{"id":33766,"date":"2025-09-08T08:10:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T08:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33766"},"modified":"2025-09-07T14:51:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T14:51:26","slug":"blondie-the-bumstead-family-history-blondie-the-complete-bumstead-family-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/09\/08\/blondie-the-bumstead-family-history-blondie-the-complete-bumstead-family-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Blondie: The Bumstead Family History\/Blondie: The Complete Bumstead Family History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\" \"\"
\nBy Dean Young<\/strong>, and Melina Ryzik<\/strong> (Thomas Nelson\/Rutledge Hill Press, U.S.)
\nISBN: 978-1-4016-0322-9 (HB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times <\/em><\/p>\n

Normally I leave newspaper strip reviews for a weekend, but this is one birthday we just can\u2019t miss. Please remember, just because you don\u2019t read something don\u2019t mean it ain\u2019t popular…<\/em><\/p>\n

Like Dagwood\u2019s legendary sarnies, Bumstead family functions go on forever. Yesterday we learned how Chic Young\u2019s strip Blondie<\/strong> began on September 8th<\/sup> 1930 and just kept going. The feature was inherited and carried on in 1973 by his family, chiefly son Dean with a select group of collaborators. Dean considers himself the guardian of a legacy as much as continuer of a phenomenon. In 2007, after the 75th<\/sup> anniversary, commemorative curated celebration Blondie: the Bumstead Family History<\/strong> was released to mark the occasion, and with the feature still going strong this remastered (even enjoying fancy-schmancy External hyperlinks, no less!) \u201cComplete<\/strong>\u201d edition invites a look at what he\u2019s done to keep things fresh as much as safeguard generations of readers\u2019 fond memories.
\n\"\"
\nCombining short lavishly illustrated articles with a wealth of published strips – each attached to general topics – the raucous revery begins with \u2018Chapter One: The Bumstead Family Album\u2019<\/em>, incorporating historical overviews and the traced evolutions of \u2018Blondie\u2019<\/em> and eternal, often inanimate inamorata \u2018Dagwood\u2019<\/em>; firstborn son\/current teen icon \u2018Alexander\u2019<\/em> (who first appeared on April 15th<\/sup> 1934) and his sister \u2018Cookie\u2019<\/em> who Dagwood feels is far too popular with boys). Faithful, longsuffering house mutt \u2018Daisy\u2019<\/em> gets her own section, as does abusive Boss\/archnemesis \u2018Mr. Dithers\u2019<\/em>, next-door-neighbours \u2018The Woodleys\u2019<\/em> (AKA Herb & Tootsie<\/em>), long-suffering mailman \u2018Mr. Beasley\u2019 <\/em>and cheeky, always underfoot kid\/voice of a fresh generation \u2018Elmo Tuttle\u2019<\/em>…<\/p>\n

The early days of the unshakable relationship are scrutinised in \u2018Chapter Two: Getting Married\u2019<\/em>, tracing love\u2019s rocky road through turbulent fast-changing times and a hugely successful publicity gimmick of young Dagwood going on extended hunger strike to force his adamant parents to allow him to wed! A massive publicity coup, the convoluted month-long storyline led to rowdy nuptials in February 1933 and is swiftly and sensibly followed by chapters on \u2018Family Life\u2019<\/em>, as the couple become a nuclear unit, demographic and breadwinning paean to domesticity as \u2018Dagwood at Work\u2019<\/em> reveals what a decent man endures to bring home the bacon – and pickles and bratwurst and olives and pastrami and turkey and chicken, and salmon and lettuce and pumpernickel and lox and…
\n\"\"
\nCourting middle American controversy, not to say media attention and a little homemaker wrath, \u2018Blondie Goes to Work\u2019<\/em> saw the tireless and capable stay-at-home mom and neighbour Tootsie ultimately turn those life skills into joyously fulfilling independence by starting their own catering business. This was only in 1991 and this pic-packed chapter also deals with the ridiculous amounts of outrage the world-shaking leap into the 20th<\/sup> century seemed to trigger in the heartland. Naturally, Dagwood was completely supportive: who else could test the new dishes and delights the girls kept inventing…<\/p>\n

\u2018Chapter Six: Favourite Strips\u2019<\/em> reviews some of the countless gags to have riffed on the series\u2019 core themes – eating, sleeping, making and living and eating – whilst focussing on Dean Young\u2019s constant efforts to keep the strips relevant and contemporary whilst the major industry event that evolved out of \u2018The 75th<\/sup> Anniversary\u2019<\/em> is described in detail. To celebrate the milestone in 2005, Dean and King Features organised a massive crossover that included VIPs like President Bush and other real-world notables as well as most of the nation\u2019s major strips and creators wishing the happy couple all the best.
\n\"\"
\nIf you read Beetle Baily<\/strong>, Hagar the Horrible<\/strong>, Garfield<\/strong>, Rose is Rose<\/strong>, Wizard of Id<\/strong>, Dick Tracy<\/strong>, B.C.<\/strong>, Mother Goose & Grimm<\/strong>, Family Circus<\/strong>, Shoe<\/strong>, Hi & Lois<\/strong>, Gasoline Alley<\/strong>, Sally Forth<\/strong>, Snuffy Smith<\/strong>, Buckles<\/strong>, Baby Blues<\/strong>, Zits<\/strong>, Mutts<\/strong>, Curtis<\/strong>, Marvin<\/strong>, For Better or Worse<\/strong>, Born Loser<\/strong>, Dennis the Menace<\/strong> (theirs not ours), Cathy<\/strong>, Thick Thin<\/strong> or Bizarro<\/strong> you were invited and there on the day. Disney alumni and single panel editorial cartoonists got in on it and for one moment all of America enjoyed a taste of Dagwood. Most of those strips are here as well as plenty from the months-long build up and aftermath in the actual Blondie feature.<\/p>\n

This super memoriam concludes with a look beyond the panels as \u2018Forever Young\u2019<\/em> explores the life and achievements of Murat Bernard Young, his wife and model\/inspiration Athel Lindorff n\u00e9e Young, Dean and sister Jeanne and the many notables who pitched in and\/or assisted on Blondie\u2019s production: Alex and Jim Raymond, Stan Drake, Mike Gersher, Ray McGill, Denis LeBrun, and John Marhall & Frank Cummings<\/p>\n

Also included in this inescapably family function are original art and sketches, dozens of candid family portraits and photos, commentary and so, so many cartoons to wallow in. If you want a simple satisfying Good Read, this is for you your kids and your grannie, but don\u2019t forget to bring the sandwiches… and not small ones neither…
\n\u00a9 King Features Syndicate, Inc. 2007.<\/p>\n

Today in 1958, Jack Kirby\u2019s Sky Masters of the Space Force<\/a> <\/strong> newspaper strip launched.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dean Young, and Melina Ryzik (Thomas Nelson\/Rutledge Hill Press, U.S.) ISBN: 978-1-4016-0322-9 (HB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times Normally I leave newspaper strip reviews for a weekend, but this is one birthday we just can\u2019t miss. Please remember, just because you don\u2019t read something don\u2019t mean it ain\u2019t … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Blondie: The Bumstead Family History\/Blondie: The Complete Bumstead Family History”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[90,113,78,125,97,127,148,210,156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cartooning-classics","category-comedy","category-comic-strip-classics","category-humour","category-kids-all-ages","category-nostalgia","category-romance","category-sport","category-world-classics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8MC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33766"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33773,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33766\/revisions\/33773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}