Cartoon genius Addison Morton Walker (1923–2018) was born on this day in El Dorado, Kansas. At age 11, he published his first cartoon in Child Life Magazine... and earned what he called "real money."

“I thought this a heck of a lot easier than mowing my neighbor’s lawn,” he said. By age 15, his comic strip Sunshine and Shadow ran daily. At 18, he became the chief editorial designer of Hallmark Cards.

After serving in the Army and running a German POW camp, Walker created the classic comic strip Beetle Bailey in 1950. Four years later, he followed it with the beloved spin-off, Hi and Lois.

“Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart,” he said. And he lived that truth. Beetle may never get a promotion, but Walker’s timeless humor continues capturing hearts across the globe.

In 1974, he founded the International Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, Florida to preserve the works of fellow cartoonists.

“Seven days without laughter makes one weak,” Walker said. His lighthearted legacy lives on in every panel, where he infused his gags with warmth, humanity, and wisdom.