A complete issue · 32 pages · 1918
Judge — August 3, 1918
# "The Man in the Moon" — Judge Magazine, August 3, 1918 This illustration depicts a woman's profile gazing at a crescent moon, where a face appears within the lunar curve. The caption reads "The Man in the Moon." The image likely plays on the folkloric "man in the moon" — a figure traditionally seen in the moon's shadows. However, the specific satirical meaning is unclear without additional context. Given the August 1918 date (late WWI), this could reference wartime concerns, though the connection isn't explicit from the image alone. The subtitle identifies this as part of "The Nation's Perpetual Smileage Book," suggesting this was meant as humorous content. The artist is credited as Philip Cammeron Jr.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page is primarily **advertising for Judge magazine itself**, not political commentary. The cartoon by Don Herold illustrates the magazine's appeal as home entertainment. The illustration shows a domestic scene: a woman reads alone looking bored, while a man entertains children nearby with apparent joy. The accompanying text argues that a home needs "humor" beyond material comforts—Oriental rugs and electric lights cannot substitute for laughter. The ad promotes Judge as "the nation's perpetual smileage book," claiming it provides essential weekly humor (Wednesday or Thursday delivery). Additional subscription options for other humor publications (The Literary Dejector, The Crabbed Companion, etc.) are satirically listed, with prices and ordering details provided below. This is essentially a self-promotional advertisement disguised as social commentary.
# "This War-Time Game of Submarine Peek-a-Boo" This August 1918 cartoon satirizes the dangers of submarine warfare during World War I. The illustration shows American naval officers in a small boat atop a massive, menacing German U-boat (submarine), depicted as a sea creature with tentacles. The officers appear engaged in a precarious, almost playful "game" of avoiding detection. The accompanying poem by Berton Braley expresses sailors' perspective: anticipating war's end while acknowledging the genuine terror of submarine attacks. The satire critiques the grim reality—that maintaining vigilance against U-boats remains deadly serious despite calling it a "game." The cartoon captures American anxiety about German submarines, which posed a genuine threat to Allied shipping throughout WWI.
# "The Smoke of Battle" This WWI-era military illustration depicts a Signal Corps observer reporting enemy movements to an operator via telephone pipe. The caption explains the scene: the observer is "raisin' a smoke screen" while reporting that "enemy about to attack." The humor appears to play on the dual meaning of "smoke"—both the literal battlefield smoke screen (a military tactic to obscure troop movements) and the colloquial phrase "raising smoke" (creating commotion or disturbance). The cartoon illustrates practical wartime communications and equipment while making a light joke about the chaotic conditions soldiers faced. Drawn by Walter de Maris for *Judge* magazine, this reflects American public interest in WWI military operations and soldier life during the conflict.
# Analysis This page features "A Midsummer Night's Steam," a short story by Benjamin De Casseres illustrated by Albert Hencke. The comic strip at top shows a man on what appears to be a Staten Island ferry recognizing someone from a faded print he'd seen years before in a Sussex tavern. The satire targets New York's transit problems and urban mysteries. The narrator humorously describes solving urban riddles—like why ferries exist and what "What-It's-All-About" means—suggesting the absurdity of city life. The reference to "Magic Land," "Invisible Domains," and the subway suggests commentary on New York's confusing, maze-like transportation system and the strange encounters one has there. The overall tone mocks both urban pretension and the inexplicable nature of modern city living.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains two distinct illustrated stories with satirical commentary on humor and imagination. The top cartoon ("Last Trip—You Can't Sleep Here") depicts a uniformed official (appears to be a ship's captain or authority figure) ejecting an intoxicated man, satirizing the collision between authority and comic relief. The lower illustration ("Dressed" and "Keen for His Task") shows domestic and workplace scenes drawn by Barksdale Rogers, focusing on social interactions and gender dynamics. The dialogue suggests satire about women's fashion choices and workplace competence. The left column's philosophical discussion personifies "the Comic Spirit," arguing that humor and imagination are essential human qualities—contrasting them against excessive "business" and rationality. The text advocates for laughter as civilization's counterbalance, targeting attitudes of late-19th/early-20th-century utilitarianism and progressivism.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page **Top Cartoon (R.B. Fuller):** "Grandma—You mustn't wade out too far, Willie" references WWI-era anxieties about German U-boats (submarines). The joke warns a child about wading into the ocean as one might warn about provoking enemy submarines—satirizing the public's fear of German naval warfare during America's involvement in the conflict. **Main Story ("Clever—If Nothing Else"):** A crime fiction narrative about a burglar named Andy who nearly gets caught stealing jewels. The twist: when the homeowner hears noise, he reaches under the bed, and Andy licks his hand. The man assumes it's the family dog "Carlo," allowing the burglar to escape. It's a suspenseful short story rather than political satire. **"His Observation":** A dialect-heavy piece featuring Black characters discussing religious revivals and the devil. The gambling man humorously suggests Satan remains unimpressed by revival meetings, claiming the devil continues living comfortably despite preachers' claims to defeat him. This reflects period stereotypes and attitudes toward both Black vernacular and religious hypocrisy.
# "A Much Needed Invention" and Related Content This page contains three satirical pieces. The main feature, "A Much Needed Invention," proposes a "listenometer"—a humorous device to measure how intently people actually listen. The author suggests it would be valuable for evaluating office boys, stenographers, telephone operators, and gossips, implying these groups often pretend to listen without genuine attention. "A Life Story" is a brief, dark comedy about a hapless man who consistently makes wrong choices throughout life—wrong name, wrong school, wrong career, wrong wife—suggesting some people are destined for failure regardless of circumstances. The cartoon captioned "As They Would Say in the Army" appears to be wartime commentary (likely WWI era, given Judge's publication period), with text explaining "It was necessary to leave some valuable material in the hands of the enemy"—military doublespeak for losing material to enemy forces. The remaining content addresses money and financial habits in dry, observational humor typical of Judge magazine's satirical style.
# "Transformed" - Judge Magazine Satire This page contrasts pre-war and wartime life. The poem "Transformed" by Howard Dietz nostalgically describes a peaceful pre-war world obsessed with trivial matters—fashion, Broadway stars, hairstyles, museum visits—where life had "zest" and "giggle." The refrain "You wouldn't know the old place now!" marks the shift: World War I has transformed society completely. The poet blames "a single German emperor" (Kaiser Wilhelm II) and "Junkerdom" (Prussian militarism) for changing the world's character. Now people discuss "flying and gassing and dying"—modern warfare technologies—replacing idle gossip. The cartoon at top (by Hal Burrows) shows a woman in a wartime economical skirt, with her husband sardonically noting the material savings—implying women's fashion itself has been transformed by wartime rationing and practicality. The page satirizes how completely World War I disrupted ordinary civilian life and concerns.
# "New York Afraid of the Air Raids Iss" This satirical cartoon depicts New York City's panic during air raid threats (likely WWI or WWII era). The six panels mock various fearful responses: emotional goodbyes, people rushing to bed early, masses fleeing the city with belongings, crowds sheltering in underground railways, and economic disruption including child begging at streetcalls. The exaggerated dialect ("iss" instead of "is") appears to mock immigrant speech patterns. The cartoonist satirizes both the hysteria gripping the city and society's collapse into chaos—people abandoning work, homes, and civic order. The humor targets New Yorkers' perceived overreaction to air raid fears, portraying dignified citizens reduced to panicked refugees. Artist Rex Irwin draws these scenarios to ridicule the city's collective anxiety during wartime.
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains three separate humorous pieces satirizing American social types and attitudes circa WWI era. **"Why the Aerial Mail Was Late"** (top): A woman offers food to an aviator beside a mail plane. The joke plays on the contrast between civilization and frontier roughness—a man refuses to see a sideshow "Wild Man" exhibit because he watches his fourteen children eat daily, finding that spectacle sufficient. **Middle anecdote** (by Warren Dahler): A woman nursing soldiers in France resigned because she was "so attractive" the soldiers deliberately prolonged their hospital stays—satirizing both romantic distraction and malingering. **"Suspicious Symptoms"** and **"Fancy!"** (right): Restaurant workers suspect a polite, tipping customer of being a criminal because his decency seems unnatural. The final piece mocks automobile owners, comparing them to authors who boast about their own accomplishments—suggesting "flivver" (cheap car) owners are similarly insufferable about their vehicles. The humor targets working-class observation, wartime romance, and emerging automobile culture.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains two satirical pieces and poetry mocking contemporary American types and sentiments. **"Dominating Mentality"** ridicules the "D.M."—a personality type found in efficiency experts, school administrators, and insurance agents who intimidate others through commanding presence and forceful manner. The satire notes these traits can be purchased through advertisements and warns of consequences: using dominating mentality on one's wife may result in her shooting him and becoming a stage performer instead. **"The Summertime"** is Walt Mason's humorous poem contrasting winter complaints with summer's actual miseries—oppressive heat, insects, and sleeplessness. The irony: people romanticize summer during winter, only to discover it's equally unbearable. **"Says J. Fuller Gloom"** offers cynical observations about human nature—questioning whether people labeled "simple and honest" are actually virtuous or merely unsophisticated. The magazine uses these pieces to deflate American self-improvement culture and expose the gap between expectation and reality in everyday life.
# "A Military Tangle" - Explanation for Modern Readers This is a short story (not a political cartoon) satirizing the strain on 1920s marriages caused by the era's dance craze and, more pointedly, pressure on men to enlist in the military. **The Setup:** Harry and Madge married after meeting during the widespread dancing obsession of the WWI era. The story notes this "extreme social hazard" led many couples into hasty marriages. **The Conflict:** Madge increasingly pressures Harry to wear a military uniform and become "a practical patriot"—he refuses. Harry begins avoiding home, eventually leaving immediately after dinner without conversing. **The Satire:** The story mocks both marital incompatibility and the social pressure on men to enlist. Harry's refusal to be "dragooned into any enterprise" without personal initiative represents resistance to nationalist pressure. The ending implies their marriage is failing specifically because of this conflict over military service. The illustration shows an elegant domestic interior with the couple—suggesting the gap between their refined lifestyle and wartime expectations placed upon them.
