Happy Anniversary, Blondie
Years that end with zero or that are commemorated with precious stones tend to be celebrated, sometimes overly so, by lots of people. A couple years back, quite a few of our friends turned 30, and that occasion merited large parties, with all the trimmings. Businesses, movies, and films that reach certain milestones get the red carpet treatment. But aside from birthdays, I think one of the happiest times to celebrate such landmark dates are wedding anniversaries.
Today is one such red-letter day: 75 years ago, on Friday, 17 February 1933, Blondie Boopadoop married Dagwood Bumstead. A year later, they had their first child (now one of the world’s oldest teenagers), Alexander. Given Dagwood’s appetite, Blondie’s job, and two teenagers (sister Cookie came along later), I’m surprised they haven’t gone bankrupt, what with rising food costs. But that’s fantasy for you…
Anyway, happy anniversary, Blondie. Here’s to another 75 years!
Alright; you’ve touched on a sensitive topic for me: WHY, oh WHY do the newspaper STILL carry Blondie, Peanuts, etc. years after their original creators have died even though there are hundreds and thousands of really good cartoonists (or as Bloom County put it: Strippers) that would kill to get on a miniature-sized comic page.
Just like everything else in life, people are comfortable with the familiar, and aren’t willing to adjust their comfort zone. I think that’s part of it. The other reason (in my opinion) is that some of these strips (”Peanuts,” for example), are miles better than the new dreck that pops up on the comics page these days.
What I lament is the downsizing of comic strips– now they’re teeny-weeny oblong rectangles squished together, instead of the one-third or one-half pages they used to be. I doubt we’ll ever get that back…