Which Wacky Packages series did you like in 2014?

[dth1971]

Which Wacky Packages series did you like in 2014?:
a) Wacky Packages Chrome
b) Wacky Packages Old School 5
c) Wacky Packages 2014 series

[vahsurfer]

C - Some of the funniest new material in a long time

[DrDeal]

A,  B and C.  They were all cool in different ways. Chrome was super nostalgic, OS was like a time warp, ANS was really funny.

[Pupsi-Cola]

A,  B and C.  They were all cool in different ways. Chrome was super nostalgic, OS was like a time warp, ANS was really funny.

I agree Andrew, Each was cool in it's own way.

[MoldRush]

I liked 2014 series 1 the most.  The renderings are good, and some of the titles had a gross-out aspect reminiscent of the Original Series.  Brainy paper towels brought me right back to Hostile Thinkies.

I definitely still like Old School but many of the products parodied are completely unfamiliar.  I guess there's limited available material to work with so in any given series the obvious kiddie choices like Pixy Stix and Mello Yello have to be used sparingly and blended with more obscure products, so as to draw out the Old School run as long as possible.  Another thing I'm noticing is that sometimes for a given product, the packaging graphics parodied may be from an edition of that product which precedes the 1973-76 Wacky run, possibly by several years.  Raisinets and Spirograph are examples of what I'm talking about.  I had a Spirograph set at a very young age and the box looked nothing like the OS 5 graphics.  It looks like it's from the 60's or maybe even 50's.  I guess OS was not conceived with any implied promise to stay within the '73-'76 timeframe, but I'm sure the wow factor is stronger when a title does coincide.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

I enjoyed all 3 to varying degrees, but probably OLDS 5 the most.

the 2014 set was 2nd, and I wish I liked it better. It has a lot of good things going for it. Good gags, some unique chase pieces, etc. But, as with the ANS11 set, this set is also hampered with a large percentage of noticeably sub-par artwork. For me, Wackys need to have strong sense of realism to the product/package - and too many in the set are lacking that - showing simplistic renderings and caricatures, and with a flat dimensionality to them. It really drags the whole series down.

[Choke_Wagon]

I like C ONLY because you got to see what possibly an ANS 17 set would of looked like. While the base set looks nice in chrome, I dont want to see yet another Norm Saunders rip off again. Seriously, how many redos can the shake off this guys past. He must be rolling in his grave at what Topps gave him vesus all the future income Topps has made off of him.

[slamjim]

I liked 2014 series 1 the most.  The renderings are good, and some of the titles had a gross-out aspect reminiscent of the Original Series.  Brainy paper towels brought me right back to Hostile Thinkies.

I definitely still like Old School but many of the products parodied are completely unfamiliar.  I guess there's limited available material to work with so in any given series the obvious kiddie choices like Pixy Stix and Mello Yello have to be used sparingly and blended with more obscure products, so as to draw out the Old School run as long as possible.  Another thing I'm noticing is that sometimes for a given product, the packaging graphics parodied may be from an edition of that product which precedes the 1973-76 Wacky run, possibly by several years.  Raisinets and Spirograph are examples of what I'm talking about.  I had a Spirograph set at a very young age and the box looked nothing like the OS 5 graphics.  It looks like it's from the 60's or maybe even 50's.  I guess OS was not conceived with any implied promise to stay within the '73-'76 timeframe, but I'm sure the wow factor is stronger when a title does coincide.

I adhere to 1972-1978 for Old School. I've made a couple of mistakes as it's tough to find some of the packaging and sometimes it's been misidentified. But those two you listed are from the correct time period.

Here is a YouTube video of a 1973 Spirogragh commerical. The box I used is the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbvmKzf_wr4

Also, type 1970s Raisinets in Google and you'll see the Raisinets box in multiple images.

As for the parodies being of obscure products I'd argue that many of the later original series products were more obscure. They are familiar now only because of Wacky Packages but I doubt as a kid you'd have known many of them. We just accepted them. Most of OLDS5 should be easy to recognize with a few exceptions. I think the tough ones would be SuperAx, Today's Gorilla and Cootie. I knw them but I can see how they would have slipped by others. Moanstones is known by cereal people but was short lived so that may be tough as well. I try to balance out the types of products and space out the biggest products of the era (haven't used Coca Cola yet for example). If I find out any one series will be the last I'd probably go balls to the wall with the biggest remaining products left. Hoping it will continue for a few more series though as I have enough material for a bunch more.

[MoldRush]

Valid point Dave, the later series for sure.  Many of the real products would still be unknown to me if not for Rusty's and Greg's websites which explored this subject all these years later.  I can distinctly remember being totally baffled by some of the titles I saw on checklists but never got my hands on, such as Umbrella magazine.  I later learned about all the Warren magazine titles but certainly had never seen a Vampirella at that age.  And the list of other obscurities in the latter series goes on and on - Mr. Bog's bread, Le Rage's, Sealva Thins, Robot Burns cigars, etc.

I guess the Spirograph I had was from a few years later, or maybe even earlier if my older brothers first got it.  As for the Raisinets, the rendering you used may have been just a shade earlier than the Goobers/Raisinets/Sno-Caps packaging patterns I saw in a Google search which looked much more familiar.  I was somewhat aware that you were using designs slightly outside the '73-76' range when I saw the Reggie Bar, which debuted on opening day 1978 at Yankee Stadium (an infamous event in which freebies were handed out and thousands were thrown on the field during the game as a serenade to Reggie).

Would be fun to do a thread throwing out product suggestions for future Old School releases.  I've got a growing list floating around in my head.  I'm sure you've got some of them waiting in the wings already.

 

[slamjim]

Yes, feel free to list products you'd like to see. I have a ton of reference but I'm sure I've forgotten some good products.

[Choke_Wagon]

What address to we send suggestions to Dave? That way it can possibly be a central point to have some possible leads.

I will say some of the under served topic from that era is Gasoline related subject apart from Gulp and Mess Truck from OS. I grew up in the Energy crisis of the 70's so I stood in lines at many gas stations. I could see Texacow or Onion 76 or even Snowoco just a play up on the iconic signs

[MoldRush]

Yes, feel free to list products you'd like to see. I have a ton of reference but I'm sure I've forgotten some good products.

Sodas - Nehi, Fanta, Orange Crush, Fresca, White Rock
Beer - Schaefer, Michelob, Schmidt's, Schlitz, Piel's, Rheingold
Cereal - Crazy Cow, Crunch Berries/PB Crunch/Cinnamon Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa/Fruity Pebbles, King Vitamin
Shampoo - Tame, Suave, Wella Balsam
Toys - Nerf Football, Light Brite, Milton Bradley puzzles, Mr Potato Head, Duncan Yo-Yo, Green Slime
Snacks - Doritos, Cheetos, Dipsey Doodles, Yankee/Sunny Doodles Cupcakes, Hostess Fruit Pie
Candy - Mike & Ike/Jolly Joes/Hot Tamales, Jolly Rancher "Stix" candy, too many others to list

I'm sure there are many more, especially in the candy, cereal, snacks and beverages categories, but to make a more complete list would take me a while, by which time this thread could be long forgotten.
BTW, there's a very good picture book out on old cereals, with lots of good box pictures that would make an excellent desk reference for Wacky artists.  I forget the name but it's a thick hardcover, compact-sized book (like the Abrams books) with a yellow cover.  Came out a couple years back.

[slamjim]

Sodas - Nehi, Fanta, Orange Crush, Fresca, White Rock
Beer - Schaefer, Michelob, Schmidt's, Schlitz, Piel's, Rheingold
Cereal - Crazy Cow, Crunch Berries/PB Crunch/Cinnamon Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa/Fruity Pebbles, King Vitamin
Shampoo - Tame, Suave, Wella Balsam
Toys - Nerf Football, Light Brite, Milton Bradley puzzles, Mr Potato Head, Duncan Yo-Yo, Green Slime
Snacks - Doritos, Cheetos, Dipsey Doodles, Yankee/Sunny Doodles Cupcakes, Hostess Fruit Pie
Candy - Mike & Ike/Jolly Joes/Hot Tamales, Jolly Rancher "Stix" candy, too many others to list

I'm sure there are many more, especially in the candy, cereal, snacks and beverages categories, but to make a more complete list would take me a while, by which time this thread could be long forgotten.
BTW, there's a very good picture book out on old cereals, with lots of good box pictures that would make an excellent desk reference for Wacky artists.  I forget the name but it's a thick hardcover, compact-sized book (like the Abrams books) with a yellow cover.  Came out a couple years back.

Got many of them already on the list but will add some here I don't have. We did do some of these already: Orange Crush, King Vitamin, Tame and Wella Balsam,

[slamjim]

What address to we send suggestions to Dave? That way it can possibly be a central point to have some possible leads.

I will say some of the under served topic from that era is Gasoline related subject apart from Gulp and Mess Truck from OS. I grew up in the Energy crisis of the 70's so I stood in lines at many gas stations. I could see Texacow or Onion 76 or even Snowoco just a play up on the iconic signs

You can just send them to me in a PM