DeBeck, Billy, Barney Google - The Great International Derby, 1931 *

Over the past 30 or so years, I have become a big fan of Billy DeBeck's work on Barney Google. Although I am aware of earlier periods of the strip (1922 up until 1930), from reprints and examples of the actual strips as they were reproduced in newspapers, most of the originals by DeBeck that I have found date from 1930 to about 1934. Fortunately, many originals from 1930 and 1931 represent some of the artist's best and most interesting work. It seems as though DeBeck began to lose interest to some degree in 1932, as reflected in his simplification of the backgrounds and even the detail used in drawing the figures. While I generally find strips from 1930 to be the most appealing, both in story lines and artwork, some of my favorite originals are from 1931. I've separated out 4 of these from my main DeBeck page because I believe they deserve special consideration.