Excellent response from your mother - you were definitely on the right track!! After falling in love with Wackys, I used to make up parody names for stuff, too, but I have no artistic talent, so it was just the names.
Just as cool was the fact that your mother parodied products along with you. Two peas in a pod. Definitely brings an added interesting element to the supermarket shopping experience. (Even now, I often walked down the aisles with a big grin on my face as I conjure up this or that - and wonder if the other shoppers think I'm just a very happy person - or a lunatic to be avoided.)
Your mom must be very proud of you and your accomplishments. Not only did she save your roughs, but also got to see the dreams of her son realized.
Thank you for posting these! Along with some newspaper articles on a few other recent threads, this has been a nice flashback trip down memory lane!
(On another note, you may want to try adding a watermark to some of your future posted works as an added means of protection. Yes, I might get booed and hissed for this suggestion - hey, I hate watermarks, too - however, considering what went down as of late (see the Lost Wackys 3 thread,) it might be in your best interest. If people desire your work, they can purchase the real thing. Your prices are more than fair and reasonable - certainly more reasonable than some of Topps's prices, and
way more reasonable than some of the other prices WP have been fetching lately. I'd rather see watermarks and fair prices, than worried artists stop producing altogether because their work is being unscrupulously ripped-off.)
Again, thanks, George!