The Wasp — 1893 — page 306: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip mocks Commissioner Blount's reports from Pacific island expeditions. The narrative follows his journey from Hawaii to what *The Wasp* characterizes as "cannibal" territories, depicting increasingly absurd "discoveries" of supposed native practices and "improvements." The final panel shows Blount returning to San Francisco's Capitol, where aggressive cigar advertisements (Hazel Kirke brand) ironically dominate the landscape. The satire suggests that "modern improvements" and commerce—represented by ubiquitous advertising—are themselves forms of cultural invasion comparable to the exotic "discoveries" Blount claimed to find abroad. The cartoon critiques both imperialist exploration narratives and aggressive American commercialism as equally intrusive and ridiculous forces.