A complete, restored issue of Judge from 1893-03-11 — all 16 pages of color political cartoons and topical humor, free to page through at comicbooks.com.

On the cover: # Analysis: "Got Their Lightning-Rods Up" This March 11, 1893 *Judge* cartoon satirizes Republican political strategy during Cleveland's presidency. The caption quotes Republican bosses asking "Why shouldn't the Cleveland lightning strike us as well as him?" The image depicts caricatured Republican figures holding lightning rods near the Capitol building, apparently seeking protection from political "strikes" (likely scandals or electoral defeats) that have affected President Grover Cleveland's administration. The cartoon's satire suggests Republicans are opportunistically attempting to shield themselves from similar political misfortunes while Cleveland faces difficulties. The exaggerated caricatures and physical comedy typical of 1890s political satire ridicule what the cartoonist saw as cowardly or self-serving Republican tactics during a period of Democratic vulnerability.

🖼️ Every page has a plain-English note on what you’re looking at — the figures, the references, the point of the satire.

← Back to Judge: The Rival in Color All exhibitions