Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

There's a whole lot of changes that I've seen involving Beetle Bailey. The very first book that I've read on Beetle Bailey was a Book that I found in the school library. The book was published in 1970 and had comics from the earlier sixties, which I found rather amusing. The comics that I read in the library were the first taste of BB that I've ever had, and I wanted more. I went to the king features web site KingFeatures.com to learn and read more about the comic.

    What I saw from the comic was truly intriguing. The characters have changed so much from their thirty year old counterparts and from what I've seen, here are all the changes.

Soldier Dudes Changes and Opinions

Beetle      The only change I've seen so far is that his future and drawing have refined themselves. He looks more human and less cartoony as the years progress. He is still yet the most cartoony character in the comic, and hopefully that'll never change.
     Aside from the drawing, nothing else has changed. That's cool.

Killer      Killer's changed a bit over the years. Back in the old days, he's a real skirt chaser and he still is now. What has changed is that he doesn't get the success he did before. Girls liked him back then, but now they don't like him at all.
     The second thing that's changed with Killer is that he's quit smoking. He didn't smoke a whole lot in the past too, but oh well.

Snorkel      Snorkel hasn't changed a whole lot. He's still mean, obnoxious and violent. Let's hope it stays that way. Snorkel isn't quite as violent as he used to be however because we don't generally see him being being violent with Beetle as well as others. He now gets periodically punished be Captain Scabbard.
     On the lighter side, Snorkel's drawing has changed and he's not quite as ugly as he used to be.

Plato      Plato has changed a little, but not a whole lot. He's still the most enlightened soldier comic. Plato has stopped smoking which is good seeing that he's smart enough to know better, but other than that, I haven't seen much change in this guy.

Rocky      Rocky has changed somewhat. He MIGHT have stopped smoking but I'm not 100% sure. Rocky still has the same rebellious attitude. He may have taken up writing editorials for the camp's newspaper 'Camp Swampy's Muckraker,' but that might have been a one time stint.
     Rocky hasn't appeared a whole lot in the later comics so I really can't tell.

Zero      Zero is another character whom hasn't changed. He's still dumb, but not quite as dumb as before. I don't think that the other soldiers bug him as much about it anymore though.
     There is one physical change though, it seems as though his freckles has disappeared when the drawing style changed in the late 60's.

Yokoi      Yokoi is another iffy case. I didn't see him in the 60's book that I have access to, but that tells me that he wasn't added until later which tells us that is presence is a change in the comic.

Julius      Julius is not a major character in BB so it's harder for me to decide what is changed about him. He was kind of a 'Sissy' in the 60's book so I'll bet that he isn't bothered about it as much now.

Co$mo     He hasn't changed a whole lot. Cosmo still pursues money obsessively and his whole comedic theme still revolves around it. He still smokes too but it's now extremely rare, unlike in the 60's where he was rarely seen without a cigar in his mouth.

Women Folk Changes and Opinions

Buxley      Buxley has changed very much since she was introduced in the 70's. Buxley apparently looks a lot less sluttish now than she used to. Take a look at her now, she's not so bad. The skirt lengthened and there's no cleavage anymore which is nice, because her visage before annoyed so many people, seeing that Mort Walker got complaints about her.
     She's come a long way, but I still don't see many secretaries wearing what she's wearing.

Bunny      Bunny's another character I don't know a whole lot about. She doesn't make much of an appearance in the comic. Beetle does however engage in long telephone conversations. I heard she lives with her parents and wants to marry Beetle in the past, so maybe she isn't such a gold digger now.

Blips       Ms. Blips hasn't changed in personality at all. She's still as opinionated, assertive, sarcastic and biting now as she was back then, which is what a lot of us have come to love about her.
     The only thing that I've seen different about her now is that her uniform is a little less formal and her breasts are slightly smaller. (She wasn't that full to begin with.)

Sgt. Luggs      Luggs is another girl I see wasn't added until at least the 70's and she's one who hasn't changed a whole light. She used to be a little more violent than she is now but she still fawns over Snorkel.

Non Soldier People Changes and Opinions

Lt. Flap Adding him in the late 60's early 70's caused a bit of trouble for Walker but now that people are a little less racist and a little more accepting, he's a pretty cool addition to the comic. He's got a great personality then and now, but he's not a really big player in the comic.

Lt. Fuzz    Lt. Fuzz hasn't changed at all. He's still got annoying tendencies and is still ridiculed by most. He's completely unchanged, which makes me go 'Wow!'

Chaplain      The only thing that has changed about Chaplain is that he doesn't smoke a pipe anymore. Chaplain is still compassionate and kind. He's the kind of guy that gives Religion a good name. : )

Cookie      Cookie hasn't changed a whole lot, he used to smoke all the time but now it's very rare to see him smoke. We see more of him now than we did before, which is pretty cool. He also seems to look a little smarter than before, and not QUITE as ugly.

Greenbrass      Greenbrass hasn't changed either, he ran the camp back in the 60's and he does now. The poor dude has been waiting for Halftrack to retire for over 40 years! That would be enough to make a guy rip his hair out!!

Scabbard      Scabbard is another officer dude who hasn't changed, mostly because there is no need for him to. There's nothing about him that needs to be changed. He's still as benevolent and kind as he was when he first made his appearance.

Bonkus      Let's hope he doesn't change, because A lot of his humor is a real hoot to see. He's was a nutter when he joined the comic and still is now, but that's what's so cool about him. : )

Halftrack     Ah yes...General Halftrack. Well, he's changed quite considerably. Back in the 70's and early 80's he was actually quite sexist when he bothered Miss Buxley day in and day out. Mort Walker was bugged by some people to tone down the sexist themes and a real effort has been put to correct this. Halftrack's still annoying to Buxley and Blips, just now at an acceptable level.

Docktorn.     Docktorn hasn't changed at all. He still scuffs off his responsibilities and tells that aspirin cures everything. Not much else to say, seeing that he isn't a big character then or now.

Special Spot Changes and Opinions

Otto      Otto has gone through total metamorphosis! When the strip started out, he was Snorkel's dog and did things that a dog does. He was just a dog. Then in the 60's he was given this sort of sash thing which showed that he was sergeant. Then somewhere along the line, he gained the whole sergeant's outfit! He also communicates with the reader through thought, an idea which most cartoonists have embraced in their career.
     Otto in my opinion is one of the most dynamic characters in the whole comic, despite his small role.

Soldier Dudes	Changes and Opinions
Beetle	The only change I've seen so far is that his future and drawing have refined themselves. He looks more human and less cartoony as the years progress. He is still yet the most cartoony character in the comic, and hopefully that'll never change. Aside from the drawing, nothing else has changed. That's cool.
Killer	Killer's changed a bit over the years. Back in the old days, he's a real skirt chaser and he still is now. What has changed is that he doesn't get the success he did before. Girls liked him back then, but now they don't like him at all. The second thing that's changed with Killer is that he's quit smoking. He didn't smoke a whole lot in the past too, but oh well.
Snorkel	Snorkel hasn't changed a whole lot. He's still mean, obnoxious and violent. Let's hope it stays that way. Snorkel isn't quite as violent as he used to be however because we don't generally see him being being violent with Beetle as well as others. He now gets periodically punished be Captain Scabbard. On the lighter side, Snorkel's drawing has changed and he's not quite as ugly as he used to be.
Plato	Plato has changed a little, but not a whole lot. He's still the most enlightened soldier comic. Plato has stopped smoking which is good seeing that he's smart enough to know better, but other than that, I haven't seen much change in this guy.
Rocky	Rocky has changed somewhat. He MIGHT have stopped smoking but I'm not 100% sure. Rocky still has the same rebellious attitude. He may have taken up writing editorials for the camp's newspaper 'Camp Swampy's Muckraker,' but that might have been a one time stint. Rocky hasn't appeared a whole lot in the later comics so I really can't tell.
Zero	Zero is another character whom hasn't changed. He's still dumb, but not quite as dumb as before. I don't think that the other soldiers bug him as much about it anymore though. There is one physical change though, it seems as though his freckles has disappeared when the drawing style changed in the late 60's.
Yokoi	Yokoi is another iffy case. I didn't see him in the 60's book that I have access to, but that tells me that he wasn't added until later which tells us that is presence is a change in the comic.
Julius	Julius is not a major character in BB so it's harder for me to decide what is changed about him. He was kind of a 'Sissy' in the 60's book so I'll bet that he isn't bothered about it as much now.
Co$mo	He hasn't changed a whole lot. Cosmo still pursues money obsessively and his whole comedic theme still revolves around it. He still smokes too but it's now extremely rare, unlike in the 60's where he was rarely seen without a cigar in his mouth.

Women Folk	Changes and Opinions
Buxley	Buxley has changed very much since she was introduced in the 70's. Buxley apparently looks a lot less sluttish now than she used to. Take a look at her now, she's not so bad. The skirt lengthened and there's no cleavage anymore which is nice, because her visage before annoyed so many people, seeing that Mort Walker got complaints about her. She's come a long way, but I still don't see many secretaries wearing what she's wearing.
Bunny	Bunny's another character I don't know a whole lot about. She doesn't make much of an appearance in the comic. Beetle does however engage in long telephone conversations. I heard she lives with her parents and wants to marry Beetle in the past, so maybe she isn't such a gold digger now.
Blips	Ms. Blips hasn't changed in personality at all. She's still as opinionated, assertive, sarcastic and biting now as she was back then, which is what a lot of us have come to love about her. The only thing that I've seen different about her now is that her uniform is a little less formal and her breasts are slightly smaller. (She wasn't that full to begin with.)
Sgt. Luggs	Luggs is another girl I see wasn't added until at least the 70's and she's one who hasn't changed a whole light. She used to be a little more violent than she is now but she still fawns over Snorkel.

Non Soldier People	Changes and Opinions
Lt. Flap	Adding him in the late 60's early 70's caused a bit of trouble for Walker but now that people are a little less racist and a little more accepting, he's a pretty cool addition to the comic. He's got a great personality then and now, but he's not a really big player in the comic.
Lt. Fuzz	Lt. Fuzz hasn't changed at all. He's still got annoying tendencies and is still ridiculed by most. He's completely unchanged, which makes me go 'Wow!'
Chaplain	The only thing that has changed about Chaplain is that he doesn't smoke a pipe anymore. Chaplain is still compassionate and kind. He's the kind of guy that gives Religion a good name. : )
Cookie	Cookie hasn't changed a whole lot, he used to smoke all the time but now it's very rare to see him smoke. We see more of him now than we did before, which is pretty cool. He also seems to look a little smarter than before, and not QUITE as ugly.
Greenbrass	Greenbrass hasn't changed either, he ran the camp back in the 60's and he does now. The poor dude has been waiting for Halftrack to retire for over 40 years! That would be enough to make a guy rip his hair out!!
Scabbard	Scabbard is another officer dude who hasn't changed, mostly because there is no need for him to. There's nothing about him that needs to be changed. He's still as benevolent and kind as he was when he first made his appearance.
Bonkus	Let's hope he doesn't change, because A lot of his humor is a real hoot to see. He's was a nutter when he joined the comic and still is now, but that's what's so cool about him. : )
Halftrack	Ah yes...General Halftrack. Well, he's changed quite considerably. Back in the 70's and early 80's he was actually quite sexist when he bothered Miss Buxley day in and day out. Mort Walker was bugged by some people to tone down the sexist themes and a real effort has been put to correct this. Halftrack's still annoying to Buxley and Blips, just now at an acceptable level.
Docktorn.	Docktorn hasn't changed at all. He still scuffs off his responsibilities and tells that aspirin cures everything. Not much else to say, seeing that he isn't a big character then or now.