Life, 1915-03-25 · page 4 of 44
Life — March 25, 1915 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features three comic strips depicting a "Footpad Solicitor" scenario. The humor centers on a street robbery where a mugger attempts to extort money from a victim. The punchline progresses through three panels: 1. The mugger demands money, claiming he hasn't eaten in five dollars' worth 2. A "great contest" develops over premium picture subscriptions to Life magazine 3. The mugger ultimately forgets his robbery attempt, distracted by Life's two-cent stamp offer The satire mocks Life's aggressive subscription marketing tactics by comparing them to street robbery—suggesting the magazine's sales methods are as coercive and inescapable as mugging. The joke implies readers cannot escape Life's promotional pitches regardless of circumstance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GUS MacDonatt) A reproduction of this picture in full color, showing the vivid blue sky and golden light effect of the desert, and measuring 21 by 16 inches in size, will be sent on. each yearly subscription entered this spring. " ANIMAL. The Easter Number Next Week Footpad. sonry ox tire! Solicitor: MONrY 1 MAVE Nor; BUT 1 CAN LET . x You MAVE “LIFE” ONE YEAR POR FIVE A Double Number CANADIAN, FIVE FIFTY-TWO; TOREIGN, ETC, Twenty-five Cents Third Week We call the attention to the series of beautiful pictures in the lower right-hand corner of this page. Formerly occupied by the atrocious three-cornered coupon which the plutocratic advertising department of this other- wise highly moral paper has forced us to put on this page. This is the third week of our freedom from this commer- cial bonds GREAT CONTEST NOW GOING ON, BETTER GET PAPER REGULARLY, WITH PREMIUM PICTURE. When we subseribe to anything ourselves (which our wife sometimes makes us do) we shrink from tying ours up into a knot trying to yet all the letters of our dis- tinguished name inte a vulgar little coupon Next week they may force us to yield. Therefore, sub- scribe now while there is time. Write your name and address and, enclosing the five dollars or so as a mere matter of routine, send at once to Lire Puntisuine Company, 17 West 3ist Street, New York. . 7 cae THERE NOW! 1 FORGOT TO MENTION THT MINTATURE (Yearly subscription, $5.00, Canadian, $5.52; Torcign, $6.04.) LIFE FOR § TWO-CENT STAMP.