Re: The Pages of Punch

1988: Has this woman good reason for her fear?

What does this cartoon mean? Is the elderly woman expressing an entirely irrational fear? Or has she got something to worry about?

Re: The Pages of Punch

Made me smile but I can understand her fear....funny though that she thinks the policeman might be able to help....shame he can't.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1988: Yet more anthropomorphism

The pretence goes further here with the cat’s owner trying to reason with it.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1980: Knowing about pearly kings

You need to know just one thing about pearly kings to get this joke.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1982: Modernisation in the ancient world

This is another fanciful attempt to introduce modern concepts into the past. The senior Druid is depicted as angry at Roman modernisers turning the Stonehenge pillars into classical columns. No real Romans would have done this.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1998: Is he really that absurd?

Is this for real? Takeover bids do not seem at all likely. Moreover, Miss Wilson does not seem able to fend them off if they occur. On the other hand, he may just be speaking ironically. I prefer the second possibility but perhaps the cartoonist sees him as a Walter Mitty type.

Re: The Pages of Punch

Definitely ironic

Re: The Pages of Punch

1986: A waiter who knows his job

The customer is always right. She has spotted that this waiter is prepared to pander to this diner’s fantasy that he speaks fluent French.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1986: A delusional hold up

This looks like a joke among professionals. To us it appears that the man presents no threat at all. The joke is probably to do with the relationship between appearance and reality.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1980: Holding the baby

Wrenched from her office job the recent mother makes do with the canary to ‘discuss’ her problem.