon criticizes how corporate consolidation stifles artistic freedom and treats literature as a profit commodity rather than cultural expression. This reflects Progressive Era anxieties about trusts controlling American commerce and culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| DAN CUPID&CO. | | NTELICENCE ci | HELP WANTED Life’s Literary Trust E have been compelled the following rules: I. All literature shall be measured by the foot IL. The price shall be one dollar per foot, except in the case of ex-Presidents, to adopt captains of industry or their representa- tives, hunters of big game and aviators. In the case of others, name of the author will count seventy-five per cent. text twenty per cent. ideas five per cent New authors will positively not be tol- erated IIL. No novel shall be sold for less than $2.00, nor shall it consist of more than 150 small-sized pages printed in large type. Where a book is to be read by more than one member of a family then the price shall be $1.00 for each ad- ditional member. IV. There shall be no libraries. Any one caught giving away a library will be deported as an alien. Nor shall books be lent. Infractions of this rule will be punished by fine and imprisonment. V. No literature shall live longer than one-season. VI. Authors will be paid half in de- ferred stock and half in cash. The ob- ject of this is to encourage thrift among a notoriously improvident class. VII. Each adult in the community shall subscribe for at least ten magazines per annum and buy at least six standard novels per week. Children between the ages of twelve and four, five magazines and three novels. Children under four, all the works of Mother Goose and the parodies thereof. VILL. All cases of dispute between our trust and a consumer must be “referred to our Interstate Literary Commission, which we have appointed for that pur- pose. All costs of such proceeding shall be paid by the consumer. IX. Employees of the trust shall not be allowed to organize (we will attend to that), ask for higher wages, or have children. t married In the interest of the general welfare Ltrr’s Trust will employ no child younger than two. X. No novel, verse, essay, editorial, news item, short story or other article of writing shall treat of anything serious nor in any attempt to better the condition of the community. Nor shalt any author speak disrespectfully nor in a jocular vein of any member of this trust, his heirs or assigns, ancestors, rel- atives or neighbors. Editorial writers are particularly cautioned against dis- cussing current events. XI. All competitors will be severely dealt with. In the first place, they will AIS WALKERS be absorbed. In the second place, they will be blacklisted from earning a liveli- hood. In the third place, they will be vigorously denounced by Lire’s corps of preachers. XII. All ideas gleaned from any of our literature will be charged for extra. From time to time new rules will be promulgated as occasion demands. In erite to us and be on the Ignorance of what we want will excuse no author or other misde meanant. The money is still coming in, but not fast enough. Send it at once, bank draft, money order, cash or stamps. TWO SOULS WITH RUT A SINGLE THOUGHT comicbooks.com