Life, 1929-03-01 · page 17 of 36
Life — March 1, 1929 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This four-panel comic depicts a wealthy man in formal dress being progressively extorted by a small child in a snowy landscape. In each panel, the child demands payment (indicated by the child's gestures), and the man complies by surrendering his possessions—first his cane, then his coat, and finally his hat and remaining belongings. The satire targets exploitation through coercion. The reversal of power—a helpless wealthy figure victimized by a powerless child—creates dark humor about forced redistribution or blackmail. The title "The Extortionist" ironically labels the child the criminal, though the visual clearly shows the man as the victim being systematically stripped of his assets through intimidation, likely commentary on taxation, political pressure, or corrupt dealings of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PARIS—A well equipped American Bar has been installed in one of the large dressmaking establishments. While their women are buying gowns, the men can be anaesthetizing them- selves for the subsequent pockethook operation, aL SHANGHAI—Chinese have been using more tobacco since peace was declared than before. Don't reach for a gun—smoke. iL BELGRADE—Minister of Railways Dr. Koroshetz has issued a decree mak- ing it obligatory for all railway clerks to attend church on Sundays and holi- days. The railroad union threatens a general strike unless the order is re- voked. BERLIN—Fritz Frank has invented paper that will not burn. [tis report- ed that he has already received a big offer from the Graphic. L ANGORA, Turkey—A governmen- tal edict prohibits the marriage of high officials to foreign wives. The law, however, is winked at when the for- cign wives are wealthy. Note how European ideals are spreading! LL BELGRADE—At the wedding of Anton Seidel and Theresa Schwartz, which lasted nine days, there were 550 invited and 2,000 uninvited guests, 68 head of cattle, 1200 fowl, and 30,220 quarts of spirits were consumed. The extortionist. PRAGUE—Dr. Josef Loebel classi- fies human senses into eleven instead of five. The extra six are tempera- ture, pressure, stinging, gravity, power and kinesthetic sense. “Horse” is not mentioned, aL TRISTAN DE CUNHA—A recent- ly returned visitor from this lonely isle reports that it has a population of 150, and sickness is unknown, There are no doctors, he explains, L CAIRO—Azhar University in Cairo has just rounded out its first thousand years. Yes, yes, but have they a good team? comicbooks.com