Life — April 26, 1917 — page 71: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a chaotic scene of automobiles and people in apparent disarray, titled "When We Are Invaded: The Charge of the Joy-Riders' Brigade." The satire mocks American civilian preparedness by contrasting the romantic military imagery of "The Charge of the Light Brigade" with the actual chaos that would result from untrained joy-riders (young people who drove automobiles recklessly for pleasure) attempting to respond to an invasion. The cartoon suggests that relying on casual car enthusiasts rather than organized military forces would be disastrous—showing crashed vehicles, people scattered in confusion, and general disorder. It's a critique of both the joy-riding subculture and, implicitly, national defense preparations of the era. The signed artist appears to be "Cestuller" or similar.