Above: Frank and Ernest pooh pooh the events of 40 years ago in this 1978 ad for the Newspaper Enterprise Association.
From the late, lamented Cartoonist PROfiles magazine No. 38, June 1978, here are 2 articles about BEETLE BAILEY cartoonist Mort Walker. The first one is all about the Ward Castle, in Rye, NY, where the Museum of Cartoon Art was for many years. and the second one is a small feature on Mr. Walker being the Grand Marshall of the Homecoming Parade at the University of Missouri.
Related: Michael Cavna, at today's Washington Post Comic Riffs blog, queries Does 'Beetle' Mania Live On? Time to Defend That 'Toon
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I miss the Ward's Castle museum. (*sigh*) On the other hand, two weeks ago I got to visit Geppi's Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, which has a huge collection of comic strips, comic books, and more that surpasses anything I remember seeing in the Castle. (Except for Walker's incredible collection of original artwork.)
I've had the opportunity to tell Brian Walker how bad I felt that his father poured so much work, time and money into this museum and its successor in Florida, all in vain. Mort's passion to build a cartoon museum really was heroic, and I'm sure inspired others that have sprung up since (MoCCA, San Francisco, etc.). But I didn't know until reading this article how much of it was Brian's baby, too. Something to thank him for next chance I get...
A buddy and I visited the museum at Ward's Castle, coincidentally ON THE LAST DAY IT WAS OPEN. We had no idea, we'd just driven across the country to see it. Remember the great cartoons on the restroom walls? Or the giant Yellow Kid on the asphalt? Or Dennis the Menace sliding down the railing? Or the great stained glass window? Unfortunately, we didn't find ONE PERSON in the area who even knew the place existed. Sigh.
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