The New Canaan Men’s Club will hear about the history of cartoons, with a special emphasis on Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois, print cartoons that first appeared in the 1950s and continue to this day, in a talk Friday by Brian Walker, called “A Life in Cartoons.”
The founder and former director of the Museum of Cartoon Art, Walker’s father, Mort, created Beetle Bailey and, with Dik Brown, was co-creator of Hi and Lois.
The Men’s Club meeting in Morrill Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge, will begin at 10 a.m. and Walker is expected to begin his remarks around 10:40 a.m.
The cartoon strip Beetle Bailey features an Army private fond of napping and avoiding any military duties on a base in the U.S. shared by inept characters. Hi and Lois features a family and its neighbors with a focus on the mundane and recognizable events in their lives.
Walker has written, edited or contributed to 45 books on cartoon art, including the definitive “The Comics – The Complete Collection.” He taught a course on cartoon history at the School of Visual Arts in 1995-1996 and was the curator of 75 exhibitions on cartoon artistry, including one at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport.
Brian Walker’s involvement in the family business began in earnest after his college graduation. In 1974, he helped his father establish the Museum of Cartoon Art in Greenwich, initially located in the Mead mansion on Field Point Road. The museum later moved to the Ward Castle in 1977, hosting a grand “castle warming” event that raised $35,000 and was featured in People Magazine. In 1984, Brian got his first experience in gag writing, contributing ideas to a King Features strip starring Betty Boop and Felix the Cat. This opportunity soon led to him writing for Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois. By 1993, King Features promoted Brian, his brother Greg, and Chance Brown (son of Dick Brown) as the next generation of cartoonists, officially taking over the Hi and Lois comic strip.
The Men’s Club has openings for new members, men 55-years old and above. For information about joining, email ncmens@ncmens.info.
