Political magazine collection, Puck, Judge, Jingo

Puck magazine, weekly magazine, founded by cartoonist Joseph Keppler, began publication in March 1871. Keppler had been working for Frank Leslie's Illustrated The original Puck publication had both English and German editions. Puck started as a German-language weekly but an English version appeared the following year in March, 1877. The 16 page magazine sold for ten cents. For several years the English language magazine operated at a loss and was subsidized by the German version. However, circulation gradually increased and by the early 1880s Keppler was selling over 80,000 copies a week.

Typical 32-page issues contained a full color political cartoon on the front cover and a color non-political cartoon or comic-strip on the back cover dealing with social issues. There was always a double-page color centerfold, usually on a political topic. There were numerous black & white cartoons used to illustrate humorous anecdotes. A page of editorials commented on the issues of the day, and the last few pages were ads. Some of Joseph Keppler's main targets were the women's suffrage, trade unions, and religious hypocrisy. Keppler died in 1894 and his son, Joseph Keppler, Jr. assumed control. Harry Leon Wilson became editor until being replaced in 1904 by John K. Bangs, the former editor of Harper's Weekly. The English magazine continued for over forty years under several owners and editors until it was bought by the William Randolph Hearst company in 1916 (or 1917). The publication continued for two more years and the last edition was distributed in September 1918.

Jingo and Judge are similar to Puck in layout and content.

[this history was adapted from an article in wikipedia and the website http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ARTpuck.htm]