# Slug's illustration for Dead Man's Hand **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651 "2010-04-28T18:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/1 "2010-04-28T18:13:23Z")
> **[Was Wild Bill Hickok holding the “dead man’s hand” when he was slain?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341451/was-wild-bill-hickok-holding-the-dead-man-s-hand-when-he-was-slain)** What’s the deal with Slug’s illustration here? I gather he is holding a “black ace” (flying ace) but what’s with the chicken drumstick? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/2 "2010-04-28T18:22:38Z")
Look at the plate, looks like a turkey, not a chicken. Slug is fond of portraying Cecil Adams as a turkey wearing a mortarboard. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/3 "2010-04-28T18:22:57Z")
Might that be a cooked goose? ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/4 "2010-04-28T18:31:53Z")
There appears to be a syringe in Wild Bill’s arm, which is odd. I suppose you could could stretch that to represent plugged, if you were limber enough. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/5 "2010-04-28T18:46:26Z")
> [@Lestrade](#): > > There appears to be a syringe in Wild Bill’s arm, which is odd. Bill is getting “shot”. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/6 "2010-04-28T18:56:35Z")
I actually though the syringe was a dart, like a tranquilizer dart. Somehow that made sense at the time. I forgot about Cecil being depicted as a turkey. But it seems like if we’re representing a black ace there should be some reference to 8 or a pair of eights or a black 8? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/7 "2010-04-28T18:58:14Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > But it seems like if we’re representing a black ace there should be some reference to 8 or a pair of eights or a black 8? Bill is holding a black ace and “eats”? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/8 "2010-04-28T19:17:34Z")
A lot of times the older columns cover two or more topics, and the illustration illustrates both. When those old columns were archived, the two topics were split into two archive items, which sometimes makes the illustrations somewhat enigmatic. I bet the Dead Man’s Hand item was originally paired with something poultry-related. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/9 "2010-04-28T20:08:28Z")
Ate with an Ace. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/10 "2010-04-28T20:25:01Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > A lot of times the older columns cover two or more topics, and the illustration illustrates both. When those old columns were archived, the two topics were split into two archive items, which sometimes makes the illustrations somewhat enigmatic. I bet the Dead Man’s Hand item was originally paired with something poultry-related. [The only other item with that date is hair-related.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/234/can-i-make-money-selling-my-hair-to-a-wigmaker) ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/11 "2010-04-28T20:30:26Z")
Huh. I was ready to accept **Manduck** ’s explanation, assuming the other article was about tryptophan (hence the syringe and turkey leg). Maybe it really is “eats” = “eights”. Maybe Slug didn’t hit his stride until later. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slugs-illustration-for-dead-mans-hand/537651/12 "2010-05-03T15:56:02Z")
Yes, that’s Wild Bill standing with a “black ace.” And he has “ate.” And yes, Slug likes to portray Cecil as a turkey. Please see here; > **[How did they get the stripes in Stripe toothpaste?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341341/how-did-they-get-the-stripes-in-stripe-toothpaste)**