Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, August 1922 · page 22 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #36 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects satirical humor typical of 1920s American magazines. The "Nutty Novels" section mocks literary titles through absurdist author names—puns like "A. Knight Walker" (a nightwalker) and "Ima Howell" (I'm a howell/howl). The "Geography Lesson" makes a risqué joke about 1920s fashion: a flapper's short dress is compared to mountain peaks (Alps, Pyrenees), mocking both women's hemlines and highbrow geography references. The hammock joke satirizes romantic clichés—a man's grand declaration of eternal devotion is literally undermined when the hammock fails, revealing his dishonesty. "Sneeze This" is a tongue-twister using "Hottentot"—contemporary term (now considered offensive) for a South African people—exploiting the word's sound for absurdist wordplay rather than meaningful satire. The final line about Olaf and fertilizer appears to be a setup for a joke, likely crude given the magazine's bawdy reputation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20 Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang Nutty Novels “Great Caesar’s Ghost” by A. Knight Walker. “Some Fuel There Was” by Woodyard Kind- ling. “The Shriek” by Ima Howell. “The Old Swimming-hole” by Belle E. Flop. * * * Our Geography Lesson Speaking of mountains, a flapper’s dress reminds of the Alps—highest in the world and of the well-known Spanish hills—the Pyranees. * * * He swore that nothing— ere—could tear her from his side, But as he spoke the hammock broke, And then, she knew he lied. * * * Sneeze This If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot tot, To talk ere the tot could totter, Ought the poor Hottentot tot To be taught to say naught, Or aught or what ought to be tought her? If to hoot and to toot a Hottentot tot, Be taught by a Hottentot tutor, Should he tooter get hot If the poor Hottentot tot, Hoot and toot at the Hottentot tutor. * * * “Well, that’s all over,” said Olaf, as he finished spreading the fertilizer.