Beetle Bailey

Two silent penultimate panels today:
Beetle Bailey by the Mort Walker Empire
Overboard by Chip Dunham

Beetle Bailey is pretty unique--



It looks like the folks at the Mort Walker studios are taking a meta-cue from Pearls Before Swine and 9 Chickweed Lane--playing with the form and all that.

But, wait, check out this strip from Mort Walker and company. It's called Sam's Strip and it ran from 1961 to 1963. Sam was owner and operator of his own comic strip--it's entire premise was a meta-premise. Today's Beetle Bailey is nothing new for King Features East.


I got these scans from a book by Mort Walker I found at the library. It's called Backstage at the Strips and it is a pretty fascinating look at the business. And for Mort Walker, as creative and funny as he can be, it really is a business for him. (I'm just about to return the book. If you live in L.A. you should put a hold on it and check it out.)