Life, 1920-12-02 · page 28 of 97
Life — December 2, 1920 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is Oliver Herford's comedic reimagining of the classic fairy tale, published in *Life* magazine. The satire mocks early 20th-century theatrical and cultural pretensions by transplanting the story into contemporary urban settings. Key satirical elements: - **Panel 2**: The Wolf disguises himself as a "piano tuner" (rather than grandmother), invading Grandma's home—a modern urban twist - **Panel 3-4**: References to "Lee Shubert serenade" and "Alhambra of dreams" mock flowery theatrical language; Grandma is transported via musical fantasy rather than magic - **Panel 6**: "The Earl of Bunkaster" hunting "big game in the mysterious forests of Brooklyn" satirizes wealthy aristocrats pretending European nobility applies to the mundane American city The overall joke is that *Life* is applying overwrought, precious theatrical and romantic language to a simple children's story, mocking contemporary theatrical excess and class pretension. The "Lifeoscope" frames this as Life magazine's own satirical lens on modern culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Christmas Life Little Red Riding-Hood As Screened by Our Own LIFEOSCOPE By OLIVER HERFORD eas £ Yue oe { xf / Like a little red corpuscle in the arteries Mad with the fierce girl-hunger of the of Silence, Riding-Hood sped through the Pack, the Wolf, disguised ‘as_a piano tuner, wolf-haunted shadows. invades the home of Grandma. On the pulsant waves of the Lee Shubert serenade, Grannie is wafted to the vast Alhambra of dreams, 5 — as ne ee The Earl of Bunkaster, while hunting big “COME AT ONCE. YOUR GRANDMA game in the mysterious forests of Brooklyn, IS DYING.” gets the message. comicbooks.com