CE -- A lifetime of collecting comic related material :: DeBeck, Billy, Barney Google - The Great International Derby, 1931 *

Barney Google, Great International Derby Daily, 23 Nov 1931

Artist: Billy DeBeck (All)

1 Comment - 892 Views - 0 Like

Barney Google, Great International Derby Daily, 23 Nov 1931 Comic Art

Click Image to View Full Size

Next Item:
Barney Google, Great International Derby Daily, 26 Nov 1931

Artwork Details

Title:	Barney Google, Great International Derby Daily, 23 Nov 1931
Artist:	Billy DeBeck (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	892
Likes on CAF:	0 1
Comments:	1
Added to Site:	6/27/2006
Comic Art Archive:

Description

These four originals pretty much tell the essential elements of one of the most famous racing tales of the Barney Google series - The Great International Derby. I know of very few Google originals which depict any portion of any of the several races that Barney's horse, Spark Plug, ran over the years. And the race narrative contained in this handful of originals is probably the best representation (and almost certainly the only complete one) of the theme which was most central to this particular comic strip. Just as many readers might first think of Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace or Popeye with the Jeep or Sea Hag when the names Peanuts or Popeye are mentioned, the image of Google's horse Spark Plug -- who had seen his better days years before he was acquired by Google in 1922 as payment for a gambling debt -- racing to unexpected victory after unexpected victory (or in the case of the strips in this series, his racing to an unexpected loss to Google's other horse, Pony Boy), is undoubtedly what first comes to mind for most who are even familiar with this strip.

DeBeck drew many Google strips which essentially consist of one big panel containing some sort of summery of recent developments in the strip's narrative. The original for November 23, 1931, is one of the best examples of this type of original, and probably my favorite of all the Google dailies in my collection. It has one of DeBeck's most interesting compositions, with large images of the owners of the two main contenders in the forthcoming race between champion race horses from England and America, along with many vignettes which serve to give background information about the various characters who are involved in some way in the tale which will soon be told.

I found out about the existence of this original when I bought a Blondie hunger strike daily from a prominent comic strip dealer. He told me that he had another (in my opinion the greatest -- 23rd Day -- hunger strike and this Barney Google in his own collection. He told me that they weren't for sale, but that if he ever sold them, he would want a huge price for them. Several months later I settled a large case for one of my clients at a settlement conference held about 5 miles from where my parents lived. With my fee on the settlement, I had enough to pay the huge prices the dealer had mentioned -- I'm pretty sure he never thought I would actually buy the strips, which I'm certain he wanted to keep. So, I drove to my parents, opened the front door, walked to the nearest telephone, called the dealer, and bought the strips. He did give me a smallish discount for buying both, but I still paid what was then the highest price ever spent on a Barney Google and probably the second highest price to date on a Blondie. And, to this day, both are my favorites of the two titles.

This original has probably been reproduced more times than any other example of Billy DeBeck's most famous strip.

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	C E
Joined:	April 2006
Last Login:	August 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	C's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

frank x townsondecker
Member Since 2006

Posted on 7/29/2015

Very nice!

All
	Alberto VG 9/6/2025 4:48:00 AM
	sly design 9/6/2025 3:39:00 AM
	Bob Goerder 9/6/2025 3:33:00 AM
	Dennis Books 9/6/2025 3:10:00 AM
	Randy Allman 9/6/2025 2:54:00 AM
View All


	Richard Donnelly 9/6/2025 2:53:00 AM
	Stefan H 9/6/2025 2:17:00 AM
	David F. 9/6/2025 1:44:00 AM
	Gio Scarp 9/6/2025 1:38:00 AM
	--J S-- 9/6/2025 1:24:00 AM