It's National Waffle Day!

Yes, that's correct -- today is National Waffle Day in the United States! This day marks the date of the first U.S. patent for a waffle iron. Cornelius Swarthout gets credit for that.

In celebration, I scanned in a few images from a 16mm commercial reel I have. It's a spot for Aunt Jemima frozen waffles from the late 1960s or early 1970s. Our old friends Wallace the Waffle Whiffer and Professor Goody are at it again!

Wallace smells waffles cooking and starts to react...



Entranced, Wallace flies right through the window at Professor Goody's house...



Professor Goody thinks about sharing his delicious waffles...



Oh the anticipation...



Professor Goody tries to set some ground rules...



I don't think Wallace was really paying attention...

Saturday Commercial Break #16: Waffle Whiffer

Oh the joys of YouTube! I recently discovered this commercial for Aunt Jemima's frozen waffles starring Wallace the Waffle Whiffer! I had not seen this particular one before, so it was such a treat to find. A number of commercials were made, but only a few have surfaced so far.

I referenced this in one of my Jay Ward books. The commercial is titled "Hammock" and was produced in 1971.

Enjoy this special Saturday Commercial Break which was posted to YouTube by thesixtiesguy.

Why not enjoy a delicious plate of Aunt Jemima frozen waffles from your grocer's freezer?

Waffle Whiffer Profile Pic

Here's my new blogger profile picture. I've attempted to convert the two Waffle Whiffer commercials from VHS tape to digital format MPEG. There are some bugs to work out for the process, but the result is some nice screenshots from the commercials, such as this one.

This picture just about says it all. The waffles are baked to golden brown perfection, popping out fresh from the toaster. A dazed looking Wallace is completely mesmerized by the smell.

Wallace the Waffle Whiffer

Let me start this blog with a picture of my blog's namesake, Wallace the Waffle Whiffer. Wallace was a hyperactive bird-like character created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott (of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame) for Aunt Jemima frozen waffles in 1968. Wallace would torment the other character, Professor Goody, until the kind professor had no choice but to share his delicious waffles with Wallace.

Several commercials were produced, though only a few have come to light in the digital age. One has Professor Goody hiding in a submarine eating his waffles, and another has him holed up in a bell tower. Wallace has a powerful sniffer and always finds his way to those scrumptious waffles. Wallace was voiced by Bill Scott (Bullwinkle, Super Chicken) and Professor Goody was voiced by Daws Butler (Quisp, Cap'n Crunch).

I am not aware of any product packaging or premiums ever made regarding these characters. Perhaps they only existed in the realm of TV commercials. If you have more information to share, please let me know.

The slogan for the commercials was "Is there a Waffle Whiffer at *your* house ?"

This picture shows Wallace and Professor Goody eagerly awaiting waffles to be served.