The Wasp — 1881 — page 118: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts figures dressed as pirates or brigands confronting what appears to be authority figures near a castle. The title "Our Jolly Blackmailers" suggests the cartoon critiques blackmailers operating with impunity or protection. The image shows armed, menacing characters in period costume (possibly suggesting historical villainy or criminality) in a confrontational scene. One figure on the left appears marked with text (partially legible as "S.PER"), though its meaning is unclear. Without additional context about the specific issue of *The Wasp* or contemporary events referenced, the precise targets of this satire cannot be definitively identified. The cartoon likely criticized specific public figures or groups engaged in extortion or coercion that contemporary readers would have recognized, but those details are not evident from the image alone.