Life, 1927-01-27 · page 34 of 35
Life — January 27, 1927 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page primarily advertises an upcoming comic strip issue of *Life* magazine while featuring a Hotel Cleveland advertisement. The text celebrates comic strips as popular entertainment, referencing the growing cultural phenomenon of newspaper "Funnies." The humorous tone (mock names like "AWIK-PLOP-ZAM-OOF-GLUGG-WHAM-ZOWIE School") satirizes both the absurdist sound effects typical of comics and the earnest promotion of American humor. A notable detail: illustrator John Held Jr. created the cover after supposedly enduring "weeks on a diet of balloon soup"—a joke about the exaggerated, weightless quality of comic strip humor. The page also promotes *Life's* "Alibi Contest," a reader participation feature offering weekly prize money, reflecting the magazine's interactive relationship with audiences. The Hotel Cleveland ad uses period advertising conventions, emphasizing historical continuity and modern amenities to appeal to travelers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Next the... COMIC STRIP NUMBER 4 - . ‘* The site of Hotel Cleveland, on the | L Public Square of Cleveland, has been used continuously for hotels since 1802. | NAUGURATING our private drive for Bigger and Better The original build- Balloons for the AWIK-PLOP-ZAM-OOF-GLUGG-WHAM- so5 wae Bomcys ZOWIE School of American Art and Humor. Whether you are the old Post Road. a tabloid addict or a reader of the grown-up dailies, whether you turn first to the financial, the editorial or the sporting page, N Hotel Cleveland | you cannot long resist the lure of the Comic Strip with its jovial knockout in every last line. In the Comic Strip Number —the most modern | (out next week) Lire takes its hat off to the army of Followers of the “Funnies” and wishes them a good swift sock on the jaw (WHANGO! ! !) successor to a long line of famous hotels —you Il find the same P. §.—The cover of the Comic Strip Number hearty hospitality, the is by John Held, Jr., who prepared himself friendly helpful for this gruelling test of skill and endurance sameunendy:nelprul: by going for weeks on a diet of balloon soup. ness of those old coaching days. We like to see to it that you CONTEST BULLETIN : IFE'S great Alibi Contest. is now enjoy your stay here. booming along in its seventh week. One Ifundred Dollars in prizes are awarded euch week for the best alibis submitted by Hotel Cleveland is con- Lire readers (for de pane 12 of this is zi venient to all parts of issue). The winning in Contest No, 2 i will also be found in this issue. Follow this 7 xitt Motions: A ibe city: Every roous bas fascinating contest, ‘The coupon on the New York, N. Y. private bath in connec. right with its special offer of ten issues of Mease send me fa ‘ ‘ fF LIFE for he, tion, Servidor service; Lire for One Dollar will help you to keep F pelt fF tees floor clerks, in the runni ollar. (Canadian, $1. | 49) ‘Room rates from $3.00. HOTEL LEVELAND By the Year, $5.00 PUBLIC SQUARE, CLEVELAND (Canadian, $5.80; Foreign, $6.60) [BUSH TERMINAL PRINTING CORPORATION, BROGRLTR, NEW TORE comicbooks.com