How many Old School Boxes did you buy from Topps?

[blunderbrent]

It is true that card/sticker collecting is on the wane with kids, along with comic books. There are a number of neighborhood kids who went gaga when I gave them a huge box of assorted random card sets I had got in a bundle. I quickly realized that their excitement was based on how much they could resell the items online, not interest in the cards themselves. In the 70's, Wackies were radical compared to Scooby Doo and Giligan's Island. They were pornographic in their departure and divergence from typical pop culture. Consider the classic Boozo puzzle and sticker. It is obscene on several levels. It casually mixed the adult world with the kid world. Gumball jawbreakers were flavored after different hard liquors. It had a drunk character on a packaging clearly designed for children. It would be just as outrageous today as it was back then. The booze and the cigarette Wackies are what really made them a transgressive treasure to me, growing up as I did in a fundamentalist home. Liquor brand bottles, beer cans, and cigarrette packages were simply not something you would find in the kid universe. A parody of them took it a step further by co-opting them. Umbrella, IOU and Playbug were also favorites for the same reason. After the PC 90's and Big Box store censorship, that sort of sophistocation was replaced with gross gags. I do, however, like the creepy and dark (halloween, monster type) ANS.

[slamjim]

The mere fact that they ban entire themes that they deemed acceptable 30 years ago is evident they are tighter than ever.

I think your grasping at straws and may be indicative of some other issues you seem to have with Topps. Yes, some themes have been dropped but overall there are more "edgy" ANS stickers than in the OS (varying theme wise). And while some themes have been dropped over the years (cigs and alcohol) they have added "gross-out" humor which was and still is in some circles "edgy". Times change.

The third you didn't mention is sex. In the past they've spoofed Playboy, Vampirella and IOU (which contrary to Jay Lynch's comment about IOU, it is still depicted in the gag as a porn rag). Those products haven't changed. So why should Topps product change? What, they can't handle a couple of crybaby parents writing some angry emails?

As for sex you mention 3 stickers in a total of over 500. Hardly a theme. In fact, all three are magazine parodies and those magazines in the 70s were even considered somewhat normal for the time. It's not out of the question that in some households Dad would just have them sitting out on top of Time and Life. In 2010 porn is the Internet not magazines so spoofing a few dying sex mags that kids today have probably never heard or seen is a waste. Again, I'll point out that Perdude, Strip-Peas and Brokeback Mountain Dew touch on sex in a far more edgy way than any of those three.

You kinda stretched your interpretations of those gags. A drunk car does not equate to drunk driving, though I'm happy to at least see a drunk reference there. Drunk is funny!

The car is a stand in for a human. Seems pretty obvious and is a pretty standard thing in parody and animation to attribute human like qualities to animals and inanimate objects. It's totally about drunk driving. The character is drunk and disheveled, is continuing to drink "alcohol" and is a car who's sole purpose is to drive. The gag at the top has a funnel with an olive and toothpick asking you to have "one more for the road" and it tells you to "get tanked".

Censored bars over green peas is a very cute idea, but not edgy.

Again, you avoid the entire piece. It's got a triple X strip club at the top, has a breast enhancement gag and a number of males with suggestive hand placement and exasperated expressions ogling woman. The censored bars are the least of it but suggestive enough. In 1974 if this gag was used the censored bars would be there as well. No way they would actually show some boobs and nipples on the Wacky. Sometimes less is more anyway. I should also point out there is a censored bar over the boobs on the Umbrella girl and the insect girl on Playbug and those gags don't even relate to anything going on throughout the sticker other than acting as censors to showing some boobs which is strange considering neither is actually topless and the IOU gal is showing more cleavage than either of them.

I think most of your gags are approved because you have a knack for writing gags that are safe and cute. That's just what Topps wants today and I suppose that's the only way they can keep the product going.

Really? I just looked through the entire OS run. The majority is "safe and cute" save for the alcohol and cigarettes and some dead dogs. Certainly as it relates to the level of edgy you seems to be advocating for. In fact, the OS got progressively safer as it went along. Probably due to all the C&Ds so Topps was doing as much censoring back then as they do now. Jay has even pointed out that some things and certain words were avoided back then.  Wackys were and are a riff on consumer culture and branding not about hitting each and every hot edgy topic around. Didn't happen in the OS and isn't happening in the ANS. There are SOME in all the series but the majority are "safe and cute". I for one would NOT want to see Wacky Packages any other way. Young kids do still like this type of humor. Spongebob is smart, funny but not nasty. The level of humor is exactly the same. Pre-teens love iCarly (yeah, boys too) and it's funny without being nasty. Not everything falls in the Family Guy category nowadays (BTW, that show sucks...South Park baby!)

Personally I'd like to see an edgier product even if it only lasted a few series. Childish humor does not appeal to me anymore. That's why I'm more obsessive about the art. Kids aren't as crazy about Wackys anymore because the product is soft by today's standards. They watch Family Guy and Simpsons and South park. They speak a language when parents are not around that we didn't even allow ourselves to speak when we were that age! That's the kind of edge today's kids need for a laugh. I think the appeal of such a series can potentially carry through for teens and even college age. I'm thinking about creating just such a series and putting it on the national market. It may take awhile but I can do it.

Well, I honestly wish you luck with it. You may be able to get it into Hot Topic but not too many other national brands.  How far are you going to go? Showing boobs? curse words or very suggestive innuendo? Political? If your not willing to go R rated or NC-17 then you may as well stick to Wackys which are PG to PG-13.  There have already been some "dirty" Wackys (altered versions of OS ones) and the collectors did not respond positively to them. I've seen your roughs and few paintings and there is nothing in them that is edgier than anything else I've seen any of the other Wacky artists submit. In fact they are quite safe and cute. If you haven't made the attempt to get the types of gags you want to see through why are you so upset with Jeff? They have an idea for the type of product they want to sell and it does not jive with what you want to see but it certainly isn't "wrong". It seems weird to get mad over them not wanting to change their entire line to the way you want it to be. Maybe your right and there is a market for your version and I think you are on the right course of doing it yourself rather than trying to influence Topps in changing their product. Maybe there could be a market for both so I am eager to see what you come up with (BTW, I still would like to see that other idea we spoke about).

[Plan 9]

Plan,

Personally, I don't disagree with your artistic sensibilities - and I think a large part of that is that I'm 41 years old.  

I do question your logic that, if Wackys were edgy like Family Guy, kids would love them.  I think the answer is more generation based, than anything you bring up.  

I'd ask you this question:  Which video games do you play?  I'm guessing your answer is zero.  Yet there are plenty of edgy video games with amazing artwork.  Those would be things you appreciate.   Even so, that doesn't matter to many folks over a certain age.  Video games (I'm guessing) are just not something you're going to be into, in spite of the content and artwork.  I believe packs of stickers suffer a similar problem, with regard to kids today.  My guess is that packaged stickers, no matter the artistic content, simply aren't that relevant to kids today, the way they were to kids 20 or 30 years ago.  

Comic books suffer from the exact opposite of the problem you've identified with Wackys.  They're far edgier, with storytelling and artwork that is, typically, more sophisticated than they were when we were kids - but sales are flat.  And that's partially because kids just don't read comics, whether they're incredible or not.  Is the answer to make them less sophisticated, less edgy, to match what sold in 1973?

And though many kids certainly do watch Family Guy and South Park, many also watch Ben-10, Harry Potter, and High School Musical.   Those three franchises also sell a helluva lot of product in the aisles at Target - far more than even Family Guy and South Park combined.   Ben-10 might be a bit edgy, but High School Musical could not be accused of such a thing - Harry Potter does have quite the edge, though.  I bring it up because those kids you bring up love these things quite a bit, and probably quite a bit more than South Park and Family Guy.  So what can we take away from that?  

The kids that like cute will like High School Musical and modern Wackys. Those are not my target audience. Kids and young adults (like you and me) that want all the stops pulled will want my series. I am confident that I could sell enough of an edgy, daring, politically incorrect product to make it worth while. I can turn Harry Potter into the witchy terrorist "Hairy Plotter". Think of the press it could generate! However, as my painting improves, I may want to do a Mars Attacks type of narrative series. But I might do it as a full color book with short captions rather than trading cards.

[Crakola Crayons]

Mark, I am sure there is plenty of market to go around for various levels of parody.  I look forward to seeing what you put together.

[JasonLiebig]

The kids that like cute will like High School Musical and modern Wackys. Those are not my target audience. Kids and young adults (like you and me) that want all the stops pulled will want my series. I am confident that I could sell enough of an edgy, daring, politically incorrect product to make it worth while. I can turn Harry Potter into the witchy terrorist "Hairy Plotter". Think of the press it could generate! However, as my painting improves, I may want to do a Mars Attacks type of narrative series. But I might do it as a full color book with short captions rather than trading cards.

Sounds cool.  And I hope you're right about finding an audience for what you're proposing.  I'd like to think I can take a pulse of what will sell, but every time I think I know, I get surprised.  

I wanted to ask you a question of craft:  As you work on your painting, have you found that your approach to sculpture is evolving or changing?  My take is that all of life's experiences shade a person's art, but especially when working on a new craft, I think it can provide surprising insights into one you already thought you knew.

??

[Plan 9]

Well, I honestly wish you luck with it. You may be able to get it into Hot Topic but not too many other national brands.  How far are you going to go? Showing boobs? curse words or very suggestive innuendo? Political? If your not willing to go R rated or NC-17 then you may as well stick to Wackys which are PG to PG-13.  There have already been some "dirty" Wackys (altered versions of OS ones) and the collectors did not respond positively to them. I've seen your roughs and few paintings and there is nothing in them that is edgier than anything else I've seen any of the other Wacky artists submit. In fact they are quite safe and cute. If you haven't made the attempt to get the types of gags you want to see through why are you so upset with Jeff? They have an idea for the type of product they want to sell and it does not jive with what you want to see but it certainly isn't "wrong". It seems weird to get mad over them not wanting to change their entire line to the way you want it to be. Maybe your right and there is a market for your version and I think you are on the right course of doing it yourself rather than trying to influence Topps in changing their product. Maybe there could be a market for both so I am eager to see what you come up with (BTW, I still would like to see that other idea we spoke about).

I didn't paint or submit anything that I didn't think Topps would accept. If I do the series I have in mind it will have the same kind of limits as the tv shows I referred to.

I know about the dirty Wackys. That was just nudity and stupidity painted over classic Wackys. I wouldn't expect Wacky fans to like their classics to be treated that way. Maybe Wacky fans wouldn't like my series. But that doesn't matter. Some other group will. Many comic book stores would carry a politically incorrect card series right along with their Frank Miller books. Major distributors like Diamond would carry them too.  

I'm not really mad at Zapata. I just can't answer to a guy who's artistic ability I can't verify and who's composition skills are weak. Especially when that same guy tells me he's going to teach me about composition. He read my Fruit Hold-ups gag back to me over the phone with such a smarmy sarcasm I wanted to club the guy. I forgot how much I hated being an employee. I don't love Wackys enough to suffer the indignities.

[JasonLiebig]

I'm not really mad at Zapata. I just can't answer to a guy who's artistic ability I can't verify and who's composition skills are weak. Especially when that same guy tells me he's going to teach me about composition. He read my Fruit Hold-ups gag back to me over the phone with such a smarmy sarcasm I wanted to club the guy. I forgot how much I hated being an employee. I don't love Wackys enough to suffer the indignities.

Plan,

What you wrote here brought something to mind, and I wanted to respond:

Zapata doesn't need any artistic ability at all in order for him to have the ability to help you be a better artist.  Coaches don't have have ever played a sport, directors don't ever have to have been actors, and editors don't have to have been writers in order to be great at their unique craft, or helping others be better at theirs.  Of course having that ability is often an asset, and that can't be denied.   

Smarmy sarcasm can be intolerable, though, even if someone is a talented artist.   So on that point, I can relate to your intense emotional response, and lack of desire to push through it. 

[Plan 9]

Sounds cool.  And I hope you're right about finding an audience for what you're proposing.  I'd like to think I can take a pulse of what will sell, but every time I think I know, I get surprised.  

I wanted to ask you a question of craft:  As you work on your painting, have you found that your approach to sculpture is evolving or changing?  My take is that all of life's experiences shade a person's art, but especially when working on a new craft, I think it can provide surprising insights into one you already thought you knew.

??

Trying to guess what will sell can drive you mad. The healthiest approach I know is to pursue an idea you like rather than trying to guess what others will like. There's 300 million people in this country. If you like it, others will too. Hollywood currently operates on what they think others will like and that's why movies suck now with very few exceptions. Comics are probably following the same fatal logic. Safe choices stagnate every successful creative market. They do what's been done before. They do what looks like everything else. No surprises will come from this approach. Comic books and movies could be revitalized with a fresh approach. But the major players won't change their programming.

I haven't felt any change to my sculpture work since I've started painting. After painting a few Wackys I'm finding that I don't want to make pictures for kids. I want to paint pictures for big kids like me. The kind of stuff you see in Heavy Metal magazine or a Simon Bisley calendar.

[Playbug]

If you had to take a peek, doesn't that prove Plan's point?  I hate the fact that there are so many titles per set.  I think this contributes significantly to the watered down lack of standout titles.  Who the hell can process 75 titles at a time with any detail?  People kill packs and create sets by the millisecond as it is seeking "value" and "chase cards".  We can't get any momentum going on threads that discuss that actual titles, gags and so on.

Exactly why I DIDN'T take a peek. Otherwise Plan's point IS valid. The idea is what cards were MEMORABLE to everyone, not necessarily their favorite. Sometimes the artist's character can stick in your mind even though the card may not be one of your "favorites".

Having the larger sets does make it a hell of a lot more to process. As far as watered down or lack of stand out titles, I don't totally agree. Seems a lot of the titles used are some that end up being reworked from rejected previous series that would of been used anyway, but I do suppose that under a time deadline on could end up creating a dud. But even under a time deadline you could create a gem. Stand out titles you would have with any series, that's just the nature of some really good ones, no kidding.
As far as larger sets, you could practically memorize the 30 or 33 card set checklist even 50 is not too bad, but 72 and 80 !!! They are 2 sets in one.
Seems to me, because of the technology, that there is a lot more of super tiny printed words on the cards which can be annoying (IMO). Or maybe my eye's is going crazy too !!!

[bandaches]

The kids that like cute will like High School Musical and modern Wackys. Those are not my target audience. Kids and young adults (like you and me) that want all the stops pulled will want my series. I am confident that I could sell enough of an edgy, daring, politically incorrect product to make it worth while. I can turn Harry Potter into the witchy terrorist "Hairy Plotter". Think of the press it could generate! However, as my painting improves, I may want to do a Mars Attacks type of narrative series. But I might do it as a full color book with short captions rather than trading cards.

Would you consider Hollywood Zombies set as edgy?  It seems to me that it was far edgier than wackys and that set completely failed.  I personally loved the set but clearly it didn't hit with kids.  Examining why that set failed may help you decide how you should proceed.

[RonZombie]

Would you consider Hollywood Zombies set as edgy?  It seems to me that it was far edgier than wackys and that set completely failed.  I personally loved the set but clearly it didn't hit with kids.  Examining why that set failed may help you decide how you should proceed.

I thought the "Hollywood Zombies" were a great set also!

[Taz]

I thought the "Hollywood Zombies" were a great set also!

Ron, do not let wackyone catch you deterring away from what the thread is about...ha ha ha ha

[blunderbrent]

I liked HZ too, but they share the same design flaw as GPK and that is they are all nasty all the time. The beauty of Wackys is they retain some pure element of innocence while at the same time being subversive. They were the start of cynicism while stil having one foot in simple yucks. And, importantly, they were all based on real products which we saw at home or in the store. That real world association provided a basis for riducule, i.e. satire, whereas series based on an imagniary silly product have no anchor for the parody to work.

Face it, we are stuck in a time capsule which grants Wackys the mystical glow of our own youthful perception. There is no objective evaluation of something which holds that power of nostalgia. In that sense, no new series will ever be good enough, or have the same qualities which made Wackys great to our 10 year old minds, relived in a 40-something.

[Plan 9]

Would you consider Hollywood Zombies set as edgy?  It seems to me that it was far edgier than wackys and that set completely failed.  I personally loved the set but clearly it didn't hit with kids.  Examining why that set failed may help you decide how you should proceed.

I've always loved the zombie theme big time. But I thought the Hollywood Zombies was a terrible set. Much of the art was great but overall it was just a bunch of bobbleheads with very un-clever names. Micheal Jackson was the best one by far and that one probably sold the whole project. the premise is weak. I don't think kids really care about celebrities becoming bobble headed zombies and going to movie premieres.

[Plan 9]

I liked HZ too, but they share the same design flaw as GPK and that is they are all nasty all the time. The beauty of Wackys is they retain some pure element of innocence while at the same time being subversive. They were the start of cynicism while stil having one foot in simple yucks. Imgaine if Dull came out today. It would have little resonance with today's yoots. Face it, we are stuck in a time capsule which grants Wackys the mystical glow of our own young perception. There is no objective evaluation of something which holds that power of nostalgia. In that sense, no new series will ever be good enough, or have the same qualities which made Wackys great to our 10 year old minds, relived in a 40-something.

There's an audience for innocence and an audience for nasty. Mars Attacks was bloody and violent but it was and still is hugely successful for Topps because the basic premise is simple and great. Hollywood Zombies is so dumb and caricatured it's impossible to get into.

[blunderbrent]

How about GPK? I tried to get into them, but they all start blurring and running together after a bit cause they are all the same pun repeated endlessly. Gets old quick. BUT, they are very successful. Something may work commercially but may not be truly interesting and artistic, at least to whe Wacky base. The trick is melding the two. SpongeBob meets Ren and Stimpy or something.

[paste_anyplace]

I've always loved the zombie theme big time. But I thought the Hollywood Zombies was a terrible set. Much of the art was great but overall it was just a bunch of bobbleheads with very un-clever names. Micheal Jackson was the best one by far and that one probably sold the whole project. the premise is weak. I don't think kids really care about celebrities becoming bobble headed zombies and going to movie premieres.

The Hollywood Zombies would have benefited from a cohesive art style. I think it's difficult these days for Topps to get artists who are willing--let alone able--to sublimate their styles in service of a project like that. On Garbage Pail Kids, many of the long-time fans would like nothing better than for John Pound to paint every card of each new series. Failing that, they want the other artists to ape him as much as possible.

By the way, early in our work on the HZ series, we were told that the Zombies were not intended for the pre-teen kids that Wackys and GPKs are largely aimed at, though I think they hoped kids would want 'em too. The Zombies packs ended up with a "T for teens" rating on them.

[Plan 9]

How about GPK? I tried to get into them, but they all start blurring and running together after a bit cause they are all the same pun repeated endlessly. Gets old quick. BUT, they are very successful. Something may work commercially but may not be truly interesting and artistic, at least to whe Wacky base. The trick is melding the two. SpongeBob meets Ren and Stimpy or something.

I can't figure out the success of GPK. I did collect them but grew out of it pretty fast. Maybe a successful formula can't be explained. We can find ways to explain the success of Wacky Packs and other popular things but maybe the gods laugh at us for being so off the mark.

[bandaches]

The Hollywood Zombies would have benefited from a cohesive art style. I think it's difficult these days for Topps to get artists who are willing--let alone able--to sublimate their styles in service of a project like that. On Garbage Pail Kids, many of the long-time fans would like nothing better than for John Pound to paint every card of each new series. Failing that, they want the other artists to ape him as much as possible.

By the way, early in our work on the HZ series, we were told that the Zombies were not intended for the pre-teen kids that Wackys and GPKs are largely aimed at, though I think they hoped kids would want 'em too. The Zombies packs ended up with a "T for teens" rating on them.

I think targetting teens is a waste of time.  I know when I was a teen, I had no interest in collecting cards and even stopped collecting baseball cards.  Is there any collectible card on the market today that is a hit with teens?

[Crakola Crayons]

I think cards, like many things, get dropped by teens and college aged folks because they are discovering other important things in their lives (like dating, etc.).  The only people that I ever seeing buying cards are the stores and comic shops are small kids and then adult males in their late 20's and beyond.

[Plan 9]

I think targetting teens is a waste of time.  I know when I was a teen, I had no interest in collecting cards and even stopped collecting baseball cards.  Is there any collectible card on the market today that is a hit with teens?

Is there a single card series on the market that's even trying to appeal to teens? I can see a sticker series doing well with teens if the series has the rebellious nature teens want to express. Not every teen is out there getting laid. There's a fair share of teens that would rather watch Star Trek or play D&D. Girlfriends don't account for much of their schedule. (They're the lucky ones I say!)

[Playbug]

I can't figure out the success of GPK. I did collect them but grew out of it pretty fast. Maybe a successful formula can't be explained. We can find ways to explain the success of Wacky Packs and other popular things but maybe the gods laugh at us for being so off the mark.

Me personally, I could never get into the GPK's at all. First off, I couldn't stand the damn Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. I thought they were totally strange looking and do not know why anyone would even want a doll like that. Not that I collect dolls and would know, but damn they were fugly. So, O.K. maybe that's why an artist would want to use that imagery/personna to make fun of. I get that. But the GPK's do start to all look the same and the ONLY thing that catches your attention after a while is the fact that a name will match the name of a person you know (and possibly the attached trait). That's it. One dimentional. Ohhhh, that's what appeals to the kid's, because we all know they can't pay attention for too long. So there you have. That is why they've endured some level of sucess. They marketed themselves to an audience of "hurry it up before I loose my train of thought" kids. The true GPK's. Sounds like Topps were talking about their GPK fanbase with Garbage Pail Kids. Of course this is totally my opinion based on my observations, don't mean to sound too harsh. Maybe I am missing the whole GPK thing (whatever it is) but Wacky's rule supreme over GPK's. Way over.

[Hustler08]

Me personally, I could never get into the GPK's at all. First off, I couldn't stand the damn Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. I thought they were totally strange looking and do not know why anyone would even want a doll like that. Not that I collect dolls and would know, but damn they were fugly. So, O.K. maybe that's why an artist would want to use that imagery/personna to make fun of. I get that. But the GPK's do start to all look the same and the ONLY thing that catches your attention after a while is the fact that a name will match the name of a person you know (and possibly the attached trait). That's it. One dimentional. Ohhhh, that's what appeals to the kid's, because we all know they can't pay attention for too long. So there you have. That is why they've endured some level of sucess. They marketed themselves to an audience of "hurry it up before I loose my train of thought" kids. The true GPK's. Sounds like Topps were talking about their GPK fanbase with Garbage Pail Kids. Of course this is totally my opinion based on my observations, don't mean to sound too harsh. Maybe I am missing the whole GPK thing (whatever it is) but Wacky's rule supreme over GPK's. Way over.

I couldn't agree more...never could understand the attraction...and the movie SUCKED!! My daughter wanted to see it..it sure was 'GARBAGE'..

[Jean Nutty]

I can't figure out the success of GPK. I did collect them but grew out of it pretty fast. Maybe a successful formula can't be explained.

No matter anyone's opinion of GPK’s, Garbage Pail Kids as a parody of Cabbage Patch Dolls is great gag.
It’s an A+ in my book. It shoulda been a Wacky! And, importantly, it coulda been a Wacky - a good Wacky!

Although I collected GPK’s in the 80’s, primarily because I traded them with children I coached at a summer sports camp, I’ve recently started to enjoy GPK’s again. I HAD to buy some 1986 oversize GPK titles (same size as WP laptop stickers) at my favorite coin and stamp store last Saturday when I saw them displayed in the non-sports section. I’ve been curious about my renewed interest, because I don’t like the potty stuff at all, and GPK’s have tons of gross-out stuff that I don’t like. At the coin shop, I was debating between purchasing GPK's or some mid-70’s Playboy magazines, and I walked out with GPK’s. (fyi - I did ask the old lady about WP pogs before I made my final decision - she said, "no" . . .)

I enjoy the gags. There ARE gags in GPK’s. Some of the gags I dare say are better than some of the crappier WP titles. (I’m duck-n-hiding as you ALL throw bombs at me!) Beth Death, Peeping Tom, Rob Slob, those are some funny titles (with zero potty humor) that make me laugh. Is my laugh as “high-brow” as the chuckle Run Tony generates, or the ANS title "Spite" receives from me? No - but I find some of the titles and gags very funny. The humor goes beyond the name gag. I really like some of the artwork, and franky, I don’t care if I have to sift though 4 or 5 duds to find a good title, because I like the titles I enjoy enough to ignore the poor ones. It takes some discipline, but I’m up for it, because I don’t find a lot I like - so when I find stuff I enjoy, I don’t care too much about the ratio of good stuff to bad stuff. (I’d never turn on the TV if I cared about that!)

Plan 9, are you familiar with Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste? 
[expando]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fHeCHdx55Rs/Swimif_LlAI/AAAAAAAADck/RnkV9M_RA7A/s1600/SillyStrawHor_4oz.jpg[/expando]
This “all natural” brand is very popular, and I think I can see Tom now peeping through the window…
Peeping Tom's of Maine….leering through the bathroom window at cute 18 year old Debbie in her underwear as she leans over the sink brushing her teeth as she gets ready for school…
I can’t help but to think that has potential…

I really like your Harry Plotter idea! That's killer!

(Sorry to go off topic for a moment...)

[Dr Popper]

I think cards, like many things, get dropped by teens and college aged folks because they are discovering other important things in their lives (like dating, etc.).  The only people that I ever seeing buying cards are the stores and comic shops are small kids and then adult males in their late 20's and beyond.

Plus the fact that kids seem to gravitate towards digital stuff these days.  It will never be like it was when we were kids again!

[BustedFinger]

No matter anyone's opinion of GPK’s, Garbage Pail Kids as a parody of Cabbage Patch Dolls is great gag.
It’s an A+ in my book. It shoulda been a Wacky! And, importantly, it coulda been a Wacky - a good Wacky!

I assume you do know that Garbage Pail Kids was a Wacky intended for the '85 series?

http://www.lostwackys.com/wacky-packages/lost-wackys/1980s/gpk.htm

The theory is, I believe, that Topps liked the concept so much that they nixed the Wacky sticker and decided to do a whole new card series based on the idea.

Therefore, GPKs are the bastard children of Wackys!

[Playbug]

Talk about the GPK's. To anyone collecting GPK's, I have an empty GPK case box if anyone would like it. I cannot bring myself to throw it out knowing that someone may actually want it. Just LMK 

[Plan 9]

Not Harry Plotter. HAIRY Plotter. The kid has to have a thick beard and turbine and riding a flying carpet.

Your Peeping Tom's of Maine sounds fun. Does she have to be 18? Can she be 17 1/2?

[Jean Nutty]

I assume you do know that Garbage Pail Kids was a Wacky intended for the '85 series?

http://www.lostwackys.com/wacky-packages/lost-wackys/1980s/gpk.htm

The theory is, I believe, that Topps liked the concept so much that they nixed the Wacky sticker and decided to do a whole new card series based on the idea.

Therefore, GPKs are the bastard children of Wackys!

I didn't know that (or if I did I forgot), and I assumed there might be more to the story.
That's a funny line, GPKs are the bastard children of Wackys!

We need a good P-Nuttles parody!

I wonder if P Diddy snacks on P Nuttles...

[BustedFinger]

I didn't know that (or if I did I forgot), and I assumed there might be more to the story.
That's a funny line, GPKs are the bastard children of Wackys!

Here are some more details on John Pound's site:

http://www.poundart.com/gpk/unpub/unpub_gpks.html

[Jean Nutty]

Here are some more details on John Pound's site:

http://www.poundart.com/gpk/unpub/unpub_gpks.html

Cool.

This lost GPK could have been Oliver Spill.