Before and after Joe.jpg

Bazooka Joe, the icon of Bazooka brand bubble gum, and star of countless mini comic strips packaged with that gum, has a new modern look consisting of “a stylish, modern version of his well-known ensemble of jeans, t-shirt, and baseball cap.” The new look was chosen from 100 different stylings via an online voting process by fans, with artists offering up their looks. (You can see some of them here.) The winner was designed by Victor Intrasombat of Clockwork Animation. The new look will be given a renewed push for merchandise and gum pack comics.

Other artists that contributed potential new looks include Benjamin Balistreri (How to Train Your Dragon), Robert Lilly (Nickelodeon Animation Studios), and Ben Reynolds (mobile games forGhostbusters and Monster Pet Shop). 

While there is a bit of a Poochie feeling to all this, it has at least given Bazooka Joe a renewed push. Former Disney CEO MIchael Eisner purchased the brand a while ago and in 2007 stated that he thought Bazooka Joe could be “the new Mickey Mouse.” That hasn’t exactly happened. Joe himself responded with enthusiasm to the new look. “Thanks to all of the fans who helped me talk Topps into finding me a new getup.  New hairstyle, new clothes – I’m ready to take on the world!”

While Joe’s fashions were updated with new kicks and streamlined inking, he did not avail himself of modern-day prosthetic technology to get an artificial eye, and so still sports an eye-patch.

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. The designs at the link are so much better. This looks like the work of a committee in 1989. They should have ditched the patch and given him a bionic eye with an ultra long-range telescopic sight. That way he could try and find anyone who even chews Bazooka gum anymore.

  2. How long before Little Lulu, Nancy & Sluggo and Dagwood get modern day makeovers? “Michael Eisner has an eye on Bazooka Joe”….movies, TV shows, toys, games, clothing, etc. It was probably a cheap brand to pick up/acquire and now he’s going to make a boat load of cash with strategic marketing. Good for him. Too bad none of us thought of it. By the way my dentist from years past, thanks Bazooka Joe for all the freakin’ cavities that gum gave me.

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