Pennsylvania professor proposes whoopie pie emoji
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Bill Zimmerman, an assistant teaching professor of public relations at Penn State University, officially filed a proposal with the Unicode Consortium to create a whoopie pie emoji. The submission celebrates the beloved “marriage of cake and icing” known regionally as whoopie pies, gobs or black & whites.
The proposal was submitted on April 2, the opening day for 2026 emoji filings. Zimmerman, a Western Pennsylvania native who grew up calling the treats “gobs”, chose Johnstown, Pennsylvania as the launchpad for the initiative. The proposed design, created by artist Asep Setiawan, features white icing sandwiched between two pieces of chocolate cake.
“I want this to be a catalyst for whoopie pie lovers, bakers, chambers of commerce and small businesses to have some fun on social media and share our love for whoopie pies,” Zimmerman said.
The Unicode Consortium, which manages over 3,600 emoji, will accept new proposals until July 31. Zimmerman’s filing highlights the treat’s high usage and cultural significance, noting that Maine designated the whoopie pie as its official state treat in 2011.
Patrick Myers, executive director of the Center Theatre and organizer of the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, expressed his support for the initiative. The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, which recently won second place in USA Today’s 10 Best competition for Best Specialty Food Festival, is listed as an official supporter.
“I’ve wished for a whoopie pie emoji so many times that I was thrilled when Professor Zimmerman contacted me about the emoji proposal. While there’s nothing that whoopie pie fans can really do to encourage the Unicode Consortium to accept the emoji, we’ll all be rooting for it,” Myers said.
The 2026 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds, Fairview Avenue in Dover-Foxcroft.
For more information on the emoji proposal, visit ilovegobs.com. More information on the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival can be found at MaineWhoopiePieFestival.com. The festival is the largest annual fundraiser for the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce and the Center Theatre for the Performing Arts and supports the theatre’s mission to engage and inspire by making art, education and entertainment accessible to our rural communities.