比特尔·贝雷

by Mort Walker

First Book Publication
The Hilarious Adventures of the Wackiest GI in the Army

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 68-26146

Genres: Comics

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Addison 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."

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first collection of Beetle-Mania to be put in paperback format is creator Mort Walker at his peak, with his creation Pvt Beetle Bailey putting the INFANT back into INFANTRY, and we ain't kiddin'! Beetle, his friend-nemesis Sgt Orville Snorkel, Gen Halftrack, Pvt Plato, Pvt Zero, Cookie the Cook and the gruff ruff ruff Otto doing guard dog duty and all the gang are here. So what the hell do WE care? Cos DUH! Beetle Bailey is fun! You'll see Snorkel hanging on a tree limb on a cliff overlooking an unseen gorge, asking Pvt Plato "Wanna gimme a hand?" To which Plato claps sarcastic applause. Boy, Sarge always worried that the modern army was a "clap trap" and did he fall into that trap!!! The chemistry of the guys is one I myself wish to go into the military myself, if only I weren't so mentally ill! The relate between intellect Pvt Plato and doofus Pvt Zero is something to see, a unique meeting of the minds, as though Beavis and Butthead were chatting it up with Stephen Hawking and Isaac Asimov. (Okay, take a break to puke in the toilet. Good. You're back. Let's move on.) Put simply, the fun of Walker's take on military life is a ride you don't want to end. So don't say I didn't warn you....cos I'll say it for you. (Heh heh!)
Four stars
Walker texts as a Ranger!!!! Beetle rules!

[David Dâng · Rating 5 out of 5]

小学读物。美国军营没头脑和不高兴的故事。

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny comics with a US Army theme. Each page has hilarious drawings, and the jokes make me laugh. Beetle Bailey is one of my most favorite characters. (Try and find the cartoons; they are pretty good, too).