Before Bazooka Joe, This Patriotic Gum Came In A Roll And Starred An Atomic Age Mascot - Tasting Table

"Chewing gum, originally made of chicle from sapodilla trees, has a surprisingly ancient history. Society has been smacking on gum for centuries, starting with the Mayans and the Aztecs before the habit developed further in the United States. By the late 1880s, names like Adams New York No. 1 and the well-known Wrigley Company were lining American shelves, introducing licorice and minty flavors before the arrival of the iconic bubble gum flavor in 1928."

"Dubble Bubble may have kicked off the sugary bubble gum craze, but once the Topps Company popped up with Bazooka 19 years later, the industry became high stakes. Bazooka bubble gum has been inherently American since its postwar debut in 1947, even wrapped in red, white, and blue. For those born after 1953, Bazooka Joe has always been the face of the brand. The bubble gum mascot even headlined his own comic strip, carefully folded into every Bazooka wrapper."

"Bazooka's tagline at the time was "The Atom Bubble Gum," and the mischievous Atom Bubble Boy was its emblem. Every decade brings new candy trends, and in the years leading up to the Cold War, the nation was captivated by all things atomic. With red hair and a crisp collared shirt, this early Bazooka mascot was eye-patch free and flaunted nuclear-level bubble-blowing abilities. Unfortunately, the public didn't seem to connect with him."

Chewing gum originated from chicle tapped from sapodilla trees and has been used for centuries by Mayans and Aztecs. By the late 1880s brands like Adams New York No. 1 and Wrigley introduced licorice and mint flavors in the United States, and the iconic bubble gum flavor appeared in 1928. Dubble Bubble started the sugary bubble gum craze, and Topps launched Bazooka 19 years later. Bazooka debuted in 1947 as a distinctly American, red-white-and-blue postwar product. Bazooka Joe became the brand’s enduring mascot after 1953, featuring a comic strip folded into each wrapper. An earlier mascot, the Atom Bubble Boy, leveraged Atomic Age themes but failed to connect with consumers.

Read at Tasting Table