Reading the Sunday comics this morning, I realized I could not recall having ever seen - or even heard reference to - Dagwood’s or Blondie’s parents. Struck me as curious, given the nature of the strip, and the length it has run.
I understand back in the 30s, Dag’s rich parents disapproved of Blondie, but it surprises me that there has not been more (any?) mention of either set of grandparents over the past 5 decades.
Do you have any info (or theories) about the missing Blondie generation?
Any other comic strip “omissions” that strike you as unusual?
When the Bumsteads disowned Dagwood, they apparently meant it and they never saw each other again (although they were present at the wedding).
As far as I know, the Boopadoop family was never seen, other than Blondie herself.
Little Nemo has it right. Their parents weren’t needed, and the strip has never been long on adding characters.
For me, the most mysterious thing about Blondie was why neighbor Herb Woodley apparently moonlighted as a mailman under the name of Mr. Beasley, and Dagwood never noticed.
I think the answer lies in the fact that Blondie’s sister Betty (who used a shortened form of the family name as her stage name) was originally a dog. I think Blondie was embarrassed by her canine ancestry and sought to conceal it.
Identical cousins?
I followed Blondie from the mid-50’s to mid-70’s (?). HOW could I never have noticed that?
I wonder if they ever appeared together in the same strip.
Actually, there are slight differences between them. Herb has a larger jaw and a cleft chin. But they could be brothers. You wonder why Young made them so similar. Maybe the mailman outfit was a disguise so Herb could sneak a visit to Blondie once Dagwood left for work.
They escaped into the future.
Dagwood’s parents are George and Jane Jetson. It is obvious if you just l look at them. How can you not see it? Blondie is Donna Reed’s mom.
Apparently the couple was still being invited to Dagwood’s parents’ parties at least a short time after they married, but with bad results.
Blondie’s mother at least is referred to in the early strips. Here’s a strip where Blondie’s mother is heard,but remains out of the scene.
Here’s one where Blondie’s mother actually appears. She’s evidently a brunette, and Blondie was living with her before she married Dagwood.
actually in the book i read by the son of the creator when he took it over in the 80s
the Sunday strips were originally for blondie and her mom (who was characterized as a ditzy flapper party girl ) until the tone of the comic changed
they were just joke scripts usually about the mom’s lifestyle that didn’t have any continuity with the ones during the week
Her mother is also in the first Blondie comic on this page.
Where’s the thrill in that? Herb’s wife Tootsie is already Blondie, just a brunette.
It’s the Veronica/Betty principle in action.
So when was the last reference to the parents? No one else ages (MUCH - these past several decades), so I presume they are still around.
And yeah - I remember one time realizing Herb and the mailman WEREN’T the same person. Weird.
I would guess all the parents would have been phased out pretty quickly, and certainly before Baby Dumpling was born. Having found success as a domestic strip, Young probably wanted eliminate all connections to Blondie and Dagwood’s former identities.
I guess it is kinda unusual in the lack of different characters. Outside of an occasional co-worker at the water fountain, customer at the caterer’s, or passerby on the sidewalk or in stores, the Bumsteads travel in a quite circumscribed society.
Being such a “family oriented” strip, I guess it seemed “reasonable” that there would at least occasionally be references to extended family - other than Dagwood’s references to long lost uncles, cousins, etc w/ unusual accomplishments/characteristics. For example, For Better or Worse (being rerun) had a recent thread w/ a visiting relative.
It’s the hat. Like Clark Kent’s glasses, it renders the person completely unrecognizable.
