Judge — July 22, 1922

# "The Phantom Custard" This illustration from *Judge* magazine depicts a domestic scene with dark comedic intent. A figure stands at a table with two plates of custard while another person appears distressed or ill in the background. The caption "The Phantom Custard" suggests the custard itself is the subject of satirical commentary. Without additional context from the magazine's date or surrounding articles, the exact reference is unclear. However, this likely references either a contemporary food scandal, poisoning incident, or public health concern involving custard or similar desserts. The "phantom" title implies the custard's mysterious or problematic nature—possibly something that appeared safe but proved dangerous, or a product that disappeared from markets. The illustration's dark tone emphasizes the satirical critique of whatever food-related issue *Judge* was lampooning.

# "The Other Man" - Judge Magazine, July 22, 1923 This illustration accompanies a serialized story titled "The Other Man" by J.A. Waldron, drawn by Charles Baskerville. The image depicts a domestic drama: a well-dressed man in formal evening wear confronts a woman in an elegant gown, with the caption "I really want to kiss you au revoir." The scene appears to be set in an affluent household (note the formal furniture and fireplace). The composition suggests a moment of romantic tension or infidelity—a common theme in 1920s fiction. The "other man" likely refers to a romantic rival or illicit lover, reflecting Jazz Age anxieties about marriage fidelity. The French phrase "au revoir" (goodbye) hints at a clandestine affair or farewell between lovers, typical melodramatic subject matter for Judge's serialized fiction during this period.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains two distinct elements: **Left side:** A satirical illustration titled "The mania for freak marriages: Why not express yourself and advertise your business?" depicts various unconventional professions as potential marriage partners—a strong-man, sculptor, wood-alcohol vendor, riveter, burglar, and white-wing (street cleaner). The caption mocks the era's apparent trend of women marrying men from unusual or lower-status occupations, suggesting this represents a broader social loosening of marriage conventions. **Right side:** Prose dialogue between characters named Whyte and Benedict discusses a woman's broken engagement and potential remarriage. The conversation references *Society* magazine's gossip column, revealing period anxieties about public scandal and social reputation among the wealthy. Together, the page satirizes early 20th-century shifts in marriage norms and the role of gossip media in scrutinizing unconventional unions.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page The top cartoon depicts a social scenario about romantic behavior. A woman named Gladys mentions receiving a "rainbow kiss" from Jack, which Ethel questions. The punchline—"one that follows a storm"—is a flirtatious double entendre about kissing after an argument or conflict. The main text article "Their Common Ambitions" by Katherine Negley satirizes working-class aspiration. It describes the Dot family's modest circumstances and their employment in retail and service positions. The humor derives from depicting their genuine pride in menial work and limited social mobility as their earnest life goal. The illustration "No!" depicts a swimming mishap, likely illustrating one of the anecdotes in the surrounding text about Whyte's earlier adventures. This represents Judge's typical early-20th-century satirical approach to class and social humor.

# "A Husband in the Making" - Judge Magazine This is a domestic comedy sketch by M.L. Jenkins, illustrated by Cravath. The humor centers on a teenage boy (George, nineteen years old) navigating household chores and family dynamics while attempting to maintain his dignity. The cartoon satirizes early-20th-century gender roles: George is repeatedly interrupted by family demands—fetching towels, brushing clothes, retrieving his sister from the bathroom. The caption "The mean things! Every time I try to go out and swim they rescue me!" suggests he's being thwarted from leisure by domestic responsibilities traditionally assigned to women. The satire gently mocks both the overburdened youth and the family's reliance on him, illustrating social expectations about domestic labor and masculinity during this era.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains two distinct pieces: **Top Illustration ("O Ma!"):** Herman Palmer's drawing depicts an idealized pastoral scene—figures relaxing beneath a tree with flowing, ornamental foliage. The caption quotes Omar Khayyam's *Rubáiyát*, romanticizing simple wilderness pleasures. This appears to be decorative rather than satirical. **"George" Comic Strip:** A domestic humor sequence showing a young man (George) frantically preparing to see a girl named Mildred, requesting his mother's help locating clothes and making phone calls. The humor derives from his disorganization and his mother's patient exasperation—typical early 20th-century family comedy. **"Lights" Poem (by Monte Sohn):** A sentimental poem celebrating domestic happiness, specifically the "kitchen window light" welcoming a tired husband home. It contrasts romantic literary imagery with working-class domestic contentment. **Bottom Aphorisms:** Brief jokes about courtship and marriage, using wordplay ("fork over"). The page reflects common Judge themes: gentle domestic satire, sentimentality about home life, and the contrast between literary idealism and practical reality—with working-class domestic love presented as superior to poetic romance.

# "Told at the 19th Hole" — Judge Magazine This page contains four humorous anecdotes illustrated with cartoons, typical of Judge magazine's format. **Top cartoon:** Shows a golfer ("Mr. Duff") who has never broken 100, cheating by moving his ball to a better position while the greenkeeper isn't looking—satirizing golf etiquette violations. **The stories below** are light comedy pieces: 1. **Dr. Binger's stutter:** A doctor with a severe stammer tries to buy pepper but repeats "Pep" so many times the clerk returns with a rowboat motor—a pun on "pep" (energy/power). 2. **Speech therapy mishap:** A student practicing pronunciation of words beginning with "P" asks a stranger three times about "the Pon-cha-train Hotel," exhausting the stranger's patience. 3. **Jury duty excuse:** A naturalized immigrant claims he can't serve because he doesn't understand lawyers—the judge humorously admits he doesn't either. 4. **Betty at Sunday School:** A child is sent back and forth between rooms until sent home entirely—suggesting Sunday School chaos or her being unwelcome. These are gentle, era-appropriate humor pieces reflecting early-20th-century American life and speech impediments as comedy fodder.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains several humorous anecdotes and one cartoon. The main cartoon depicts a golfer who has hit a ball wildly off-course, striking a man in the head. The caddy reassures the golfer's wife with "Caddy—That's all right, mom; it's only yer husband," implying the husband's value is negligible. The text stories include jokes about Christian and Abel playing golf, a traveling Texan boasting about frontier hardships, a young boy's religious naiveté, and various domestic humor pieces about Italian grocers, ship passengers, and marital finances. The overall tone is genteel, middle-class humor typical of early 20th-century American magazines—light domestic satire with no apparent political content.

# "When Poets Are on Pleasure Bent" — Judge Magazine This satirical essay mocks the romantic notion of poets roughing it in nature. Author Walter Prichard Eaton reviews two travel books by poets and their companions: Stephen Graham's account of hiking with Vachel Lindsay through Glacier Park, Montana, and Margarette Wilkinson's river journey down the Willamette. The humor targets the gap between poets' bohemian self-image and reality. The cartoons show poets being dragged reluctantly on adventures, contrasting their affected artistic personas with practical discomfort. Eaton gently ridicules Lindsay's theatrical dramatics (shouting "Hoorah for Bryan!" at waterfalls, reciting poetry to mountains) and the poets' near-death experiences from poor planning—hanging on cliff-sides overnight, running out of food. The satire suggests poets pursue such trips to seem "different" and authentic, yet lack the competence of ordinary outdoorsmen. The final caution—"we don't advise any free verse poets to try this trip"—humorously implies their survival depends on luck, not skill.

# Analysis This is a satirical cartoon by S. Werner depicting an artist (likely a sculptor) with pretensions of creating enduring work. The figure reclining on the floor appears to be critiquing the standing artist's ambitions. The joke plays on the literal phrase "leave footsteps on the sands of time"—a metaphor meaning to make a lasting impact. The seated figure mocks this aspiration by pointing out the artist is literally walking backward, making the comment absurd and humorous. The satire targets artistic pretension: the grandiose sculptor's lofty claims about legacy are undercut by the absurd image of backward movement, suggesting the artist's methods are counterproductive or foolish. The "my dear" suggests condescension toward such inflated artistic ego.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page **"A Cash Register"** (top cartoon): A father overhears his daughters discussing expensive new clothes needed for summer vacation, ironically depicted as a "cash register"—the daughters are literally machines dispensing his money. This satirizes the financial burden of children's fashion demands. **"Monsters à la Mode"** (main article by Lawton Mackall): A literary satire contrasting medieval romance heroes (who slayed dragons to rescue maidens) with modern novelists' heroes. In contemporary fiction, the "monster" is the heroine's own husband—a cad, drunkard, or adulterer—yet the hero cannot simply rescue her through action. Instead, he must wait 400 pages for the husband's convenient death (sanitarium telegram, car crash, or poisoning) to achieve his goal. Mackall mocks this as cowardly compared to direct medieval heroism, questioning whether deferred solutions are "sportsmanlike" or "humane." **"A Paradox"** (Kellerman poem): A brief joke suggesting breweries' success corrupted them; had they remained small, they'd still enjoy honest "boozy happiness."

# Analysis of This Judge Magazine Page This page from **Judge** magazine contains satirical commentary on early 20th-century American problems, paired with a cartoon illustration. The main text attacks **reckless motorists** speeding on public roads. The author proposes using colonial-era "stocks" (public restraint devices) to shame wealthy speeders—arguing that fines don't deter those with money, but public humiliation would. The satire targets the privileged classes who flout safety laws without consequence. The accompanying cartoon shows a man caught in stocks at a "SPEEDING" sign, with onlookers jeering—illustrating this punishment concept. Secondary pieces mock **lobbying culture** (only private interests have representatives in Washington), traffic regulation (one-way streets work because people avoid used cars), and railroad labor disputes. The humor relies on exaggerated solutions to modern problems—suggesting we return to medieval punishment for contemporary driving violations—to critique the ineffectiveness of existing enforcement and class-based justice.