McDonalds bullies Burger King

Makes me think of the "Burger Wars" story from the Judge Dredd Cursed Earth storyline in 2000 AD.

For anyone who isn't a comic book geek like me....

In 1978 the U.K. magazine "2000 AD" featured a 24 issue storyline called "The Cursed Earth" in which Judge Dredd needed to transport a virus vaccine/cure through the "Cursed Earth" lands between MegaCity One and MegaCity Two. The storyline involved some of the most memorable Judge Dredd characters that have ever been conceived in the magazine's 30+ year history.

Issue's (reffered to as "Prog's) #71 and #72 featured a hilarious story in which Dredd and company have to travel through a valley inhabited by two warring factions headed up by Ronald McDonald and The Burger King. The story pokes great amount of fun at the food and marketing tactics of both franchises. In one scene a deranged Ronald McDonald shoots one of his followers for failing to quickly clean off a table.
2000AD Prog 71 Page 19
Needless to say the lawsuits flew pretty fast and furious. The magazines were pulled from shelves, the publisher backed down, published a retraction and agreed never to reprint the stories. Those issues are pretty scarce now. "The Cursed Earth" has been reprinted as a collected works several times but always with "Burger Wars" (and the subsequent Jolly Green Giant story) removed.

I read the entire Cursed Earth storyline a few months ago, including all of the "banned" issues. While the story and art weren't fantastic I got several good laughs out of the Burger Wars story.

 

All I can say is...

 

It's worthy of note that while McDonalds and Burger King sued the publisher over the appearance of their trademarks The Jolly Green Giant folks went a different direction. In an issue following the appearance of a mutant Jolly Green Giant an advertisement appeared in the magazine featuring the "real" Jolly Green Giant explaining how he wasn't the one in the previous story and would never behave in that manner. The single page advertisement itself was pretty funny.

 

I remember seeing something once about the original green giant. One of the reasons they chose to change it was that they thought it was too scary. Ha Ha. Why not? It wouldn't be the first time fear was used to sell something.

 

Whe the french want a cheese burger...

... give them one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3_KtEC1rkk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf2gyQY6Yb8&feature=related

 

Xavier, that old B K broiler was relaced a year or two ago with the new "batch broiler. (tm)




Yet the beef smell is still there.

 

I wonder what the difference is? Is it just a new updated version of the old or is it a whole new thing altogether?