A complete issue · 28 pages · 1917
Judge — September 1, 1917
# Analysis of "Rattled" (Judge, September 1, 1917) This cartoon depicts three figures in what appears to be a tense conversation. A uniformed official (likely military or postal authority, given the formal cap) stands confronting two civilians—a man in a suit who appears anxious, hand to his face, and a woman holding a hat. The title "Rattled" and the "Notice to Reader" box above suggest this satirizes wartime regulations about handling mail or packages. The woman's nervous demeanor and the man's worried expression suggest they've been "rattled" (disturbed/caught) by official scrutiny, possibly regarding suspicious mail during WWI when censorship and security concerns were heightened. The cartoon likely mocks public anxiety over wartime restrictions.
# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising and table of contents** rather than political cartoons. The left side advertises "Heroes of History" biography volumes sold by Brunswick Subscription Co. at $1 each—a commercial pitch emphasizing inspiring biographical narratives for American readers during World War I era (the ad mentions "the great cause for which we are now arming"). The right side is Judge magazine's contents page (September 1, 1917, Vol. LXXIII). It lists numerous articles and illustrations, including pieces titled "Ficking a Profession," "Looking for U-Boats," and "The Unprotected," though without seeing the actual cartoons, their satirical meaning remains unclear. The contents suggest wartime-related humor typical of 1917 American satire. No specific political figures or caricatures are identifiable from this page.
# "Me Und Gott" ("Me and God") This dramatic illustration depicts a figure in a stormy, apocalyptic landscape with lightning striking down from above. The title "Me Und Gott" uses German, suggesting the cartoon targets German militarism or a German leader (likely from the WWI era, given Judge magazine's timeframe). The scene shows a solitary human figure dwarfed by towering, destructive forces—suggesting divine judgment against the subject. The lightning bolts and violent landscape imagery imply catastrophic consequences or divine punishment. Without additional text on the visible page, the exact identity remains unclear, but the satire appears to mock someone's grandiose claims or actions by invoking biblical-scale retribution. The German language choice points toward critiquing German political or military leadership.
