Life, 1929-01-18 · page 27 of 44
Life — January 18, 1929 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** A householder surveying bomb damage during what appears to be WWI or WWII makes a rueful comment about losing everything. An "inveterate humorist" makes a dark joke—twisting "stand up in" to mean the householder is lying down (dead) rather than merely homeless. The satire mocks those who make inappropriate jokes during genuine tragedy. **"The Collection Manager to His Love":** A humorous letter from "Bill" (Arthur L. Lippmann) to his girlfriend "Dorothea," written in mock-business language. Bill treats romantic gestures—kisses, hugs, "love tokens"—as commercial transactions, keeping a ledger of what he's "shipped" versus what she owes. The satire gently mocks both overly-transactional approaches to romance and the commercialization of sentiment. The closing threat to "market affection elsewhere" if payment isn't made plays on the absurdity of treating love as business debt. Both pieces use humor to deflate pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| Pa Frail Housenowver: “Isn't it terrible! Everything gone except what I stand up in!” inveterate Humorist: “What you lie down in, you mean, old chap. Ha! Ha! Jolly good. He! He!” —Humorist. The Collection Manager to His Love My peaxest DorotHea: I have just been looking over receipts from you this week and regret to state that though I have received 2 letters con- taining 500 kisses and 1 telegram trans- mitting 1 Big Hug, your ledger card still shows a debit balance of some 8,261 kisses, 93 hugs and 46 “Wish You Were Heres. I have freely shipped you consignment after consignment of Grade A, first-class Love upon your promise that you would meet all amatory obligations in return. Only last Tuesday, I was tempted to hold up a telegraphic shipment of “Lonesome Without Yous,” owing to the condition of your account and the fact that no remit- tance had been received from you in over two weeks. | I trust you will not make it necessary for me to market my affection elsewhere, and that a quick reply will be forthcom- ing by return mail. Otherwise, with much reluctance, I shall be compelled to hold up further shipments of Candy, Flowers, Kisses and Assorted Love Tokens. Devotedly yours, Bill. Arthur L. Lippmann. comicbooks.com