Customer Reviews

Beetle Bailey "The First Years: 1950-1952"

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The best book on Beetle Bailey is Mort Walker's Private Scrapbook Mort Walker'S Private Scrapbook That book is a dazzling, hardback, color extravaganza of all things Beetle and Walkerania (I just made up that word). But among the many revelations in that book we learn that Mort and co. regularly produced a Swedish comic book (as shown from the included pin-up of Miss Buxley). The present book was originally released in Sweden (or possibly another Scandinavian country), and was edited by Alf Thorsjo. If the private scrapbook is five stars, then this book is four. But lets give the Scrapbook an unprecedented six stars, and then this one can get five. Why?

Having read many of the Beetle Bailey collections from Comicana over the years, I was tempted to undervalue this one, as I thought it was merely a European version of already published comics. On closer look, however, it's a bit more than that. Beetle Bailey: The First Years is a coffee table sized, color cover, hardback 280 page collection of all the Beetle strips from September 1950, when the strip first appeared, through 1952. In that it follows the format of the Complete Peanuts, Dennis the Menace, John Stanley comics and other collections happily finding their way presently back into print. What casual Beetle readers may not know however, is that Beetle started out in college, not the Army, and his nickname was Spider, easily changed to Beetle as another comic had first claim on that name.

The Sunday strips are unfortunately not in color in this book, but a five page introduction is. The black and white daily strips are large, printed three to a page on slick, quality paper, the way they ought to be. Beetle doesn't join up until around fifty pages in, and then he's recruited partly on a dare from his college dorm pals, some of whom enlist and some get drafted for the Korean War, and partly by accident. The next two hundred pages or so are a treasure trove of the sort of early Beetle Bailey comics that collectors line-up to buy on E-Bay, with a brief afterword about the milleu of the 'fifties, and a two page spread of unpublished and alternate version strips.

The roster of personnel has changed over the years, along with the style and character design, as with most long-running comics. My view is that the character look gets better and better. The most dramatic change is Sergeant Snorkel, who doesn't gain his well-known rotund look until 1963 (the cover interestingly shows a latter-day incarnation of Beetle and the Sarge).

Anyone having read the Private Scrapbook, and there seen glimpses of these early strips, would doubtless like to read more. Comic fans cracking the cover of the present volume will likely be surprised at the vim and vigor in the early strips, as well as the clean, bold, graphic style and careful artistry. Now that the King Features cartoons are out on DVD, and with more comics being reprinted, it's a great time to discover more of Mort and Walkerania.

An essential book for anyone interested in one of the most popular comic strips of all time

Anyone who wants to know how Beetle Baily started out as a college student to then become an Army private should buy this book.

Wonderful commentary, terrific reproduction of comics.

I only wish they would have continued with 1952 to 1953, instead of 1965.

It is the 1950's strips that are really hard to find.

A cornucopia archive of graphic humor featuring Mort Walker's private, the most famous fictional soldier of the U.S. Army.
Beginning in Rockview University, Beetle is soon transformed to a soldier among soldiers. More than two years of strips including the Sundays from the time period and a roguish unpublished strip in which beetle's eyes are actually seen in one panel.
The early work is perhaps slower paced and the art less refined than the current production, but I do not miss Beetle being beaten up by Sarge at all.
Includes a brief Mort Walker biography. Recommended.

This book is a great introduction to Beetle Bailey for those who have not met them before. And for those that are familiar with Beetle this is a great refresher. It's also a lot easier than having to wait for the next trip to come out.

The book follows more Walker and his transition into the position of Beetle Bailey comic strip writer. We also see how his character spider morphed into beetle Bailey and in March 19 third 21 of 1951 we see how beetle went from college student to military.

"Shall we pass him?"
"Let's face it! Everyone has to put up with inferior products these days!"

Now sit back, has some fun, read of antics of beetle Bailey and prepare to kibitz.
I even find myself once in a while reading out loud.

The bonus material contains a few unpublished strips.

A beautiful hardcover collection of the first two plus years of Mort Walker's seminal comic strip "Beetle Bailey". You can really see the love and care that went into the production of this collection,of which I can only hope is the first in a long line of "Beetle" reprints.Some nice extra features also--a brief biographical essay about Mort and the birth of the strip,and as the reviewer above states alternate and rejected strips (including one in which Beetle removes his hat and his eyes are visible!!). A wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone who considers themselves a conisseur of comic strip history.

I've just finished reading this book. A jewel, indeed. This 1950 - 1952 collection gathers all (every single one; even the rarest ones) strips created by genius author Mort Walker. You get to see Beetle Bailey (Spider) at college and his first years at Camp Swampy. Every strip with some side comments (as first appearances), also rejected strips and altered ones. The first pages gives you a glimpse on Mort Walker's early years as Beetle Bailey creator. Every strip is dated accordingly with newspaper date release. Also Sunday pages included (Black & White). Precious big sized hardcover book, printed in top quality paper.
I sincerely hope to see further years published (like the Peanuts series). That would be something...2 books per year, each with 3 years compiled.

This anthology of Beetle Bailey--whose name was originally going to be Spider--is really enjoyable! One of the most interesting things about his early days is that he started out as a lazy college student. He didn't even enlist voluntarily--his friends had to help him do it! The whole beginning experience of his collegiate life is fun to see, and helps explain his sluggish manner in the army. Yet this early storyline had me wondering what Beetle's collegiate life might have been like in the strip today if he had never enlisted. Neither setting is better than the other, but they give the feeling of two completely different comic strips.

It's also interesting to see the evolution of certain characters, like Sarge. In the very beginning, he isn't quite as bumbling, but his demeanor quickly changes into that of the sergeant we know and love today. His thinner, gruffer appearance, though, makes him almost unrecognizable!

The book also includes some strips that didn't make it into print. In one, Beetle's eyes are shown for the first and only time . . . along with the joke that he should keep his hat on.

Some of the most endearing characters may be less familiar to current readers. One is Chigger, Beetle's little brother. Beetle's parents are also interesting characters, though it seems they show up in the plot only when Beetle wants money! The other is Buzz, his charmingly sweet girlfriend from college, who continues to keep in contact with him after he enlists. These characters make me hope that Beetle will go on furlough, and that these characters will receive their share of the Beetle Bailey comic strip today. At the very least, they're worth getting to know in this anthology.

The children again like this type of book. It is great for beginner readers.

What a wonderful book of one of the greatest comic strips!* Beautifully produced on great stock, the book is a gem! Besides the tremendous early strips there is much info on Mort Walker's life. You can't go wrong, especially at Amazon's great price. And like the Peanuts reprints there is more to come. A great Xmas present!!!

* Hopefully this book will get great distribution as today's Beetle Bailey is woefully unfunny. Beetle should have been retired 5 to 10 years ago. Why Walker didn't is - to me - a major mystery. Young people who know who know the strip only from the last few years will not have fond memories of it as, today, it is just another forgettable strip.