Life, 1916-04-13 · page 4 of 46
Life — April 13, 1916 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon titled "Rejecting His First Play" depicts two men in period costume. The figure on the left, wearing an elaborate feathered hat and striped doublet, appears to be a theater producer or patron rejecting a manuscript from the figure on the right. The caption advises the rejected playwright to "Learn real wit and humor from Life, Mr. Shakespeare." This is satirical commentary on Shakespeare's early work, humorously suggesting his initial plays were poor enough to warrant rejection. The joke positions Life magazine as a superior source of wit and humor compared to the young Shakespeare's efforts—a tongue-in-cheek advertisement for the magazine's comedic content. The page announces that the next issue will be dedicated to Shakespeare's memory.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Sunset” Yearly subscribers receive a copy of this handsome pre- mium picture, size 23 x 16%, printed in the glowing sunset colors, and ready for framing. REJECTING HIS FIRST PLAY “Learn real wit and humor from Life, Mr. Shakespeare” Life’ next issue is dedicated to one William Shakespeare, a poet. This number will celebrate his memory. Sie! Enclosed find One Dol- lar (Canadian $1.13, Foreign $1.26). Send Lire for three ‘months to Open only to new subscribers; no sub- scriptions renewed at this rate. LIFE, 17 West 31st Street, New York x» L One Year, $5.00. (Canadian, $5.52; Foreign, $6.04.) comicbooks.com