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For other meanings, see Bazooka (disambiguation)

Bazooka Gum

Bazooka is a brand of bubble gum.

It was first marketed shortly after World War II in the U.S. by the Topps Company based in Brooklyn, New York. The gum was packaged in a patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme, although Topps claims that it took the name from the instrument, not the weapon. Beginning in 1953, Topps changed the packaging to include small comic strips with the gum, featuring the character "Bazooka Joe". Virtually unchanged in over 50 years, Bazooka remains a popular brand of chewing gum. Up until 1970, the price of a piece of Bazooka gum was one penny.

In recent years, Bazooka has been advertising some successful television commercials, most having someone doing something bad, then that person saying "My mom she gave me a dollar to buy her a collar but i ain't buy no collar i bought some bubblegum, bazooka zooka bubblegum" that character then putting its hands in the air and shaking their hips "--Bubblegum, Bazooka zooka bubblegum." Then four men, always the same, dressed in different things for different occasions, sing "Bubblegum, Bazooka zooka bubblegum." A voice is heard at the end of the commercial saying "Some gum." These commercials can be found on YouTube.

The Topps company expanded the flavors, making them Original, Strawberry, Cherry and Grape. The Strawberry flavor is in a pink and white wrapper and the Grape in a purple and white wrapper. Bazooka gum can also be found in a sugar free variety with the standard bubble gum flavor.

The explicitly American color scheme notwithstanding, Bazooka bubblegum is sold in many countries, often with Bazooka Joe comic strips translated into the local language. Bazooka gum is sold in Canada with cartoons in both English and French, depending upon the city. In Israel, manufactured under license to Elite, the cartoons are written in Hebrew. The gum has also been sold in socialist Yugoslavia and later in Slovenia until the local licensee allowed their license to expire. In Argentina, it is comercialised by Stani, presenting several flavors.

Topps has a Garbage Pail Kids card named (Jow Blow) that depicts a Cabbage Patch Kid blowing gum. It was drawn by artist John Pound.

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