Life, 1923-09-13 · page 25 of 36
Life — September 13, 1923 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a "Skippy" comic strip (a popular children's comic of the era) using a boxing match as extended metaphor for a factory fire. The strip intercuts between a radio broadcast of a heavyweight championship fight and friends alerting young Skippy to an actual fire at a factory. The satire works through dramatic contrast: while the radio announcer breathlessly describes boxing action with sports clichés ("gruelling pace," "superior boxing"), the actual emergency—a factory fire requiring multiple alarms—unfolds as the "real" drama. The champion's composure during the match parallels Skippy's calm response to crisis. The final panel reveals the "strain" mentioned was the fire, not the boxing match, suggesting that everyday dangers (industrial accidents) are more significant than entertainment spectacles, even championship fights. The doctor's reassurance provides comedic relief while reinforcing the strip's implicit message about what truly matters.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Voice at Ringside: THE co’ ER FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CROW? JUST ENTERED THE RING, HE AP- PEARS NERVOUS AND FIDGETY. Voice: THERE GOES THE BELL! CONTENDER LEADS WITH A VICIOUS. BUT IS SIX INCHES SHORT. JABS MIS RIGHT, CHAMPION PARRIES SENDS THREE STINGING JABS TO THE JAW IN QUICK SUCCESSIC nd: FIRE! SKIPPY! FIRE! THE FAC- TORY'S ON FIRE! Voice: THE CHAMPION’S HOLDING! THERE GOES THE BELL! jend: s'HELP ME IF THEY AIN'T MPIN’ OUT THE WINDERS IN NETS! dio Voice: THE CHAMPION HAS THE NTENDER ON THE ROPES. ON! THIS. A WONDERFUL FIGHT! THE CHAM: \N HAS HIM IN| THE CORNER. IT LOOKS LIKE INE FINISH. Radio Voic THE OVATION YoU JUST HEARD WAS GIVEN TO THE CHAMPION, WHO JUST ENTERED THE RING. NE 1S NOW CLASPING HIS GLOVES ABOVE 11S HEAD IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE AP: PLAUSE OF THE MULTITUDE, Radio Voice: THAT WAS THE END OF THE SIXTH ROUND, THE CONTENDER IS BLEED ING, BUT STILL STRONG DESPITE THE GRUELLING PACE SET BY THE TITLE HOLDER. THE CHAMPION CALMLY TALKS ABOUT THE WEATHER TO SOME NEWSPAPER MEN, GET READY FOR THE BELL! {nother Friend: Fire! FIRE! c’MoN, SKIPPY! IT'S TERRIBLE! IT’S WONDER- FUL Radio Voice: THE CHAMPION 1S BRING ING HIS OLD FOOTWORK INTO PLAY NOW HIS SUPERIOR BOXING MAKES THE CON- TENDER APPEAR AWKWARD. Friend: THEY'RE SENDIN’ IN THE THIRD ALARM! SKIPPY! THE THIRD ALARM! Radio Voice: THE CROWD’S SCREAMING FOR A KNOCKOUT! A LEFT UPPERCUT JUST DROPPED THE CONTENDER! HE UP AGAIN! THERE GOES THE KNocKoUT! THE PELL SAVES HIM. Skippy—-No. 23 Radio Voice: AWARE OF TIE TAUNTS AND SLURS DIRECTED AT IIIM BY TIE CON- DER FOR THE CROWN, THE CHAMPION ING A COLD DETERMINED STARE AT HIS OPPONENT. Radio Voice: THEKE THEY Go! THE CoN TENDER DROVE THE CHAMPION TO THE ROPES WITH SMASHING LEFTS AND RIGHTS. THE TITLE NOLDER’S COVERING UP. A WICKED LEFT JUST (CRASHED THROUGH TO THE CHAMPION’S JAW. ANOTHER! EVERYBODY'S YELLIN THE CHAMPION’S TAKING SEVERE PUNISII MENT. Another Friend: rire! rire! dio Voice: THE CHAMPION DRIVES A TERRIBLE LEFT SMASH TO TIE CONTEND- ER'S CHI NOW A RIGHT. ANOTIIER LEFT. A RIGHT TO MIS. RIBS. Doctor: we’s ALL RIGHT! We's JUST BEEN UNDER SOME TERRIBLE STRAIN. HE’LL BE ALL RIGHT IN A FEW DAYS. comicbooks.com