1919 comic srip

OK, so we are perplexed. This cartoon has sort of “gone viral.” But we are not sure it is real. We can see that the first modern reference to it was on Reddit, 3 years ago, under this description: “Comic strip by W.K. Haselden, as published in the Daily Mirror on March 5, 1919, accurately predicts the future nightmares of cell phones.”

But it has also been ascribed dated from 1923, from other sources on the internet, a good sign of a fake. It has also been sent around the web under two different titles, which also indicates that it may not be correct.

It does seem, however, to be consistent with this cartoonist’s futuristic bent (he is confirmed to have predicted the phone camera, for example), and it looks like his work, and we think it’s funny if it is real. So here it is.

^^^

Audere Magazine presents new or old comics most Sundays. Read more here. And here.