Seventy-five years with Blondie and the gang
A. NARAYANAN
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The characters of the comic strip Blondie are as familiar to their readers as their friends.
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BLONDIE ON A STAMP: A favourite, worldwide.
It was a publishing anniversary with a difference when, in early September, one on America's most popular newspaper comic strips, "Blondie", celebrated its 75th birthday by throwing a party in the comic strip itself.
Characters from more than 20 other strips — Garfield, Beetle Bailey, Hagar the Horrible, Dilbert and others — had earlier joined Blondie in a three-month-long storyline featuring cameos by their comics-page cohorts, whose creators also paid tribute to Blondie and Dagwood, by inviting them into their own panels. To top it all, there were two surprise visitors — George and Laura Bush, who turned up in the Sunday strip a week before the much-hyped September 4 anniversary party.
Beginning
Blondie, created by Murat Bernard `Chic' Young, made its debut on September 8, 1930. originally, it focused on the adventures of Blondie Boopadoop, a carefree and flighty young girl who spent her days in the dance halls. In February 1933, after much fanfare and buildup, she was married to her boyfriend Dagwood Bumstead, the son of a wealthy industrialist. Dagwood was however disowned by his family for marrying beneath his class, and he had been slaving away for Julius Caesar Dithers, the tyrannical head of a construction company, ever since.
Blondie, now a suburban housewife, and the bumbling Dagwood have stayed together with their growing family — a son named Alexander (originally "Baby Dumpling") and a daughter named Cookie and their pet dog Daisy. Alexander and Cookie have grown up into teenagers who uncannily resemble their parents who, however, are frozen in their late `30s. Other regular characters are their neighbours Herb and Tootsie Woodley, Mr. Beasely (the milkman) and Elmo Tuttle, a pesky neighbourhood kid.
Present day
`Chic' Young drew Blondie until his death in 1973, when his son Dean took over. Dean Young collaborated with a number of artists in producing the strip over the years. With artist Denis Lebrun, Dean now produces seven strips a week from a studio in Clearwater Beach, Florida. While the 1930s look of Blondie has been carefully preserved, several details have been altered to keep with the changing times. Blondie now runs a catering business and owns a laptop computer. Dagwood has a carpool to go to work and the characters use cell phones and wear contemporary clothes.
Though some people consider Blondie a U.S icon, the strip is a favourite worldwide, reaching an estimated 250 million readers in more than 2,300 million newspapers (in 35 languages) in 55 countires through syndication arrangements. Blondie is consistently among the five most popular newspaper comics.
The U.S. Postal service issued a 32-cent postage stamp in 1995 featuring Blondie — one of 20 stamps in its "Comic Strip Classics" series. And in 2000, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. held a three- month long exhibition, "Blondie Gets Married" presenting 27 drawings, classic examples of Chic Young's much-loved creative wit, selected from original works given to the Library by Jeanne Young O'Neil, the artist's daughter.
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