Why Does Slug Signorino Always Portray Cecil Adams as a Bird?

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#1

I have been reading Straightdope books for over ten years now (we don’t get Cecil Adams’ actual column where I live, though). And one thing has always puzzled me. In the Slug Signorino cartoons that often accompany Cecil Adams’ Q&A, Adams is often portrayed as a tall bird with a professor’s cap on. I could be wrong, but it seems pretty obvious the bird is meant to be Adams. Here is an example of what I am talking about. Here is another.

Clearly there is some joke here that I (and probably others) am missing. But what is the joke? Does anyone know?

:slight_smile:

#2

I’d love to see Slug answer this personally. Yo, Slug!!!

#3

That’s not a mere bird, it’s a turkey. It indicates Slug’s opinion of The Master.

From the Faq:

“[Slug has] been depicting Cecil as a turkey in a mortarboard for 20 years”

#4

If Slug drew an actual person, it might give away the identity of Cecil- something that Cecil definately doesn’t want.

#5

For that matter, if Slug ever actually drew a person, we’d probably get suspicious and send the Chicago police over to find out who kindapped him, and what happened to the real slug. As long as he sticks to overeducated Thanksgiving dinners and four-headed fucking grandmas, though, we know he’s OK.

#6

Do I wanna know?

#7

Check out the illustration and what one of the personalities is saying.

#8

Because Bird is the Word.

#9

Cecil is the Great Bird of the Galaxy, of course.

#10

Cover your face when you say that!