Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'Beetle Bailey' cartoonist Mort Walker dies at 94
AP ^ | 1/27/18 | Lynn Elber

Posted on 01/27/2018 5:37:28 PM PST by markomalley

Comic strip artist Mort Walker, a World War II veteran who satirized the Army and tickled millions of newspaper readers with the antics of the lazy private "Beetle Bailey," died Saturday. He was 94.

Walker died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, said Greg Walker, his eldest son and a collaborator. His father's advanced age was the cause of death, he said.

Walker began publishing cartoons at age 11 and was involved with more than a half-dozen comic strips in his career, including "Hi and Lois," ''Boner's Ark" and "Sam & Silo." But he found his greatest success drawing slacker Beetle, his hot-tempered sergeant and the rest of the gang at fictional Camp Swampy for nearly 70 years.

The character that was to become Beetle Bailey made his debut as Spider in Walker's cartoons published by the Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. Walker changed Spider's name and launched "Beetle Bailey" as a college humor strip in 1950.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: beetlebailey; mortwalker; obituary
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 next last
To: yarddog

One of the joys of “Beetle Bailey” was that everyone who had been in the Army could always “identify” who, what, and where each strip was about ;-)


41 posted on 01/27/2018 6:43:39 PM PST by DakotaGator (Weep for the lost Republic! And keep your powder dry!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

That’s a shame. The only reason I ever picked up a newspaper as a kid was to read that, Family Circus, Garfield, Hagar the Horrible, and a few others.


42 posted on 01/27/2018 6:49:53 PM PST by wastedyears (US out of the UN, UN out of the US.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DakotaGator

In 1966 our college had an American Arts Festival. They invited and paid a good price to have performers entertain but the main event was three intellectuals were seated on a flat bed truck in a pleasant park.

One was Al Capp and the other two skip my mind right now. Anyway, Al Capp was about ten times smarter than the others and also more entertaining. Actually I think another one was Walt Kelley. Can’t recall the third.

Also a great balladeer Art Schreader. Also Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys.


43 posted on 01/27/2018 6:55:22 PM PST by yarddog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: roadcat

There are no Sunday comics anymore?! :o


44 posted on 01/27/2018 6:57:25 PM PST by Bikkuri
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
In a daily strip a few years ago, Lt. Fuzz goes to talk to the general.

Miss Buxley informs him, "I'm sorry, the general is out."

He replies, "I don't believe he's really out."

General Halftrack sticks his head out of his office and shouts, "I'm really out!"

Lt. Fuzz leaves saying, "I wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't said so himself."

45 posted on 01/27/2018 6:57:45 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Every now and then I’ll see a comic that echos something from my life and I’ll cut it out. I’ve got several of his.

RIP Mort. Thank you for your service!


46 posted on 01/27/2018 7:02:26 PM PST by rfreedom4u (The root word of vigilante is vigilant!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Sivana

Pogo, L’il Abner


47 posted on 01/27/2018 7:03:22 PM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Bikkuri
In the olden days, "Blondie" took up most of a page, the first page of the Sunday funnies. When the Sunday "Blondie" was cut down to the size of a regular comic, that was a clear sign of the decline of Western civilization.

GoComics.com has hundreds of comics daily for free, but not "Beetle Bailey." It has some political cartoons also (mostly liberal but including Ramirez and maybe half a dozen other conservative cartoonists).

48 posted on 01/27/2018 7:05:34 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

“Nancy” has always caused me a great deal of trepidation.
Sluggo never helped matters.


49 posted on 01/27/2018 7:17:38 PM PST by Eagles Field
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yarddog

Nice memories!


50 posted on 01/27/2018 7:19:03 PM PST by DakotaGator (Weep for the lost Republic! And keep your powder dry!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Hi and Lois was a joint effort of Mort Walker, (Beetle Baily) and Dik Browne (Hagar the Horrible). They started the comic in 1954. I read once they did everything on a handshake and never had a written contract between themselves.
.
I am sure they had contracts with others.


51 posted on 01/27/2018 7:22:53 PM PST by Maine Mariner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Maine Mariner

When I was a kid, we called the Sunday comics ‘The Funnies’.

Reading them with my Daddy, while he read the ‘Important News’, is one of my treasured memories.


52 posted on 01/27/2018 7:48:34 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Loved that cartoon. Hi and Lois, too.


53 posted on 01/27/2018 7:52:32 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Thanks Mark. RIP Mort.


54 posted on 01/27/2018 7:56:07 PM PST by onona (Replace Googling with the word "Websearching" - You'll feel better in minutes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Cartoonists make some of the best political commentators. Mort was one of those best.


55 posted on 01/27/2018 8:01:23 PM PST by CodeToad (CWII is coming. Arm Up! They Are!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

That is what we called them too.


56 posted on 01/27/2018 8:06:33 PM PST by Maine Mariner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: SnuffaBolshevik

***How about Snuffy Smith?***

Snuffy Smith? No one remembers a comic strip by that name!
OH, you mean BARNEY GOOGLE and Snuffy Smith!

Google rarely showed up in that strip. He was quite famous back in the 1920s.

Barney Google, with the goo-goo-goo-ga-ly eyes.
Barney Google bet his horse would win the prize.
When the horses ran that day, Spark Plug ran the other way.
Barney Google, with the goo-goo-goo-ga-ly eyes.


57 posted on 01/27/2018 8:08:51 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: sparklite2

***L’il Abner***

One of my favorites! Remember the Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything (SWINE)? I still get a thrill thinking of when the Hippie front tooth attacked the Mafia Mob enforcer’s Brass Knuckles.


58 posted on 01/27/2018 8:11:32 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Beetle Bailey and The Sad Sack were among my favorite cartoons as a kid.

Taps for Mort Walker....


59 posted on 01/27/2018 8:38:52 PM PST by clintonh8r (I've been banned from TheHill.com. #Proud)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Absolutely. And remember Feel-O-Vision. I want that.


60 posted on 01/27/2018 8:42:23 PM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson