Tag: comida rapida

The interdimensional crossover of DC… and Kentucky Fried Chicken

So much is the fanaticism for the historical figure (forgetting that in the last years of his life he fiercely criticized the KFC food, considering that they had forgotten about the quality) that he has starred in a good handful of DC comics.

Five years ago, it’s possible that anyone you asked on the street wouldn’t know how to respond if you asked them about the multiverse. Now, most people have seen ‘The Flash,’ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ or ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and know what it refers to. But years ago, this idea was born in the world of DC with ‘Flash of Two Worlds’ in 1961. However, it’s possible that no one has exploited it better than a fast-food brand known for greasy chicken. How is that possible?

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Crisis of Infinite Colonels

Colonel Sanders was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952, and his face became the unofficial mascot of the company. No talking hamburgers, no walking pieces of pizza – just a real person who actually existed. The fanaticism for this historical figure (ignoring the fact that he strongly criticized KFC’s food quality in his later years) led to his appearance in a number of DC comics.

After his death in 1980, his heirs had free rein to do as they pleased. Thus, from 2015 to 2017, three comics were published that blended Colonel Sanders with counterparts from other alternate universes, as well as characters like Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl, or Superwoman. The three comics were titled ‘The Colonel of Two Worlds,’ ‘Crisis of Infinite Colonels,’ and ‘Across the Universe.’ Quite something.

Perhaps it will surprise you, but these comics aren’t of the highest quality. They’re not terrible either – they have their moments. It’s amusing to encounter Colonel Bizarro, Cowboy Sanders, or Koln-El, an obvious parody of Superman. There was even a chicken-shaped Colonel that we won’t ask any further questions about. It all started with the presence of a certain Colonel Sunder, the creator of ‘Easy Fried Chicken,’ on Earth-3. He promised, “I sell cheap chicken, maybe it doesn’t taste good… but it’s easy to make! Fill your belly, that’s all that matters, forget Kentucky, Easy makes you happier.” Uh-huh.

In the end, Captain Cold, Flash, and Green Lantern enjoyed “a decent meal” and even offered Colonel Sunder a position in the Justice League. Yes, the Justice League! ‘Crisis on Infinite Colonels,’ which is drawn in different styles, is quite amusing. It’s worth checking out, even if it’s just to see it in the ‘Teen Titans Go!’ world. The outcome is the same: they defeat the villain and ensure they serve good food to their customers. Logical, right?

You’re right; it might not be a grand thing, but it’s definitely a brilliant marketing maneuver. A decent comic sponsored by an absurdly large brand – how can it not be ridiculously enjoyable?

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The Close Call: How the Pineapple Hamburger Almost Became a McDonald’s Staple

None of the strange experiments at the world's most popular burger joint can match the biggest flop in its history. So much so that few have heard of it: the Hula Burger.

Despite being the queen of fast food, McDonald’s has not always been right in the new menus it has proposed to customers. Sure, a piece of breaded chicken is not the same as a lobster sandwich (the horrible McLobster) or eating hot dogs in a place where they don’t look like anything (McHotDog). But none of the bizarre experiments of the world’s most popular burger joint can match the biggest failure in its history. So much so that few have heard of it: the Hula Burger.

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Aberration vs. aberration

Let’s go back to 1961. If you have seen the movie ‘The Founder’ you will know that Ray Kroc, a door-to-door salesman, bought the McDonald’s franchise from its true creators, brothers Richard and Maurice, after seven years of helping them grow the franchise. Thus, this man became the leader of the company and announced that all decisions would have to go through him. In fact, although his techniques were completely unethical, he is the one to whom the restaurant owes its fame.

But not all of his ideas were good, of course: two years after buying McDonald’s, a store in Ohio began to show a noticeable drop in sales. The reason? The Lenten season in a very religious population that, for forty days, could eat virtually none of the menus offered by the franchise. The store’s owner, Lou Groen, was not willing to go bankrupt without a fight, and created his own hamburger, one that still survives to this day.

He took a piece of fish, breaded it and put it between bread and bread: the Filet-o-fish (although still without its iconic name in English) was born. Business picked up and Groen thought it was such a good idea that he tried to take it to the upper echelons. However, when it came time for Kroc to approve it, what he did instead was laugh at him saying “You always come up with a bunch of shit! I don’t want my shops to stink with the smell of fish!”

We are a pineapple

Of course! Who would want to buy a fish fillet between two hamburger buns? That didn’t make any sense! And to prove it, he would duel it out with the new snack he had created: the Hula Burger. The winner would continue on the menu and the other would be eliminated forever. Spoiler: if you don’t see the Hula Burger around, there’s a reason.

Putting pineapple on pizza or not is a fairly common debate on the Internet that usually has no clear solution (the Hawaiian exists for a reason), but this one seems clearer: a cheeseburger in which the meat is replaced by a piece of grilled pineapple. It’s tasty, isn’t it? Of course it doesn’t. Not now, not in 1963. At the store where the test was conducted, 350 people chose the fish fillet, and far, far fewer went for the other aberration.

After the test, Roy Kovac gave up and put the fish fillet on the regular menu, where, to the surprise of many, it remains. In fact, the advertisement in 1965 named it “The fish that catches you people”. It is true that in Spain it is not popular, in the world 300 million are bought throughout the year, so there must be something in the water -or, rather, in the fish burger- when they bless it.