Author Topic: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets  (Read 3045 times)

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Offline Tic_Toc

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Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« on: August 15, 2019, 10:48:35 AM »
This may have already been discussed, as I haven't logged into the site for awhile, but I couldn't really find it in my search of existing threads. Can someone explain the origin of these "Variations" sets of original Wackys altered to incorporate pinup girls in the artwork? I know they're not a Topps release; just wondering who created them and if anyone has actually seen these in-hand.

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2019, 11:27:47 AM »
Greg's site has all you need to know about these bastardized wackys, and as with the Lost Wackys, he claims total ignorance of their origins
The page is filled with the same hyperbolic BS as his Lost Wackys pages, such as:
"It has been speculated that this is what Wacky Packs would have looked like if Norm was left to his own designs; and paid for 100 hours per piece instead of one hour."
There is also a claim that these not just photoshop jobs, which I find unlikely.
at least most have attributions of whose artwork is being appropriated

http://www.wackypackages.org/lostwackys/variations/
« Last Edit: August 15, 2019, 11:38:53 AM by Fanatical_and_Sickly »

Offline Liptorn

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2019, 04:22:26 PM »
"We have no idea who's making these, but they appear to be completely re-painted from scratch, and not just photoshop jobs. We have seen several of the complete paintings going around - so many, if not all, have original art behind them. Obviously a highly skilled artist is involved in this project. If you know who it is, please let me know".

LOL!!!! Thank you for the link. This quote from his page is hilarious BS!!

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2019, 05:26:07 PM »
"We have no idea who's making these, but they appear to be completely re-painted from scratch, and not just photoshop jobs. We have seen several of the complete paintings going around - so many, if not all, have original art behind them. Obviously a highly skilled artist is involved in this project. If you know who it is, please let me know".

LOL!!!! Thank you for the link. This quote from his page is hilarious BS!!
We have no idea who’s making these, but we know the pin-up artists and works with pinpoint accuracy on every last piece.  Cmon, really?

Offline BustedFinger

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2019, 09:21:00 AM »
Honestly, the Lost Wackys debacle and these things have made me lose all respect for Greg. 
Giving "The Hobby" the finger since 1999!

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2019, 09:53:31 AM »
It actually is true that Greg knows an artist who has painstakingly recreated original wackys, but I didn’t think that had anything to do with the cheesecake wackys. I’m not sure why it really matters anyway. Why would he comment on the origins of these sets when he doesn’t have to?
« Last Edit: August 16, 2019, 10:41:25 AM by Paul_Maul »

Offline Lavirus

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2019, 06:01:50 PM »
A fool and his money are soon parted... on eBay.

Offline koduck

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2019, 06:37:09 AM »
Greg's site has all you need to know about these bastardized wackys, and as with the Lost Wackys, he claims total ignorance of their origins
The page is filled with the same hyperbolic BS as his Lost Wackys pages, such as:
"It has been speculated that this is what Wacky Packs would have looked like if Norm was left to his own designs; and paid for 100 hours per piece instead of one hour."
There is also a claim that these not just photoshop jobs, which I find unlikely.
at least most have attributions of whose artwork is being appropriated

http://www.wackypackages.org/lostwackys/variations/


Here's the thing: Honestly, I think the basic idea is brilliant. There's a lot of style, continuity and humor with these parodies. Whether or not these are photoshopped, who knows? But I can think of at least one artist that could pull this off with a brush (and airbrush). Anyway, instead of borrowing already published material from two sources (pinups and wackys), why not create original product titles and character illustrations? Seems like the easiest way to take it to the next level and maybe even get Topps involved. My 2 cents...

Offline JasonLiebig

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Re: Wacky Packages "Variations" Sets
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2019, 06:02:56 AM »
Why would he comment on the origins of these sets when he doesn’t have to?

Integrity as a reliable data source for Wacky-related material?   

The text SEEMS to be thinly veiled salesmanship for a bootleg release, and might well be an obtuse feigning or fraudulent unawareness of exactly what and who are behind them (since they're probably violating Topps' copyrights?).  Illegal in itself?  No.  But dishonest?  Maybe. 

Or maybe Greg is just in love with this random series of contemporary bootlegs because he thinks they're the greatest Wacky releases ever, and sincerely has no idea of their origins.  Maybe that's the kind of material he sincerely likes. 

But the text there reminds me a bit of a seller on ebay who for a year or two was selling vintage-looking glass jars (they were not vintage), pasted up with printed out (and faux aged) copies of vending insert cards and other vintage gum and candy graphics (the vast majority of which were downloaded from my Flickr archives, sadly - and the only reason I was aware of them) and listing them as "vintage graphics".  The language was purposely obtuse, leaving it open for a buyer to fill in the blanks and make assumptions that the $5 glass jar they were paying $60 for was some kind of vintage antique.  But the seller knew exactly what they were.  They crafted everything about the listing text in hopes to get someone to buy into a false idea and profit from their misguided assumption.   Rather than telling them exactly what they had, and hoping for them to spend based on its actual qualities.  That's "bad person" territory, IMO. 

If Greg, contrary to his descriptions, actually does know everything about them (who is making them, etc), I will still give him some credit. Compared to the seller in my ebay story, his descriptions are mostly clear to what these actually are.  (He's not fraudulently trying to sell them as vintage, or painted by Norm, etc).   What he does is feign ignorance of their creators (maybe, unless he really has no idea), and IF so doing, he puts his hobby reputation (and his site's reputation) behind them as worthy to spend money on them or to collect.  He gives them hobby legitimacy, by backing them with his own. 

So, if he actually knows every last detail about them, and he is being dishonest about not knowing, and people who bought in find out, his hobby reputation and legitimacy could and maybe should suffer due to his dishonest actions.  But only if that were the case.  If he just loves these though, and is reporting on them as sincerely and honestly as he can, then he's just projecting his tastes and opinions about them, which I can't find fault with. 
Jason Liebig - A swell TV host (currently on History Channel) who used to oversee Marvel Comics' X-Men - now creator and curator of WishbookWeb.com and CollectingCandy.com, a celebration of candy packaging, marketing and the people behind it all

 

anything