Beetle Bailey

Beetle Bailey (begun on September 4, 1950) is a comic strip set in a United States Army military post, created by Mort Walker. It is among the oldest comic strips still being produced by the original creator. The strip also remains among the most popular comic strips today. In 1948 and 1949, Mort Walker submitted his comics to magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post. The editor of the SEP, John Bailey, suggested he draw some comics in a university setting, having seen some of Mort Walker's work during university. Walker did so, and Bailey suggested that he feature one character, who wore a hat down over his eyes. Walker named him Spider, after a fraternity brother. Walker then decided to create a comic strip about university, putting all of his fraternity brothers from the University of Missouri–Columbia in it. Changing the name from Spider to Beetle, King Features Syndicate bought it; it was the last comic strip personally approved by William Randolph Hearst. Bailey was...