When thinking about the Halloween season, I can’t help but connect it with monsters; Werewolves, vampires, various creatures (some slimy, so dry and shedding), bigfeet, patchwork Frankensteins, witches, demons, and mummies rising from their crypts. Of course I think about monsters all year round (and heck, I think about Halloween all year as well), but at Halloween it’s a little more special. In thinking about monsters this season, what’s one of the first things that come to my mind you might ask? Well, processed meat sticks containing beef, mechanically separated chicken, water, salt, corn syrup, dextrose, flavorings, spice, paprika, hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy and wheat gluten, proteins, sodium nitrite, lactic acid starter culture of course. That’s right, Slim Jims. Slim Jims and some great Jack Davis illustrations from a couple of 1978 comic book ads…
You know, I was completely unaware that Slim Jims used to come in pizza, bacon, and salami flavor varieties. I mean, it’s not that much of a stretch, and looking at today’s Slim Jim offerings including nacho cheese and Tabasco, I could certainly see it. I’m intrigued by the idea of a bacon flavored Slim Jim (well I’m intrigued by bacon flavored anything for that matter), though it seems like it would be too salty. Maybe it was just smokier.
