Author Topic: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging  (Read 640514 times)

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Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1155 on: June 05, 2018, 01:19:06 PM »
Not be a bad gag, and the art is OK, with a nice leaky car, but this one never grabbed me.  Maybe because there was no character?  I also didn't recognize the product.

I always liked this one because my father was one of those guys that changed his oil and filter every 3 months. I bet I handed at least 20 of these Lee oil filters to him over the years. So high recognition in our household. With some WPs, the gag is a stretch but this one is "spot" on. Oil spot that is.
aka Scot Leibacher (no trademark)

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1156 on: June 08, 2018, 11:46:41 AM »
Another cigar parody....El Polluto and El Producto.




Offline Zenergizer

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1157 on: June 08, 2018, 04:24:32 PM »
Continued thank for sharing these.  There are several (including this one) that I never
knew the original product.

Makes one appreciate all the great artwork that went into these!

Offline DrSushi

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1158 on: June 08, 2018, 05:22:24 PM »
Continued thank for sharing these.  There are several (including this one) that I never
knew the original product.

Makes one appreciate all the great artwork that went into these!

I agree, this is one of my favorite threads. Thanks!

I'm sure this has been noted many times before, but I just noticed the extra "T" on the top of the box (POLUTTO) and that the last "O" is offset slightly above the other letters on the front of the box and looks a bit larger or has a different font than the first "O".

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1159 on: June 08, 2018, 05:39:00 PM »
Continued thank for sharing these.  There are several (including this one) that I never
knew the original product.

Makes one appreciate all the great artwork that went into these!

I second, er, third that notion!  Before this thread started, I relied on the lostwackys website as the best one-stop-shopping resource for real product images alongside their respective parodies.  While there are many accurate matches there, probably 20 to 30% feature either much newer versions of the product, grainy images, or other less-than optimum results on the real product.  The contributors to this thread really try to nail each and every image, which enhances ones appreciation of the art and the overall process of developing a good Wacky.  This to me is really what the hobby is all about - relating fond memories and looking for ways to appreciate and enjoy them even more.  It also brings individual titles which we may have under-appreciated in the past, into a new light.  I'm still blown away by Emptimo/Optimo.  Well done!

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1160 on: June 08, 2018, 07:37:50 PM »
I agree, this is one of my favorite threads. Thanks!

I'm sure this has been noted many times before, but I just noticed the extra "T" on the top of the box (POLUTTO) and that the last "O" is offset slightly above the other letters on the front of the box and looks a bit larger or has a different font than the first "O".

Great observation on the top of the box! Never noticed that error before.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1161 on: June 08, 2018, 07:44:12 PM »
I'm glad people are enjoying this thread, and it's a personal thrill to contribute to it, hunting down images of matching packaging, or at least as close as possible. I can't take credit for starting this thread, so I thank the person who did. I also give credit to people like Gregg Koenig and Jason Liebig who purchased some of these packages and shot nice photos of them. When I was little, my older brother gave me stacks of his extra Wackies, and I loved going through the aisles of the grocery store finding the real packaging to compare it to the parody. So this brings back fond memories!
« Last Edit: June 08, 2018, 07:47:31 PM by Swiski »

Offline DrSushi

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1162 on: June 08, 2018, 07:50:12 PM »
Great observation on the top of the box! Never noticed that error before.

And the side of the box says "5 SOGGY CIGARS" while the bottom front of the box says "5 SMOGGY CIGARS". Obviously, smoggy works better with the pollution theme, but the cigar itself does look a bit soggy.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1163 on: June 11, 2018, 05:00:02 AM »
Speaking of Soggy....Soggy Babies and Sugar Babies...



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1164 on: June 11, 2018, 05:09:44 AM »
Speaking of Soggy....Soggy Babies and Sugar Babies...



I always liked this one, and the funny character livens up an otherwise dull package.  Good tagline taking advantage of the advertising for M&Ms.  I still call these by the Wacky name.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1165 on: June 13, 2018, 04:59:45 AM »
Oh Hairy! and Oh Henry!...




Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1166 on: June 13, 2018, 05:16:39 AM »
Oh Hairy! and Oh Henry!...




This one is even better than Soggy Babies!  I love the hippy, and he goes so well with the fantastic gag.  Funny taglines, too.  I wouldn't change a thing.

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1167 on: June 13, 2018, 07:47:12 AM »
Speaking of Soggy....Soggy Babies and Sugar Babies...
Another Nabisco.

I liked this one and the following Oh Hairy!, but wish they both had Saunders characters, as I think would improve them both just that little bit more.

Offline Alexeirex

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1168 on: June 13, 2018, 09:51:39 AM »
I always liked this one, and the funny character livens up an otherwise dull package.  Good tagline taking advantage of the advertising for M&Ms.  I still call these by the Wacky name.

I do the same thing - sometimes without realizing it!!! Hawaiian Punks, Dampers, etc...

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1169 on: June 15, 2018, 11:55:08 AM »
Sorry Wrap and Saran Wrap. Anyone have a better image of the real package. The one I found looks a bit older and the title is all capital letters.

Searching for "Saran Wrap" was fun on Flickr. Lots of...um...interesting photos there!


« Last Edit: June 15, 2018, 12:00:43 PM by Swiski »

Offline sco(o)t

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1170 on: June 15, 2018, 01:36:47 PM »
Sorry Wrap and Saran Wrap. Anyone have a better image of the real package. The one I found looks a bit older and the title is all capital letters.

Searching for "Saran Wrap" was fun on Flickr. Lots of...um...interesting photos there!



The lettering is closer but color scheme is off. They sure changed this packaging a lot. I saw at least 10 different box designs in three pages of a Google image search.



aka Scot Leibacher (no trademark)

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1171 on: June 15, 2018, 02:28:59 PM »
The lettering is closer but color scheme is off. They sure changed this packaging a lot. I saw at least 10 different box designs in three pages of a Google image search.
that's crazy how many different looks that box had.
here's another close one, but the DOW is a blue diamond, not red




Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1172 on: June 18, 2018, 04:51:31 AM »
Feetena and Wheatena. I always thought this was a parody of Farina since Wheatena wasn't a cereal common in our area.



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1173 on: June 18, 2018, 05:05:52 AM »
Feetena and Wheatena. I always thought this was a parody of Farina since Wheatena wasn't a cereal common in our area.



This one always made me laugh.  Good gag, they matched the packaging, and managed to get a character in, too.

Offline Jean Nutty

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1174 on: June 18, 2018, 07:41:02 AM »
Steve's great avatar . . .

   

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1175 on: June 20, 2018, 08:57:36 PM »
Murial and Muriel cigars...



Offline BustedFinger

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1176 on: June 21, 2018, 03:50:18 PM »
Murial and Muriel cigars...


Wasn't there a version of this one where the tag line in the lower right corner read "Now you can have A breath like a man"?

Maybe on the original art?
Giving "The Hobby" the finger since 1999!

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1177 on: June 21, 2018, 04:22:36 PM »
Wasn't there a version of this one where the tag line in the lower right corner read "Now you can have A breath like a man"?

Maybe on the original art?
on the original art - which was then used for a new image in the 4th reprint set.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1178 on: June 23, 2018, 03:36:27 PM »
L'oggs and L'eggs



Offline lucidjc

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1179 on: June 23, 2018, 04:31:47 PM »
L'oggs and L'eggs



I remember this being the first reissue I pulled from a pack, still have it.

Jim

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1180 on: June 26, 2018, 04:47:07 AM »
Boozo and Bozo gum. Not too far off from reality! Lot's of liquor candy out there...

https://www.candywarehouse.com/liquor-candy/



Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1181 on: June 26, 2018, 05:02:54 AM »
Boozo and Bozo gum. Not too far off from reality! Lot's of liquor candy out there...

https://www.candywarehouse.com/liquor-candy/



I loved this as a kid, maybe helped by the fact that it was the puzzle.  Colorful, funny, nailed the packaging, and they got a drinking character on it.

Offline Zenergizer

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1182 on: June 26, 2018, 08:01:45 AM »
Weird, I don't think I ever saw Bozo gum as a kid, and I saw my share of candy!   ;D

Nice to see pics of the real products, always appreciated, and thanks!

Offline MoldRush

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1183 on: June 26, 2018, 06:31:13 PM »
Same here, no recollection of Bozo whatsoever.  And I was a bubblegum hound back then.  The slabs of Bazooka sandwiched between card-sized comics?  Fugghedaboutit.  Probably over a hundred packs consumed.  A very reliable sugar delivery system.

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1184 on: June 27, 2018, 04:25:53 AM »
Boozo and Bozo gum. Not too far off from reality! Lot's of liquor candy out there...

https://www.candywarehouse.com/liquor-candy/



Great title, one of my favorites, and one that I'd have to keep hidden from mom lest she get her hands on it and make it disappear.

Offline Swiski

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1185 on: June 30, 2018, 12:45:35 PM »
Blank Crows and Black Crows...




Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1186 on: June 30, 2018, 01:02:21 PM »
Blank Crows and Black Crows...




I don't recall ever seeing this product, and have no idea why the candy was named Crows, but I think this is a very good Wacky.  The birds are so well painted!  Maybe the net weight could have been "feather-brains"?

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1187 on: June 30, 2018, 04:00:36 PM »
Always reminded me of the talking magpies, Heckle and Jeckle or the crows from Disney's "Song of the South.

Here is an article about Mason Black Crows.

https://candyprofessor.com/2010/04/28/black-crows-and-roses/

Crows, black licorice flavored gum drops, are also considered to be part of the Dots family, yet only the black licorice candies were called "crows."  Why?  I could be far off base, but I'm wondering if there might be a connection between "Black Crows" and "Jim Crow?"

From Wikipedia:

The Jim Crow persona was a theater character by Thomas D. Rice and an ethnic depiction in accordance with contemporary Caucasian ideas of African-Americans and their culture. The character was based on a folk trickster named Jim Crow that was long popular among black slaves. Rice also adapted and popularized a traditional slave song called "Jump Jim Crow" (1828).

The character dressed in rags, battered hat and torn shoes. Rice blackened his face and hands using burnt cork and impersonated a very nimble and irreverently witty African American field hand.

Rice's performance as "Jim Crow" helped to popularize American minstrelsy where many performers imitated Rice's use of blackface that toured around the United States. Those performers continued to spread the racist overtones and ideas perpetuated by the character to populations across the United States.


Back in the day, many companies jumped on the same "racist" (if you will) bandwagon, such as the Pearl Milling Company with their minstrel character "Aunt Jemima" - which Quaker Oats continued to use:



And let's not forget Heide Chocolate Babies:


(Courtesy of Jason Liebig)

And in case there is any confusion, let's dig a little further back in history:



And for those still harboring the slightest shred of doubt:



Perhaps Jason could shed some light on Mason Black Crows?
« Last Edit: June 30, 2018, 04:02:37 PM by Baked Bears »

Offline RawGoo

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1188 on: June 30, 2018, 04:51:13 PM »
I remember liking Chocolate Babies.  I had no idea they were racist; to me, they were just chocolate flavored candy, and chocolate is usually brown.  Don't think I even knew about anything besides milk chocolate then.

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: Gag Criticism, Variation, and Packaging
« Reply #1189 on: June 30, 2018, 06:21:56 PM »
I remember liking Chocolate Babies.  I had no idea they were racist; to me, they were just chocolate flavored candy, and chocolate is usually brown.  Don't think I even knew about anything besides milk chocolate then.

Yeah, I loved Chocolate Babies, too.  In fact, they were delicious, and I wish I had a box now.  Nor do I remember thinking of them in racist terms.  My friends and I in our white, middle-class suburb, however, would joke and say that we were biting the heads off of little black (negro) babies, but we never stopped to think or consider that we were being racist at the time.  That was a completely different era from now.  When you're living and swept up in the moment, the moment never seems as bad.  It's simply part of you.  I was raised in a time when DDT was good, 9 out of 10 doctors recommended Lucky Strikes, children piled in the open beds of pickup trucks, and my brother and I giggled at "Ah-So" written on "Rotsa Root."  My friends and I rode our bikes in the clouds of "fog" billowing out the rear of the "mosquito truck," and everybody had mercury thermometers.  The mercury was fun to play with, too, and my mom put it on my open cuts (in the form of mercurochrome.)  Today, there are those who would say that the "Frito Bandito" is inappropriate.  Again, at the time, though, I didn't see anything wrong with the character.  As I also changed with the times, however, I can understand why the Frito Bandito is no longer around today, as well as why Chocolate Babies are no longer called "Chocolate Coons."

Going back to the "Black Crows," though, my guess would be that there is something politically incorrect about the origin of the name.  I believe the name was registered in 1899 - a time that most people were not being politically correct or, for that matter, even heard of the phrase.

 

anything