Are Wackys really wacky?

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

Yeah, it's a Mars parody but keep in mind that situation was already taken care of in the last postcard series with the Starburst gag (Starburst being owned by Mars).

well - this sent me off into google and wiki-land to see what's what. I didn't realize a connection to Mars here.

It looks like Mars bought out Wrigley's back in 2008, making a bunch of the candies and gum in the early ANS cards now under Mars Inc. control instead of Wrigleys. Man, these guys are big!
Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, Big Red, Life Savers, Orbit, Starburst, etc.
They also bought out Uncle Ben's in 2007, the same year it was in ANS5. So I'm thinking it was probably parodied before it became a Mars product.

[Crust]

Well this is cool, but at the same time bad. How did someone get this?? I do have to say i'm glad M&M's got pariodied, because that is pretty hard to think of a good joke for!! Also we saw something we should not have seen!!

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

Well this is cool, but at the same time bad. How did someone get this?? I do have to say i'm glad M&M's got pariodied, because that is pretty hard to think of a good joke for!! Also we saw something we should not have seen!!

I think Dave did a pretty good joke for them a few years back. Would have been cool to actually be able to use it in OLDS

[JasonLiebig]

well - this sent me off into google and wiki-land to see what's what. I didn't realize a connection to Mars here.

It looks like Mars bought out Wrigley's back in 2008, making a bunch of the candies and gum in the early ANS cards now under Mars Inc. control instead of Wrigleys. Man, these guys are big!
Juicy Fruit, Doublemint, Big Red, Life Savers, Orbit, Starburst, etc.
They also bought out Uncle Ben's in 2007, the same year it was in ANS5. So I'm thinking it was probably parodied before it became a Mars product.

Just for a little candy-clarification:

Starburst was never a Wrigley product, but was always a product of the M&M/Mars company.  Well, at least going back to the 1970's.

Mars acquiring Wrigley in 2008 doesn't seem to have any bearing on the issue of Mars products as Wackys.  Rather (and this is me speculating), it just seems that M&M/Mars isn't going after Wacky Packages at this point, as tested by the Starburst parody.    

[Crust]

I'm not sure if you guys realizied this, but remember with ANS1 there was the card "Scarburst" so those products have been made fun of fairly recently. You probally already knew this, but I figured I throw it out there just in case.

[Gurgle]

I'm not sure if you guys realizied this, but remember with ANS1 there was the card "Scarburst" so those products have been made fun of fairly recently. You probally already knew this, but I figured I throw it out there just in case.

Yeah, "Sneakers" was another one. I guess the C&D came because of those parodies but apparently everything is copasetic now.

[Gurgle]

I think Dave did a pretty good joke for them a few years back. Would have been cool to actually be able to use it in OLDS

(Image removed from quote.)

I bet she can really dish it out.

I'm still hoping we can make a set of Kinky Packages.

[BumChex]

You dirty old man
I'm all for it of course 

[slamjim]

I bet she can really dish it out.

I'm still hoping we can make a set of Kinky Packages.

Like this?

[Gurgle]

Like this?

Nice. That one's quite a tickler.

[Pupsi-Cola]

I think Dave did a pretty good joke for them a few years back. Would have been cool to actually be able to use it in OLDS

(Image removed from quote.)

Just my 2 cents here of course:

1. I will admit I'm happy to see a parody of M/M's.

2. But unfortunately, This is in bad taste.

[slamjim]

Just my 2 cents here of course:

1. I will admit I'm happy to see a parody of M/M's.

2. But unfortunately, This is in bad taste.

This is NOT in Old School. It was something I did for another company on my own many, many years ago.

[Plan 9]

Just my 2 cents here of course:

1. I will admit I'm happy to see a parody of M/M's.

2. But unfortunately, This is in bad taste.

Wacky Packs are in good taste?

[JasonLiebig]

Wacky Packs are in good taste?

Yeah. 

You think Wacky Packs are in bad taste?

[Plan 9]

Yeah. 

You think Wacky Packs are in bad taste?

I was asking Mark. Now you're just doing your devils advocate thing.

[JasonLiebig]

I was asking Mark. Now you're just doing your devils advocate thing.

Oh, sorry - I thought this was a discussion board where I was a member, and you posted something other members could read.  Didn't realize I had tapped into a private conversation.  

I didn't think I was "just doing my devil's advocate thing", I was surprised by your question, and wanted to know what you thought, because I already understood his original statement about the S&M's parody (it seems clear how someone who loves Wacky Packages could think that one was in "bad taste"), so rather than decide for myself why you asked your question, I asked you.  How rude of me.  

By all means, let me barrel forward now, assuming I know what's what, and let's see how well that works:

First, I apologize that you thought I was interrupting YOUR Devil's advocate question, with one of my own.  

Now Plan, I know, for a fact,that you feel that if Wacky Packages aren't offensive, they aren't effective or worthwhile.  But you're misguided -  applying some personal artistic, or anti-social or anti establishment personal desire to them.  And that's okay to do, but try to understand that's not necessarily what they are, or to grant you something, the only thing they set out to be.  I'm not sure if the root of this viewpoint of yours is the rejection of some of your work by the Wacky editors, but if so, well that's okay, too.  Rejection has propelled a lot of artists forward to do great things.  I  hope it works out for you.  

Thanks - deciding what you think is so much easier than asking you.  

When you're ready to grant me the level of membership to ask you simple questions - let me know.  In the meantime, I'll just answer them for myself, and enjoy you questioning others at your leisure.

[Jean Nutty]

Now Plan, I know, for a fact,that you feel that if Wacky Packages aren't offensive, they aren't effective or worthwhile.

Just a side comment, I think Plan must be a little OK with plain old silliness     

                           [expando]http://cdn.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_29233/subcat_100828/Choppertone-sm.jpg[/expando]

[Buz]

This is NOT in Old School. It was something I did for another company on my own many, many years ago.

Wait . . . what?

I've loved the S&Ms design since I saw it years ago, but I always thought it was just an "amateur" Wacky project you did back then. Are you saying this was actually produced at one point?

[bigtomi]

Oh, sorry - I thought this was a discussion board where I was a member, and you posted something other members could read.  Didn't realize I had tapped into a private conversation.  

Jason,

Far be it from me to speak for Mr. Alfrey, as I know he's quite capable of responding to you himself, but all I read from his comment to Shoe was that he was pointing out the irony of calling a Wacky "in bad taste". Most Wackys aren't in "good taste", so my take was that he was trying to get Shoe to think about that a bit. (Plan, if I'm off here, please correct me).

As is often the case, Jason, you are reading WAY more into something than there is.

[BumChex]

Jason,

Far be it from me to speak for Mr. Alfrey, as I know he's quite capable of responding to you himself, but all I read from his comment to Shoe was that he was pointing out the irony of calling a Wacky "in bad taste". Most Wackys aren't in "good taste", so my take was that he was trying to get Shoe to think about that a bit. (Plan, if I'm off here, please correct me).

As is often the case, Jason, you are reading WAY more into something than there is.

He's reading too much and me not enough

[bigtomi]

He's reading too much and me not enough

LOL 

[sco(o)t]

He's reading too much and me not enough

That's one negative on forums like this... is tough to get the exact right measure of read-iness into each post. 

If you don't read enough, you end up looking like a old codger with Alzheimer's, seemingly forgetting something stated three posts ago. Read too much into it and you come across as a soap-box preaching maniac. Since my kids accuse me of both, I am good either way.   

[Gurgle]

You think Wacky Packs are in bad taste?

Some are, but in my opinion the vast majority are not. Oh, sorry, you weren't addressing me.

[slamjim]

Wait . . . what?

I've loved the S&Ms design since I saw it years ago, but I always thought it was just an "amateur" Wacky project you did back then. Are you saying this was actually produced at one point?

Yeah, some company bought the rights to three of the Photoshop Wacky style designs I had made and made some t-shirts and shaped stickers of them. This was in the 1990s. Very limited. Struggle, Twits and this one were made.

[Gurgle]

Yeah, some company bought the rights to three of the Photoshop Wacky style designs I had made and made some t-shirts and shaped stickers of them. This was in the 1990s. Very limited. Struggle, Twits and this one were made.

Why does it say, "© Topps Chewing Gum"? Did someone on the forum just throw together a mockup?

[JasonLiebig]

Jason,

Far be it from me to speak for Mr. Alfrey, as I know he's quite capable of responding to you himself, but all I read from his comment to Shoe was that he was pointing out the irony of calling a Wacky "in bad taste". Most Wackys aren't in "good taste", so my take was that he was trying to get Shoe to think about that a bit. (Plan, if I'm off here, please correct me).

As is often the case, Jason, you are reading WAY more into something than there is.

Yours would have been a reasonable answer to my question. 

Maybe I just got annoyed that he didn't answer a simple question, dismissing it and throwing a back-handed insult my way.  All I did was ask Mark if he thought Wacky's were in bad taste -- how is that reading too much into anything. 

Or, by reading WAY more into something, are you referring to my response when he read too much into my simple question, which he refused to answer?  Or when Mark read too much into someone else calling out S&M's as being in bad taste? 

I just respond to the crap, if I'm given it, nothing more.  And maybe I wanted Mark to think about dismissing a question, rather than just answering it.  But now that I think about it, Mark implied that he might be an entramanure, and is used to slinging crap onto others.   I'd rather brush it back onto him. 

But thank YOU for answering the question. 

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

Why does it say, "© Topps Chewing Gum"? Did someone on the forum just throw together a mockup?

yeah, someone on the forum just threw together a mockup. I think his name is Dave Gross. here's some more of his early work
http://john-manns-wacky-site.com/artwork/davidgross/

[sco(o)t]

yeah, someone on the forum just threw together a mockup. I think his name is Dave Gross. here's some more of his early work
http://john-manns-wacky-site.com/artwork/davidgross/

Man, that LICEE title gives me the heebie-jeebies (hope this is not an ethnic slur... but it sure sounds like one).
Not sure why... I guess the thought of bugs crawling around in a Slurpee just creeps me out.

http://john-manns-wacky-site.com/artwork/davidgross/pictures/licee.jpg

[Hustler08]

I don't expect we'll be privy to information about how this promo card was acquired by the seller.  It seems that only unscrupulous means could have led to its' acquisition, though I suspect they were only "mildly" unscrupulous.  I don't think anyone should go to jail for grabbing a promo card, but at the same time, I do hope you and the guys at Topps figure out how this happened, and can make sure it doesn't happen again, or something worse.  

Robocop should be called in to investigate.  

(sorry, he's on my brain, what with all the Detroit Robocop statue business - watched a Peter Weller video on it today - classic)

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/02/28/peter-weller-appeals-to-detroit-for-robocop-statue/

Yea right...when I saw it on ebay I thought I missed OLDS2 shipping and someone got their boxes before me...now SEND IN ROBOCOP - Love RoboCop....good call...

[slamjim]

Why does it say, "© Topps Chewing Gum"? Did someone on the forum just throw together a mockup?

That was just on the image I made for fun. It's not on any of the printed stuff.

[bandaches]

Jason,

Far be it from me to speak for Mr. Alfrey, as I know he's quite capable of responding to you himself, but all I read from his comment to Shoe was that he was pointing out the irony of calling a Wacky "in bad taste". Most Wackys aren't in "good taste", so my take was that he was trying to get Shoe to think about that a bit. (Plan, if I'm off here, please correct me).

As is often the case, Jason, you are reading WAY more into something than there is.

Jason finally responds with a short post and he gets crap for it?  I found his bad taste/good taste post to be clear, concise and to the point.  I don't agree with Pupsi that S&M is in bad taste but maybe his defition of bad taste is different than mine.  I reserved "bad taste" for something that may end up being offensive to a specific classification of people(ie showing a prejudice).  I think far less than 50% of original wackys could be contrued as being in bad taste.  I doubt 50% could even be easily argued as edge.  Mutts, Dopey Whip, Cover Ghoul, Gadzooka, 6 Up, Quacker Oats, Crust, Fink....colorful, memorable, great art..bad taste, edgy?  I don't think so.

[Gurgle]

That was just on the image I made for fun. It's not on any of the printed stuff.

Too bad. Now Topps owns the copyrights to your images and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.  Iron clad, it is.

[JasonLiebig]

Jason finally responds with a short post and he gets crap for it?  I found his bad taste/good taste post to be clear, concise and to the point.  I don't agree with Pupsi that S&M is in bad taste but maybe his defition of bad taste is different than mine.  I reserved "bad taste" for something that may end up being offensive to a specific classification of people(ie showing a prejudice).  I think far less than 50% of original wackys could be contrued as being in bad taste.  I doubt 50% could even be easily argued as edge.  Mutts, Dopey Whip, Cover Ghoul, Gadzooka, 6 Up, Quacker Oats, Crust, Fink....colorful, memorable, great art..bad taste, edgy?  I don't think so.

I agree - I'd go even further, and state that I think it'd be a stretch to consider even 20% of original Wackys as "in bad taste".   A lot of them are just silly, or perhaps more accurately, they're wacky. 

Taste is, by it's definition, a personal thing - so we could debate it forever, but generally I think these are wonderfully WACKY packaging parody stickers.  Not overly provocative, or risky, just perfectly wacky. 

[bigtomi]

Jason finally responds with a short post and he gets crap for it?  I found his bad taste/good taste post to be clear, concise and to the point.  I don't agree with Pupsi that S&M is in bad taste but maybe his defition of bad taste is different than mine.  I reserved "bad taste" for something that may end up being offensive to a specific classification of people(ie showing a prejudice).  I think far less than 50% of original wackys could be contrued as being in bad taste.  I doubt 50% could even be easily argued as edge.  Mutts, Dopey Whip, Cover Ghoul, Gadzooka, 6 Up, Quacker Oats, Crust, Fink....colorful, memorable, great art..bad taste, edgy?  I don't think so.

My intent was not to "give crap" to Jason at all. I just thought his response to Mark's response was too deep, IMO. I merely wanted to point that out while attempting to clarify what Plan likely meant.

[JasonLiebig]

My intent was not to "give crap" to Jason at all. I just thought his response to Mark's response was too deep, IMO. I merely wanted to point that out while attempting to clarify what Plan likely meant.

I'll take my crap, or my criticism, as necessary.  I don't like it, and I try to not invite it, but I have a sense of humor about myself, and enough self-esteem that I can take some ribbing, and some honest criticism. 

But beyond that, I find the discussion of what Wackys "are" or what they were intended to be, far more interesting than whether or not I read too much into posts, or refusal to answer simple questions.

Mark (Plan 9) is a smart, talented, and often outspoken guy.  He's definitely got an informed and passionate point-of-view when it comes to Wacky Packages.  I've surmised, as-of-late, that Mark's indicated that a key part of what makes a Wacky Package a Wacky Package, to him anyway, is whether or not it is provocative. 

Maybe he's right, but I disagree with him, if I understand where he's coming from - and I think I do.  I asked him directly, so that I could be sure, but have received no response. 

I do think it's a great topic for discussion, though maybe not on a thread that's meant to be discussing leaked promo stickers.