Puck — January 8, 1879 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Puck Magazine, January 8, 1879 This satirical cartoon depicts newspaper editors as jesters juggling a globe, captioned "Puck to the humorists of America" with the motto "Keep the ball up, brothers, and let us make the whole world laugh." The caricatured figures wear sashes identifying major American newspapers including the Boston Post, The Daily and others (some text is unclear). The cartoon celebrates the satirical press's role as social commentators and entertainers. The top banner—"What fools these mortals be!"—quotes Shakespeare, suggesting newspapers position themselves as wise observers mocking human folly. This reflects Puck's identity as a humor magazine competing with other satirical publications to influence public opinion through mockery and caricature rather than serious journalism.