Life, 1921-05-05 · page 13 of 46
Life — May 5, 1921 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a six-panel comic drawn by A.B. Frost depicting childhood resilience and parental concern. The title sardonically captures the core message: boys persist in play despite adversity. The sequence shows: - Boys insisting on playing despite impending rain - Playing in heavy rain without complaint - Coming home soaked but claiming the rain "never hurts" - Enjoying the warmth of a hot shower - Parents wanting them to quit playing (the boys refusing) - A mother checking on a sick child in bed The satire targets both stubborn boyish determination and parental anxiety. The final panel's caption—"I wanted to quit, but that old fool insisted on playing it out"—ironically suggests the boy's illness resulted from adult insistence, subverting the opening's celebration of boyish toughness. The joke critiques how parental pressure can endanger children despite good intentions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Boys Will Be Boys 13 GOING TO RAIN, BUT [ DON'T CARE—LET'S PLAY ON.” “1 DON'T MIND A WETTING.” “OH, BY ALL MEANS.” “IT NEVER HURTS ME.” me ni | Ally nh “\ GOOD HOT SHOWER WHEN WE GET IN.” “TM GLAD WE FINISHED, WE HAD A BULLY GAME.” “THAT'S THE THING, CAN'T TAKE COLD.” “1 WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR ANYTHING.” “L WANTED TO QUIT, BUT THAT OLD FOOL BSOWN INSISTED “1 WANTED TO QUIT, FUT THAT OLD FOOL SMITIL INSISTED ON PLAYING IT OUT,” ON PLAYING IT OUT.” comicbooks.com