Puck, 1878-08-14 · page 5 of 16
Puck — August 14, 1878 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a visual pun comic strip following "Herr Kopp" (a German character, suggested by the German name) coming home drunk on a Saturday night. The "symphony in do major" refers to the sound of falling objects—specifically, crockery and dishes ("do" evoking the clinking sounds). The narrative sequence shows: Kopp stumbling into the kitchen instead of his bedroom, sitting in the breadtrough, sinking into dishwater, nearly submerging, and emerging covered in dishware. His wife's reaction progresses from shock to attempting to clean him up before ultimately swabbing him off in resignation—"the infinite tenderness of a woman's heart." The humor relies on slapstick physical comedy and the implicit German stereotype of heavy drinking, popular in 19th-century American satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1) This is the way Herr Kopp came home —_2)_ Which accounts for his entering the kit- . 3) Also for his sitting down in the bread- on a Saturday night, He “rises,” 10) Alarming apparition that greeted Mrs. 11) Mute explanation of the situation, and 12) The infinite tenderness of a woman's Kopp on her entrance. PUCK. A SYMPHONY IN DO MAJOR. chen instead of his bed-room. trough. 6) completely. 8) and turns plaintive appeal by Herr Kopp. heart—she swabs him off. Finis. comicbooks.com