Beetle Bailey, which started as a college-themed strip in 1950, debuted inauspiciously in 12 newspapers. After six months, it had signed on only 25 clients, and King Features Syndicate considered dropping it. The Korean War was heating up at that time, so Mort Walker decided to have Beetle enlist in the Army. He quickly picked up 100 newspapers. Mort redesigned the cast and a Sunday page was added in 1952. After the Korean War was over, Army brass wanted to tighten up discipline and felt that Beetle Bailey encouraged disrespect for officers. The strip was banned in the Tokyo Stars and Stripes, and the sympathetic publicity rocketed Beetle’s circulation another 100 papers. When Mort won the National Cartoonist Society’s award as the best cartoonist of the year for 1953, Beetle Bailey had become a certified success, with licensed products and a growing list of clients. From 1954 to 1968, the circulation of Beetle Bailey grew from 200 newspapers to 1,100, and many new characters were added to the cast. Today, after more than six decades, Mort Walker’s creation is still one of the most popular comic strips in the world.
Awards and Distinctions:
1953: “Cartoonist of the Year,” National Cartoonists Society ("The Reuben")
1955: Banshee Award, Silver Lady, “Outstanding Cartoonist”
1966: “Best Humor Strip,” National Cartoonists Society
1969: “Best Humor Strip,” National Cartoonists Society
1972: Il Secolo XIX Award, Italy
1975: Adamson Award, “Best International Cartoonist,” Sweden
1977: Power of Printing Award
Elzie Segar Award, “Lifetime Achievement”
1978: “Fourth Estate Award,” American Legion
1979: The Jester, Newspaper Features Council
Inkpot Award, San Diego Comic Convention
1980: Faculty Alumni Award, University of Missouri. Scholar in residence
1981: Doctor of Letters, William Penn College
1987: “Man of the Year,” Kappa Sigma Fraternity
1988: Adamson Award Platinum, Sweden
1990: U.S. Army Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service
1999: Golden T-Square, National Cartoonists Society – 50 years of service, Only second ever to receive award.
1999: Order of Chevalier, French Minister of Culture and Communication
1999: Elzie Segar Award
2000: The Decoration For Distinguished Civilian Service
2010: The Sparky Award, The Cartoon Art Museum
Among the major characters who made their initial appearances in Beetle Bailey during the 1950s were: Bunny, who replaced Buzz, Beetle’s original college girlfriend. Killer, Beetle’s best buddy, who was patterned after an Army roommate of Mort’s who thought he was God’s gift to women. Otto, Sarge’s canine sidekick, first appeared in 1956 but didn’t get a regulation Army uniform until 1969. Lt. Sonny Fuzz, the camp apple-polisher and go-getter, who closely resembles a 21-year-old newly-minted lieutenant from Kansas named Mort Walker. All of these characters are still regulars in the strip.
Among the many minor characters who joined the Beetle Bailey cast in the 1950s and '60s were: Cosmo, the camp wheeler-dealer, who was inspired by William Holden’s performance in the movie “Stalag 17.” Dr. Bonkus, the diminutive camp shrink, who is a bundle of nervous tension and psychological disorders. Capt. Scabbard is based on a hard-nosed career officer Mort once served under who carried a canteen filled with gin on hikes. Martha, the power behind Gen. Halftrack’s throne, calls the shots on the home front. These characters are still regulars in the strip.
In the 1950s and '60s, Mort tried to introduce a new character every year to stimulate interest in the strip and develop fresh material for gags. Some of the characters who first appeared during this period include: Chaplain Staneglass, the well-meaning, but ineffectual moral conscience of Camp Swampy. Rocky, a rebel without a cause, who later became the muckraking editor of the camp newspaper. Pop, an older G.I. who, after being yelled at by Sarge all day, would return home at night to be nagged by his wife. Julius, Gen. Halftrack’s fussy driver, who was derisively called “mother” by the boys in the barracks. These characters served their purpose for a short time and now only make rare appearances in the strip.