Barney & Clyde and an Old Friend

It was just a throw away gag for a daily strip. But it was done well.

In the April 17, 2015 sequence of Barney & Clyde, Dwayne interviews a job seeker. (click on image to enlarge)

Of course the humor revolves around the cultural legacy of Bazooka Joe. His raison d'etre was indeed to sell gum. Topps Company began selling their Bazooka brand bubble gum in 1947. In 1953 or 1954 (sources vary), they introduced Bazooka Joe and his Gang as a comic feature. The comic (like the one pictured below) was wrapped inside the package, and included a fortune and a premium one could get with a boatload of Bazooka Joe comics and a little bit of cash.

The top panel shows most of the regulars, including (L to R), Mort,
Pesky (Joe's kid brother),Hungry Herman,  Jane (Joes girlfriend),
and finally Bazooka Joe.

Topps discontinued the comic insert in 2012 (as mentioned in the Barney and Clyde sequence), Although the company still uses Joe occasionally, for all intents and purposes, he's disappeared. To any kid who chewed gum in the late 20th century, Bazooka Joe was a familiar comic character. Kudos to Gene Weingarten, Dan Weingarten and David Clark for the reference.