Can You Spot the Hidden Deathtrap in this Room?

While looking for the illustration of the mind flayer that appears in issue #78 (October 1983), I came across this classic bit from Phil Foglio's What's New comic. I've hidden the answer below a break.

It's a funny visual gag, but I think it's also genuinely representative of the way tricks and traps were often employed in the first decade or so of the hobby. What I mean is that, in those days, many tricks and traps were intended to test the player rather than (or in addition to) the character. Consequently, they were "gamey" in conception, more akin to brain teasers or puzzles than the kinds of things one might expect to encounter within the reality of a fantasy setting. I can recall several examples from my youth that depended on English puns or wordplay to resolve. I know my friends and I weren't alone in this.

Of course, the real takeaway from this is I miss What's New ...