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Beetle Bailey: The First Years: 1950-1952
From the very first Beetle Bailey strips on a college campus through Beetle's enlistment in the U.S. Army, this volume contains the first two years of Mort Walker's famous strips encompassing September 1950 through June 1952. Enjoy two separate casts of quirky characters, the first based on Mort Walker's fraternity brothers at the University of Missouri and the second on his Korean era stint in the Army. These are the strips that won him the Ruben Award in 1953.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published May 29, 2008
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About the author
Mort Walker
404 books18 followersAddison Morton Walker, more popularly known as Mort Walker, was an American comic artist, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips Beetle Bailey in 1950 and Hi and Lois in 1954.
Born in El Dorado, Kansas, he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He had his first comic published at the age of 11, and sold his first cartoon at 12. At 15 he worked as a comic-strip artist for a daily newspaper and by 18 he became chief editorial designer at Hall Brothers. After graduating from Northeast High School in the Kansas City, Missouri School District, he attended the University of Missouri, where a life size bronze statue of Beetle Bailey sits in front of the alumni center.
In 1943 he was drafted into the United States Army where he spent time in Europe during World War II. He was discharged as a First Lieutenant four years later. After military service and graduation from University of Missouri in 1948, where he was president of the local Kappa Sigma chapter[1], he went to New York to pursue his cartooning career. His first 200 cartoons were rejected, but he was slowly gaining recognition among the editors for his talent. His big break came with Beetle Bailey and another success followed with Hi and Lois. Other noteworthy cartoons he has created include Boner's Ark, Gamin & Patches, Mrs. Fitz's Flats, The Evermores, Sam's Strip and Sam & Silo (the last two with Jerry Dumas).
After more than 50 years in the business, Mort Walker still supervises the daily work at his studio, which also employs 6 of his children.
In 1974 he founded The National Cartoon Museum, and in 1989 he was inducted into the Museum of Cartoon Art Hall of Fame. He received the Reuben Award of 1953 for Beetle Bailey, the National Cartoonist Society 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 for his work and dedication to the art.
In his book The Lexicon of Comicana (1980), written as a satirical look at the devices cartoonists use in their craft, Walker invented a cartoon vocabulary called Symbolia. For example, Walker coined the term "squeans" to describe the starbusts and little circles that appear around a cartoon's head to indicate intoxication. The typographical symbols that stand for profanities, which appear in dialogue balloons in the place of actual dialogue, Walker called "grawlixes."
Born in El Dorado, Kansas, he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He had his first comic published at the age of 11, and sold his first cartoon at 12. At 15 he worked as a comic-strip artist for a daily newspaper and by 18 he became chief editorial designer at Hall Brothers. After graduating from Northeast High School in the Kansas City, Missouri School District, he attended the University of Missouri, where a life size bronze statue of Beetle Bailey sits in front of the alumni center.
In 1943 he was drafted into the United States Army where he spent time in Europe during World War II. He was discharged as a First Lieutenant four years later. After military service and graduation from University of Missouri in 1948, where he was president of the local Kappa Sigma chapter[1], he went to New York to pursue his cartooning career. His first 200 cartoons were rejected, but he was slowly gaining recognition among the editors for his talent. His big break came with Beetle Bailey and another success followed with Hi and Lois. Other noteworthy cartoons he has created include Boner's Ark, Gamin & Patches, Mrs. Fitz's Flats, The Evermores, Sam's Strip and Sam & Silo (the last two with Jerry Dumas).
After more than 50 years in the business, Mort Walker still supervises the daily work at his studio, which also employs 6 of his children.
In 1974 he founded The National Cartoon Museum, and in 1989 he was inducted into the Museum of Cartoon Art Hall of Fame. He received the Reuben Award of 1953 for Beetle Bailey, the National Cartoonist Society 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 for his work and dedication to the art.
In his book The Lexicon of Comicana (1980), written as a satirical look at the devices cartoonists use in their craft, Walker invented a cartoon vocabulary called Symbolia. For example, Walker coined the term "squeans" to describe the starbusts and little circles that appear around a cartoon's head to indicate intoxication. The typographical symbols that stand for profanities, which appear in dialogue balloons in the place of actual dialogue, Walker called "grawlixes."
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 8, 2019
The most famous fictional soldier of the U.S. Army
A cornucopia archive of graphic humor featuring Mort Walker’s private, oldest private of the U.S. Army.
Beginning in Rockview University, Beetle is soon transformed to a soldier among soldiers. More than two years of strips including the Sundays from the time period and a roguish unpublished strip in which beetle’s eyes are actually seen in one panel.
The early work is perhaps slower paced and the art less refined than the current production, but I do not miss Beetle being beaten up by Sarge at all.
Includes a brief Mort Walker biography. Recommended.
A cornucopia archive of graphic humor featuring Mort Walker’s private, oldest private of the U.S. Army.
Beginning in Rockview University, Beetle is soon transformed to a soldier among soldiers. More than two years of strips including the Sundays from the time period and a roguish unpublished strip in which beetle’s eyes are actually seen in one panel.
The early work is perhaps slower paced and the art less refined than the current production, but I do not miss Beetle being beaten up by Sarge at all.
Includes a brief Mort Walker biography. Recommended.
June 2, 2020
It was fun to read Beetle Bailey before he was in army and how he joined - then the strip took off. This is so much more enjoyable than the version that is in the newspapers today.
Read
October 14, 2021I have fond memories of reading Beetle Bailey at the library, waiting for my sister to get off work. Glad the library had this one available, even if my nostalgia is for later strips.
February 1, 2010
The earliest Beetle Bailey strips, from his college days to his first year plus in the army. These strips are unpolished compared to Walker's later work, repetitive, but enjoyable. There is one brief Hamlet reference. Notes follow.
Mort Walker (writer/artist)
Reprint: 2008 and 22 November 1950
Beetle Bailey
King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Page 36
In this early strip, college student Beetle Bailey is trying to go to bed. His roommate, Freshman, keeps asking philosophical which Beetle keeps answering with references to sleeping. Bringing Shakespeare into the last panel was a stretch. Freshman asks, “But why are we on earth? To be or not to be?” There is no answer. Beetle is now asleep. This strip was found in the book Beetle Bailey 1950-1952, (no city given) Checker Publishing Group, 2008.
Mort Walker (writer/artist)
Reprint: 2008 and 22 November 1950
Beetle Bailey
King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Page 36
In this early strip, college student Beetle Bailey is trying to go to bed. His roommate, Freshman, keeps asking philosophical which Beetle keeps answering with references to sleeping. Bringing Shakespeare into the last panel was a stretch. Freshman asks, “But why are we on earth? To be or not to be?” There is no answer. Beetle is now asleep. This strip was found in the book Beetle Bailey 1950-1952, (no city given) Checker Publishing Group, 2008.
October 1, 2023
Strips and Sunday pages 1950-1951
This book is a great introduction to Beetle Bailey for those who have not met them before. And for those that are familiar with Beetle, this is a great refresher. It's also a lot easier than having to wait for the next trip to come out.
The book follows Walker and his transition into the position of Beetle Bailey comic strip writer. We also see how his character spider morphed into beetle Bailey and on March 19 third 21 of 1951, we see how beetle went from college student to military.
"Shall we pass him?"
"Let's face it! Everyone has to put up with inferior products these days!"
Now sit back, has some fun, read of antics of Beetle Bailey and prepare to kibitz.
I even find myself once in a while reading out loud.
The bonus material contains a few unpublished strips.
This book is a great introduction to Beetle Bailey for those who have not met them before. And for those that are familiar with Beetle, this is a great refresher. It's also a lot easier than having to wait for the next trip to come out.
The book follows Walker and his transition into the position of Beetle Bailey comic strip writer. We also see how his character spider morphed into beetle Bailey and on March 19 third 21 of 1951, we see how beetle went from college student to military.
"Shall we pass him?"
"Let's face it! Everyone has to put up with inferior products these days!"
Now sit back, has some fun, read of antics of Beetle Bailey and prepare to kibitz.
I even find myself once in a while reading out loud.
The bonus material contains a few unpublished strips.
December 3, 2015
Not one of my favorite Comic Strips. But it was nice reading the very first strips that ran before I was born.
One thing Beetle Bailey reminds me of are some of the characters in MASH. And that is one of my family's favorite reruns.
Enjoy reading this group of comic strips!
One thing Beetle Bailey reminds me of are some of the characters in MASH. And that is one of my family's favorite reruns.
Enjoy reading this group of comic strips!
December 7, 2011
We have a couple of his small books that I bought several years ago at a clearance sale for a quarter each. This was fun to see the origan strip and the older characters.
May 13, 2015
i love these classic comics from the paper they are so hilarious
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews