Author Topic: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale  (Read 3992 times)

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Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« on: September 19, 2023, 05:16:57 PM »
The unpublished 1985 Wacky Packages art that started it all for GPK. The original by John Pound.
Up for sale on Heritage Auctions

Heritage first had this one on display at the July National show, along with a placard indicating an expected $100,000 value.
I don't think it'll achieve that lofty goal, though (currently at $8K. A long ways to go)

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/paintings/garbage-pail-kids-wacky-pack-juvenile-doll-inquent-unpublished-illustration-original-art-topps-1985-/a/43181-78032.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

« Last Edit: October 12, 2023, 04:42:20 PM by Fanatical_and_Sickly »

Offline drono

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2023, 05:56:43 AM »
Heritage first had this one on display at the July National show, along with a placard indicating an expected $100,000 value.

There are a lot of Cabbage Patch Kids and GPK collectors out there, so who knows.  However, I think the bubble has burst on CPK mania.  I was able to find one of the recalled dolls that ate the plastic food along with little girls hair for under $30.

Offline mikecho

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2023, 05:29:51 PM »
There are a lot of Cabbage Patch Kids and GPK collectors out there, so who knows.  However, I think the bubble has burst on CPK mania.  I was able to find one of the recalled dolls that ate the plastic food along with little girls hair for under $30.
Garbage Pail Kids mania, on the other hand, is another story altogether, believe me. You all know that and I know that.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2023, 09:37:19 PM by mikecho »

Offline FourRoses

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2023, 06:36:16 PM »
The movie, It must be the movie!

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2023, 04:35:49 PM »
There's a great story to go with this piece too, as it's quite a shock to see it suddenly appear like this at auction.

The piece was one of nine that John Pound painted for the 1985 Wacky Packages set.
Around the same time, Topps was looking to get a license with OAA to create Cabbage Patch Kids merchandise.
Topps didn't want to anger OAA as that process was going forward, so they decided to pull the title from the set and not release it.

The deal with OAA for a CPK license never materialized though.
This setback inspired Topps to go the parody route instead, using the pulled Wacky GPK as the basis, and thus the Garbage Pail Kids series was born.
OAA wasn't happy about the GPK cards though, and quickly sued Topps after a couple of series were released.
A year later, Topps lost the court battle, and was forced to significantly alter the GPK look and feel for any new cards.

After the loss, in a fit of rage, Topps president Art Shorin had the Wacky GPK artwork burned, as it was the source of all the frustration for the past year.

But now, 37 years later, the artwork has magically shown up at Heritage Auctions.
Where did it come from? How did it get there?

>>Hat tip to Aaron Booton, GPK World, for the finding out the resolution to this mystery.

Aaron heard from Brandon Zuern, the writer of this linked blog post - which contains the story of the discovery of the piece, and how it got to Heritage:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/89631136?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&fbclid=IwAR1MYW97WN39T4LJNOtiqWHaz0WDR7q00eP-xE3ClxpWMH6TFqCK4bDQASA

Long story short, it was in the possession of Len Brown, who was managing Topps's New Product Development at the time.
Likely Art directed Len to destroy it, but for whatever reason it got filed away somewhere instead.
So the artwork disappeared for 37 years, with everyone believing it had been burned to ashes long ago.

Then recently Len Brown brought a bunch of items to Brandon's comic shop for assessment and selling.
And tucked away amongst all the other items, was that original art for the Juvenile Doll-inquent.
Unbelievable!
« Last Edit: September 22, 2023, 04:37:26 PM by Fanatical_and_Sickly »

Offline RawGoo

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2023, 11:18:37 AM »
It is a cool Wacky for sure, and certainly started a craze that has lasted 40 years!  Thanks for the history lesson, Patrick!  I wonder what it will finally sell for, with the buyer's premium (of 25%!!))?  It will be interesting to watch!

Offline mikecho

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2023, 12:47:03 PM »
now, if only it can become an official Wacky at long last, then we'll have the (possibly) last thing left from the 1985 Series. I'd get it (hopefully as an individual Wacky) just to complete the incomplete series of it that I've got.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2023, 04:34:43 PM by mikecho »

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2023, 01:57:24 PM »
now, if only it can become an official Wacky at long last, then we'll have the last thing left from the 1985 Series. I'd get it just to complete the complete series of it that I've got.

Don’t you mean “complete the incomplete series?” 🤔

Offline mikecho

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2023, 02:04:16 PM »
Don’t you mean “complete the incomplete series?” 🤔
When you're right, you're right, and you're right; fixed. Good catch on your part.

Btw, does anyone know if Garbage Pail Kids was the only finished Wacky that was pulled from that series? Just wonderin'...
« Last Edit: October 12, 2023, 07:57:30 PM by mikecho »

Offline drono

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2023, 05:26:57 PM »
or were there others that we don't know about yet?

If we don't know about them, then we don't know about them.

Offline bigtomi

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2023, 07:14:15 PM »
were there others that we don't know about yet?
(in my best Mr. Spock) Highly illogical!

Offline mikecho

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2023, 11:11:05 PM »
Okay, fixed again. No need for the sarcasm, bigtomi, it's unnecessary.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2023, 11:12:58 PM by mikecho »

Offline Paul_Maul

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2023, 08:16:05 PM »
No need for the sarcasm, bigtomi, it's unnecessary.

Isn’t that redundant?

Offline bigtomi

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2023, 11:11:22 AM »
No need for the sarcasm, bigtomi, it's unnecessary.
Ya know what I find unnecessary? Posts that are made with no thought put into them first.

Offline crackedjerk

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2023, 04:17:18 AM »
Fantastic story!  On a related note, I just saw that Gary Gerani is writing a five volume series about his five decades working in the trading card business.  I wish Len Brown did a similar thing (or all the guys who worked at Topps made a comprehensive look at various trading card series).  It's fun to hear the stories behind these things we love so much. 

Here's a link to the book in case anyone is interested: https://www.fantasticpress.store/?fbclid=IwAR2kbQ1bsPboe7INtrJcdgo5anWdmLEx0Lq-axeyEBsLNTYthW_ShAWMghY

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2023, 04:41:18 PM »
auction for this piece just finished up -

it went for an astounding $85,000 straight bid
including the auction house greedy fingers "buyer's premium", the total sale price was $106,250.
great googly-moogly!!

Offline bigtomi

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2023, 08:04:37 AM »
I just saw that Gary Gerani is writing a five volume series about his five decades working in the trading card business.
Gary is a special guest at the Philly show this weekend. What a co-inky-dink.

Offline mikecho

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Re: WP Garbage Pail Kids John Pound art for sale
« Reply #17 on: October 16, 2023, 02:04:57 PM »
I just realized this...Pig Pork Point Pen was also made for the 1985 series, but wasn't released until 2014 S1 as one of its three Lost Wackys (L1). So that makes two Wackys that are known to have been pulled from this series.

Dare we hope that this one - Garbage Pail Kids - will share the same fate in a future Modern Wacky series, or maybe even be released independently as a special one-time only Wacky just for us fans?
« Last Edit: October 18, 2023, 06:40:32 PM by mikecho »