The Wasp — 1893 — page 371: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip mocks wealthy leisure activities and poor sportsmanship among the upper class. Panel 1 shows a man reading romantic fiction about "Pork & Beans" while supposedly engaged in sport. The subsequent panels depict a duck-hunting expedition where the sportsmen behave badly: they cheat, shoot recklessly at non-game birds, snap at real ducks, and generally conduct themselves poorly. Panel 8's sign reading "Wild Duck" and "Game of All Kinds" suggests this occurs at a commercial hunting preserve. The final panels show the hunters' incompetence and unsporting conduct escalating into chaos—capsizing boats and missing easy shots. The satire targets the pretension of wealthy amateur "sportsmen" who engage in hunting as fashionable recreation rather than demonstrating genuine skill or ethical behavior.