Food & Eating: The Cartoon Character and the Sandwich

Dagwood sandwich is a tall, multi-layered sandwich made with a variety of meats, cheeses and condiments. It was named after Dagwood Bumstead, a central character in the comic strip Blondie. Dagwood frequently makes enormous sandwiches. American cartoonist Chic Young, began drawing the huge sandwiches in the comic strip during 1936.

Though the actual contents of Chic Young's Dagwood sandwich remain obscure, it obviously contains large quantities and varieties of cold cuts, sliced cheese and vegetables, plus additional slices of bread. An olive pierced by a toothpick or wooden skewer usually crowns the edible superstructure. “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.