Life, 1925-05-28 · page 15 of 36
Life — May 28, 1925 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip featuring two young boys in what appears to be a delivery vehicle or cart. The dialogue reveals working-class urban humor typical of early 20th-century Life magazine satire. The joke centers on one boy ("Skippy") explaining to his companion about his Uncle Olt, who works blowing glass—likely making decorative items or glassware. The humor derives from a misunderstanding: when asked what his uncle does, the boy describes glass-blowing in crude street dialect, leading to absurdist riffs on the phrase ("glass house," "breath-holder race," "peddle balloon soup"). The strip satirizes children's misinterpretations of adult work and working-class speech patterns—common humor subjects in early Life magazine. The casual, colloquial language captures period urban youth culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Skippy: THERE'S BEEN A LOT 0’ CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR UNCLE BEIN’ A GLASS BLOWER. WHERE DOES NE DO HIS act? “HE BLOWS UP POTS IN THE FIVE-AND-TEN-CENT sTorr.”” “WHAT KIND OF PoTs?” “vozzes.” Skippy: aut wicnt. LL EASE we way UP, “OE FARS’LL BE CLEAN FER YA WHISTLE; BUT WHEN YA COME, DON’T AST NO QUESTIONS IP YA SEE THEM SITTIN’ AKOUND POIPLE IN THE FACE, BECAUSE THEN THE RACE 18 ON.” “IN THESE RACES—HOW DOES YOUR UNCLE Toor ALONG ?" ‘OH, IT JUST CALLS THEM TO SEE HIM GET BLACK IN THE PACE. THEN WHEN THEY BRING HIM TOT TELL MIM WE WINS. SOME OP THEM DON’T EVEN STAY POR SUPPER, THEY GFT SO JEALOUS.” Skippy: | SMOULD IMAGINE THAT'S VERY HARD WORK. NOT FOR ME UNCLE OLAP; HE'S A GLASS-BLOWIN’ Foot.” “OM, WELL—EASY COME, EASY Go, “IP YA WANTA SEE A BREATH-HOLDIN’ RACE, COME TO THE MOUSE OF A SUNDAY WHEN He WAS THE GANG PROM THE sior UP. 1S THAT A BUZZ? “you percita.” Skippy: THAT ALL SOUNDS LIKE A TOOTSY POP FROM “ALICE IN WONDERLAND.” “DO 1 LOOK LIKE A GUY TO PEDDLE BALLOON sour TO MY NEAREST FRIEND? “SOOKY, WITH ME YOU'RE TATTOOED WITH BILE. TCHERS.” “WELL, 1 ALWAYS SAID IF THERE'S ONE GUY NURSIN’ A PAIK O" WINGS IN THIS TOWN IT’S SKIPPY SKINNER.” “PROM NOW ON WE COME THROUGH CLEAN OR MEASURE ME POR A SET 0” STARS” “MY NEAREST FRIEND, BRAND ME IP 1 DON’T! ALL RIGHT, THEN, THIS GAS HOUSE THAT You cor YOR AN UNCLE—JUST HOW MARD CAN HE BLOW?” "0" BLOWIN’ A MOLY. “BLOW—HE THINKS NOTHIN’ 0’ THROUGH A FLOWER POT, Skippy comicbooks.com