Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, June 1922 · page 19 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #34 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humor column featuring pun-based jokes disguised as advice letters. The "Captain Billy" persona responds to absurd questions with groan-worthy wordplay: - **"September Morn"** likely references a famous 1912 Paul Chabas painting of a nude woman—the joke plays on "seeing" the month and "May" (a woman's name). - **"Safety razor" joke** exploits the ambiguous phrasing of the question—the answer uses "dynamite" as nonsensical humor. - **"Beat him"** is misinterpreted literally (feed her apples, referencing the proverb "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"). - **"Mushroom"** is a pun: "mush room" (parlor as a romantic meeting place). - The correspondents have punning names (**Scissor Bill, Ava D'Poy, Blossom Outt**) enhancing the satirical tone. This typifies *Whiz Bang's* lowbrow, ribald humor style popular in 1920s America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 17 Questions and Answers Dear Captain Billy—Did you stay up all night August 31st in order to see September Morn?—Peter Outt. No, I saw May first and she suited me all right. * * * Dear Skipper Bill—If a ship was sunk at sea would a safety razor?—Scissor Bill. No, but dynamite. * * * Dear Captain Billy—My rival in love is a physician. Please tell me how to beat him for my girl's hand.—Ava D'Poy. Feed her an apple a day. * * * Dear Captain—What kind of rooms are mushrooms?—Benny Fitt. T'e parlor is usually the mush room. * * * Dear Skipper—I'm in love with a boy and he's in love with me. What shall we do?—Blossom Outt. Get married.