Timeline – 2010 Part 5

General Halftrack usually plays golf with the other officers, Major Greenbrass, Captain Scabbard, Lt. Fuzz and Lt. Flap. Sarge is not often asked to join them. The Sunday page above suggests there might be a reason besides rank for why he is not included.

Golf is a game that can be very frustrating and Sarge has a temper, so this situation makes perfect sense. In the final panel the reader is left to imagine what Sarge looks like blowing his top.

The classic episode, shown below, is from the “Sarge Dreams” series, He fantasizes that he is a professional golfer.

Sarge is Fats Snorklaus (Jack Nicklaus). His competitors are Balmer (Beetle as Arnold Palmer), Playboy (Killer as Garry Player) and Gasper (Plato as Billy Casper). In 1967, when this episode was published, Jack Nicklaus won five tournaments on the PGA Tour, and was the player of the year with $188,998 in winnings. Arnold Palmer won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average. Mort Walker was an avid golfer and a fan of the game.

We will be featuring a special anniversary post soon, so stay tooned.

– Brian Walker