November 17th, 2015

G.I. Bailey

by Mort Walker

Beetle Bailey daily strip, April 7, 1955.

Beetle Bailey represents the typical downtrodden G.I. Joe (G.I. stands for “government issued,” which is the degree of anonymity most G.I.s feel). They’re herded like cattle, treated like dirt and praised for being the protectors of our freedom…which they give up the minute they join the Army. Their duty, as they see it, is to work as hard as possible to avoid work…then stay up all night having fun.

Here are some more classic Beetle Bailey daily strips from the 1950s.

Beetle Bailey daily strip, September 2, 1953.

Beetle Bailey daily strip, June 18, 1954.

We will continue our look back at the early days of Beetle Bailey in future posts.

– Brian Walker