Look Up in the Sky… It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Spider-Man (and others)!
2024’s new John Romita-inspired Spider-Man balloon
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UPDATED 11/28/24: It’s Thanksgiving! Perfect time for this reprint, which originally ran in 2022! Plus, this year, there’s a new Spider-Man balloon, based on the art of John Romita (above)! Gobble gobble! — Dan
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By PETER BOSCH
In 1924, Macy’s had its first Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Just three years later, the character balloon was introduced into the parade… and the first was Felix the Cat!
Here are 13 comic strip and comic book characters that have appeared in the parade over the last nearly 100 years.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
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Felix the Cat (1930 parade)
Mama from “The Katzenjammer Kids” (1930)
Mickey Mouse at an airplane hangar prior to the parade (1934)
Ad for Superman at the Parade
Superman (1940)
Mighty Mouse (1956)
Popeye (1959)
Bullwinkle (1961)
Donald Duck (1962)
Superman (1966)
Betty Boop (1987)
Underdog (the 1980s)
Spider-Man (2000)
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MORE
— Hey, Cool! SPIDER-MAN Returns to MACY’s THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE. Click here.
— Dig in! Here’s BATMAN’s THANKSGIVING MENU. Click here.
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PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, has just been published by TwoMorrows. He has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. Peter lives in Hollywood.
November 24, 2022
Snoopy has been in it ore than anyone https://www.gocomics.com/ripleysbelieveitornot/2022/11/24?ct=v&cti=1736086
November 24, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours
November 24, 2022
Wonderful! I remember waiting to see the Bullwinkle balloon on TV when I was a kid! Happy Thanksgiving!
November 28, 2024
And is it just me or does the face of the 1940s Superman look a lot like Jack Benny?
November 24, 2022
This is so great, thank you!
November 23, 2023
Jim Shooter has an interesting story about designing the Spider-Man float: http://jimshooter.com/2011/11/designing-spider-man-balloon-for-macys.html/
November 28, 2024
What a pretty epic Thanksgiving treat you’ve shared here.
December 1, 2024
That new Spider-Man balloon was HUGE!!! And I am so glad the TV hosts of the parade mentioned John Romita.