The Wasp — 1921 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a **title page or advertisement** for a theatrical play rather than a political cartoon. The page announces Adam Applebud's comedy "Be An Optimist," described as "The Quintessence of Nonsense in Three Acts." The text humorously summarizes the play's absurdist humor—involving a mummy manufacturing scheme, a lovelorn swain, and a fraudulent spiritualist medium (Madame Goopher). The satire targets theatrical conventions and likely middle-class pretensions of the era. The cast list and venue descriptions (an antique shop, then a home) suggest a light domestic comedy aimed at amateur theatrical groups. The final note—"Royalty only ten dollars"—indicates this was a publishable script for local performance. This is **theatrical promotional material**, not political satire.