Free Republic

“Beetle Bailey” comic strip artist Mort Walker died Saturday at age 94, his family said. According to his oldest son, Greg, who partnered with his father on that venerable cartoon take on the military life, the elder Walker died of old age at his home in Stanford, Conn. Walker was part of more than a half-dozen comic strips in his career, including "Hi and Lois," ''Boner's Ark" and "Sam & Silo." But his greatest success came from Beetle, his hot-tempered sergeant and the rest of the gang at fictional Camp Swampy, which he drew for nearly 70 years. After an...

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...

“Beginning Sunday," the Tribune told readers on Friday, June 14, "we are dropping 'Beetle Bailey' from our comics lineup as part of an ongoing effort to test the popularity of selected strips or to introduce new ones. We will make a decision on whether to resume running the strip at a later date." Beetle Bailey hasn't been seen since. Six weeks later, the Tribune is still making up its mind.Cartoonist Mort Walker doesn't get it. King Features, which syndicates Beetle Bailey, doesn't get it. Don't count on me to make everything clear; I don't get it either. "Times change, and...