Blondie

[W. Gray]

I worked for a good-sized mom and pop grocery store in the fifties. We received a ton of Kansas City Star newspapers on Sunday (15 cents). These were sold at the end of the checkout counter. The owner wanted to insure all newspapers were sold so I had standing instructions to go into each newspaper, pull the comics, and place them on the outside with the strip Blondie showing. He felt Dagwood and Blondie helped influence people to impulse buy.

We are all familiar with Blondie and the ongoing saga of the problems of a typical American family--a family that everyone in the country could identify with.

It was not always that way though.

Blondie, herself, started out during the depression as a gold digger. She caroused with rich boys hoping to make life easy for herself and reap the rewards.

One of the richer boys she chased was a fellow by the name of Dagwood. Dagwood was a playboy and did not have a job, but had more money than he knew what to do with. He received a handsome allowance and had no worries about future income as he was in line to inherit the Bumstead fortune from his father.

The company that owned the comic rights, however, felt that as the depression kept growing, people would not want to read about Blondie and her shenanigans with rich men. After a meeting, a decision was made to have Blondie fall for Dagwood and vice versa. They decided to marry.

The Bumstead parents were furious that their son would marry a woman of Blondie's caliber.

The result: Old man Bumstead disinherited his son, Dagwood had to get a job, and both Dagwood and Blondie had to struggle to live, just like ordinary Americans.

There is one thing that has always puzzled me about Dagwood Bumstead.
What is the oval outlined in black that always appears over the stomach area on all of his shirts?

[Knut]

 ::)Good question! I even enjoyed Blondie in Norway. Mayhap he indulged in a brew
now and then? You're right though, it can't be "artist license"? Interesting to
see the kind of answers this generates. I'll 'stay tuned'!

[Mom70x7]

There is one thing that has always puzzled me about Dagwood Bumstead.
What is the oval outlined in black that always appears over the stomach area on all of his shirts?

I just figured that was symbolic of his shirt buttons.

Have you been here:
http://www.blondie.com/page.asp?page=artgallery

[W. Gray]

Yes, not having the funny papers handy, I went there to see if that oval was still being used.

The illustrator changed a few years ago and I was not sure if they had done any updating to the strip (other than Blondie now running a catering business and I think the Bumstead family may have even purchased an automobile).

Somehow the thirty, or so, Dagwood movies got by me when I was a kid, but I have seen a few on TCM.

[W. Gray]

I quit reading the comics quite some time ago, but today, I took a look and thought there was something rather historical surrounding the Blondie comic strip.

Dagwood was receiving an admonition in Mr. Dithers office from Mr. Dithers that he should shape up or have his job outsourced. Dagwood was privately having none of that assuring himself that no one could possibly do what he does.

When Dagwood arrived back at his office, Beetle Bailey was sitting in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk and was sound asleep.

[Rudy Taylor]

I just checked my own stomach and there's an oval there!  But mine is sagging in the worst way.