Introduction

Welcome to my site! My fascination with gum comics began several years ago when I rediscovered my childhood collection of Bazooka Joe and Fleer Funnies in a small Russell Stover candy box. The colorful wax paper images brought back memories of youthful innocence and summers, long ago. While looking over some Bazooka Joe's, I re-acquainted myself with the corny jokes, the fortunes that didn't come true and the spiffy prizes you could send away for. I also noticed a tiny code number in the title banner and began to wonder collector type thoughts. How many different comics are there? When did they first appear?

I've been a collector of one thing or another for most of my life. Mostly comic books and non-sport trading cards. Research into the gum comics provided only bits and pieces of general information. What I learned most was, the kind of detailed information I was looking for seemed unavailable. Curiosity got the best of me and I was determined to get to the bottom of these mysteries. I decided the best way to do that was to collect them myself ... all of them! In a very short time, I became obsessed with acquiring one of each comic, and in the process, I discovered other gum comics and got hooked on those too. Argh! This site will attempt to shed light on some of those mysteries and clear up any confusion surrounding the wonderful world of Bubblegum Comics.









Bazooka Joe Comics

Topps had been in the chewing gum business for several years before they introduced Bazooka bubble gum to the buying public shortly after World War II. They created a classic icon of Americana when they first wrapped Bazooka Joe comics around their bubble gum in 1954. Joe and his gang have been with us for over fifty years now. The gum and comics are popular worldwide and can be found in over fifty countries, including China. Trying to make sense of all the various series of Bazooka comics released over the years is a formidable task. Even so, I'm going to attempt it.


Fleer Funnies

In 1928, Walter Deimer, an employee of the Frank H. Fleer company, invented a marketable bubble gum. In the late 1930's, Dubble Bubble was available nationwide and kids everywhere rejoiced. Some marketing genius came up with the concept of including a small comic strip with the gum. It's believed the very first comic strip included with gum featured the characters Dub and Bub, the Dubble Bubble Twins. Eventually, they gave way to Pud and a full cast of supporting characters sometime in the 1940's. Fleer Funnies are second only to Bazooka Joe in terms of the number of comics made over the years. With well over 750, including the various styles, there are plenty to keep any collector busy.


Tommy Swell Comics

Not to be left out, Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company inserted their own original comics with their brand of bubble gum, Swell. The overall quality of this series is noticeably inferior to Bazooka Joe and Fleer Funnies, in my opinion. The art especially looks rushed, as if done by a grade schooler. Despite these drawbacks, they have their own unique charm and are fun to collect. They are a challenge to complete as there are over 400 in the set. Collect them all!




Blony bubble gum was home for the little known Archie and his Pals gum comics. Blony was owned by the Bowman Gum Company, known for their classic baseball card sets of the early 1950s. For various reasons, in 1956 Bowman sold the business and Blony brand name to Topps. If the Archie comics are similar in style and layout to Bazooka Joe comics ... it's because they were made by the same company! Completing a set of over 50 Archie comics will take time and patience.




This is the begining of what I hope will become the definitive resource for all things related to bubblegum comics. Over time, more information, images and features will be added. If you have comments or even comics for sale, I'd like to know. Feel free to write. In the meantime, explore my other pages below to get a feel for what I'm trying to accomplish. Thanks!

Home
Bazooka Joe and his gang
Fleer Pud and company
Swell Tommy and pals
Blony Archie, Betty, Veronica

Google

info@bubblegum-comics.com
Copyright 2022 - Bubblegum Comics. All images copyright their
respective copyright holders. All rights reserved.