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Tommy Swell
| Not to be left out, Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company inserted their own original comics with their brand of bubble gum, Swell. The madcap escapades of Tommy Swell's Gang began sometime in the 1950's. There are no dates on the comics so it's hard to pinpoint exactly when any appeared. However, there are code numbers which help their collectability. The overall style of the comics is very similar to Bazooka Joe which undoubtedly was the inspiration. Each comic has a main joke, a prize offer, a single panel Blooper gag plus a fortune. I've yet to see a zip code in the prize offer address. That tells me all these comics may have been released prior to 1964. As with other major brands, the comics started out fairly large and got smaller over time.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 500 in the set. Collect them all! |
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Intro
Bazooka Joe
Fleer Funnies
Archie