A complete issue · 16 pages · 1889
Judge — August 24, 1889
# "Dog-Days in Mississippi" This Judge magazine cover from August 24, 1889, uses allegorical satire about the American South. A classical female figure (representing Justice or Liberty) stands amid the Mississippi River landscape, wielding a whip or rod to control several dog-headed figures at her feet. The "dog-days" reference—typically meaning the hottest summer period—becomes a pun: these are literal "dogs" (caricatured figures) representing Southern political or social problems. The sign reading "50 POUND" suggests these figures are being penned or controlled like animals. The satirical point appears critical of conditions in Mississippi during Reconstruction's aftermath, likely mocking Southern governance or racial violence. The cartoon implies these problems require firm discipline—personified by the dominant female figure.
# "A Boomerang" - Political Cartoon Analysis The central cartoon depicts two figures at a desk labeled "Coffees & Co. Publishing" - apparently a magazine publisher's office. One man (seated) complains to another about an unwanted subscription, saying he doesn't want their "messy book" and refuses to be a subscriber. He mentions practicing "a bit before I started out," suggesting incompetence or trial-and-error approach. The cartoon's title, "A Boomerang," indicates the satire: the publisher's own publication has backfired. The joke appears to criticize either *Judge* magazine itself or a competitor's editorial practices - possibly mocking poor business practices, bad writing, or unsuccessful publishing ventures that return to harm their creators. The casual dismissal of the subscription reinforces the publication's apparent lack of quality or appeal.
