Judge — October 26, 1918

# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page promotes Judge magazine's humor content. The main cartoon shows a man in formal attire being chased by multiple pairs of scissors—a visual metaphor suggesting that Judge magazine hunts down and "cuts out" humor from around the world to publish. The accompanying text humorously claims Judge has an extensive "humor spy system" that covers the globe, making it impossible for any joke to escape their notice. It references Judge's ability to locate humor anywhere, from Australia to submarines, comparing their humor-gathering efforts to an elaborate international operation. The page functions primarily as **self-promotional advertising** for Judge's humor digest and side publications, highlighting the magazine's comprehensive coverage of global comedy and satire. The subscription offer appears in the lower left corner.

# Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis **Publication Details:** Judge, Volume 75, October 26, 1918. Subtitle: "The Happy Medium" **The Cartoon:** Titled "It's Not a Draft—It's a Western Cyclone!" and drawn by R. B. Gsass, this depicts soldiers and military equipment being violently swept upward in a massive spiral or cyclone. France and the Ocean are labeled in the background. **Historical Context:** Published during the final weeks of World War I (which ended November 11, 1918), this appears to satirize the rapid, chaotic mobilization of American forces being sent to France. The "Western cyclone" likely references America's forceful military intervention, presenting it as an irresistible natural force rather than an orderly "draft." The swirling chaos humorously captures the intensity of wartime troop movements.

# "The Jack-Pot" - Political Cartoon Analysis This satirical cartoon, drawn by John Dunceux, depicts a cauldron labeled "Made in Germany" overflowing with demonic figures. A serpentine ribbon rising from it reads: "Justice, Honor, Morality, Commerce, Trade, Finance." The satire critiques Germany's conduct in international affairs, suggesting that German actions in commerce, finance, and trade—marketed under claims of justice and honor—are actually corrupt and destructive. The "jack-pot" metaphor implies these practices accumulate like gambling winnings into a dangerous, explosive mixture. The scattered coins below suggest wealth gained through questionable means. This cartoon likely reflects American concerns about German economic or military expansion, appearing before or during periods of U.S.-German tension.

# "Watch for the Little Bird!" Analysis This is not a political cartoon but a humorous essay by A. B. Booth about photography, illustrated by Wilfred Jones. The "little bird" references the photographer's traditional instruction to say "cheese" or watch for a signal (bird) during portrait sessions. The essay satirizes the romanticized expectations people have about professional photography—hoping the photographer will magically capture their "hidden soul" and best self. Booth humorously deflates this dream, noting that photographs actually reveal people as they are: the poses feel awkward, and the results often disappoint. The illustrations show a photographer directing subjects through various poses and expressions, capturing the theatrical, often uncomfortable nature of early 20th-century portrait photography. The satire gently mocks both photographers' grandiose claims and subjects' naive hopes.

# Political Context of This Judge Magazine Page **"The Seven Deadly Sins: Declaring Himself"** depicts German military figures, satirizing German militarism during what appears to be the WWI era. The cartoon labels various German officers and officials, presenting them as embodying destructive militaristic values. **"An American Maid's Lament"** expresses anti-German sentiment, mourning American women's concerns about foreign competition—likely referencing wartime anxiety about German products and culture dominating American markets. The other humorous items ("A Shorn Lamb," "Help!," "Still Recruiting," "Missing Word Contest") are typical magazine filler content unrelated to the political cartoons. The page reflects Judge magazine's pro-Allied, anti-German editorial stance during the WWI period, using satire to reinforce American patriotic sentiment and anxieties about foreign influence.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains three satirical pieces from World War I-era Judge magazine: **Top cartoon "According to Plan"**: An American soldier bayonets a German soldier. The German says "Pig of an American—follow me!" The satire mocks German military tactics or propaganda about combat. **"His Way" and "The Price He Paid"**: Humorous fiction pieces unrelated to politics—one about an indifferent man's unpopularity, another about a husband's shock at his wife's hat bill. **"No Trouble"**: A rural anecdote about a bride who physically overpowers the groom—gentle humor about frontier toughness. **"Try Mars"**: The sharpest political content. This satirizes Germany's diplomatic isolation during WWI, contrasting Germany's pre-war alliances (most nations) with 1916 allies (Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, Sweden, Chile, Mexico) and post-war prospects (Austria, Turkey, Mexico only—"all doubtful"). The punchline suggests Germany should relocate to Mars given its friendlessness.

# Analysis of "A Tourist Passes Through Yapp's Crossing on Gasless Sunday" This satirical illustration by John B. Guevelle depicts chaos in a small town street during an enforced "gasless Sunday"—a wartime rationing measure limiting automobile fuel use. The cartoon mocks the disruption caused by removing cars from a typically automobile-dependent American community. The title's irony is apparent: without gasoline, the crossing becomes anarchic rather than orderly. A diverse crowd of townspeople, children, animals, and makeshift vehicles (hand-carts, bicycles) flood the street where cars normally dominated. The labeled storefronts (Colonial Trust Co., Dennis Carroll groceries, etc.) establish this as a recognizable American town. The satire critiques how dependent modern commerce and social life had become on automobiles by the early twentieth century. The "tourist" observing this bedlam would find the town utterly transformed and dysfunctional without motorized transport—the cartoon's pointed commentary on American car culture's grip on civic life.

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page from *Judge* magazine contains several short humorous pieces and jokes typical of early 20th-century American satire. The bottom illustration, "They Drew Lots to See Who'd Be the Kaiser, and Bobby Got Stuck," references World War I. Children are drawing lots (deciding by chance) to assign roles in a game, with one child apparently assigned the role of the Kaiser (German Emperor Wilhelm II, the enemy). The joke mocks the Kaiser as an undesirable role no one wants. The other pieces are brief comic vignettes: "Mary" mocks someone who repeats witty remarks; "Pessimoptimism" plays on the words "optimism" and "blues"; various short dialogues joke about homelessness, ticklishness, shoe prices, and social awkwardness. These are lightweight humor pieces exploiting puns, wordplay, and observations about contemporary manners and wartime anxieties—typical of satirical magazines of this era aimed at middle-class readers.

# "Happier Days" and "William Blow" This page contains two pieces of social commentary from WWI-era *Judge* magazine. **"Happier Days"** (by Walt Mason) describes the morale shift as American fortunes improved against Germany ("Kaiser Bill"). Townspeople initially despaired as "Prussians had the right of way," but gradually regained hope through forced cheerfulness. The narrative celebrates ordinary citizens' resilience, ending with relief that "the losing Teuts" must now suffer what Americans endured. **"Familiar Folks: William Blow"** (by H.W. Davis) satirizes a blustering opportunist who claims credit for every civic success—Liberty Loan drives, school reform, Red Cross work—but only *after* outcomes prove successful. The cartoon illustrates his cowardice: he "straddles the fence until it sinks beneath him," then "slips the contrary foot over on the winning side." The satire mocks those who hide during struggles then claim victory, portraying a recognizable social type rather than a specific individual.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains WWI-era American satire attacking economic waste and promoting patriotic sacrifice. **"War Shavings"** is the main satirical piece. It mocks a barbers' convention decision to lower shave prices to 50 cents, sarcastically celebrating this as a major contribution to the war effort. The author absurdly calculates that multiplying minimal daily savings across millions of male shavers yields nearly $4 billion annually for "war purposes." The satire targets both the barbers' modest price cut and Americans' tendency to exaggerate trivial personal sacrifices as patriotic duty. The piece cynically urges men to wake earlier and shave daily "for his country," implying that such gestures are meaningless compared to actual wartime contributions like War Savings Stamps and Liberty Bonds. **Other cartoons** address wartime themes: "She Beat Him to It" jokes about food conservation (Hooverizing—rationing under Herbert Hoover's program), while "One View of It" satirizes how couples' relationships change from fighting youth to marital conflict. The top cartoon depicts an American soldier's awkward dining etiquette in Paris. The overall message criticizes inflated patriotic rhetoric surrounding minor economic measures.

# Political Satire Analysis This page contains WWI-era satire mocking German militarism and U-boat warfare. The main piece, "If Sir Joseph Porter Had Been a Hun," parodies Gilbert and Sullivan's *HMS Pinafore*. A German U-boat captain boasts in broken English that he rose through cruelty, theft, murder, and cowardice—satirizing how the German military system allegedly rewarded brutality over merit. The poem suggests German officers achieved rank through immorality rather than ability. The twelve comic panels below depict increasingly violent "solutions" to ending the war, culminating in absurd brutality—mocking German militarism as barbaric and unthinking. Two lighter pieces appear on the right: a joke about a minister rehearsing sermons, and a humorous story about a gambling man's "business training" donating generously to church collections like betting antes. The overall message: Germany's military culture is morally corrupt and worthy of ridicule.