Chumpies: The Original Philadelphia Potato Chip

I was browsing through some old things around the crib, and oh snap! — look what I found: A bag of Chumpies!

Chumpies was a brand of potato chips started in Philadelphia in 1991. They were still around when I left Philadelphia in 2004 and you could pick them up in bodegas and the like. They were fairly common and I took them for granted as not a “Philly thing” (in other words, I assumed they were available nationwide which is not quite the case).

Chumpies, aside from having the flyest graphics on a bag of chips ever (not to mention a name based on regional slang any Philadelphian can be proud of), were also positively-inspired: each bag has anti-drug messages, as well as no pork byproducts (non-cipher, kid). You should definitely check for them in your local markets.

UPDATE: I scanned the back of the bag in too, but the shiny packaging didn’t take well to the scanner, making it rather unreadable. But I wanted to transcribe the literature on the back of the product as well. It’s represented below:

Home Boys (H-Boys)

This product is an acknowledgement of our American urban experience, and culture. This experience can be found in the term “Home Boys”.

Many youth today are unaware that this term has been used in our community for over 25 years. And many of our “Home Boys” have gone on to become the pride of their neighborhood.

A lot of the time we weren’t the best kids on the block, but many of us went on to become Doctors, Lawyers, Judges, Ministers, and even Police. We salute the “Home Boys” of the past and dedicate ourselves to taking back the corner of today, from the dealers of drugs. We have to make the corners drug free again.

Also, be sure to check out my latest article about Rap Sancks, another Philly-born potato chip brand.