Life, 1922-03-02 · page 9 of 34
Life — March 2, 1922 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a comic strip about hunting dogs learning to point at birds, followed by a theatrical dialogue excerpt. The **comic strip** (six panels) humorously depicts a scout teaching hunting dogs the technique of locating game—establishing a point, freezing into position, and flushing out birds. The dialogue is instructional but played for comedic effect through the dogs' anthropomorphized reactions. Below the strip is an **excerpt from a Russian dramatic work**, featuring characters Olga, Kantukov, and Vasilini discussing artistic integrity and deception. The passage critiques false pride and theatrical artifice, with Mark Swan (the credited author/translator) noting the irony of a dramatic tradition that conceals its own mechanics from audiences—a meta-commentary on theatrical conventions. The juxtaposition suggests Life was mixing light humor with cultural/literary commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
[Jay OLD SCOUT, CAN YOU JSHOW ME HOW TO POINT A BIRD? WM SURE, MY LONG Suit. FIRST YOU RANGE FOR THE SCENT LOCATE YOUR BIRD AND FREEZE INTO how bal- ellar MhO- not The you Say the Tell the and Man vaks vive een YOU "HEN CAREFOLLY FLUSH) YOUR BIRO DO NEXT Bes “Ms YES— AND AFTER FLUSHING YOUR BIRD ,WHAT DO You na peMthing matters now. My passion for is lost. The hideous habit has me in its what shall we do now? me. Bstilight became a horrible craving grip and I cannot shake it off. I am KantuxorF: We can do nothing. ome Which 1 could not resist. I sank lower false to myself—false to you—(in Don’t you know that laughter destroys ited ver, I learned to laugh. I great agony) false to every Russian Russian Drama? (He despairingly di un » work, I even took a bath. (The reivainder of the Outcasts expire and the Girl with Bobbed Hair faints with shecr surfeit of artistic joy.) Oca: And now it is too late. All Dramatic Tradition. KantukorF: Go before your fright- ful example taints all of us. (Olga Staggers out moaning.) Vasiuint: Jumping Jupiterviski— swallows the package of cigarettes and blows out the candle so the audience— not seeing the curtain fall—won’t know it is over.) Mark Swan. comicbooks.com