Life — August 17, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Old Bill Nickel" Cartoon Analysis This cartoon depicts a weathered man in a wide-brimmed hat sitting on a bench, illustrating the caption: "OLD BILL NICKEL: He had a dog at his heels. Some folks say it's a sign he's dogmatic." The humor is a visual pun playing on the character's name "Bill Nickel" combined with the phrase "at his heels"—suggesting he's "dogmatic" (literally having a dog at his heels, while "dogmatic" means stubborn or opinionated). The figure appears to be a stock "character" type used for satirical commentary, though the specific identity of "Old Bill Nickel" and whether he represents a particular public figure remains unclear from the image alone.