Judge — August 31, 1918

# Analysis This is **not a cartoon or satire page** — it's a serious government advertisement from the United States Treasury Department promoting Liberty Bonds during World War I. The ad urges Americans to **hold rather than sell** their bond investments. It warns against: - Cashing bonds for risky speculative securities - Using bonds as collateral for loans - Trading bonds to merchants (who would resell them, depressing prices) The argument appeals to patriotism ("the boys 'Over There'") and practical self-interest ("good business"), suggesting that maintaining bond values supports the war effort and provides financial security. This represents the Treasury's effort to stabilize the bond market and encourage continued savings during wartime.

# "Vorwart Mit Gott!" (Forward with God!) This August 31, 1918 political cartoon by Charles Sarka satirizes German militarism during World War I's final months. The central figure appears to be a German military leader or Kaiser, depicted as a grotesque giant seated on a coffin labeled "GOTT" (God). Beneath him swarms a massive crowd of soldiers and civilians being driven forward like cannon fodder. The cartoon's title—German for "Forward with God!"—mocks the militaristic invocation of divine blessing for Germany's war effort. The coffin suggests the cartoon's dark message: that German leadership was sacrificing its people to a dead god, or that God itself had died through this mechanized slaughter. It's a scathing indictment of German imperial ambitions as the war neared its end.

# Analysis of "An American Cyclone Sweeps Toward Germany" This World War I-era political cartoon depicts American military power as a massive tornado or cyclone advancing toward Germany. Soldiers in the foreground, shown in a trench (likely representing Allied forces), observe this approaching storm. The cyclone's dark, powerful form dominates the sky, suggesting overwhelming force. The satire presents American military involvement as an inevitable, destructive force that will sweep across to Germany. Published in *Judge*, a pro-Allied American magazine, this image propagandizes American entry into WWI (1917-1918) as both necessary and formidable. The cartoon appeals to American readers' sense of military superiority and patriotic duty, framing U.S. intervention as a natural, powerful phenomenon that will decisively impact the European conflict.

# Analysis of "The Back Way" from Judge This page contains a short story illustration rather than political satire. The image shows a man demonstrating something to a group of women who are begging him to reveal his "methods." The story's title and caption—"Clever Women and Shy Girls Beg Him for a Revelation of His Methods"—suggests romantic or social comedy. The narrative concerns a character named Blub Upperson, a struggling writer who finally achieved literary success after years of failure. The excerpt focuses on Upperson's newfound success and an apparent romantic entanglement, with a woman making elaborate promises to him. The humor appears to derive from social dynamics between ambitious men and women of the era, rather than political commentary.

# Analysis This page primarily contains **narrative fiction rather than political satire**. The illustrated story follows a character named "Blub" Upperson, a Kentucky mountaineer who becomes a writer after corresponding with his cousin Cathie Plympton, a magazine editor. The tale is humorous in a genteel, character-driven way rather than politically satirical. It depicts Blub's unlikely journey from rural poverty to literary success, including anecdotes about his concrete-mixing recipe and his eventual acceptance into literary circles. The cartoon illustration shows Blub making concrete steps, establishing the rural, working-class setting. The humor derives from his dialect, folksy wisdom, and the incongruity of a hillbilly becoming a published author—reflecting early 20th-century attitudes about regional identity and cultural aspiration rather than attacking specific political targets.

# Analysis of This Judge Magazine Page **The Cartoon:** Gordon Grant's illustration depicts a woman's conflicted reaction to her husband's rescue from the sea. She stands between a lifeguard holding a rescued man and another woman, embodying "mixed feelings"—the title's joke being that while a wife should be relieved her husband survived, she appears less than thrilled about his return. **The Article:** "Rules for Hot Weather" by Tod Chenevix is humorous pseudo-advice for enduring summer heat. It's satirical—mock-seriously suggesting impractical tips like sleeping all day, wearing minimal clothing, and doubling mouth-sizes to reduce effort. The tone mocks both the insufferable heat and the pretentious "efficiency expert" advice popular in the era. **Historical Context:** This reflects early 20th-century concerns: efficiency movements, the shocking novelty of women in swimwear (referencing Isadora Duncan's freedom in dress), and American anxiety about summer discomfort before air conditioning. The submarine reference suggests WWI-era anxieties. The humor relies on absurdism and gentle social satire typical of Judge's style.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains several humorous pieces typical of early 20th-century satirical magazines: **"Isn't It Awful!"** is a narrative poem about circus performers Lily McElvaney and Ahasuerus Brown who marry to combine their acts for profit. The joke escalates darkly—a cheap bride, an angry parson, and ultimately the couple drowning together in their sorrows. The moral warns against mercenary circus folk seeking renown through marriage. **"Price-Tags"** satirizes the absurd complexity of retail price-tags, claiming they're indecipherable ancient markings that confuse criminals and salesmen alike—even shopkeepers can't read their own tags. The humor mocks modern retail's opacity. **"Great Relief"** jokes that a woman preparing for vacation finds comfort in the saying "you can't take it with you"—finally, she can travel without packing! **Other brief gags** include wordplay about clerical celibacy and inheritance ("the deceased wife's sister"), and a cartoon showing a rookie's dream of athletic prowess. The page exemplifies Judge's blend of verse satire, social commentary, and visual humor targeting turn-of-the-century American life.

# "The Man Who Made Dairy Lunches Noisy" This article satirizes the psychological manipulation of workers and consumers through noise and confusion. The cartoon depicts a proud proprietor showing off his "troupe of ten dish rattlers"—men employed solely to create loud noise by banging dishes. The satire targets applied psychology fads of the early 20th century. The protagonist claims noise increases productivity, citing boiler factories where noise allegedly stimulated workers to greater output. He applies this "principle" to dairy lunch-rooms, deliberately hiring men to generate cacophony, and observes that quiet establishments prove unpopular while noisy ones thrive. The humor lies in the absurdity: noise becomes a deliberate business tool, not an unfortunate byproduct. The proprietor has scientized chaos itself—treating human psychology as something easily manipulated through sensory stimulation and confusion. The cartoon's exaggerated figures and the phrase "Stay-Too Twice Gumbax!" (nonsense yelling) emphasize the ridiculous pseudo-scientific justification for what is essentially organized bedlam masquerading as sound business strategy.

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains several humorous short stories and cartoons typical of early 20th-century American satire: **"Their Heroic Action"** mocks rural, uneducated speech patterns through a tall tale: a backwoods Arkansas man claims his fourteen children saved his life by pelting an armed intruder with rocks instead of him confronting the threat directly. The humor relies on dialect comedy and the absurdity of children as unlikely heroes. **"Luck, They Call It"** is a brief wordplay joke about dropping the "p" from "plucky" when gossiping. **"At Her Risk"** presents cynical commentary on women seeking male sympathy, suggesting entanglement rather than help. The remaining shorts mock domestic life (a wife's poor cooking, a husband's concern about ancestral coins) through conventional marital humor. The cartoons employ simple line drawings common to the era. Overall, the page reflects Judge's reliance on regional dialect, gender stereotypes, and domestic comedy—standard satirical fare for early 20th-century American magazines targeting middle-class readers.

# "The Notion Counter" - A WWI-Era Satire This page from *Judge* magazine features a cartoon and humorous column by Douglas Malloch, set during World War I. The cartoon depicts a father confronting his daughter about her expensive wardrobe, claiming such clothes aid the war effort. The daughter responds sarcastically that she's engaged to multiple military officers—suggesting women were using patriotic justifications for frivolous spending. "The Notion Counter" column consists of brief satirical observations about contemporary life, including: daylight-saving time's ineffectiveness, wives enforcing "work-or-fight" labor policies before government mandates, marriage's inevitable compromises, and the irony of women's iron-crossing techniques. References to General Crowder (who administered WWI draft) and the Austrian/Italian fronts ground these jokes in wartime context. The satire targets civilian hypocrisy about war sacrifice and traditional gender dynamics during mobilization.

# Analysis of This Judge Magazine Page This page satirizes American obsession with World War I discourse. Walt Mason's column complains that war talk has become inescapable—even church sermons focus on the Kaiser, children play-act killing "Prussians," and casual conversation gets hijacked by war commentary. Mason seeks quiet philosophical discussion but finds it impossible. The cartoons mock this universal preoccupation. One shows a woman dismissing art and music as "vain and silly" because only war matters. Another jokes about "John Barleycorn" (alcohol personified)—relevant since Prohibition-era dry movements claimed wartime sacrifice justified eliminating liquor. The scattered jokes touch wartime anxieties: draft conscription, inflation, domestic disruption. A sergeant receiving knitted sweaters references women's wartime contribution efforts. The overall message: Americans have become so consumed by war rhetoric that normal life and thought have become impossible. It's social satire targeting both excessive patriotism and the war's totalizing grip on public discourse.