Life — March 1, 1917 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous 12-panel satirical comic about Prohibition-era difficulties. The title refers to the legal ban on alcohol sales that was in effect during this period. The narrative follows a man in a pinstriped suit attempting various increasingly absurd methods to obtain alcoholic beverages in a town where alcohol sales are prohibited. The panels show him: interrogating someone, receiving cryptic directions, visiting suspicious locations, dealing with guardians and officials, and attempting entry through unconventional means (windows, doors, attics, cellars). The satire mocks both the resourcefulness required to circumvent Prohibition laws and the elaborate subterfuge ordinary citizens had to employ simply to drink. It depicts the practical chaos and absurdity that Prohibition created in American daily life.