Questions
Who created Beetle Bailey and when did it start?
Cartoonist Mort Walker created Beetle Bailey, and it debuted on September 4, 1950. It went on to become one of the longest running comic strips still produced by its original creator.
Was Beetle always a soldier?
No. Beetle started out as a college student at Rockview University, and he enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 13, 1951, only about six months into the strip’s run.
Why do we never see Beetle’s eyes?
Walker simply never drew them. In his 1975 memoir Backstage at the Strips he answered the running question by writing, "I’ve never drawn his eyes. Why, then, should he have any?"
Where does the name "Beetle" come from?
Reportedly his nickname came from his aunt, who thought his freckles made him look like a ladybug beetle.
Is it true Beetle is related to the Hi and Lois characters?
Yes. Beetle’s sister is Lois Flagston from Hi and Lois, another strip created by Mort Walker. Beetle also has a brother named Chigger.
What is Camp Swampy and where did the idea come from?
Camp Swampy is the Army base where the strip is set, and Walker based it on Camp Crowder, where he served during his own time in the military.
Who is Otto and when did he show up?
Otto is Sergeant Snorkel’s anthropomorphic bulldog, who debuted on July 17, 1956. He is fiercely protective of Sarge and has a particular antipathy toward Beetle.
Was the strip ever banned?
Reportedly during the 1950s it was dropped from the Tokyo edition of Stars and Stripes because it allegedly encouraged disrespect for officers. The censorship ironically gave the young strip its first big boost in circulation.
Did Beetle Bailey add its first Black character?
Yes. Lieutenant Jackson Flap was introduced in 1970 as the strip’s first Black character, created after criticism of the all-white cast. Reportedly Flap was initially censored by Stars and Stripes until criticism made the paper reverse the decision.
Who is Miss Buxley and was she controversial?
Miss Buxley is General Halftrack’s blonde secretary, who officially arrived on November 17, 1971. The debate over her led to a 1982 book titled Miss Buxley: Sexism in Beetle Bailey?, and in July 1997 General Halftrack even attended mandatory sensitivity training and apologized for his behavior.
Were any characters based on real people?
Yes. Walker modeled early characters on his fraternity brothers at the University of Missouri, Plato was based on fellow cartoonist Dik Browne, and Chaplain Staneglass was based on Barry Fitzgerald’s priest from Going My Way (1944).
How widely was the strip syndicated?
As of 2016 it was being syndicated by King Features in about 1,800 papers in the United States and around the world, with dedicated magazines in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
Was there ever a Beetle Bailey cartoon?
King Features produced 50 six-minute animated shorts in 1963. A 30-minute CBS special made in 1989 did not air due to management changes.
Who makes Beetle Bailey now?
Mort Walker worked on the strip until his death in 2018 at age 94. His sons Neal, Brian, and Greg Walker have continued the strip.
