Topps began its journey not with baseball cards, but as Topps Chewing Gum, Inc., founded by the four Shorin brothers in Brooklyn, New York, in 1938. The company's most enduring early success was the launch of Bazooka bubble gum in 1947, packaged in its patriotic red, white, and blue wrapper. A cultural milestone followed in 1953 with the introduction of the iconic Bazooka Joe comic strips and fortunes on the wrappers. By 1951, Topps pioneered the modern sports trading card by packaging them with gum, a strategy that would cement the company's pop-culture legacy far beyond just confectionery.
