# R.I.P. Bazooka Joe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640 "2012-12-01T02:25:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/1 "2012-12-01T02:25:00Z")
☹ ☹ Yet another treasured memory from childhood gone. Here’s an old [interview](http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/chronicle_columnists/gene_weingarten/article_4f0eaa84-36c2-11e2-905c-0019bb2963f4.html) with Jay Lynch the main writer of the comics in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. > **[This Isn't Your Dad's Bazooka Bubble Gum...](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/11/isnt-your-dads-bazooka-bubble-gum/320991/)** > > The classic bubble gum brand Bazooka Joe is getting its first major facelift... ever. But with the new packaging and color schemes, the gum is losing one of its most distinctive aspects -- the comics.  > [@](#): > > Bazooka is going through a major re-branding, the company revealed in a New York Times story Thursday evening. The comics that used to come with every stick of Bazooka, starring Bazooka Joe and his sidekick, Mort, are being replaced with puzzles and mind-benders, the kind of thing you would find in a cheap Christmas cracker. Joe and Mort are being relegated to the margins of those brain-teasers, and they’ll only appear occasionally. > > Gone is the old red, white and blue packaging from the days of yore. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/2 "2012-12-01T02:34:09Z")
I just pre ordered _Bazooka Joe and His Gang_ a book coming out next year with many of the old comics. > **[Bazooka Joe and His Gang (Topps): The Topps Company, Talley Morse, Nancy Morse,...](https://www.amazon.com/Bazooka-Joe-His-Gang-Topps/dp/1419706322)** > > Bazooka Joe and His Gang (Topps) \[The Topps Company, Talley Morse, Nancy Morse, Kirk Taylor, Jay Lynch, R. Sikoryak, Bhob Stewart, Jeff Shepherd\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Bazooka Joe and His Gang (Topps) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/3 "2012-12-01T02:45:39Z")
Christmas cracker? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/4 "2012-12-01T03:23:25Z")
the gum was always stale. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/5 "2012-12-01T03:38:09Z")
But the jokes [inspired a great stand up routine](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUtKPlxJ4E0&feature=player_detailpage#t=99s). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/6 "2012-12-01T06:04:05Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Christmas cracker? [Christmas cracker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_cracker) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/7 "2012-12-01T07:47:14Z")
I used to have a cork board in my room in junior high. Always had a few of my favorite Bazooka Joe cartoons pinned up. Back then they were writing some pretty good ones. I’m not sure what happened. Bazooka Gum has been hard to find for a long time. Often its stale when you do find it. The other bubble gum I liked was Dubble Bubble. It was typically in a big tub on the counter, by the cash register. Two pieces for a nickle. I still occasionally buy it when I find it in a hardware store or other mom & pop place. It’s a lot smaller now and I think it’s a dime a piece? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/8 "2012-12-01T07:54:01Z")
How dare they! BTW, when I chewed the stuff, if you saved the comics you could also send away for neat stuff. I got my baseball card album that way which we used to put my Invaders from Mars cards in. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/9 "2012-12-01T10:05:59Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Christmas cracker? What the..? You don’t know what a Christmas cracker is? How can it be that the rest of the world is intimately familiar with the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, but America knows bugger all about any other country’s traditions? I mean, okay, you may not know much about Fiji or Iceland, but the UK??? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/10 "2012-12-01T10:30:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The other bubble gum I liked was Dubble Bubble. It was typically in a big tub on the counter, by the cash register. Two pieces for a nickle. Now I feel old. When I was a kid, Dubble Bubble was a penny per piece. And you got the comics with Pud and his pal Tim. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/11 "2012-12-01T15:13:33Z")
Gum just pulls the fillings out of my teeth. Phooey. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/12 "2012-12-01T15:27:16Z")
I had no idea Bazooka bubblegum was still around. Who buys it? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/13 "2012-12-01T20:44:34Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What the..? You don’t know what a Christmas cracker is? > > How can it be that the rest of the world is intimately familiar with the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, but America knows bugger all about any other country’s traditions? > > I mean, okay, you may not know much about Fiji or Iceland, but the UK??? Really? It’s sad when you realize your country is as insignificant as Fiji and Iceland, isn’t it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/14 "2012-12-01T22:39:25Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What the..? You don’t know what a Christmas cracker is? > > How can it be that the rest of the world is intimately familiar with the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, but America knows bugger all about any other country’s traditions? > > I mean, okay, you may not know much about Fiji or Iceland, but the UK??? Really? **Happy Lendervedder**!= “America.” ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/15 "2012-12-03T20:02:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What the..? You don’t know what a Christmas cracker is? > > How can it be that the rest of the world is intimately familiar with the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, but America knows bugger all about any other country’s traditions? > > I mean, okay, you may not know much about Fiji or Iceland, but the UK??? Really? OK, I’ll bite (Ha!), what’s a Christmas cracker? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/16 "2012-12-03T20:05:00Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > OK, I’ll bite (Ha!), what’s a Christmas cracker? [Christmas cracker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_cracker) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/17 "2012-12-03T20:05:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I had no idea Bazooka bubblegum was still around. Who buys it? I don’t know who buys it, but you can buy it [here](http://www.blaircandy.com/babugumor12.html). ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/18 "2012-12-03T20:07:29Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [Christmas cracker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_cracker) I don’t know if I’d want to eat a cracker that’s ‘highly unstable’. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/19 "2012-12-03T20:19:58Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > You don’t know what a Christmas cracker is? I think most people are more familiar with their British name: **Christmas biscuits**. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640/20 "2012-12-03T20:22:07Z")
In the summer of 1993, I had a summer job ([NSERC](http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/ug-pc/usra-brpc_eng.asp)) working for a math professor. Another math professor brought in a bunch of spare change and said that the summer students could have it if they wanted to go through the trouble to roll it all up and take it to the bank. We used the proceeds to buy candy, among which was a bucket of 100 pieces of Bazooka Joe gum. Then we did a chi-squared test on the comics to see if they were uniformly distributed. The result: they probably were. Paradoxically, we got a lot of laughs out of how unfunny those comics were. On an unrelated note, we also did blind taste-testing to test the theory that different colours of (Canadian) Smarties have different flavours. The result: inconclusive, since we didn’t bother washing the chocolate flavour out of our mouths between samples. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bazooka-joe/642640.md?page=2)