Author Topic: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging  (Read 640227 times)

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Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1505 on: February 24, 2019, 04:58:15 PM »
I think the whole auto gag would have worked better with "Junkyfruits."  (Lemon flavored.)

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1506 on: February 25, 2019, 04:17:26 AM »
I think the whole auto gag would have worked better with "Junkyfruits."  (Lemon flavored.)

Great idea! Especially with "Heap o" preceding it on the parody. What a missed opportunity.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1507 on: February 25, 2019, 06:27:33 PM »
Seeing this through adult eyes, I can only question how “jerky” equates with smashed cars, but through my 7-year old eyes this one resonated on a gut level, combining a very familiar candy with this junked cars concept.  I vividly remember demolition-derby type events were constantly on TV through the early to mid 70’s, and the notion of destroying stuff for fun really intrigued me.  So this one is a big winner for me, though not necessarily for conventional reasons.

Also, I love Wackys where the product contents themselves become the characters that sell the gag, like Shots Candy, Plastered Peanuts, Run-A-Way Vitamins, Knuckles Candy, etc.  The little gummy cars on this one are just fantastic.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1508 on: February 27, 2019, 04:50:28 AM »
3 Mosquitoes and 3 Musketeers...


Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1509 on: February 27, 2019, 09:27:32 AM »
Nice simple word play and gag (on what was probably my favorite candy bar at the time.)
« Last Edit: February 27, 2019, 09:30:55 AM by Baked Bears »

Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1510 on: February 27, 2019, 01:53:24 PM »
Sometimes a happy coincidence helps a Wacky title. For example the mosquitoes yielding their proboscides rather than epees or foils. I thought that was really cool as a kid.
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Offline BustedFinger

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1511 on: February 28, 2019, 09:05:08 AM »
3 Mosquitoes and 3 Musketeers...

One of my favorites as well from the middle series!  What is the consensus on this one as to if Saunders painted it or not? 
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Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1512 on: March 01, 2019, 07:35:46 PM »
I would say yes.  The characters don’t suggest it, but artist was likely trying to keep it simplistic, like the little cartoonish musketeer characters on the real product.  To me the shading and the gleam along the package edges are what suggest Saunders’ handiwork.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1513 on: March 03, 2019, 05:37:15 AM »
Bear and Bayer...



Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1514 on: March 03, 2019, 07:00:50 AM »
Nice, well done parody.  Notice the fantastic lighting on the bear.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1515 on: March 03, 2019, 10:15:11 AM »
3 Mosquitoes and 3 Musketeers...


This is well done Wacky, with a good gag, and appropriate matching taglines like "gnat wt."  And they added some very nice mosquito characters on a well replicated wrapper.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1516 on: March 03, 2019, 10:18:06 AM »
Bear and Bayer...



Good homophone on the name.  Great bear!

Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1517 on: March 03, 2019, 11:27:17 AM »
Bear and Bayer...



Picking a nit here, but this is another title one where the gags seems a little disjointed. In one place it says it is "headache relief for bears" and in another "grizzly flavored". I know I certainly don't look for human flavored aspirin when I am shopping.  ;) I wonder how much time they were able to actually invest in each new Wacky during the peak of their popularity. I know they were cranking them out pretty fast. I don't remember being nearly as critical of these as a kid.
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Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1518 on: March 03, 2019, 11:43:06 AM »
Picking a nit here, but this is another title one where the gags seems a little disjointed. In one place it says it is "headache relief for bears" and in another "grizzly flavored". I know I certainly don't look for human flavored aspirin when I am shopping.  ;) I wonder how much time they were able to actually invest in each new Wacky during the peak of their popularity. I know they were cranking them out pretty fast. I don't remember being nearly as critical of these as a kid.

Yeah, I wasn't so critical back then, I looked for a funny gag and a great package, hopefully with a good character.

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1519 on: March 04, 2019, 04:54:32 PM »
Picking a nit here, but this is another title one where the gags seems a little disjointed. In one place it says it is "headache relief for bears" and in another "grizzly flavored". I know I certainly don't look for human flavored aspirin when I am shopping.  ;) I wonder how much time they were able to actually invest in each new Wacky during the peak of their popularity. I know they were cranking them out pretty fast. I don't remember being nearly as critical of these as a kid.

Actually it would have more sense if they had used "Honey Flavored."  (Or perhaps "Grizzly Tablets.")

Like RawGoo, as a kid I also looked for a great gag with a familiar product.  I remember being critical, though, of certain cards, namely those that seemed at odds with what they could have - or ought to have - been.  Case in point, "Ivy Soap" - which could have been far funnier.  Cards like this only made me confused.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1520 on: March 06, 2019, 04:44:42 AM »
Czechlets and Chiclets...



Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1521 on: March 06, 2019, 08:06:47 AM »
Middle of the road, IMO.  I actually prefer "Crickets" from ANS6.



Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1522 on: March 06, 2019, 12:15:05 PM »
Czechlets and Chiclets...



I always liked this one, especially the "over coated" gag. Except, one thing nagged at me as a kid. Nine people can be seen through the box window and one other crawling out of the box opening so that means 2 Czechs have all the remaining room. My sister explained, that's where all the furniture is. 
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Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1523 on: March 06, 2019, 01:29:43 PM »
Czechlets and Chiclets...



I liked this because part of my family is Czech, and it made them laugh.  Maybe Czechlettes would have been better?

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1524 on: March 06, 2019, 05:00:02 PM »
Czechlets and Chiclets...



The gag kind of eluded me as a kid, but I always liked the visual, and of course I avidly pursued the gum itself, though I preferred the more sugary fruit flavors over the mint flavors.

Agree that Crickets is very good too, as well as the ‘Chickless’ nerd-themed spoof that came later.  All solid titles.  I recently read that Chiclets have ceased production for good, not sure why or if it’s even true.  Maybe gum chewing is on the decline.  I’m sure Jason has the inside scoop on this.

Offline Gurgle

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1525 on: March 06, 2019, 08:39:06 PM »
Bonus parody of Archie. That's fantastic. Thanks for finding this,


Here's a fun one! Belch's and Welch's Grape Jelly. If I'm not mistaken, the glass in the parody is based on the Archie glass. It's the only glass I found a photo reference of that has artwork in yellow and red. The character on the parody glass, while not exact, loosely resembles Archie too.



Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1526 on: March 09, 2019, 07:55:37 PM »
Heartburn and Heartland...



Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1527 on: March 16, 2019, 07:18:37 AM »
Not surprisingly, this thread has stalled thanks to the most unrecognizable, un-kiddiest, unrelatable-to-us cereal imaginable!  So, let me jump-start the commentary!

Pretty funny gag and concept.  I’m always a little extra fascinated by products that already have a character to work with, especially a really stoic, serious one - how will the writer/artist animate them, make them goofy, bring them to life as Wackily as possible?  On that front, I think they did a nice job with this one.

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1528 on: March 16, 2019, 07:33:02 AM »
Not surprisingly, this thread has stalled thanks to the most unrecognizable, un-kiddiest, unrelatable-to-us cereal imaginable!  So, let me jump-start the commentary!
LOL.
I guess our family jumped on the granola cereal trend back then, as we had this one in the pantry frequently.
I recall the Raisin version vividly, where the raisins were not the nice, soft ones like in Raisin Bran, but were these cruel, tough as leather fruit nuggets. We wrote to PET a few times about them. Eventually they were changed to plump ones that were enjoyable to eat.

and dead on with your other points, of taking a piece of art that's already on the product and manipulating it. This, boone's farm, easy-off, jujy fruits, just in the 9th alone. For me, I believe that the 8th-11th contains some of the greatest pieces of wacky artwork. Lesser known products, weak gags, not as memorable as early series, sure, but that artwork!

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1529 on: March 16, 2019, 07:45:46 AM »
I never recognized the product, but the gag was funny, as was the character.  I found it dull because of the color, I guess.  Much easier to appreciate now, especially with the original packaging to compare it with. 

Offline Gurgle

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1530 on: March 16, 2019, 02:40:41 PM »
I remember the ads. As I recall, there was a live-action shot of a farmer that morphed into the drawing on the front of the box.
Not sure I ever actually tried it.

I never recognized the product, but the gag was funny, as was the character.  I found it dull because of the color, I guess.  Much easier to appreciate now, especially with the original packaging to compare it with.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1531 on: March 17, 2019, 11:22:16 AM »
I'm glad someone jumpstarted the stalled reviews. Heartburn/Heartland was a dull product but I give the parody artist credit for the nice line art illustration!

Here's a familiar one - Windstun and Winston...



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1532 on: March 17, 2019, 11:33:31 AM »
I'm glad someone jumpstarted the stalled reviews. Heartburn/Heartland was a dull product but I give the parody artist credit for the nice line art illustration!

Here's a familiar one - Windstun and Winston...



I never quite got this one as a kid, but they sure replicated the packaging.  Middle of the pack for me.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1533 on: March 21, 2019, 05:09:11 AM »
Mrs. Small's and Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks...



Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1534 on: March 21, 2019, 03:13:27 PM »
Despite the lack of a character (save for the fish,) and fact that the fish sticks look like mini floating turds, I always liked this parody.

By the way, does anybody know what the "bird's nest" thing is in the upper right corner?

Offline koduck

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1535 on: March 21, 2019, 04:16:11 PM »

By the way, does anybody know what the "bird's nest" thing is in the upper right corner?

Must be the Seaweed Sauce Mix

Offline Gurgle

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1536 on: March 24, 2019, 04:32:16 PM »
the fish sticks look like mini floating turds,

Ya know, never thought of it like that before...

Offline Zenergizer

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1537 on: March 24, 2019, 05:45:14 PM »
Mark, please make sure you have your "1 Mosquito" concept in there it is by far my favorite!

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1538 on: March 24, 2019, 09:01:43 PM »
Cents and Certs...



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1539 on: March 25, 2019, 03:35:25 AM »
Cents and Certs...



I think this is a great gag, and the taglines (especially "Fresh From the Mint") work well.  The package is spot on.  Awesome pennies, and I think they keep me from missing a silly character.