Beetle Bailey Sunday page color proof, December 7, 1975.
The Sunday page above shows Beetle day dreaming about advancing through the ranks to eventually become a candidate for President. In the end, he realizes the inevitable punishment he faces for not paying attention to Sarge’s lecture.
The character of Beetle Bailey was modeled after Mort Walker’s old high school and army buddy, Dave Hornaday, who was tall, skinny and always getting into trouble in an innocent way.
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Beetle Bailey Sunday page color proof, April 20, 1975.
Beetle Bailey has one of the largest casts of any newspaper comic strip. The Sunday page above features eight distinctive personalities.
In the 1960s, the lineup included: Beetle, Sarge, General Halftrack, Zero, Killer, Cookie, Captain Scabbard, Lieutenant Fuzz, Major Greenbrass, Chaplain Staneglass, Rocky, Cosmo, Julius, Otto, Plato, Pop, Miss Blips, Martha, Roz, Doc, Mom, Gurney and Chigger Bailey and Bunny, Sue and Peter Piper. Doctor Bonkus, Lieutenant Flap, Miss Buxley, Sergeant Lugg, Corporal Yo and Chip Gizmo were added in subsequent years.
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Beetle Bailey Sunday page color proof, September 1, 1974.
In The Best of Beetle Bailey Mort Walker wrote: “Many people wonder why a military strip like mine appeals to a civilian audience. The truth is, it isn’t a military strip. It’s a strip about a bunch of funny guys. They could be policemen, factory workers, college students, whatever. The army is just a convenient setting that everyone understands. The pecking order doesn’t have to be explained and the role of the poor guy at the bottom of the ladder is classic in literature.”
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