Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, June 1922 · page 17 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #34 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous narrative poem (not a political cartoon) from *Captain Billy's Whiz Bang*, a satirical magazine popular in the 1920s-30s. The piece satirizes rural Americana and immigrant culture through exaggerated melodrama. The "satire" lies in treating a backwoods bull-fighting spectacle—apparently held in Robbinsdale (a real Minnesota town)—with grandiose, mock-heroic language. "Gus," a Swedish immigrant, is the bullfighter ("toreador") who faces "Pedro," a pedigreed bull. The poem mock-seriously narrates Gus's fatal goring, complete with dramatic death scene where he requests his boss "Captain Bill." The humor targets both rural American spectacle-seeking and Swedish immigrant culture. References to "Chief Berger" (likely a local official) and the small-town setting suggest this parodies an actual local event. The overwrought poetic language contrasts absurdly with the crude subject matter—treating a man killed by a bull as tragic opera.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
15 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Robbinsdale Swedish Bull Fight With Gus as Toreador 'Twas midnight on the ocean, And a murderous crow was there, To watch the fatal fight At Robbinsdale's town square. They came from far and near, Till the house was packed up full; When Gus was billed to tangle horns, With Pedro, pedigreed bull. Sweeping the death arena And bound for the realm of dead, Was our gallant Swedish hero, With a flag of brilliant red. Around the square they floundered, While the farmers held their breath; Time and again our warrior Gus Narrowly escaped from death. Then into the glorious struggle, Jumped up the hand of fate, And poor old Gus met his Waterloo When he chanced to dodge too late. The audience screamed in horror, At the sight of the terrible muss; For there upon the bloody ground, Lay the dying remains of Gus. Said he, "Will somebody do me Just a favor if they will, And have Chief Berger go and find My old boss—Captain Bill?" And when the chief returned again, Captain Bill was at his side, To listen to the last request Of Gus, before he died. "I've fought your famous Pedro, But he knocked me for a row,