'Beetle Bailey' Readers Try to Cheer Up Sarge

By: Dave Astor A "Beetle Bailey" comic from last month generated many letters addressed to a fictional character.

In the March 6 strip, Sgt. Snorkel was shown shedding a tear when he didn't receive any mail. That led numerous people to send messages to "Sarge" during the following weeks.

Cartoonist Mort Walker told E&P that the letter-writers included more than 30 children in an Ogden, Utah, classroom, as well as an Indiana girl who told Sarge: "I can't stand to see anyone sad. ... I hope this letter cheers you up."

Walker did several drawings for the children and made sure they all got responses.

King Features Syndicate distributes "Beetle Bailey" to about 1,800 newspapers.