Life, 1924-07-24 · page 27 of 36
Life — July 24, 1924 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip featuring "Skippy," a popular 1920s-30s character. The humor centers on a baseball bet: Skippy has signed up Jimmy McGuinness to play for the Orioles for two years, and the strip follows the comedic negotiation of this contract. The satire relies on period-specific references: President Coolidge and "Jimmy McGuinness" appear to be humorous name-drops (the OCR suggests these may be garbled). The repeated punchlines about a lawyer's involvement in the contract and the characters' malapropisms ("rolling butter tubs" instead of proper terms) mock how working-class characters struggle with formal legal language. The final panel shows a large crowd celebrating around Skippy, with the payoff being that Skippy has somehow managed this improbable deal. The humor is gentle, character-based comedy rather than sharp political satire—typical of Life magazine's lighter content during this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Shippys WHO DO YA THINK’S AN oRtoLE? WHO Skippy: 1 GOT MIM SIGNED UP FoR Two Skippy: wey, SvKsEY! YA OUGHTA HEAR DO YA THINK’S AN ORIOLE? YEARS. wor’ cor To TELL val “PRESIDENT COOLIDGE!” “S'MELP ME IF THAT DON'T KNOCK THE “om, SYKSEY! WAIT TILL YA HEAR IT!" “JIMMY MCGUINNESS!” MAGNOLIAS FOR A ROW OF ROLLIN’ BUT “wot REALLY?” TER TUBS!” Skippy: NOW ALL WE HAVE To Do 18 cet UP A Syksey: A CONTRACT AIN'T NO GOOD UN- Skippy: ’x’ as soon as We ONCE STEPS OMMITTEE TO ASK MIS FAMILY TO MOVE NEAR LESS A LAWYER SEES IT, SKIPPY. OX THE DIAMOND, FELLERS—cIVE 111. THE DIAMOND “| "TENDED To ALL THAT! IT'S WROTE ON . A Curent CEE, SKIPPY! MOW DO YA THINK UP sUCcH A LAWYER'S FENCE.” Orioles: WMEN cC'N WE PULL ovR UL THINGS?” RIDDLES? THEY JUST come.” Skippy: who sicxep uP Jimmy MccuINNESS? Orioles: you pip! NLY LAST NIGHT MY MOTIHER SQUINTS AT ME TEACUP ‘x sez, YEZ KNOW ANYBODY WHOSE 'NITIALS BEGINS WID G?""— two? LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I wuz A BoIDI—sEE! IT JUST CoKS To Orioles: sxivev! sxirry! sxipry! SHOW THERE'S SOMETHIN’ IN THIS FORTUNE TELLIN’—MEY, Jor! Skippy: 'ar's THe sturr, vetters! come guick! Lagetts Katch Fo% THE ORIOLES YA_ €% a peeriod oF too years For 6 arcles! > Aweek amd 5 a Q CHAW, , AN AND tor 4, Ler soo | A CONTRA. —aals Now) (. ng comicbooks.com