Beetle Bailey Daily Strip - 6 panels 11x8.5 Signed art by Mort Walker COA

$1,021.90 Buy It Now, Click to see shipping cost, 30-Day Returns, eBay Money Back Guarantee
Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (808) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 176283104137 Beetle Bailey Daily Strip - 6 panels 11x8.5 Signed art by Mort Walker COA. MORT WALKER ORIGINAL SIGNED SIX FRAME PENCIL SKETCH ON A WHITE 11 X 8.5 SHEET; BEETLE BAILEY AND SARGE DISCUSS DIFFERING VIEWS ON WHAT GUARD DUTY DETAILS. ACCOMPANIED WITH COA
Beetle Bailey is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker, published since September 4, 1950.[2] It is set on a fictional United States Army post. In the years just before Walker's death in 2018 (at age 94), it was among the oldest comic strips still being produced by its original creator.[1] Over the years, Mort Walker had been assisted by (among others) Jerry Dumas, Bob Gustafson, Frank Johnson and Walker's sons, Neal, Brian and Greg Walker, who are continuing the strip after his death. Contents 1 Overview 2 Publication history 3 Characters and story 3.1 Main characters 3.2 Supporting characters 3.3 Retired characters 3.4 Extras, one-shots and walk-ons 4 Censorship 4.1 Self-censoring 5 Animation 5.1 1989 special 6 Musical theatre 7 Licensing 8 Further reading 9 Beyond the strip 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links Overview Beetle was originally a college student at Rockview University. The characters in that early strip were modeled after Walker's Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers at the University of Missouri. On March 13, 1951, during the strip's first year, Beetle quit school and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he has remained ever since. Most of the humor in Beetle Bailey revolves around the inept characters stationed at Camp Swampy (inspired by Camp Crowder, where Walker had once been stationed while in the Army), which is located near the town of Hurleyburg[3] at "Parris Island, S.C." (a real-life Marine Corps base).[4] Private Bailey is a lazy sort who usually naps and avoids work, and thus is often the subject of verbal and physical chastising from his superior NCO, Sergeant Snorkel. The characters never seem to see combat themselves, with the exception of mock battles and combat drills. In fact, they seem to be in their own version of stereotypical comic strip purgatory (initially basic training, they now appear to be stuck in time in a regular infantry division). The uniforms of Beetle Bailey are still the uniforms of the late 1940s to early 1970s Army, with green fatigues and baseball caps as the basic uniform, and the open jeep as the basic military vehicle. Sergeant First Class Snorkel wears a green Class A Army dress uniform with heavily wrinkled garrison cap; the officers wear M1 helmet liners painted with their insignia. Despite this 'anachronism,' modern weapons and equipment do make rare appearances. While Beetle Bailey's unit is Company A, one running gag is that the characters are variously seen in different branches of the Army, such as artillery, armor, infantry and paratroops. Occasionally dream sequences have appeared where the characters see themselves as seasoned combat veterans, such as Sarge having a dream he was General "Storming Snorkel" briefing on Operation Desert Shield, or Beetle imagining himself getting out of the Army and going to back to school on the GI Bill, where cute coeds all know him as "Bombshell Bailey, the famous war hero". Beetle is always seen with a hat or helmet covering his forehead and eyes. Even on leave, his "civvies" include a pork pie hat worn in the same style. He can only be seen without it once—in the original strip when he was still a college student. The strip was pulled and never ran in any newspaper. It has only been printed in various books on the strip's history.[5] One daily strip had Sarge scare Beetle's hat off, but Beetle was wearing sunglasses. One running gag has Sergeant Snorkel hanging helplessly from a small tree branch after having fallen off a cliff (first time August 16, 1956). While he is never shown falling off, or even walking close to the edge of a cliff, he always seems to hold on to that same branch, yelling for help. Beetle Bailey (November 21, 2007): In this running gag, Sergeant Snorkel hangs from a small tree growing out of a cliff, while Private Bailey is seen trying to help him—and himself Publication history During the first two years of Beetle Bailey's run (1950-1952), Walker did all work on the strip himself, including writing, penciling, inking and lettering; however, in 1952 he hired cartoonist Fred Rhoads as his first assistant.[6] After that, numerous people would assist Walker on the strip through the years. As of 2016, the strip was being syndicated (by King Features) in 1,800 papers in the United States and the rest of the world.[7] In Sweden, the strip received a dedicated magazine in 1970, with a Norwegian version being added the following year, which is published to this day as of 2020.[8] Characters and story Beetle Bailey is unusual in having one of the largest and most varied permanent casts of any comic strip. While many of the older characters are rarely seen, almost none have been completely retired. Main characters Private Carl James "Beetle" Bailey—the main character and strip's namesake, a feckless, shirking, perpetual goof-off and straggler known for his chronic laziness and generally insubordinate attitude. Slack, hapless, lanky and freckled, Beetle's eyes are always concealed, whether by headgear or, in the rare instance of not wearing any (e.g., in the shower), by his hair.[a][b] He is an expert in camouflage as he is often hiding from Sarge. In early strips, it was revealed that he is the brother of Lois Flagston (from the Hi and Lois comic strip, which Mort Walker wrote, and Dik Browne drew). Beetle is a member of "Kilo Company" 3rd Battalion of the 9th Infantry Regiment (United States),[11] 13th Division {fictional}.[12] Beetle's and Lois's grandmother came from Dublin, Ireland.[13] He has an enforced chef's palate from being forced to taste Cookie's questionable preparations. Sergeant 1st Class Orville P. Snorkel—Beetle's platoon sergeant and nemesis, introduced in 1951. Sarge is known to frequently beat up Beetle for any excuse he can think of, leaving Beetle a shapeless pulp. Once, in the February 2, 1971 strip, he even shoved Beetle through a knothole in the floorboard. Sarge is too lovable to be a villain, however. Obese, snaggle-toothed and volatile, Sarge can be alternately short-tempered and sentimental. He and Beetle seem to have a mutual love/hate relationship; much of the time there is an implied truce between them. They share an uneasy alliance that sometimes borders on genuine (albeit unequal) friendship. Sarge is also a helpless foodie, loves food like crazy and does not miss even a single chance where he can lay his hands on food. He is seen gobbling up cookies and cakes that Beetle's mother lovingly sends him. In some early strips Sarge was married, but he was later retconned into an unmarried Army lifer, who knows next to nothing about civilian life. Despite his grouchiness and bossiness, Sarge does have a soft side, which he usually keeps concealed. He is from Pork Corners, Kansas. He was also known to be very foul-mouthed, even compared to the rest of the cast. Sarge's mother's maiden name is "Papadopoulos", suggesting that he is of Greek heritage.[14] Otto—Sgt. Snorkel's anthropomorphic, look-alike bulldog whom Sarge dresses up the same as himself, in an army uniform. Otto is fiercely protective of Sarge and seems to have a particular antipathy towards Beetle. His first appearance was July 17, 1956; originally he was a regular dog who walked on all fours, but Mort Walker finally decided to make him more humanlike. As Walker put it, "I guess he's funnier that way." Otto got his army uniform in the June 6, 1958 strip. Brigadier General Amos T. Halftrack—the inept, frustrated, semi-alcoholic commander of Camp Swampy, introduced in 1951. He loves to golf, much to his wife Martha's dismay. He sometimes harasses his secretary, Miss Buxley. He is 78 years old, from Kenner, Louisiana — though according to Capt. Scabbard he was born in China (April 28, 1971). Miss Buxley—Halftrack's beautiful, blonde, buxom civilian secretary—and occasional soldier's date (as well as a constant distraction for Halftrack). She used to live in Amarillo, Texas.[15] Miss Buxley has an apparent interest in Beetle and later becomes his girlfriend, but is constantly pursued by Killer. Lieutenant Sonny Fuzz—very young (with noticeably pointy eyebrows and very little facial hair), overly earnest, anal-retentive and "by the book" and highly susceptible to squeaky furniture. The apple-polishing Fuzz is always trying to impress uninterested superiors (especially Halftrack), and "rub it in the noses" of his subordinates. He was introduced March 7, 1956. Mort Walker said he modeled the character and personality of Lt. Fuzz on himself, having taken himself too seriously after completing Officer Training.[16] Lt. Fuzz has also managed to get on Sarge's bad side, albeit not as much as the enlisted men. A strip had Lt. Fuzz discussing with Sarge about the fact that Beetle Bailey has been a private for a long time and recommends he be sent before a promotion board. Sarge is given flashbacks of all of Beetle's errors, then yells in anger at Lt. Fuzz, who has no idea what he did to anger Sgt. Snorkel (the flashbacks being thought balloons). Lieutenant Jackson Flap—the strip's first black character, often touchy and suspicious—but effortlessly cool, introduced in 1970. Originally wore an afro hairstyle, but later shaved it off as later regulations disallowed many hairdos. Has often been seen with a beard. Cookie Jowls—the mess sergeant,[17] who smokes cigarettes while preparing the mess hall's questionable menu (infamous for rubbery meatballs and tough-as-rawhide steaks). He practices no sanitary food preparation measures aside from wearing a chef hat, and is almost always seen wearing a tank top. Walker once described him as "the sum of all Army cooks I've met in my life." He bears a striking resemblance to SFC Snorkel and has also been known to occasionally beat up on Beetle. Like Sarge, he also loves food, though he is not above using Beetle as a guinea pig (which Beetle loathes). Although similar to Sarge, Cookie has had the most tension with Snorkel, particularly when Sarge raided the mess hall after Cookie stopped working and the kitchen was off-limits. Private "Killer" Diller—the notorious ladies' man and Beetle's frequent crony—introduced in 1951. Private Zero—the buck-toothed, naïve farm boy who takes commands literally and misunderstands practically everything. Sometimes Zero serves to enrage Sarge even more than Beetle. Was briefly promoted from Private to Lieutenant during a military exercise (September 29, 2013). Following the exercise, he was returned to his normal rank of E-1 Private (shown in his next strip appearance on Saturday, October 12, 2013). He was raised in Cornpone, Nebraska.[18] Private Plato—the Camp's resident intellectual; bespectacled, given to scrawling long-winded, analytical, often philosophical graffiti. Named after Plato but based on Walker's pal, fellow cartoonist Dik Browne. Plato is the only character other than Beetle to evolve from the early "college" months of the strip.[16] Asked his full name, he tells Beetle "Aristotle Anaximenes Heraclitus Papagelis".[19] Supporting characters Private Blips—Gen. Halftrack's competent, jaded, not-at-all-buxom secretary ("blips" are small points of light on a radar screen). She resents Halftrack's constant ogling of Miss Buxley, and though envious of the latter's beauty maintains a polite working relationship with her. Chaplain Stainglass[20] —"He's praying... he's looking at the food... he's praying again!" According to Mort Walker's Private Scrapbook, Walker based the chaplain on Irish actor Barry Fitzgerald's priest character from Going My Way (1944). He often tries to get Sarge to not beat up Beetle or the men but his efforts are either futile or backfire. Martha [Knips] Halftrack—the General's formidable, domineering wife. She is 70 years old and is from Morganfield, Kentucky.[21] Her brother Sgt Knips is the senior NCO at Camp Swampy [22][23] Private Rocky—Camp Swampy's long-haired, disgruntled social dissident, a former biker gang member and rebel-without-a-clue, introduced in 1958. Is the editor of the "Camp Swampy Muckateer". Private Cosmo—Camp Swampy's sunglass-wearing, resident "shady entrepreneur" and huckster. Loosely based on William Holden's Sefton character from Stalag 17; almost forgotten in the 1980s. Captain Sam Scabbard—hard-nosed, flat-top wearing officer, commander of A Company and usually depicted as competent. Can be firm with Sarge, but also trusts him. Major Greenbrass—staff officer, golf partner, and brother-in-law of Gen. Halftrack. He is most often simply a sounding-board for the general, reacting to his superior's shenanigans instead of causing his own.[24] Private Julius Plewer—fastidious fussbudget, who eventually became Halftrack's chauffeur. Corporal Yo—the strip's first Asian character, introduced in 1990. Like Major Greenbrass' relationship to General Halftrack, Cpl. Yo is most often simply a conversation partner for Sarge or one of the lieutenants. He is rarely, if ever, shown to be goofing off like the rest of the enlisted men. Dr. Bonkus—Camp Swampy's loopy staff psychiatrist, whose own sanity is questionable. Sergeant 1st Class Louise Lugg—a tough soldier who hopes to be Sarge's girlfriend, introduced in 1986. Lt. Flap wondered why Lugg was sent to the camp; Halftrack commented that she showed up after he called the Pentagon to request an overseas assignment — "I asked them to send me abroad." Although more competent than the male enlisted personnel, she has shown moments of stupidity herself. When attempting to try to get Sarge's attention, Beetle advised Sgt. Lugg "to soften him up, then whammo, nail him!" Sarge is then seen getting gifts of beer and comic books "from Louise Lugg", then says to himself he had her figured out all wrong and how sensitive she was. As Sarge is walking, Lugg is seen around a corner with a baseball bat and chains, having taken Beetle's advice too literally. Bella—Sgt. Louise Lugg's female cat. Specialist Chip Gizmo— Camp Swampy's resident computer geek, was named by a write-in contest in 2002. The contest, sponsored by Dell Computer Corp., received more than 84,000 entries. It raised more than $100,000 for the Fisher House Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides housing for families of patients at military and veterans hospitals.[25] Due to his expertise in information technology, he was often seen working near General Halftrack's office aiding him and Miss Buxley. The contest to name the new character Gizmo first appeared in this May 6, 2002, strip when Gen. Halftrack walks into Mort Walker's studio demanding a new character to help him with computer related stuff. In the July 4, 2002, strip, the entry sent in by Earl Hemminger of Springfield, Virginia, was announced as the winner from 84,725 entries.[25] Retired characters Bunny Piper—Was Beetle's seldom-seen girlfriend (from 1959[26]), before he started dating Miss Buxley. Buzz—Was Beetle's girlfriend before 1959.[26] Canteen (early 1950s) —always eating. Snake Eyes (early 1950s) —the barracks gambler, replaced by Cosmo, Rocky and others. Big Blush (early 1950s) —tall, innocent, and a great attraction to the girls; many of his characteristics incorporated into both Sarge and Zero. Fireball (early 1950s) —neophyte who always seems to be in the way, forerunner of both Zero and Lt. Fuzz. Bammy (early 1950s) —the southern patriot from Alabama who is still fighting the Civil War. Dawg (early 1950s) —the guy in every barracks who creates his own pollution. Ozone (late 1950s) —Zero's bigger, even more naïve friend. Moocher (early 1960s) —stingy and always borrowing things. Pop (1960s)—married private: gets yelled at by Sarge all day and goes home at night for more abuse from his wife. Sergeant Webbing—variously described as being from either B Company or D Company. He somewhat resembles Snorkel, except that he lacks the trademark wrinkles in Snorkel's garrison cap and has wavy hair and thick eyebrows. He has pointy teeth. On at least two separate occasions, Webbing engaged Sgt. Snorkel in a cussing duel.[27] He also attempted to one-up Snorkel in anthropomorphizing dogs, leading to Otto's first appearance in uniform, and was most recently seen (recognizably, but not mentioned by name) in 1983.[28] Rolf (early 1980s) —civilian tennis instructor, very popular with the female cast (including both Mrs. Halftrack and Miss Buxley, much to General Halftrack's consternation). Originally introduced in response to complaints about the constant ogling of Miss Buxley by the male characters. First appearance was in the September 9, 1982 strip, disappeared completely by the mid-1980s.[29] The early strip was set at Rockview University. When Beetle joined the Army, all of the other characters were dropped (although both incarnations of the strip include a spectacled intellectual named Plato). Four characters from the original cast (Bitter Bill, Diamond Jim, Freshman, and Sweatsock) made at least one appearance, in the January 5, 1963 strip.[30][31] Extras, one-shots and walk-ons Beetle's family, etc.: Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, parents of Beetle, Lois, and Chigger. (The 2/7/52 strip names Beetle's father as Gurney.) Lois Flagston (née Bailey), Beetle's sister; she and her husband are the title characters of the Hi and Lois comic strips. Beetle was shown in a crossover where he is first telling Zero and Plato he has taken leave to visit his sister and brother-in-law. He then appears the next day in Hi & Lois, wearing civilian clothes. Chigger, the younger brother of Beetle and Lois Hiram "Hi" Flagston, Beetle's brother-in-law and Lois's husband Chip, Dot, Ditto, and Trixie Flagston, Hi and Lois's children, Beetle's nephews and nieces Mr. and Mrs. Piper, Bunny's parents Camp Swampy: A camp doctor whose appearance is consistent, but who is apparently unnamed An unnamed officers' club bartender, frequent intermediary between the Halftracks An unnamed Secretary of Defense who has made numerous appearances Popeye the Sailor once made an indirect appearance in the form of a Halloween mask worn by Zero. He made a one-time appearance in a strip dated July 16, 2012.[32] 2012 NCS Cartoonist of the Year Tom Richmond made an appearance in a Sunday page.[33] Numerous one-shot characters have appeared over the years, mostly unnamed, including an inspector general who looks like Alfred E. Neuman,[34] and various officers and civilians. Among the few to be given names is Julian, a nondescript chauffeur eventually replaced by Julius.[35] Censorship A censored comic strip of Beetle Bailey, from January 12, 2006. Uncensored strip at top, censored strip in the middle. The Norwegian translation of the comic strip is shown at the bottom, to show that it was not censored in Norway. Self-censored comic strip at sketch stage For the most part, Walker's relationship with the real-life US Army has been cordial. But not always. During the early 1950s, the strip was dropped from the Tokyo edition of Stars and Stripes because it allegedly encouraged disrespect for officers. The civilian press made a huge joke of that, and the ensuing publicity gave the young strip its first big boost in circulation. —Don Markstein[36] In 1962, the comic strip was censored because it showed a belly button, and in 2006,[citation needed] the description of Rocky's criminal past was replaced with a non-criminal past. Self-censoring Sometimes Mort Walker created strips with raunchy subject matter for his own amusement. This was done at the sketch stage, and those strips were never meant to be published in the U.S. They "end[ed] up in a black box in the bottom drawer", according to Walker. These sketches were sometimes published in Scandinavia, however, with a translation underneath. In Norway, they appeared in the Norwegian Beetle Bailey comic book, Billy, with the cover of the comic marked to show it contained censored strips. To offset any possible negative reaction, the publisher experimented with "scrambling" the strips in the mid-1990s. To see them, the reader had to view them through a "de-scrambling" plastic card. This was discontinued soon afterwards, and the strips later were printed without scrambling. In Sweden, some of these strips were collected in the Alfapocket series.[37] Animation A television series based on the strip, consisting of 50 six-minute animated cartoon shorts produced by King Features Syndicate, was animated by Paramount Cartoon Studios in the U.S. and Artransa Film Studios in Sydney, Australia. The series was first broadcast in 1963 as part of The King Features Trilogy.[38] 50 episodes were produced.[39] The opening credits included the sound of a bugle reveille, followed by a theme song specifically composed for the cartoon. In the closing credits Geoff Pike was listed as Director. Beetle was voiced by comic actor and director Howard Morris with Allan Melvin as the voice of Sarge. Other King Features properties, such as Snuffy Smith and Krazy Kat, also appeared in the syndicated series, under the collective title Beetle Bailey and His Friends. June Foray did the voice of Bunny, plus all of the female characters involved. Beetle and Sgt. Snorkel were featured prominently in the cartoon movie "Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter", which debuted on October 7, 1972 as an episode of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie. In the beginning of the show, General Halftrack and Lt. Flap also appeared in the Chinese Restaurant scene. 1989 special A 30-minute animated TV special co-written by Mort Walker and Hank Saroyan was produced for CBS in 1989, but did not air due to management changes at the CBS network.[40] It has been released on DVD alongside the 1960s cartoons. Greg Whalen played Beetle, Bob Bergen portrayed Killer, Henry Corden was Sgt. Snorkel, Frank Welker was both Zero and Otto, Linda Gary voiced both Miss Buxley and Ms. Blips and General Halftrack was Larry Storch. This special was one of a number of specials made in the same timeframe by King Features/Hearst for TV as potential series pilots; others included Blondie & Dagwood (co-produced with Marvel Productions, who had also collaborated with King Features for the Defenders of the Earth series a few years before) and Hägar the Horrible (co-produced with Hanna-Barbera Productions). Musical theatre In 1988, a musical based on the comic strip premiered at Candlewood Playhouse in New Fairfield, Connecticut for a limited run. Music and lyrics were by Neil and Gretchen Gould. In addition to the familiar characters from the strip, the plot introduced a wayward computer that promoted Bailey to three-star general.[41] Licensing Over the years, Beetle Bailey characters have been licensed for dolls, T-shirts, salt and pepper shakers, toys, telephones, music boxes, handpuppets, coffee mugs, cookie jars, neckties, lunchboxes, paperback books, games, bobblehead nodders, banks, lapel pins and greeting cards. The Multiple Plastics Corporation manufactured a 1964 Camp Swampy playset, a tie-in with the cartoon TV show, with character figures accompanying the usual MPC toy GIs and military vehicles. In 2000, Dark Horse Comics issued two collectible figures of Beetle and Sarge as part of their line of Classic Comic Characters—statues No. 11 and 12, respectively. In honor of the strip's 50th anniversary, DHC also produced a boxed PVC figure set of seven Beetle Bailey characters (Beetle, Sarge, Gen. Halftrack, Miss Buxley, Otto, Lt. Flap and Cookie). BCI Eclipse has released 20 episodes of Beetle Bailey as part of Animated All Stars, a 2-DVD set (BCI 46952). Rhino Home Video also released a DVD containing 10 episodes, along with a couple of Hägar the Horrible and Betty Boop cartoons. In 2007, Beetle Bailey: The Complete Collection was released to DVD, containing all 50 shorts grouped randomly into 13 episodes, plus a previously unaired 1989 TV special.[42][43] For Beetle Bailey's 50th anniversary in 2000, Gate offered a 1/18th Willys MB with figurines of Beetle, Sarge and Otto. The figures were the same scale as the Jeep and were molded in seated poses, so they could be placed in the seats of the model. The Jeep could also be ordered without the figures, with figurines of Laurel and Hardy, or figurines of Laurel and Hardy in sailor suits.[44][45] In 2010, fashion designer Dr. X and Bloomingdale's unveiled a limited edition retro/punk rock style line of clothing including T-shirts, leather jackets, Beetle-themed Chuck Taylors shoes and various accessories.[46] In 2012, Rolex and Bamford Watch Department created a Beetle Bailey Rolex watch.[47] Further reading (All titles by Mort Walker. Published by Ace Tempo/Grosset & Dunlap, unless otherwise noted. Year of publication is often based on King Features Syndicate copyright dates for lack of a book date. Book numbers for mass-market paperbacks (from the cover of the earliest available copy) are given before year of publication, for chronological purposes. Beetle Bailey and Sarge (1958) Dell (trade pb; illustrations, reprinted 1954-58 strips)[48] Beetle Bailey: A Strip Book (1966) Saalfield Books Beetle Bailey (No. 1) (T-884, 1968) Fall Out Laughing, Beetle Bailey (No. 2) (5305, 1969) At Ease, Beetle Bailey (No. 3) (5329, 1970) I Don't Want to Be Out Here Any More Than You Do, Beetle Bailey (No. 4) (5348, 1970) What Is It Now, Beetle Bailey (No. 5) (5377, 1971) Beetle Bailey on Parade (No. 6) (5416, 1972) We're All in the Same Boat, Beetle Bailey (No. 7) (5561, 1973) I'll Throw the Book at You, Beetle Bailey (No. 8) (5582, 1973) Shape Up or Ship Out, Beetle Bailey (No. 9) (5708, 1974) Backstage at the Strips (1975) Mason/Charter Take Ten, Beetle Bailey (No. 10) (1975) (see also unnumbered 1989 Jove edition) I've Got You on My List, Beetle Bailey (12104, No. 11) (1975) Take a Walk, Beetle Bailey (No. 12) (12603, 1976) I Thought You Had the Compass, Beetle Bailey (No. 13) (12605, 1976) Is That All, Beetle Bailey (No. 14) (12613, 1976) About Face, Beetle Bailey (No. 15) (12618, 1976) I'll Flip You for It, Beetle Bailey (No. 16) (0-448-14037-3, 1977) ($.95 copy) I'll Flip You for It, Beetle Bailey (16861, 1977) (1.75 copy) I Just Want to Talk to You, Beetle Bailey (No. 17) (14142, 1977) Lookin' Good, Beetle Bailey (No. 18) (14143, 1977) I Don't Want to Hear About it, Beetle Bailey (0-141-05305-X, 1977) (distributed by Ace) Give Us a Smile, Beetle Bailey (No. 19) (17029-9, 1979) Peace, Beetle Bailey (No. 20) (1979; 0-441-05248-7 for 1984 Charter edition)) Don't Make Me Laugh, Beetle Bailey (No. 21) (16977-0, 1979) Up, Up and Away, Beetle Bailey (17203-8, 1980) You're Out of Hup, Beetle Bailey (No. 22) (17332-8, 1980) Who's in Charge Here, Beetle Bailey (No. 23) (16932-0, 1980) Is This Another Complaint, Beetle Bailey (No. 24) (0-448-13777-1, 1981) Would It Help to Say I'm Sorry, Beetle Bailey (No. 25) (0-441-91840-9, 1981) Beetle Bailey: You Crack Me Up (US 50846-7, 1981) Tor Beetle Bailey: Flying High (1981) Tor Otto (16839-1, 1982) Miss Buxley: Sexism in Beetle Bailey? (1982) Comicana Beetle Bailey: Potato Fancakes! (Pinnacle 41-338-6, 1980-84?) Tor Beetle Bailey: In the Soup (1980-84?) Tor Beetle Bailey: Dog-Gone (1980-84?) Tor Beetle Bailey: Not Reverse! (49-001-1, 1980-84?) Tor Beetle Bailey Giant Size (49-003-8, 1981) Tor Beetle Bailey: Hey There! (1982) Tor Beetle Bailey Joke Book (1982) Tor Beetle Bailey: The Rough Riders (1982) Tor Beetle Bailey: General Alert (1982) Tor Beetle Bailey: Rise and Shine (49-051-8, 1983) Tor, $1.75 Beetle Bailey: Rise and Shine Giant Size (still 49-051-8, 1983) Tor, $2.50 (includes strips from another book, possibly Play to Win) Beetle Bailey: Double Trouble (1983) Tor Beetle Bailey: Take Ten (US 56-092-2, 1984) Tor Beetle Bailey: Surprise Package (US 56105-8, 1984) Tor Beetle Bailey: Tough Luck Giant Size (US 56098-11984) Beetle Bailey: Operation Good Times (No. 26) (0-441-05250-9, 1984) Charter You'll Get a Bang Out of This, Beetle Bailey (No. 27) (0-441-05254-1, 1984) Charter Beetle Bailey in "Friends" (1984) Dargaud Beetle Bailey in Too Many Sergeants (1984) Dargaud Beetle Bailey in The System (1984) Dargaud The Best of Beetle Bailey (1984, 2005) HRW The Best of Beetle Bailey: A Thirty-Three Year Treasury (1984, 2007) Comicana Beetle Bailey: Strategic Withdrawal Giant Size (US 56105-8, 1985) Tor Beetle Bailey: Thin Air Giant Size (56109-0, 1985) Tor You're All Washed Up, Beetle Bailey (No. 28) (0-441-05298-3, 1985) Charter Beetle Bailey: Hard Knocks (No. 29) (0-441-05260-61985) Beetle Bailey: Three's a Crowd Giant Size (US 56112-1, 1986) Tor Beetle Bailey: Revenge (1986) Tor Beetle Bailey: Uncle Sam Wants You (US 56115-5, 1986) Tor Big Hits from Beetle Bailey (No. 30) (0-441-05263-0, 1986) Charter Did You Fix the Brakes, Beetle Bailey (No. 31) (1986) Jove Beetle Bailey: Life's a Beach! (US 56117-1, 1987) Tor Beetle Bailey: Undercover Operation (US 56119-8, 1987) What's the Joke, Beetle Bailey (No. 32) (0-441-05279-7, 1987) Charter Let's Change Places, Beetle Bailey (No. 33) (0-515-09088-3, 1987) Jove Beetle Bailey: That Sinking Feeling (US 56124-4, 1988) Tor Beetle Bailey: Behind the Eight Ball Again! (No. 34) (0-515--09529-X, 1988) Jove Beetle Bailey: Quit Hangin' Around! (No. 35) (0-515-09890-8, 1988) Tor Beetle Bailey: Welcome to Camp Swampy! (US 56126-0, 1989) Beetle Bailey: Separate Checks (US 56128-7, 1989) Tor Beetle Bailey: Quit Clowning Around (US 56130-9, 1989) Tor Beetle Bailey: Wiped Out! (No. 36) (0-515-10040-4, 1989) Jove Beetle Bailey: World's Laziest Private (No. 37) (0-515-10134-6, 1989) Jove Beetle Bailey: Celebration (1989) Andrews McMeel Beetle Bailey: Beetle Mania! (1990) Tor Beetle Bailey: A Flying Beetle? (1990) Tor Beetle Bailey: Advanced Planning (US 50868-8, 1990) Beetle Bailey: Sarge Is a Dope! (1990) Tor Beetle Bailey: Basket Case (No. 38) (0-5-10219-9, 1990) Jove Beetle Bailey: New Outfit! (No. 39) (0-515-10313-6, 1990) Jove Beetle Bailey: Another Request for Furlough (No. 40) (0-515-10406-X, 1990) Jove Beetle Bailey: Table Service (No. 41) (0-515-10499-X, 1991) Jove Beetle Bailey: Let's Grab a Bite! (No. 42) (0-515-10575-9, 1991) Jove Beetle Bailey: Wha' Happen? (No. 43) (0-515-10673-9, 1991) Jove Beetle Bailey: Beetle Bugged (No. 44) (0-515-10759-X, 1992) Jove Beetle Bailey: Corporal Punishment (No. 45) (1992) Jove Beetle Bailey: Keep Peeling (No. 46) (0-515-11086-8, 1992) Jove Beetle Bailey: Tattle "Tail" (No. 47) (0-515-10988-6, 1992) Jove Beetle Bailey: Dream Team (No. 48) (1993) Jove Beetle Bailey: Camp Swampy Strikes Again! (No. 49) (0-515-11288-7, 1993) Jove Beetle Bailey: Still Lazy After All These Years (1999) NBM 50 Years of Beetle Bailey (2000) NBM Beetle Bailey Book and Figure Set: Sarge (2001) Dark Horse Comics Beetle Bailey Book and Figure Set: Beetle (2001) Dark Horse Comics Beetle Bailey Book and Figure Set: Miss Buxley (2001) Dark Horse Comics Beetle Bailey Book and Figure Set: General Halftrack (2001) Dark Horse Comics Mort Walker's Private Scrapbook (2001) Andrews McMeel Beetle Bailey, The First Years: 1950–1952 (2008) Checker Beetle Bailey, Daily and Sunday Strips: 1965 (2010) Titan Books Beyond the strip Beetle Bailey also successfully appeared in comic books from 1953 to 1980. The first series was published by Dell Comics, then Gold Key Comics, King Comics and Charlton Comics. Harvey Comics ran a much-later second series from 1992 to 1994. The comic strip Hi and Lois, co-created by Mort Walker and Dik Browne, is a spin-off from Beetle Bailey (Beetle's sister is Lois Flagston). Hi and Lois, also syndicated by King Features, debuted in 1954.[49] Characters from one strip occasionally make guest appearances in the other. A Beetle Bailey parody in Mad from the late 1960s portrays Sarge and Captain Scabbard finally wresting the cap off Beetle's face—revealing the words "Get Out of Viet Nam!" tattooed on his forehead. Beetle appeared again in Mad, this time in a Mort Drucker spoof of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Beetle is seen as a soldier alongside Killer attempting to quash the ape rebellion, with Killer commenting "When we trained for gorilla warfare, I never dreamed we would actually need to use it!" Beetle again appeared in Mad along side with Sad Sack in issue 140 in the parody of Patton retitled Put*On, where in a scene General Put*On is beating up a soldier who is shell-shocked and in the panel Beetle says to Sad Sack "Stop him! He'll tear that man's head off! Quick-get the Chief Surgeon!" which Sad Sack responds, "I've got news for you...that IS the Chief Surgeon!" Then Beetle replies, "That explains it! No WONDER he said he can't fight! Better call the Chaplain!", which Sack retorts, "I can't! He's in bed with a broken jaw! Don't you remember? HE told the General he couldn't fight, TOO!" Beetle yet again appeared in a 1988 issue of Mad, alongside Sarge, in a segment explaining human anatomy according to cartoonists. Sarge's head shape was used as an example of a "sloping, subhuman skull type" which was also noted in Michael Patterson of For Better or for Worse. Beetle was featured in the section on eyes about having concealed eyes; beetlus yardbirdus, the pupil-less eyes of Little Orphan Annie; annius orphanus, and the X-ray eyes of Superman; kryptonius xrayvisionus. Beetle and Sarge guest-starred in the 75th anniversary party of Blondie's Blondie and Dagwood in 2005. An animated segment featuring Beetle Bailey and his company was seen during the 1970s and 1980s on Sesame Street, demonstrating to young viewers the concept of "first" and "last". A life-size bronze sculpture of Beetle designed by Mort Walker with his son Neal assisting in the sculpting was unveiled at Walker's alma mater, the University of Missouri, on October 23, 1992.[50] Addison Morton Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018) was an American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips Beetle Bailey in 1950 and Hi and Lois in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips. Contents 1 Early life 2 Comic strips 3 Books 4 Exhibitions 5 Awards 6 Personal life and death 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Early life Walker was born in El Dorado, Kansas, as the third of four children in the family. His siblings were Peggy W. Harman (1915–2012), Robin Ellis Walker (1918–2013) and Marilou W. White (b. 1927).[1] After a couple of years, his family moved to Amarillo, Texas,[2] and later to Kansas City, Missouri, in late 1927,[2][3] where his father, Robin Adair Walker (d. 1950),[4][5][6] was an architect, while his mother, Carolyn Richards Walker (d. 1970),[5][6][7] worked as a newspaper staff illustrator.[8] He was of Scottish, Irish, and English descent. One of his ancestors was a doctor aboard the Mayflower.[9] During his elementary school years, he drew for a student newspaper.[8] He attended Northeast High School, where he was a cheerleader, school newspaper editor, yearbook art editor, stage actor in a radio show and ran neighborhood teen center that belonged to several organizations.[5] He had his first comic published at age 11 and sold his first cartoon at 12.[10] At age 14, he regularly sold gag cartoons to Child's Life, Flying Aces, and Inside Detective magazines.[3] When he was 15, he drew a comic strip, The Lime Juicers, for the weekly Kansas City Journal, and working as a staff artist the same time for an industrial publisher.[5] At age 18, he was the chief editorial designer for Hallmark Brothers (later Hallmark Cards) and was instrumental in changing the company's card from cuddly bears to gag cartoons, which was more suitable for soldiers.[1][11] Graduating from Northeast High School, he attended one year at Kansas City Junior College in 1942–43[12] before going to the University of Missouri. Walker's physical presence in Columbia is noted by The Shack, which was a rambling burger joint behind Jesse Hall on Conley Avenue. Images resembling the interior of the shack appeared in Beetle Bailey cartoons and is mentioned by name in the September 14, 1950 Beetle Bailey strip.[13] Walker visited the Shack on return trips to Columbia with the last being to the original structure in 1978. The Shack was destroyed in a fire in 1988 and Walker returned in 2010 for dedication of a replica of the building in the student center with dining area now formally called "Mort's".[12][14] A life-sized bronze statue of Beetle Bailey stands in front of the alumni center which is near The Shack.[15] In 1943, Walker was drafted into the United States Army and served in Italy, where he was an intelligence and investigating officer and was also in charge of an Allied camp for 10,000 German POWs.[6][10] After the war he was posted to Italy where he was in charge of an Italian guard company.[16] He was discharged as a first lieutenant in 1947.[16] He graduated in 1948 from the University of Missouri, where he was the editor and art director of the college's humor magazine, Showme, and was president of the local Kappa Sigma chapter.[3] Comic strips After graduation, Walker went to New York to pursue a career in cartooning. He began doing Spider, a one-panel series for The Saturday Evening Post, about a lazy, laid-back college student.[17] When he decided he could make more money doing a multi-panel comic strip, Spider morphed into Beetle Bailey, eventually distributed by King Features Syndicate to 1,800 newspapers in more than 50 countries for a combined readership of 200 million daily.[18] In 1954, Walker and Dik Browne teamed to launch Hi and Lois, a spin-off of Beetle Bailey (Lois was Beetle's sister).[17] Under the pseudonym "Addison", Walker began Boner's Ark in 1968.[17] Other comic strips created by Walker include Gamin and Patches,[19] Mrs. Fitz's Flats, The Evermores (with Johnny Sajem),[20] Sam's Strip, and Sam and Silo (the last two with Jerry Dumas).[3] In 1974, Walker opened the Museum of Cartoon Art, the first museum devoted to the art of comics.[21] It was initially located in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Rye Brook, New York, before moving to Boca Raton, Florida, in 1992.[21] During his life he drew special drawings for individuals, in particular for those who were ill.[21] From previous marriages, Walker and his wife, Catherine, had ten children between them.[10] Walker's sons Brian and Greg Walker produce the Hi and Lois strip with Chance Browne.[22] Books In addition to books about comics and children's books, Walker has collected his strips into 92 "Beetle Bailey" paperbacks and 35 "Hi and Lois" paperbacks, plus writing his autobiography, Mort Walker's Scrapbook: Celebrating a Life of Love and Laughter.[3] In his book The Lexicon of Comicana (1980), written as a satirical look at the devices cartoonists use, Walker invented a vocabulary called Symbolia.[17] For example, Walker coined the term "squeans" to describe the starbusts and little circles that appear around a cartoon's head to indicate intoxication.[10] The typographical symbols that stand for profanities, which appear in dialogue balloons in the place of actual dialogue, Walker called "grawlixes".[10] In 2006, he launched a 24-page magazine, The Best of Times, distributed free throughout Connecticut and available online.[3] It features artwork, puzzles, editorial cartoons, ads, and a selection of articles, comics and columns syndicated by King Features.[17] His son, Neal Walker, was the editor and publisher. Between 2006 and 2010, they published 27 issues.[23] Exhibitions In September 2000, the University of Missouri staged a Beetle Bailey 50th-anniversary exhibition in the grand concourse of the Elmer Ellis Library, displaying original daily and Sunday strips, published reprints and poster-size lithographs of selected strips.[24] Awards In 1974, Walker founded the National Cartoon Museum, and in 1989 was inducted into its Museum of Cartoon Art Hall of Fame.[3] He received the Reuben Award of 1953 for Beetle Bailey, the National Cartoonists Society's Humor Strip Award for 1966 and 1969, the Gold T-Square Award in 1999, the Elzie Segar Award for 1977 and 1999, and numerous other awards.[25] In 1978, Walker received the American Legion's Fourth Estate Award, and in 2000, he was given the Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service by the United States Army.[26] He was awarded the Inkpot Award in 1979.[27] Walker received the Sparky Award for lifetime achievement from the Cartoon Art Museum at the 2010 New York Comic Con.[17] On September 29, 2017, Walker was honored at Yankee Stadium, during the 7th-inning stretch, for his service in World War II.[28] Personal life and death Walker was married in 1949 to his first wife, Jean Suffill, whom he had met during his time at the University of Missouri. They had seven children: Greg, Brian, Polly, Morgan, Marjorie, Neal, and Roger.[6][8][29] The marriage later ended in a divorce in 1985. His second wife was Catherine Prentice, whom he married on August 24, 1985. Walker had three step-children via Cathy and her previous marriage[6][30] to cartoonist John Prentice.[31] Walker died from complications of pneumonia on January 27, 2018, at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. He was 94 years old.[8][10] He was interred at Willowbrook Cemetery in Westport, Connecticut.[32] Mort Walker, whose "Beetle Bailey" comic strip followed the exploits of a lazy G.I. and his inept cohorts at the dysfunctional Camp Swampy, and whose dedication to his art form led him to found the first museum devoted to the history of cartooning, died Jan. 27 at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. He was 94. Bill Morrison, president of the National Cartoonists Society, confirmed the death. The cause was pneumonia. In contrast with the work-shirking soldier he immortalized, Walker was a man of considerable drive and ambition. He drew his daily comic strip for 68 years, longer than any other U.S. artist in the history of the medium. Debuting in 1950, "Beetle Bailey" was distributed by King Features Syndicate and eventually reached 200 million readers in 1,800 newspapers in more than 50 countries. Beetle and company appeared in comic books, television cartoons, games and toys and were also featured in a musical with the book by Walker, as well as on a U.S. Postal Service stamp in 2010. "Beetle Bailey" was among the first cartoons to mark a shift in the funny pages from the serial strips of the previous decade to the graphically simpler gag-a-day model that predominates today. Beetle's cast includes the title character, a lanky goof-off whose eyes are always covered by the visor of his hat or helmet; his rotund nemesis, Sgt. Snorkel, a violent but sentimental man who frequently beat Beetle to a pulp of squiggly lines; the ineffectual Gen. Halftrack, who ran Camp Swampy (a place the Pentagon had lost track of); Halftrack's voluptuous secretary, Miss Buxley; Cookie, the hairy-shouldered chef and purveyor of inedible meatballs; and the bumpkin Pvt. Zero. The characters never saw battle, and weapons and uniforms were not updated. Walker said that the military setting was simply a convenient stand-in for the pecking order of which everyone is a part. Comics historian R.C. Harvey wrote that the strip "gives expression to our resentment by ridiculing traditional authority figures and by demonstrating, with Beetle, how to survive through the diligent application of sheer lethargy and studied indifference." Starting in 1954, Walker wrote another hit cartoon, the widely syndicated family strip "Hi and Lois," originally illustrated by Dik Browne (later the creator of "Hägar the Horrible"). Walker said he wanted to depict a loving family "together against the world . . . instead of against each other." He thrived on collaboration, working with assistants (including Jerry Dumas and Bill Janocha, and his sons Brian and Greg) to review jokes every week and to create at least eight other strips, among them "Boner's Ark" and "Sam's Strip." Brian and Greg, who have written "Hi and Lois" since the 1980s and have assisted Walker with Beetle gags and inking since the 1970s, will continue to produce "Beetle Bailey." Even as he was devising his gags — he claimed to have 80,000 unused jokes in storage — Walker devoted himself to establishing a museum that would treat the comic strip as a serious art form. Fans of the long-running comic strip "Beetle Bailey" got a bit of a surprise on June 16, 2013 when its creator, Mort Walker, chose to set aside his usual military-inspired humor to draw attention to a more serious subject, as part of a public service campaign by the the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program. U.S. ARMY In 1974, with a check from the Hearst Foundation and refurbishing help from family and friends, he opened the Museum of Cartoon Art in a mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. The collection grew with donations of art from newspaper syndicates and the estates of cartoonists and is today worth an estimated $20 million. The museum relocated several times and closed in 2002 as the International Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, Florida, after corporate donors declared bankruptcy. In 2008, its more than 200,000 pieces became part of Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, where a gallery is named after Walker. He delighted in the history and tricks of his trade and wrote a tongue-in-cheek textbook, "The Lexicon of Comicana" (1980), in which he described commonly used cartooning conventions. Grawlix were the symbols deployed to convey foul language; briffits were the clouds often found at the end of hites (horizontal lines indicating speed). To Walker's amusement, his book sometimes appeared in the art instruction section of bookstores, and his neologisms would pop up in discussions about the art of cartooning. Addison Morton Walker was born Sept. 3, 1923, in El Dorado, Kansas, the third of four siblings. His father, Robin Walker, was an architect who moved the family from oil boom to oil boom, building houses, churches and schools. But he never got rich, and after stints in Texas and Oklahoma, the family settled in Kansas City, Missouri. Robin Walker wrote poetry, and his work appeared in the Kansas City Star with drawings by Walker's mother, Carolyn, a staff illustrator for the newspaper. Walker said he knew he wanted to be a cartoonist at the age of 3. As a child, he accompanied his parents to the newspaper and became friendly with the staff cartoonists. By 12, he was regularly publishing his own cartoons in magazines such as Inside Detective and Flying Aces, and at 15, he had a comic strip in the Kansas City Star. At 18, Walker told an interviewer at Hall Brothers (later Hallmark Cards) that he thought their cards were lousy. He was hired and became chief editorial designer. He was instrumental in changing the company's cards from cuddly bears to gag cartoons more suitable for soldiers serving overseas. In 1942, Walker was drafted. "Little did I know," he wrote decades later in the pictorial memoir "Mort Walker's Private Scrapbook," "that I was going to get almost four years of free research." He eventually found himself in charge of 10,000 German prisoners in a POW camp in Italy. At the end of the war, he helped oversee the destruction of binoculars and watches from an ordnance depot in Naples. His job was to make sure nobody stole anything before it was destroyed. "I began to realize," he wrote in the memoir, "that army humor writes itself." After his discharge, Walker enrolled at the University of Missouri, where today a bronze statue of Beetle Bailey lounges on a bench. He received his degree in 1948 and moved to New York to become a cartoonist. Undaunted by rejections, he pinned a note to his drawing board reading, "I will not be denied." Within two years, he was a top-selling gag cartoonist in publications such as the Saturday Evening Post. Some of those panels featured a college student with a hat over his eyes. He was named Spider, after one of Walker's fraternity buddies who had drunkenly crawled across the lawn to get to the house one night. The artist re-christened him Beetle and put him in a strip about college life; he chose the surname Bailey after a supportive cartoon editor at the Saturday Evening Post. "Beetle Bailey" debuted in 12 papers and was almost canceled by King Features. As the Korean War began and young Americans faced the draft, Walker had Beetle enlist in the Army, and the strip gained traction. In 1953, the National Cartoonists Society named Walker cartoonist of the year. But it wasn't until the next year, when the Pacific edition of the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes banned "Beetle Bailey" for mocking the authority of officers and encouraging laziness in the ranks, that Beetle's success was assured. The ban lasted 10 years, and the publicity dramatically boosted syndication. Walker, who became president of the National Cartoonists Society, won its Golden T-Square award for 50 years of service to the industry in 1999. In 1949, Walker married the former Jean Suffill, with whom he had seven children. The marriage ended in divorce. In 1985, he married Catherine Carty. Besides his wife, survivors include his children and three stepchildren. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available. In the late 1960s, mainstream comic strips including "Peanuts" began making efforts to include black characters. In 1970, against the advice of his syndicate, Walker integrated his army, adding Lt. Flap, an African-American officer with an Afro and a goatee. Flap's opening line: "How come there's no blacks in this honkie outfit?!" "Stars and Stripes" banned his strip again, for fear that the character would stir up racial tensions. Again syndication soared. In 1997, responding to criticism from feminists who objected to Halftrack's longtime ogling of Miss Buxley, Walker had the elderly general attend sensitivity training. Gone were gags such as the one in which Halftrack approves of the three-martini lunch that enables him to see double Miss Buxleys. (Meanwhile in Sweden, where "Beetle Bailey" — known as "Knasen" — enjoyed huge popularity, Walker was able to publish "Censur!" a collection of risqué cartoons starring the Camp Swampy characters.) In 1990, the Pentagon recognized Walker (if not Camp Swampy) with the Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service. "As hard as it is to find anything at the Pentagon," the veteran gagman quipped, "they finally found a sense of humor."
  • Condition: Used

PicClick Insights - Beetle Bailey Daily Strip - 6 panels 11x8.5 Signed art by Mort Walker COA PicClick Exclusive

  •  Popularity - 2 watchers, 0.1 new watchers per day, 16 days for sale on eBay. Good amount watching. 0 sold, 1 available.
  •  Best Price -
  •  Seller - 808+ items sold. 0% negative feedback. Great seller with very good positive feedback and over 50 ratings.

People Also Loved PicClick Exclusive