Bazooka gum came out in 1947, named after a WW-II era RPG, itself named after a brass instrument, itself named after 1910s slang for a boastful person, itself named for a medieval trumpet. The actor referenced was this guy, who appeared in over 160 movies, mostly westerns.

From the early 1950s, but excluding most of the 2010's, the gum included comics featuring Bazooka Joe. If you collected and sent in enough comics, the company would send you a cheap toy, like a small cardboard telescope, secret decoder ring, some erector set parts, or similar. Over 1500 different strips were printed.

The brand still exists, though sold to a different corporate owner in 2022.

The gum itself is absolutely godawful.