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Big Belly Burger is a fictional fast food restaurant chain in the DC Comics universe. It has appeared in a number of comic book titles and stories, alongside multiple appearances in other media, most notably including various television series set in the Arrowverse.
| Big Belly Burger | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Adventures of Superman #441 (June 1988) |
| Created by | John Byrne |
| In-story information | |
| Type of business | Restaurants |
| Owner(s) | LexCorp |
Big Belly Burger was created by writer John Byrne in the comic book Adventures of Superman in June 1988. The fast food chain was given its initial visual appearance by penciller Jerry Ordway.[1] The restaurant was inspired by Bob's Big Boy, a real-world chain of restaurants.[2]
In DC Comics publications, Big Belly Burger is said to be one of the largest fast-food chains in the United States. Founded in Coast City[3] in the 1950s,[4] the chain opened restaurants across the world following its purchase by LexCorp.[3] Big Belly Burger is well known in the DC Comics universe for its French fries, milkshakes, and large hamburgers. Its signature menu items include three burgers: the Belly Buster,[5][6][7] the Belly Flop,[7][8] and the Cheesemeister Deluxe.[9][lower-alpha 1] Its signature milkshake is the "Chocorrific",[11] although it also sells a strawberry-banana shake.[12] Desserts sold include apple pie and a "Drizzle Doodle" (whose exact composition is not defined).[11] The restaurant is depicted as also selling a hot dogs[6] egg salad sandwiches,[13] chicken sliders, fish sandwiches,[12] and breakfast items.[14] The chain's products include "value" combination meals (main item, side, and drink)[14] and "Jolly Meals",[15] a child's meal that comes in a box with an action figure.[16] The "Smiley Meal" is a similar boxed meal including a burger, fries, and cookie.[17]
The Big Belly Burger mascot is a smiling, bearded, red-haired man with glasses (modeled on comic book writer and editor Andy Helfer).[18] The mascot is often depicted holding aloft a plate on which a large hamburger rests.[19] Variations of the mascot also appear, such as a mascot with an upraised arm and no plate.[20] Beginning around 2008, a Big Belly Burger logo began to be depicted in DC Comics. This logo consists of a large red circle with a heavy black border, a smaller white smiley off-center at the top of the red circle, and two three-fingered cartoonish hands (one in the red circle, one opposite the smiley at the top of the red circle). The image looks like a rotund, smiling person patting a fat stomach and giving a thumb's up.[21] Big Belly Burger also has a catchphrase, "It's Belly Belly good" (a play on the words "very very good").[17][22][23] The slogan "Big Choices, Big Value, Big Belly!" has also been used.[14]
All Big Belly Burgers have a drive-through.[12][15] Some Big Belly Burger locations are depicted in the comics as having a "Playplace", an area where small children can play on jungle gym equipment and slides.[16] At least one has a jukebox.[13]
Superman
Big Belly Burger frequently appears in Superman comics. One notable appearance was in a 1990 story in which the villainous magical imp Mr. Mxyzptlk animated a Big Belly Burger mascot statue and used it to fight Superman.[22] In 1999, Superman characters Jimmy Olsen and Perry White were depicted in an advertisement for the fast food chain:[24][lower-alpha 2]
Jimmy Olsen: You'd better hustle with those Big Belly Burgers, Mr. White. Perry White: Great Caesar's Ghost! I'm grilling as fast as I can, Olsen... and don't call me Chef!"
In January 2016, Jimmy Olsen mentions that the first time he and Clark Kent spent time together was at a Big Belly Burger, and that he had his first interview with Superman at the same restaurant after the meal. A background image in the same issue of Superman shows a Big Belly Burger "Employee of the Month" named Stan, who bears a strong resemblance to legendary comic book writer, editor, and publisher Stan Lee.[25]
Booster Gold
The superhero Booster Gold was once depicted as working (for a brief time) at a Big Belly Burger.[26] He also is depicted appearing in Big Belly Burger television advertisements,[27] and a Big Belly Burger sticker appeared on Booster Gold's coffin along with other corporate sponsors (including Soder Cola, Cap's Hobby Shoppe, EZ Caskets, Guardian Cigarettes, Lit Beer, Pep Cereals, and Vertigo Comics).[28]
Son of Vulcan
Big Belly Burger made two appearances in the Son of Vulcan limited series comic book. The first issue of the publication depicted Big Belly Burger as the location where 14-year-old orphan Miguel "Mikey" Devante worked when he met the superhero Vulcan and received his powers from him.[29] The fictional restaurant appeared again in the limited series' final issue, after Devante defeated a group of supervillains.[30]
Other heroes
Will Payton, the teenage version of the superhero Starman, is depicted as a Big Belly Burger employee in a 1989 story,[31] and the DC Comics alien Nix Uotan is depicted working at Big Belly Burger during his exile on Earth in a 2008 story.[21] The superheroine Skyrocket of the superhero group Power Company also was depicted working at a Big Belly Burger in order to earn money prior to becoming a hero-for-hire in a 2002 tale.[32] Captain Marvel ate a Big Belly Burger at almost every meal during his time with the Justice League.[33]
Television
- Big Belly Burger and its products appear in TV series set in the Arrowverse:
- A Star City and Central City-based restaurant appear in Arrow[34][35][36][37] and The Flash respectively[38][39][40][41][42][43] while products from a National City restaurant appear in the Supergirl episode "Fallout".[44]
- In the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Meat: The Legends", it is revealed that Big Belly Burger originally began in the 1950s as a San Bernardino diner named Big Bang Burger run by Bert Beeman (portrayed by Greg Kean) until his wife Rhonda (Kirsten Robeck) uses liquid from an alien cocoon as secret sauce to help the restaurant outdo their competitors, leading to the Beemans being eaten by a moth-like alien that emerged from the cocoon. After Legends member Esperanza "Spooner" Cruz kills the alien, Big Bang Burger waitress Sandy Sledge (portrayed by Naiah Cummins) becomes the new owner and renames it Big Belly Burger.[45]
- A Big Belly Burger restaurant appears in the Justice League Action episode "Best Day Ever".[46]
- A Los Angeles-based Big Belly Burger restaurant makes a background appearance in the Young Justice: Outsiders episode "Influence".[47]
- A Central City-based Big Belly Burger restaurant appears in the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode "One Minute Mysteries!".[48]
Film
- A Portland, Oregon-based Big Belly Burger restaurant appears in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five.[49]
- Big Belly Burger products from a restaurant in the fictional Palmera City appear in Blue Beetle.[50][51]
Miscellaneous
- Big Belly Burger-inspired stands appear at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain.[52][53]
- Big Belly Burger appears in Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #9.[54]
- Big Belly Burger serves as inspiration for a collaboration between Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Wonderland Restaurants, who created a real-life version of Big Belly Burger's namesake as part of a promotional tie-in for Zack Snyder's Justice League from April to May 2021.[55]
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