Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker visited the Veterans Hospital in Des Moines today. Radio Iowa’s Walker was in Iowa to talk to veterans as part of a day to honor hospitalized veterans. His visit is also in conjunction with a lottery ticket featuring Beetle Bailey that’s now on sale in the state. Walker donated part of the licensing fee from the sale of those tickets to Iowa veterans. He is a veteran of World War Two and says we all need to remember veterans. Walker started the Beetle strip in 1950 and is pleased to still hear from so many people who love it. He says it’s marvelous that people are still reading his strip. He says he hasn’t run out of ideas yet, but looks everywhere for inspiration.He reads three newspapers everyday, reads magazines, watches television and looks for universal experiences. Walker says he doesn’t care about winning a Pullitzer Prize, he wants to create a strip that someone cuts out and puts on their refrigerator for the refrigerator prize. Beetle is a classic “goldbricker” who’s always trying to get out of work. With the large armin in World War Two, Walker says there were a lot of unprofessional soldiers. But he says that’s not the case today.Walker says the generals are so much improved and more professional than they used to be. Walker was asked about his feelings as America’s poised to go to war again.He says he doesn’t want to see another war, but feels we’re justified if we have to go into Iraq. He says the U-S has done a lot to bring democracy to other countries and can hopefully do so in this case too.
