Author Topic: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging  (Read 640299 times)

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Offline Alexeirex

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2345 on: September 08, 2020, 05:10:58 PM »
There was always an old jar of Fluff at the corner grocery store, and that along with the equally dusty jar of clam juice always made me queasy looking at them. Wondered how long they sat on their shelves.
A

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2346 on: September 08, 2020, 06:43:46 PM »
I could never figure out whether fluff ever had any widespread appeal or not.  I remember a few of my kiddie schoolmates talked about peanut butter & fluff sandwiches, but I never actually saw one, never tried it myself.  I even bought a jar several years back, because I had to try it and find out for myself if this stuff was any good.  So what happened?  It sat in the cupboard for a few years, ended up tossing it.  Some things are just not meant to be discovered lol.

Offline freetoes

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2347 on: September 08, 2020, 07:54:24 PM »
I could never figure out whether fluff ever had any widespread appeal or not.  I remember a few of my kiddie schoolmates talked about peanut butter & fluff sandwiches, but I never actually saw one, never tried it myself.  I even bought a jar several years back, because I had to try it and find out for myself if this stuff was any good.  So what happened?  It sat in the cupboard for a few years, ended up tossing it.  Some things are just not meant to be discovered lol.

I never tried it either, but it seemed like the kind of product that mostly appealed to moms, for ease and convenience.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2348 on: September 08, 2020, 09:00:12 PM »
I never tried it either, but it seemed like the kind of product that mostly appealed to moms, for ease and convenience.
Now there is one combination I’m still determined to try one of these days - peanut butter and Nutella, a spreadable Reese’s peanut butter cup.  I’m expecting to be disappointed, because the Nutella has a strong hazelnut flavor too, which will probably screw up the combined taste, but it’s worth a shot.

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2349 on: September 08, 2020, 09:30:49 PM »
because the Nutella has a strong hazelnut flavor
One option would be to skip the Nutella and use Hershey’s spread instead with the PB.

Or just go straight to the horse’s mouth and get the Reese’s chocolate peanut butter spread. Just be careful not to eat the entire jar in one sitting.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2350 on: September 08, 2020, 11:06:22 PM »
One option would be to skip the Nutella and use Hershey’s spread instead with the PB.

Or just go straight to the horse’s mouth and get the Reese’s chocolate peanut butter spread. Just be careful not to eat the entire jar in one sitting.
Hmmm, forgot Hershey’s made their own spread.  Reese’s I was not aware of, I thought that was just pure peanut butter.

Offline drono

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2351 on: September 09, 2020, 03:10:43 AM »
I believe Hershey is the US distributor for Cadbury.  I discovered Cadbury chocolate spread while in Scotland in the early 90's.  I brought home a jar, my daughter loved it, and then I couldn't find it in the US anywhere.  Of course Amazon has everything now, but it's not cheap.  https://www.amazon.com/Cadbury-Live-in-Morrisons-Chocolate/dp/B004G964R4

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2352 on: September 09, 2020, 02:03:14 PM »
Finishing up Series 14 is Promesso compared to Progresso, along with the original 11th series Progreaso. I couldn't find the real sauce can, but I found similar Progresso products with the same design.


« Last Edit: September 09, 2020, 02:14:17 PM by Swiski »

Offline drono

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2353 on: September 09, 2020, 02:20:15 PM »
I still call it Promesso when I see it in the grocery store

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2354 on: September 13, 2020, 07:34:44 PM »
Kicking off the 15th series, here is Hacks compared to Halls cough drops...



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2355 on: September 13, 2020, 11:00:29 PM »
Kicking off the 15th series, here is Hacks compared to Halls cough drops...



I think this is a great gag, and the hacking character is wonderful.  They nailed the packaging, and the artwork, especially the pack end, is terrific.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2356 on: September 15, 2020, 07:18:14 PM »
Dynamites and Dynamints...



Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2357 on: September 15, 2020, 08:01:17 PM »
I’ve fallen a bit behind on the thread.

Promesso - interesting that the 14th should end with not one but two titles (Promesso/Progreaso and Flunk/Flopp) that are “Take two” second parodies of products spoofed earlier.  Both are strong pairings IMO, and just fun products to parody.  Oh, and mustn’t forget Can Label ProGrossout (do I have the name right?), which is also good.  I think most would give Progreaso the edge over Promesso, but I like them equally.

Hack’s Cough Drops - my strongest memory was not being able to get a hold of one, as I did have access to the 15th back in the day.  From my recollection, anytime you saw a title you didn’t have on a checklist and could guess what it was parodying, it made you want it more, because you knew the product.  Conversely, Bum and Mabel didn’t get a rise out of me at all, because I had no idea what the product was.

Nowadays, Halls makes me think of a series of subway advertising posters from a few years back, in which a variety of random folks, who look a little run down with a cold or flu, are saluted for soldiering through their illness.  I always got a kick out of them.  Here’s a couple of them.








Dynamints - loved the candy (fruit flavors), loved the Wacky.  A box full of tiny explosives, what’s not to love?  Awesome visual.  Interesting that Dynamints could arguably be called a TicTac ripoff, and the parody followed suit with the explosives concept of the “tiny little time bombs”.  Both top-notch Wackys.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2358 on: September 16, 2020, 02:32:25 AM »
Dynamites and Dynamints...



Awesome Wacky!  Drove me crazy as a kid - despite my one and only full box purchase ever in 1-16, I didn't get a Dynamites.  A few years later I was thrilled to pull one in a Reissue Series 4 pack, and for years, that filled the spot in my binder.  Anyway, great gag, and again, they nailed the packaging.  Love the rendering of the clear plastic.

Offline freetoes

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2359 on: September 16, 2020, 04:45:55 AM »
Awesome Wacky!  Drove me crazy as a kid - despite my one and only full box purchase ever in 1-16, I didn't get a Dynamites.  A few years later I was thrilled to pull one in a Reissue Series 4 pack, and for years, that filled the spot in my binder.  Anyway, great gag, and again, they nailed the packaging.  Love the rendering of the clear plastic.

This one made my old top ten list of Wackys I would like to see animated.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2360 on: September 16, 2020, 05:20:22 AM »
Awesome Wacky!  Drove me crazy as a kid - despite my one and only full box purchase ever in 1-16, I didn't get a Dynamites.
Tough pill to swallow that a full box didn’t yield at least one full set.  Probably not the norm though, I would imagine.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2361 on: September 16, 2020, 05:58:42 AM »
Tough pill to swallow that a full box didn’t yield at least one full set.  Probably not the norm though, I would imagine.

It was!  I remember having at least three Catgobites, but no takers for a trade among the few friends who were into Wackys.  One of those Catgobites was the first Wacky I ever sold on ebay, about 20 years ago.  It's probably in a PSA slab now.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2362 on: September 16, 2020, 01:37:23 PM »
It was!  I remember having at least three Catgobites, but no takers for a trade among the few friends who were into Wackys.  One of those Catgobites was the first Wacky I ever sold on ebay, about 20 years ago.  It's probably in a PSA slab now.

I built my 15th set almost entirely from unopened packs I got on the cheap from a dealer at the few major shows I attended in 1997-98.  The only sticker I failed to pull from those packs was Bloodweiser, and maybe Moron Pot Pie.

In hindsight it was almost sacrilege to kill so many packs knowing now that they are all but extinct, but at the time the supply of unopened material looked strong, at least for the later series.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2363 on: September 17, 2020, 09:04:38 AM »
Jerkitol and Geritol...



Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2364 on: September 18, 2020, 11:18:35 PM »
Just as I had mentioned about Halls, I was also highly curious about Jerkitol, because the Geritol TV ads were constant back then.  Never saw it until years later, but it didn’t do much for me.  A valiant effort with an extremely cornball character, but the product packaging is so dull and drab that it’s kind of hard to liven it up even with all those dunce hats.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2365 on: September 19, 2020, 01:23:22 AM »
Jerkitol and Geritol...



Good gag, tag lines and character.  But that glass bottle and lid are outstanding! 

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2366 on: September 21, 2020, 09:07:28 AM »
Cheap Stick and Chap Stick. I wanted the real product image to be an exact match, or close, so this is the actually the best I could locate.



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2367 on: September 21, 2020, 10:42:33 AM »
Cheap Stick and Chap Stick. I wanted the real product image to be an exact match, or close, so this is the actually the best I could locate.



The gag is OK, and the "bomb" tagline is really funny and goes with the fins.  They nailed the script, and managed to get a character on a boring, small package.  Middle of the pack for me.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2368 on: September 21, 2020, 04:15:48 PM »
Cheap Stick and Chap Stick. I wanted the real product image to be an exact match, or close, so this is the actually the best I could locate.


Sometimes the creators would choose a parody title only to abandon it in terms of working the gags off of it.  In this case, what does a “lip bomb” missile concept have to do with being cheap?  Just an odd thing I never really thought about until this thread put each title under closer scrutiny.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2369 on: September 23, 2020, 11:49:03 AM »
Mashbox and Matchbox...



Offline mikecho

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2370 on: September 23, 2020, 01:48:56 PM »
Sometimes the creators would choose a parody title only to abandon it in terms of working the gags off of it.  In this case, what does a “lip bomb” missile concept have to do with being cheap?  Just an odd thing I never really thought about until this thread put each title under closer scrutiny.
Maybe because it's so cheap it's a bomb?

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2371 on: September 24, 2020, 02:46:56 AM »
Mashbox and Matchbox...

Good parody.  The crutch holding up the car is a particularly nice touch.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2372 on: September 24, 2020, 04:25:20 AM »
Mashbox and Matchbox...



Another great Wacky for me in the 15th series!  The gag, tagline, artwork (like the plastic bubble) are all outstanding.  And, what a recognizable product!

Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2373 on: September 24, 2020, 05:42:18 AM »
Mashbox and Matchbox...



This one brings back bad memories for me. In the period I was between 6 and 10 years old, I would ask for Hotwheels and Matchbox cars for my birthday and Christmas. I had a small collection of about 40 cars/trucks when I got to be about 13, but rarely played with them anymore so  I told my 4 year younger sister she could use them. On the very day I pulled the Mashbox sticker from a Wacky Packages pack, I found out that morning, my sister had placed one of the toy cars in front of and behind each tire of our family car. When my Dad left for work, 4 of the cars were crushed flat.  One of my favorite Wacky Packages but still brings back memories of the ambulance, fire truck, police cruiser and Mustang that also became Mashbox cars that day.
aka Scot Leibacher (no trademark)

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2374 on: September 24, 2020, 06:08:26 AM »
This one brings back bad memories for me. In the period I was between 6 and 10 years old, I would ask for Hotwheels and Matchbox cars for my birthday and Christmas. I had a small collection of about 40 cars/trucks when I got to be about 13, but rarely played with them anymore so  I told my 4 year younger sister she could use them. On the very day I pulled the Mashbox sticker from a Wacky Packages pack, I found out that morning, my sister had placed one of the toy cars in front of and behind each tire of our family car. When my Dad left for work, 4 of the cars were crushed flat.  One of my favorite Wacky Packages but still brings back memories of the ambulance, fire truck, police cruiser and Mustang that also became Mashbox cars that day.

OUCH!!!  I still have my old Matchbox cars.  One that I considered special I "parked" in a metal Curad box "garage", with tissues around it so that it wouldn't get scratched.  Maybe I'll start a thread with pics.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2375 on: September 24, 2020, 07:36:26 AM »
Mashbox and Matchbox...


I like this one a little more than Shot Wheels from the 5th, because to me the busted-up car is a better visual than a lemon on wheels.  Kudos for the product match - the checkered flag and shirt are proof on an exact match, at least as far as the blister card is concerned.  I must have been influenced by the demolition derby craze of that era, because I went through a phase where I preferred the look of a busted-up toy car vs a shiny brand new one.  My dad was a carpenter and had an unfinished basement with hammers and sledgehammers galore, so it was easy for me to make my own ‘Mashboxes.’  My concerned parents of course discouraged such behavior, and I soon saw the error of my ways and began caring for them appropriately.  I also remember my brothers and I, sickos that we were, blowing up Revell models with firecrackers when the pre-July 4th period came around and fireworks were readily available.  So maybe I only transferred my aggression from one toy type to another lol.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2376 on: September 26, 2020, 12:36:35 PM »
Pounds and Ponds.



Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2377 on: September 27, 2020, 09:52:30 AM »
Pounds and Ponds.


This was one of the 15th titles I missed in the original run, and didn’t see until the 1982 minis.  Can’t say it bowled me over when I finally did see it, but never disliked it either; just an ok average title.  I guess by today’s standards the nature of the gag would be off-limits, with the whole fat-shaming / body-shaming controversy of modern times.  So that also makes this one a little different from an evaluation perspective.  Character sometimes reminds me of Shelley Winters for whatever that’s worth.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2378 on: October 01, 2020, 05:17:08 AM »
Fang Edward compared to King Edward cigars...



Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #2379 on: October 01, 2020, 10:50:32 AM »
Fang Edward compared to King Edward cigars...


Like Bum and Mabel, this is another of several parodies I couldn’t figure out from the checklist alone.  I recognized most of the cigarette parodies during the OS run, probably because of the ubiquitous advertising of the era, but cigars and pipe tobacco products were definitely not my expertise at that age.

Well-rendered, always love a monster character, but the blending of seemingly unrelated themes (monster & explosive cigars) is again a bit curious.  I would have kept it simple and just called it “Cigars for Monsters”, or Vampires, maybe add some dripping blood to the exposed cigar tips.

 

anything