Barney Google And Snuffy Smith

  Bodacious thanks to Buddy Roberts of The Daily Home (AL) and The Anniston Star (AL) for recently interviewing me about my career as the cartoonist on King Features’ Barney Google And Snuffy Smith comic strip.  It was truly an honor and I appreciate both of these publications for being subscribers to our comic strip and for their interest in my work. To read an abridged version of the article in The Anniston Star go here. To read the full article in The Daily Home go here.

When our daughters were both growing up, there was a day celebrated as “Take Your Daughter To Work Day.”  I’m not sure if it still exists, but nevertheless, that’s what I’m doing here all next week, January 10-16, 2021 in the Barney Google And Snuffy Smith comic strip.  Ever since Tea Fougner, the Editorial Director of Comics here at King Features, generously invited my daughter Sarah and I to create a Popeye’s Cartoon Club comic strip together in 2019 we have been trying to think of another comic project we could work on together. Popeye’s Cartoon Club by John Rose and Sarah Rose from June 2019.   So when I recently created the character of Spark Plug’s cute young grandson, Li’l Sparky, Tea and I thought this would be a fun project in which to include Sarah.  So next week Sarah is my guest assistant cartoonist on this special weeklong Li’l Sparky storyline!  She primarily worked as the colorist and helped with the strip design. Spark Plug’s grandson, Li’l Sparky.   I know I am biased, but Sarah is a very talented artist.  She is skilled in illustration, painting, graphic design and […]

Great bodacious news for every Snuffy Smith fan! Today is the start of a new storyline in everybody’s favorite longest-running comic in history. This week, Snuffy Smith is going to the big city to visit Barney Google. That’s right, the tables have turned and the Hootin’ Holler Mountaineer is leaving the Kentucky Hills to visit his best pal in (you guessed it) the BIG CITY!     What new adventures (or misadventures) await our good pal Snuffy Smith? Find out how it all unfolds starting right here. For more Barney Google & Snuffy Smith, you’re already in the right place: Comics Kingdom.

  I know many of you are artists, cartoonists and illustrators!  Many of you have probably participated in the annual Inktober challenge that happens every October. The Library Of American Comics is asking all artists participating in their Inktober Challenge to draw Barney Google today, October 12th.  Simply draw your version of Barney Google and post it on social media with the following hashtags:   #loacinktober #inktober #barneygoogle #billydebeck #libraryofamericancomics   Of course, I was excited to participate in this challenge and the artwork above is my contribution!  Participate and have fun!        

The leaves are starting to show their beautiful autumn colors here in Virginia where I live.  As I look at them it reminds me of this fun series I created featuring both Barney Google and Snuffy Smith.  Barney and Snuffy create a scheme to make money selling leaves to flatland touristers visiting Hootin’ Holler to see the fall foliage.  Below are a few of my favorite comic strips from that series.  I hope you enjoy this “fall flashback!”              

Classic characters Barney Google and Spark Plug come to Hootin’ Holler to pay a visit and participate in the annual Hootin’ Holler Fishin’ Derby!  Who wins the blue ribbon?  Read our Barney Google And Snuffy Smith comic strip during the week of Aug. 16-22, 2020 to find out!

John Rose, cartoonist for King Features Barney Google And Snuffy Smith comic strip was recently interviewed by Buddy Roberts, the Special Projects Editor for Consolidated Publishing in Alabama.  Roberts interviewed Rose for an article in the My Home Town section of The Daily Home newspaper in Talladega, Alabama.  Here is the article as it appeared in the newspaper.   Page 1   Page 2   Page 3

Barney Google And Snuffy Smith Cartoonist John Rose was recently interviewed by host Geoff Grogran on the popular “Blockhead-A Peanuts Tribute Podcast.” Rose is featured in Episode 45 of the podcast and they discuss Barney Google, Snuffy Smith, Billy DeBeck, Fred Lasswell, the strip’s 100th birthday celebration in the comics pages in June of 2019 and much, much more!  You can listen to the podcast here.    

Bodacious thanks to Steven Thompson of the Forces Of Geek website for a wonderful review of the new IDW Library Of American Comics Essentials book Barney Google For President.    You can read Thompson’s full review here. (Images courtesy of IDW’s Library Of American Comics Essentials)

When newspapers add a comic strip to their lineup they often run advertisements in the paper promoting the fact that the new strip is premiering on a certain date.  Here are some vintage ads I found promoting the addition of Barney Google and Snuffy Smith to newspaper comics pages over the years. It’s fun to look at the style of the ads and art and how the characters change in appearance over the years!