The Wasp — 1894 — page 141: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip mocks labor unions through slapstick humor. A man attempts various DIY home repairs—wielding an enormous saw, climbing a ladder with hammers, getting tangled in a wasp nest, and being chased away by an actual wasp. The opening caption states: "A man is a jay to hire mechanics when he can do odd jobs round the house himself." The satire targets trade unions by portraying them as wasteful middlemen. The implication is that hiring union workers (represented by the incompetent "mechanics") is foolish when a homeowner could do the work themselves—avoiding union fees and labor protections. The wasp and the man's chaotic failures serve as visual punchlines emphasizing the cartoon's anti-union message.