JOE PALOOKA STATUE

Above is the hand-carved limestone statue of 1940’s cartoon hero, Joe Palooka.

In 1948, Ham Fisher, creator of Joe Palooka, dedicated this limestone statue to Bedford, Indiana. The 10 feet – 20,000 pound statue was made by Indiana Limestone Company, Inc.

Palooka was eventually moved to Oolitic, Indiana for safe-keeping. You can still see him standing tall and proud today!

In the comics, Joe Palooka started out as a good-hearted boxing champion until around 1940 when he became the first comic book character to enlist into the U.S. Military. After that, Joe Palooka became more than a boxer; he became a hero – fighting the Nazi’s, left and right.

Categories: Attractions, Limestone