Life, 1924-03-20 · page 12 of 42
Life — March 20, 1924 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous comic strip about two merchants—an old Russian named Otzski and his Scottish partner Angus—who develop a lucrative business selling bed warmers to South Sea Islanders. The satire mocks both colonial commerce and ethnic stereotypes. It plays on the absurdity of salesmen convincing tropical island populations they need warming devices for a climate where they're unnecessary. The Yiddish and Scottish dialect humor was typical of early 20th-century American comic entertainment, reflecting the immigrant populations of that era. The punchline involves the traders eventually returning home, having made a successful profit from this ridiculous scheme—satirizing how business ventures exploit perceived "primitive" markets and uninformed consumers abroad.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
8 - LIFE - BIG BUSINESS IN THE SOUTH SEAS _ Closeup 55 ff of an ancient Democratic bed warmer. | Shank. Take cut fire insurance || and insert live coais. 4 ) WA Business cud. a Ax old Russian merchant named Otzski had a partner named Angus, a Scotzski. The Scotchman 1 was lean as an underfed bean; his runt of a Rear view of Otaski, confirming. text. | partner was squatzski. *“D'ye ken them bed warmers we gotzski?” says Angus. [View of enormous overstock lof bed | 4 warme ; LLLP “Ny, sure! Und vy notzski?” Let's tak’ ‘em away t’ th’ South Seas t’day an’ sell them folks there the whole lotzski!” Box of warmers on | So they packed up each handle and potzski and sailed about ten thousand knotzski. As they stepped on the shore they both heard the chief roar,"Why bring dem tings Ayah wha it’s hoézski?” Scuth Sea Island chief | ExpostulatiNg. (see x0) ‘al / a Oot heroes | realize their ad 4 : $e: Says Otzski, Dis tsr qvite a swatzski! Qvick! ) Otzski in the throes Ct his bi, dea. 5 see es) Fetch me some string fromde [Sering fetched from |poat by 2 Officer. yachtzski! Vell just gif ’em | Orzski changing bed warmers to banjos. | (Sce text) ¢ &~ moosic! Vm not feelin’ too sick to change dese [Oteski demonstrating his bed warmer banjo. to banjos like dotzski!” * So they ail danced the —no matter whatzski, with old Otzski, the beau of the spotzski, hugged close to a peach on the palm- shaded beach. This was all long before this here Trotzski... The vo partners made good in their plotzski; Scottish- Yid-Sovth-Sea jargon . recalls the old bargain. {Was the trip 3a success? Oh, mein GOTTzski! 7 = In tater 7 | | years. e comicbooks.com