The Real Thing, Wanted

Rose O’Neill achieved perhaps greater recognition than any female illustrator in the early twentieth century. Entirely self-taught, she began a professional career as an illustrator while still a teenager. Her work on the predominantly male staff at Puck, the leading satirical magazine, was unprecedented at the time. She gained prominence as a cartoonist and for her work in advertising, book illustration, and fine art. O’Neill was also the creator of the wildly popular Kewpie comics, and later the iconic Kewpie doll. The original caption for this cartoon, which appeared in Puck, consisted of the following dialogue: 

Christian Science Mama—He must imagine he has the colic. 

Christian Science Papa—I wish he’d imagine I’m walking the floor with him.