Description
William Morgan DeBeck (April 15, 1890 – November 11, 1942), better known as Billy DeBeck, was an American cartoonist. He is most famous as the creator of the comic strip Barney Google. The strip was especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and featured a number of well-known characters, including Barney Google, Bunky, Snuffy Smith and Spark Plug the race horse.
The dilapidated, blanket-covered horse was a huge hit with readers, a marketing and merchandising phenomenon that has been called the Snoopy of the 1920s. Toys, balloons and games were among the popular items adorned with Sparky’s image. When DeBeck introduced the horse, he also introduced a little-used technique into the strip- ongoing continuity. Barney Google went from being a gag-a-day strip to one in which both humor and suspense kept readers coming back every day.
In 1923, Billy Rose penned a smash pop hit called Barney Google with the catchy refrain: “Barney Google, with the goo-goo-gooly eyes”. DeBeck’s art style falls in the “big-foot” tradition of American comic strips. His influence continues to be felt. Modern cartoonists like Ralph Bakshi and Bobby London have expressed their appreciation of DeBeck’s pioneering work.
For more info on Billy DeBeck and Barney Google, see… http://animationresources.org/refpack-005-billy-debecks-barney-google-e-book/
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