Life, 1918-05-02 · page 13 of 40
Life — May 2, 1918 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration shows an **airplane in flight with a pilot and passenger**, with figures on the ground below. This is a **title-contest submission for prizes** ($500 total offered). The bottom cartoon depicts two anthropomorphic animals in conversation. One says "I'M AFRAID WE'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF OUR INEBRIATE ASYLUM" and the other responds "'Why?'" The first replies: "WHY, THEY'VE JUST INTRODUCED PROHIBITION INTO OUR STATE" and "'OH, YES, SIR. I HAVE TWO SOUP BONES AND AN OLD SLIPPER BURIED AWAY.'" This cartoon **satirizes Prohibition**, the newly-implemented alcohol ban. The joke suggests that banning alcohol will create more drunkenness/madness, so asylums must expand—a common anti-Prohibition argument of the era. The response about burying "soup bones" plays on hiding supplies before the ban.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: Last Week of Life’s Title Contest For the Best Titles to this Picture $800 will be given in Prizes See conditions on this page HIS is the last week of the Contest, which closes (as stated below) at noon on May 6th. Up to the time of going to press over one hundred thou- sand replies have been received, and they are still coming in at the rate of from fifteen hundred to two thousand a day. The prizes are as follows: First Prize, . . $500.00 Second Prize, . $200.00 Third Prize,. . $100.00 With Special Prizes tor Soldiers and Sailors The contest will be governed by the following CONDITIONS Contestants are advised to read these con: ditions carefully, and to conform to them exactly. Lire cannot undertake to enter into correspondence or to reply to inquiries, By “best” is understood those titles which most cleverly and briefly de- scribe the situation shown in the pic- ture. No title submitted shall consist of more than twenty-five words. Hyphen- ated words will be counted as one. Contestants may send in more than one answer, but each one must be on a separate sheet, with name and address plainly written, The contest is open to everybody. In case a prize is won by a Soldier or Sailor $100.00 extra will be added to the first prize, $50.00 extra to the sec- ond and $25.00 extra to the third. By the term Soldier and Sailor is meant anyone, no matter what the rank, in the uniformed forces of the United States government. In case of any dispute as 713 to the status of a winning contestant under these terms the Editors of Lire will be the sole judges. But a liberal interpretation will be placed on the conditions. The contest is now open. It will close at noon on May 6, 1918, no manu- scripts received after that time being considered. All manuscripts should be addressed to the Contest Editor of Lire, 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York. En- velopes addressed in any other way will not be considered. Envelopes must contain nothing but the competing title and the name and address of the send- er, plainly written, all on the same sheet. If you have anything else to say to Lire, send it in a separate letter. The Editors will not be responsible for the loss of manuscripts. Contestants are advised to keep duplicate copies. No manuscripts will be returned. Titles may be original or may be a quotation from some well-known author, but in this case the source must be accurately given. Tt is not necessary to be a subscriber to Lire to be a contestant. In case of ties the full amount of the prize will be given to each tying con- testant. The final award will be announced as carly as possible after the close of the contest. Of this due notice will be given. Checks will be sent simultane- ously with the announcements of the award. The carlier you send your title the better. In previous contests many ar- rived too late, “I'M afraid we'll have to double the size of our inebriate asylum.” “Why “Why, they've just introduced prohi- bition into our state.” “ YOU'RE CERTAIN YOU HAVE MEANS TO SUPPORT MY DAUGHTER?” “OH, YES, SIR, I HAVE TWO SOUP BONES AND AN OLD SLIPPER BURIED AWAY.” comicbooks.com