Why do so very few comic strips bother to mark Veterans' Day?

In a time of war (or wars) and so soon after the Fort Hood tragedy, it seems especially a pity that so few comic strips bother to even take note of Veterans' Day.

No, noting the holiday shouldn't feel like an obligation to cartoonists, particularly in a strip devoted to, say, anthropomorphized animals beating the living snot out of each other like some sort of line-art Whac-a-Mole. Some of our servicemen and women die, in fact, partly for the artistic freedom not to draw attention to Veterans' Day. (And how roundabout is that?)

Still, it would be a welcome sight to see at least a handful of cartoons mark the day of honor and tribute and gratitude. And this is one day,at least, on which I'm glad "PEANUTS CLASSICS" in on the page to represent -- and not AWOL because it was shipped to KidsPost, surrendered for "Frazz's" safe return.

Plus, today's "Peanuts" -- as so often on this day -- raises a mug of root beer in honor of "Willie and Joe" creator Bill Mauldin -- aka World War II's greatest cartoonist. Mauldin and Charles Schulz (who both died in this past decade) -- how we miss them both.

Then there's my repeated beef: Why doesn't "BEETLE BAILEY," of all strips, note Veterans' Day, instead of delivering silly-signage high jinks? One could argue that the strip honors the military all year 'round and thus is exempt, to which I would reply: Such logic requires that General Halftrack's every googly-eyed ogling of Miss Buxley -- every such gag -- must then stand up to the criterion of "honoring the military." Really? Can that defense stand down now, please?

So thanks, "Sparky" Schulz -- even in flashbacks, we salute you.

To see a few more Veterans' Day cartoons, click below.

CAM CARDOW:

RANDY BISH:

DAVE GRANLUND: