Performance Hall at the Ohio Union
July 16, 2010
 

The United States Postal Service and the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum cordially invite you to attend the First -Day-of-Issue Ceremony for the Sunday Funnies Commemorative Stamps at The Ohio State University. The Sunday Funnies pane of 20 stamps honors five of our most beloved comic strips: Archie, Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes.

The day‘s program includes remarks by:

• David Failor, Executive Director, Stamp Services, for the U.S. Postal Service
• Joseph Alutto, OSU Provost
• Libraries Director Carol Diedrichs

Honorees attending are:

• Archie Comics: Nancy Silberkleit, Co-CEO and Craig Boldman, cartoonist
• Beetle Bailey: Mort Walker, Greg Walker, cartoonists
• Calvin & Hobbes: Lee Salem, President and Editor, Universal Uclick
• Dennis the Menace: Marcus Hamilton, Ron Ferdinand, Scott Ketcham, cartoonists
• Garfield: Jim Davis, cartoonist.

The strips, as well as the characters, may have changed over the years, yet each nevertheless remains an enduring classic.

Offering an idealized portrait of American adolescence, Archie existed only in comic book form before debuting in newspapers in 1946. A typical small-town teenager with a knack for goofing things up, 17-year-old Archie Andrews is often torn between haughty brunette Veronica Lodge and sweet, blonde Betty Cooper.

A military strip with universal appeal, Beetle Bailey first appeared in September 1950. Possibly the laziest man in the army, Private Beetle Bailey is an expert at sleeping and avoiding work. His chronic indolence antagonizes Sargeant Orville P. Snorkel, who is tough on his men but calls them “my boys.”

Dennis the Menace follows the antics of Dennis Mitchell, a good-hearted but mischievous little boy who is perpetually “five-ana-half” years old. His curiosity tests the patience of his loving parents and neighbors, guaranteeing that their lives are anything but dull. The comic debuted in March 1951 as a single-panel gag.

Garfield first waddled onto the comic pages in June 1978. Self-centered and cynical, the crabby tabby hates Mondays and loves lasagna. He lives with John Arbuckle, a bumbling bachelor with a fatally flawed fashion sense, and Odie, a dopey-but-devoted dog.

Calvin and Hobbes explores the fantasy life of six-year-old Calvin and his tiger pal, Hobbes. The inseparable friends ponder the mysteries of the world and test the fortitude of Calvin’s parents who never know where their son’s imagination will take him. The strip ran from November 1985 to December 1995.

Image credits:
Archie characters TM & © 2009 Archie Comic Publications, Inc. Dennis the Menace ©2010 Hank Ketchum Enterprises, Inc. Beetle Bailey ©2010 King Features Syndicate, Inc. Garfield ©Paws. All Rights Reserved. Calvin and Hobbes ©2010 Universal Press Syndicate.