Happy Birthday Pvt. Bailey
75 Years Young
Beetle Bailey turns 75: the Army’s lovable slacker marches on
By Clay Beyersdorfer
When “Beetle Bailey” debuted in 1950, it was a college strip about a lanky underachiever who wanted to do as little as possible. Six months later, creator Mort Walker had Beetle enlist in the Army during the Korean War.
From that moment on, the reluctant private became one of the most recognizable characters in American comics, embodying the frustrations, absurdities and humor of military life.
Sept. 4 marks the strip’s 75th anniversary, a milestone few comics have ever reached. For the Walker family, it is both a celebration of their father’s creation and a continuation of a legacy that has outlived the man who drew it for more than six decades. Mort Walker died in 2018, but his sons Greg, Brian and Neal have kept the strip alive, publishing new gags every day in newspapers and online through Comics Kingdom and King Features Syndicate.
“It’s our entire life, almost,” Greg Walker said. “The strip was created soon after I was born. I’ve been here from the beginning. I started writing when I was in college more than 50 years ago, and it’s always been a part of us.”
The Army angle was never the plan. Beetle started at college, loafing his way through classes. However, circulation numbers were modest, and the strip was on the verge of cancellation.
When Walker placed Beetle in uniform, the dynamic changed. Suddenly, the laziness had higher stakes, bouncing off authority figures like Sergeant Snorkel, General Halftrack and the perpetually bewildered Lieutenant Fuzz.
75 years in Basic Training
I would love to see his DD-214.
Where’s Sgt, Snorkel and Otto
They should do one on his 100% VA rating coming out of basic training
Everyone’s favorite goldbricker.
If he had worked just a little bit harder he could have made the E4 Mafia.
I wonder if the Bob’s could have met with him and found leadership potential?
Was about to say the same thing
What’s the pay for a PVT with 75 years TIS/TIG?
In September 1950 the monthly base pay for a PVT (under 4 months) was $75.00.
Here in September 2025, the monthly base pay for a PVT (over 75 years) is $2,319.00 /s
I once worked for an old Navy officer who could have been a double for General Halftrack.
It might be that I was in the USAF and used to being picked on (you know, the baby service, the chair force, etc) I took it hard when Beetle Bailey was taken out of the Air Force Times and the other Military Times tabloids. The excuse given was it didn’t reflect the reality of the US Army and was thus disrespectful. Well d’uh. If the person(s) who complained had gone to Chaplain Stainglass for counseling, the rest of us could have continued to have a good time.
Typical.
Overheard onboard USS Neverdock:
Siren- One Long Blast
Pipe- All Hands
“Moral detected on the Hangar Deck, Port Side Frame 45!
Away Moral Suppression Team Section One,
Now, Away!”
The cox’n told us we would each get a piece of meat in our gruel. That was the good news; the bad news was the Captain wanted to go water skiing.
Thats like the onboard Comphibron tied the shotline onto a golf ball and tried hitting it over to the AO during an UNREP. Plus football throwing and batting a baseball during my stay aboard the Lady of the Sea.
You’re not the baby service anymore, now it’s the star trek emblem wearing space cadets. The Guardians (of the galaxy). I saw the picture of their drill sergeant? Gauardian??? His hat badge looked just like the federations from Star Trek.
For those of us that were stationed in Europe, how many remember the comic in the Stars and Stripes “Quibbley”?
https://obituaries.stripes.com/obituary/mr-scott-gibbon-wood-0
Mike
USAF Retired
I remember reading Quibbley daily in S&S when I was over there from ’89-’91. For some reason, one strip stands out in my mind: Quibbley walks up to a U.S. Marine and asks “Why do they call you guys ‘Jarheads?’. The next panel Quinbley’s has a glass jar stuffed over his head.
I was stationed in Germany 88-92. The comic got its start in 84 while I was still an AF Brat living in Germany.
Mike
USAF Retired
Early ’80s it was Corporal Kev, of the 851st Typewriter Battalion I believe. He was penned by an INSCOM analyst. I met him when he was TDY to our site and bought a original, since sadly lost.
Beetle was an offshoot of Hi and Lois.
Forgot about Clp Kev, just looked it up and it seems it ran from 82-84. So during my Brat time in Germany.
Mike
USAF Retired
How can you post a thread on Beetle Bailey and fail to address the Miss Buxley controversy?
Hack went looking for an article about the comic syndicate not allowing Miss Buxley to have a navel, but Hack did score this article.
https://www.cbr.com/beetle-bailey-miss-buxley-mort-walker-changes/
Found something mentioning the belly button scandal.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/545363/facts-about-beetle-bailey-comic-strip
Never noticed until today how much Beetle Bailey resembles Gunny Driveway, AKA Ronald Mailahn. But Beetle Bailey never stole $12,000 from his daughter’s softball league.
Writer’s block would have ruined me and my comic after a month. I can’t imagine 6+decades of every day!
Very cool that kids are keeping their fathers legacy going!!