A complete issue · 38 pages · 1918
Judge — May 4, 1918
# "An Eye to Business" This Judge magazine cover from May 4, 1918 presents a satirical cartoon by Kernan depicting two figures at a dining table with an elaborate cake between them. The title "An Eye to Business" suggests commentary on profiteering or opportunism during World War I (the U.S. had entered in 1917). The older man with glasses appears to represent an established businessman or authority figure, while the younger man displays an exaggerated, somewhat predatory expression—likely symbolizing wartime profiteers or speculators. The elaborate cake may represent war contracts, government spending, or resources being divided. The satire critiques how certain individuals were enriching themselves through the war effort while others sacrificed.
# Analysis This is a **advertisement, not satire**—specifically for Nujol, a mineral oil laxative product made by Standard Oil Company (New Jersey). The ad uses a young girl holding a doll to market constipation relief to parents. The messaging emphasizes that establishing regular bowel habits in childhood ensures lifelong health. The tagline "Regular as Clockwork" pairs the product name with promises of mechanical regularity. A notable detail: the text mentions "kit size to United States soldiers and sailors anywhere," indicating this ran during wartime (likely WWI or WWII era based on *Judge* magazine's publication period). By modern standards, the ad's focus on children's digestive health and its frank discussion of bowel regularity would seem unusually direct for mainstream advertising.
# Analysis of "Every-Day Life of a Rookie" This WWI-era satire from Judge magazine depicts common scams and annoyances targeting inexperienced soldiers ("rookies"). **The schemes shown include:** - **Bargain Tempers**: Con artists selling worthless items (pillows, shoe laces, jewelry) - **Post Card Photographers**: "Commercial hypnotists" exploiting gullible soldiers' desire for photographs - **"Sally Suds" Monopolist**: Satirizing water waste concerns - **Family Expectations**: Soldiers' families assume wartime means their sons are fighting ("There's a War or Somethin'") - **Cakes and Stories**: Civilians profiting from Civil War nostalgia The cartoons mock both predatory merchants targeting vulnerable young soldiers and civilians' disconnection from actual military life. The humor relies on depicting rookies as naive victims of exploitation—a common theme in wartime satirical commentary about the gap between home-front expectations and soldier realities.
