Possible Clues:

• 26 down, as well as the bits of the deer
• Dried and shrivelled up
• The weird loony wasted away
• Lean and wrinkled by shrinkage
• In 'er company the editor is looking too old
• Dried up, comic -- embarrassed introducing the man?
• Wrinkled by shrinkage from age
• Comedian present with degree showing age
• Made dry red, inferior to white, oddly
• Dry humour and energy in crowd