Turkey-carcass sled comic from 1984: Kenny Be’s Hip Tip do-over

The turkey-carcass sled comic seen above advises that the leftover skeleton from the Thanksgiving dinner can double as an inexpensive toboggan. It sounds like a ridiculous idea, but it is based on a true-life childhood experience of a Westword co-worker… The drawing above was inspired by former farm girl and Westword business manager Dee Jones. Apparently, after a childhood Thanksgiving dinner, Dee’s Yuma County, Colorado mother would meticulously pick the meat from the turkey and then run the carcass through the dishwasher one time to craft a perfect snow sled for her kids.

The true-life story was equal parts fascinating, funny and disgusting — a winning combination for comic material. However, when I sat down to draw, I wasn’t sure what a turkey skeleton looked like, or how a child would fit inside. I drew the turkey carcass with bound legs while sledding down the hill ass first.

After 26 years of research and regret, I felt that I should make a comic correction. The result is shown below… As seen in the illustration above, the turkey carcass has been turned a full 180 degrees, putting the wing bones of the skeleton in the perfect position to make sled runners. The neck-first position also allows the child rider to rest her feet on the collar bones and use the thigh bones for handles. The wishbone makes a convenient hitch to tie a tow rope.

Other than that, the comic from 1984 looks pretty much the same as the comic drawn in 2010. Dee Jones still looks pretty much the same too — and she still works at Westword all these years later. I dedicate this Hip Tip comic do-over to her. Thank you, Dee! Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

More from our Kenny Be/Comics archive: “Rocky Flats to open as Thanksgivingland theme park: Kenny Be’s Worst-Case Scenario.”