Dagwood Sandwich
Entry in progress—B.P.
The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian, jawbreaker, muffuletta, peacemaker (La Mediatrice), pilgrim, pistolette, po’ boy (poor boy), rocket, skyscraper, spiedie, spucky (spuckie, spukie), submarine (sub), torpedo, torta (Mexican po’ boy), wedge and zeppelin (zep).
Wikipedia: Dagwood sandwich
A Dagwood sandwich is a tall, multi-layered sandwich made up of a wide variety of meats, cheeses, and condiments. It was named after Dagwood Bumstead, a character in the comic strip Blondie, who frequently makes enormous sandwiches.
Though the actual contents of a Dagwood remain obscure, such a sandwich seems to involve large quantities and varieties of cold cuts, sliced cheese, vegetables, and additional slices of bread. An olive pierced by a toothpick, or wooden skewer, usually crowns the edible superstructure.
In the American animated television series Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and Scooby are often seen making Dagwood-esque sandwiches.
“Dagwood sandwich” has been included in Webster’s New World Dictionary, and “Dagwood” (referring to the sandwich) has been included in the American Heritage Dictionary.
A Blondie-themed restaurant chain called Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppe was founded in 2006. The Dagwood is sold as a 1.5-pound sandwich.
Wikipedia: Blondie (comic strip)
Blondie is an American comic strip created by Murat Bernard “Chic” Young and syndicated by King Features Syndicate. It has been published in newspapers since September 8, 1930. The success of the comic strip led to a long-run Blondie film series (1938-1950) and a popular Blondie radio program (1939-1950).
Chic Young drew Blondie until his death in 1973, when the control of the strip passed to his son Dean Young. Dean Young has collaborated with a number of artists on the strip, including Jim Raymond, Mike Gersher, Stan Drake, Denis Lebrun and most recently, John Marshall. Through these changes, Blondie has remained popular, appearing in more than 2300 newspapers in 55 countries and translated into 35 languages, as of 2005. Blondie celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005.
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There are several running gags in this strip.
. An impossibly tall sandwich Dagwood often fixes for a snack, which came to be known as a Dagwood sandwich.
16 April 1936, New Castle (PA) News, pg. 17:
BLONDIE
QUICK, BLONDIE, THE BICARB!
(Dagwood is preparing a sandwich—ed.)
“TONGUE, ONION, MUSTARD, SARDINE, BEANS AND HORSE-RADISH—THAT OUGHT TO BE A NEW TASTE SENSATION”
27 April 1938, Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent, pg. 10, col. 3:
There were at least four people standing on each of my feet while I tried to balance a Dagwood sandwich (a little of everything) in one hand and a glass of beer in the other. It’s quite a trick, really, or did you find out for yourself? The Dagwood sandwich seemed to be quite the popular thing last night. Most of the people I saw had liver sausage, bologna, cheese and pickles all piled neatly between two slices of bread.
26 April 1939, Dallas (TX) Morning News, “More Adventures: Blondie and Her Comic Strips Pals,” section 1, pg. 15:
(Film review of Blondie Meets the Boss—ed.)
...even using some of the same running gags, to-wit, Dagwood’s ever-present three-decker sandwich and his dash for the car in the morning.
11 July 1939, Uniontown (PA) Weekly News Standard, “Hollywood Roundup” by jimmy Fidler, pg. 7, col. 6:
You can stop worrying about the success of the “Blondie” series now—one of Hollywood’s most popular places-to-eat has installed a “Dagwood” sandwich on its menu.
8 April 1940, Tavern Weekly News, “The Barman’s Corner” by Patrick Murphy, pg. 11, col. 3:
The boss is liable to get a Dagwood Bumpstead type of sandwich, with everything in the icebox, while you or I get just what we ask for, as in the ham and cheese incident mentioned above.
26 September 1941, Trenton (NJ) Evening Times, “Slang Undergoes Changes in Army,” pg. 22, col. 4:
Dagwood—sandwich. From “Blondie” comic strip.
Blondie Gets Married! (Library of Congress Exhibition)
Exhibition Panel: FOOD
A burp special! October 9, 1944
CBS News
Dagwood Goes Into Sandwich Business
Cartoonist Says Restaurants Are A Decades-Old Dream Come True
NEW ORLEANS, May 10, 2006 | by Francie Grace
(AP) After building his first skyscraper sandwich in a 1936 Blondie comic strip, Dagwood Bumstead - well, at least the man behind him - is finally making his daydream of venturing into the food business come alive.
The first in a planned chain of “Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppes” is due to open in Clearwater, Fla. in August.
“I have had this idea for 30 or 40 years,” said company co-founder Dean Young, 66, who inherited the job of drawing Blondie from his father, creator Chic Young, in 1973.