I'm not a huge fan of chewing gum these days.
As an adult the pleasures of the lengthy chew elude me, unlike the Missus who loves to masticate.
I did however love certain brands of spuggy as a kid.
I quite liked trading card gum. You know, the powdered rectangles that came inside those waxed wrappers for shows like Batman and Land of the Giants. I'm not entirely sure what the powder was but I imagine it was a light dusting of sugar to make the gum extra delicious on entry. The cards on the other hand were awesome and I'm sure entire banks of websites are dedicated to them.
I also enjoyed Wrigley's Tutti Fruity [is that the spelling?]. It tasted amazing and the long sticks of gum in a foil packet thing was a marketing wonder. The ritual of taking out a stick, peeling off the outer paper and unwrapping the foil was addictive and a schoolkids' rite of passage from primary to big school.
Rather than sticks my next favourite gum had thick ingots or bricks of pink yummyness inside a plasticy wrapper. I am of course talking about Bazooka Joe!
BJ wasn't just a gum, it was a way of life. If you got into it Joe could change your outlook. He provided food, always pink and chewy; literature: a beautiful cartoon strip inside every wrapper and toys. The one I remember was the mail away Whistle ring, which went Schwuueeeeeeeeeeee when you blew it!].
Bazooka Joe also had badges and the neatest logo since Pepsi Cola. Joe was kind too: the pink gum loaf was perforated down the middle so you could share it in class! Bazooka Joe for president I say!
The baseball-capped Joe was the high water mark of gum culture for me so other brands were mere flotsam in comparison.
But there were further gems for the gums if you looked.
Gold Nuggets were small pebbles of gum, which came in a small muslin bag tied at the top. It looked like gravel and tasted divine. The more you dropped in your gob the better the sweet sensation. The full goldrush came when you tipped the whole bag in! It was a thoughtful brand too since you could re-use the small bag as a kit sack for Little Big Man!
But what of the biggest lump of chuddy around at the time, the Grand Chew so to speak? Well, it was Fab1 pink and shaped like a small oval footstool. It came packaged in a plasticy wrapper twisted at either end. On the front in huge letters was the single word BUBBLY!
I am of course referring to Anglo Bubbly, the king of chews. To place the bubbly cake in the mouth was to swear allegiance to the pink monarch. From that point on he ruled your drool. Only after chewing like a heifer for an hour could you bring the king under control and restore order. The staple diet of Stretch Armstrongs everywhere, Anglo Bubbly was the chuddy of champions, the Gobfather.
What did you chew readers?
Absolutely the most disgusting stuff ever invented. You'll never know how difficult it is for me not to vomit as I type, so abhorrent is the mere thought of this vile substance to me. Even walking on a pavement has become an obstacle course for me nowadays as I try and avoid the spat-out horror dotted at intervals all over the surface. I would ban all varieties and flavours of the revolting 'confection', and when it comes to women, no lips that this loathsome invention passes shall ever kiss mine. I'm entirely serious. I don't even feel better after venting, because I'm far too nauseous.
ReplyDeleteha ha, that's serious chuddyphobia Kid. Sounds like not even Bazooka Joe with all the free mini-comics and toys could sway you! Does this gum wrath extend to bubblegum flavours in other foodstuffs like ice cream? Its a good job that Stretch Armstrong was made of corn syrup and not chewing gum. We'd have had to chew him first to make him soft! You'd have hated that! ha ha
DeleteYeah, I could never eat or drink anything that had that a flavour associated with that horrible stuff. Yeeeuuuuchhhh!!!!! I'm off for a lie down - I feel sick.
ReplyDeleteMy brand was Adams'Sour and it came in all kinds of fruit flavors,sour strawberry being my fave.I could have used a stick or two last night at the ToysRUs midnight Star Wars sale.Waited in line with about 60 people for about half an hour.Got a free poster, bought some toys.Good clean fun.
ReplyDeleteFor some years now I have been trying to track down a comic strip associated with blocks of gum. I had always thought it was Bazooka Joe but must have been summat similar with a different name. However, wrapped around each piece was a single image "episode" of a sci fi story printed on shiny waxy paper which had a really nicely illustrated story involving men in spacesuits, a Tintin-style 1950's type rocket ship and an alien honeycomb-style ship. That said I can't be 100% sure the old noggin isn't playing memory tricks on me. Would have been around 1969-1970-ish ...ringing any bells guys? I've dug deep on the old interweb but no even a sniff of anything like it.
ReplyDeleteyes, I recall these. Really nice painted artwork, with a red coloured rocket and minimal text Not sure it was Bazookas, but was certainly a US branded gum. Ive been trying to put this memory to rest myself, but aside from recalling the little red ship, pink sickly sweet gum and the word 'Galaxy' im coming up empty!
DeleteGalaxy Wars 1973?
DeleteNice shot but no cigar buddy. Bill's right about the taste of gum tho - another wee piece of the puzzle. Not meaning to sound big headed but there's not much that eludes me when scouring the net but this one - nada ! Nowt! Bugger all! aaargh! So annoying lol! Ebay is a good thought tho , Woodsy I'll see what pops up (as the vicar said to...ok I'll get me coat!)
DeleteSomewhere I've got Henry Cook's book of gum cards. I'll have a look in that when I locate it Mike.
DeleteJust remembered Beech Nut gum too! they were quite nice. About five pieces in a small packet. Were they by KP or PK or was that another brand?
ReplyDeletePretty sure Beech nut was PK. I only ever saw it in vending machines outside shops, where I think it was an old penny or twopence. The machines offered a second pack free every fourth time.
ReplyDeleteA second pack free every fourth time! Wow! those are gambling odds. Did you get four lots Andy? I loved vending machines especially thoe one that gave a handful of sugar-coated peanuts i think they were. Yum!
DeleteAlways tried the machine as I was walking past, in case somebody missed their free pack!
ReplyDeleteI like your style Andy. When we did the slots in Whitby years ago I always checked the trays for missed winnings! ha ha
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