Comic Strippers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mort Walker

I grew up reading the Sunday comics. One of my favorites was the strip set at the United States Army military post, Camp Swampy. "Beetle Bailey" first appeared in 1950. It is one of the oldest comics which is still being created by its original writer, i.e., Addison Morton Walker, aka Mort Walker. Did you know that Beetle actually started out as a college student but, in 1951, he quit school and enlisted? He has been a soldier ever since, although not a very "gung-ho" one; he spends most of his time napping and getting yelled at by Sergeant Snorkel. Walker is also responsible for "Hi and Lois" which began in 1954.

In fact, Lois' maiden name was Bailey; she's Beetle's sister.

Answer: Johnny Hart

As the title implies, "B.C." is set in prehistoric times and features a bunch of cavemen (not like the old Geiko commercial) and animals with human characteristics, from different geological periods. Johnny Hart (1958-2007) was the creator of the comic strip which made its newspaper debut in 1958. Hart's daughter Perri and grandsons Mason and Mick Mastroianni continue to keep the strip alive and perpetuate his legacy.

Answer: Rudolph Dirks

Talk about old comic strips... "The Katzenjammer Kids" began getting into trouble in 1897! They first appeared in the "American Humorist", a Sunday supplement of the "New York Journal". It was written by German immigrant Rudolph Dirks who was the very first cartoonist to express dialogue through the use of speech balloons (*major trivia detail!).

After some legal issues, a new strip was created with the same characters, i.e., "Hans and Fritz" and "The Captain and the Kids", but they eventually faded out. "The Katzenjammer Kids" is still being distributed by King Features and is the oldest comic strip still in syndication.

Answer: Mike Peters

"Mother Goose and Grimm" is a cartoon strip about a grinning, yellow bull terrier nicknamed Grimmy who lives with Mother Goose (you know, the fairy tale one), a cat named Attila and a Boston terrier called Ralph. The series was first syndicated in 1984 and was created by Pulitzer Prize winner Mike Peters of the "Dayton Daily News".

The strip often makes references to popular culture and to iconic fictional characters. It was also made into an animated TV series from 1991 to 1992.

Answer: Scott Adams

Scott Adams is the creator of "Dilbert", the strip that satirizes the activities of a dysfunctional office (and aren't they all?). If they turned the film "Office Space" into a cartoon, it would be "Dilbert", although without all those good-looking movie stars.

The comic was first published in 1989. Dilbert is an engineer who wears glasses and a tie that always looks like it's about to take off. He works in a micromanaged department in Silicon Valley for a pointy-haired boss. Anyone who has ever worked in an office setting should be able to relate.

Answer: Matt Groening

If you've never heard of Matt Groening, I have to question where you've been for the last several decades. Groening is the creator of the extremely successful TV show "The Simpsons", along with "Futurama". But it all started with the comic strip "Life in Hell" which was published from 1977 to 2012.

The characters were talking rabbits (eg Binky and Sheba), and a gay couple (ie Akbar and Jeff). They explored subjects like love, sex and work, with cynicism and angst. Producer James L. Brooks noticed the cartoon and suggested short animated skits for "The Tracey Ullman Show"... and the rest, as they say, is history!

Answer: Berkeley Breathed

"Bloom County" is a cartoon created by Berkeley Breathed. It originated from his comic strip "The Academia Waltz" which Breathed produced while he was a student at the University of Texas. The strip ran from 1980 through 1989 and was revived again in 2015. It examined culture from the perspective of a small town in Middle America. Among the more well known characters are Steve Dallas, Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat ("Ack"). Breathed received a Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning in 1987 for "Bloom County".

Answer: Doug Marlette

Doug Marlette, another Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, was the writer and illustrator for "Kudzu". The strip was about rural Southerners and their take on life. The title, "Kudzu", was named after a vine which was introduced in the South to help prevent soil erosion, but soon became invasive and out of control...an interesting metaphor. Among the characters were Kudzu Dubose, Nasal T. Lardbottom and Rev. Will B. Dunn. The series ran from 1981 to 2007.
Sad ending... Doug Marlette was killed in a car accident on July 10, 2007.

Answer: Alex Raymond

"Star Wars" and many of today's science fiction series were actually based on Alex Raymond's "Flash Gordon" which originated in 1934. Outer space was explored by the intergalactic adventurer Flash Gordon, his 'friend' Dale Arden (no relation to Eve) and scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov.

It all started when Earth was threatened by a collision with a mysterious comet (sound familiar?). The 'cosmic disturbance' from the meteor hits the plane carrying Flash and Dale, but they manage to escape by parachute. Upon landing, they discover the brilliant and "mad" scientist Dr. Zarkov.

The three set off again but wind up on the planet Mongo, ruled by the tyrannical Ming the Merciless. Uh-oh!

Answer: Dale Messick

Glamorous female reporter Brenda Starr was introduced to newspaper readers in 1940 for the Chicago Tribune. The cartoon was created by Dale Messick, a pioneering female newspaper cartoonist who fought her way to the top of a male-dominated profession. Hmmmm! "Brenda Starr, Reporter" ran from 1940 to 2011.

It portrayed a glamourous, adventurous newspaper woman who traveled the globe, had exotic adventures and 'hot' romances. The character was patterned after Brenda Frazier, while her appearance was based on Rita Hayworth. Brenda and Dale were 'women's libbers' before there was such a term!