Bazooka Joe
A collaboration between American cartoonist Wesley Morse and Topps heads of Product Development Woody Gelman and Ben Solomon, Bazooka Joe and his Gang was created in early 1953 to help relaunch the Bazooka brand of bubblegum. Instead of just buying an ordinary piece of gum, the pack would feature a small comic featuring the titular Bazooka Joe, a young blonde-haired boy wearing an eyepatch. Joe’s design was largely based on Talley Morse, Wesley Morse’s son, while the eyepatch was inspired by a popular 1950’s advertisement.
In 2007, Bazooka Candy Brands, the division of Topps that owned the copyright to Bazooka Joe, would be acquired by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. He likened Bazooka Joe to being the “next big hero,” further stating “Bazooka Joe is my new Mickey Mouse.”
A character design contest would be held later in 2015 to choose the new look for the iconic Joe. Artists from various industries would submit their designs while fans would vote for their favorite among the 100 submissions. Victor Intrasomnbat of Clockwork Animation would have his design chosen. As of 2024, Bazooka Joe’s character in what would come to be known as the Bazookaverse would crossover with other comic characters such as DC’s Superman and Wonderwoman among others. 2025 saw another Bazookaverse comic crossover with various American athletes.
Contest entries (left and center) and the new Bazooka Joe (right)
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