Beetle Bailey

Newspaper comic writers handle vacations differently. Some go away and run a "classic" strip from decades ago. Others repeat an extended story line. Others get their Downs Syndrome child to fill in.

But Greg Walker, current author of Beetle Bailey, took a different approach, asking readers to pick their favorite strips since Beetle was sleeping under a tree when the Shot Heard 'Round the World was fired at Concord.

The result is a stark reminder: Through Vietnam, Korea, two Gulf Wars and a seemingly endless Afghanistan campaign, Beetle has managed to not only miss being called for active duty every time, he's also been yucking it up with his life-partner Sarge rather than doing his duty.

The below strip comes from the height of the Vietnam War. Isn't fratricide hilarious?



This one is a few short months removed from the My Lai Massacre:


This strip from 1968 fails the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" sniff test.


And finally, bonus (boner?) trivia... Did you know in Scandinavia they've published a collection of adult Beetle Bailey comics by Mort Walker? Swear to God, it's true.