Eisner Scrapes Bottom Of The Chair, Announces Bazooka Joe Flick

Part of me wanted to put this post in the WTF section, but sadly it is a real post about an upcoming movie. THR is reporting that Michael Eisner has hired a writer for a movie adaptation of “Bazooka Joe.” No, I’m not kidding. They are really going to make a movie about the kid on the little comic strip on the back of the bubble gum… seriously.

“Bazooka Joe” has been a comic strip used as an advertising device for the gum since the 1950s. Joe, who wears an eye patch for reasons never explained, has child-friendly misadventures, sometime joined by a host of friends with the names Pesty, Mort (always with a turtleneck sweater pulled up over his mouth), Toughie, Hungry Herman, love interest Jane and a dog named Walkie Talkie.

I remember eating Bazooka Joe gum when I was a kid. It was pretty bad. The comics never really stuck with me, but a lot of them used to come with little fortunes on them as well. When I was 8 years old we thought it was hilarious to add “Between the sheets” to the end of the fortunes. I don’t think any of us actually knew what the heck we were talking about. Sadly, in my thirties, my friends and I still giggle at the same gag when we get our fortune cookies.