Candy roundup.

Been a while since we discussed things that are bad for you to eat here on Channel Fred, so without further ado...

From our "Is That Still Around?" file comes the Clark bar, a once very popular but now difficult to find candy bar. It's made by the New England Confectionery Company, better known as NECCO, who just had one of their biggest days of the year, as they make conversation hearts. 

Perhaps the Clark bar is bigger in New England -- NECCO is still based in Massachusetts -- but in the greater New York area you almost never see it (or Squirrel Nut Zippers, or Sky Bars, or most other NECCO products but Canada Mints and the classic NECCO Wafers). 

The Clark was originally made in 1917 by the D. L. Clark company. D. L. Clark had several owners from 1955 on, but was purchased by NECCO in 1999. It turns out that NECCO is building on the brand, offering new sizes and varieties. Their problem may be that the Clark is just too similar to Nestle's Butterfinger; I doubt I could tell the difference in a taste test. And in a head-to-head candy war, Nestle has the advantage of much deeper pockets. But the Clark is delicious and worthy of your candy dollar.

Speaking of companies trying to diversify a brand:

The Reese's Stuffed with Pieces seems like a natural. It's an extra-thick Reese's candy cup with E.T.'s beloved crunchy Reese's Pieces inside. So you get that great chocolate-PB combo along with the crunch of the Pieces, and there's more of it overall to savor.

But in practice, the Pieces get lost in the cup; they're there, but you don't get much crunch from them. You still get an oversize Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, which is not nothing, but the execution fails to live up to the promise.

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A friend sent me a note to say that, with the constant stream of Marvel movies, he fully expects that by the next Super Bowl we will see an ad with Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, for Snickers.

I can buy that.

He and a buddy have this scenario:

"I SHALL ATTEMPT TO CONSUME THE EARTH FOR THE 107th TIME!"

(Mr. Fantastic stretches arm up with Snickers) "Try this."

(Galactus eats candy, smiles)

"Better?"

(Galactus has turned into Aunt May) "Thanks."