Life, 1926-12-09 · page 38 of 45
Life — December 9, 1926 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising**, not satire. Life magazine is promoting two 1927 calendars—one featuring cartoonist John Held Jr.'s humorous designs, another featuring dog paintings. The right-side comic strips form a teaser for an upcoming "Alibi Contest" in Life. The humor shows a man repeatedly explaining himself ("You see it's this way!!") to increasingly skeptical figures—a couple, a crowd, a police officer, and finally a judge. The escalating scenario suggests he's been caught doing something questionable and is desperately spinning excuses. **Key context**: John Held Jr. was famous for capturing 1920s "flapper" culture and youth humor. The alibi contest likely invited readers to submit humorous excuses for various situations, playing on the era's comedic sensibility. The repeated phrase "You see it's this way!!" became the joke's hook—promising next week's full contest details.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Appealing! HIS year Lire is publishing two appealing calendars for use in 1927. Each of them contains six beautiful reproductions— Lire and in full color—of famous covers that have appeared on Lire. Each of them, moreover, makes an ideal Christmas or New Year's gift for anyone. the JOHN HELD CALENDAR is all that the name implies—a collection of gay, brilliantly humorous designs by the artist who, above all others, has caught the true spirit of Triumphant Youth. Six of Held’s most popular Lire covers are included in this calendar, which also makes men- tion of our twelve leading months, with days and weeks thrown in. LIFE’S DOG CALENDAR has now become an annual institution, by popular demand. This year's edition is the best of the lot, with paintings by Robert L. Dickey and other sympathetic recorders of man’s best friend. You can obtain the JOHN HELD CALENDAR or LIFES DOG CALENDAR by mail order from Life Publishing Company 598 Madison Avenue New York City The price of each is ONE DOLLAR. Send your orders in NOW. The supply is limited. You See it’s this way !! What on earth is this fellow up to? You See its this way - !!! Can it be that he has lost his Evidently this stalwart officer of the law thinks so. You see it’s this way !! Buthark! He’s telling the Judge all about the great ALIBI CONTEST which starts in Life NEXT WEEK! comicbooks.com id pil gee |e ee