Garbage Pail Kids
| Garbage Pail Kids | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Trading Cards |
| Inventor | Mark Newgarden[1] |
| Company | The Topps Company[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1985–Present |
| Official website | |
Garbage Pail Kids (also known as "The Garbage Gang" in Australia & New Zealand and later United Kingdom versions), "La Pandilla Basura" (The Garbage Gang) or "Basuritas" (Trashlings) in Latin America, "Gang do Lixo" (Trash Gang) in Brazil, "Sgorbions" ("Snotlings") in Italy, "Les Crados" (The Filthies) in France and "Die total kaputten Kids" (The Totally Broken Kids) in Germany) is a series of trading cards produced by the Topps Company, originally released in 1985 and designed to parody the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls created by Xavier Roberts which were immensely popular at the time.
Each sticker card features a Garbage Pail Kid character having some comical abnormality and/or suffering some terrible fate, and a humorous, word play-rich character name, such as Glandular Angela or Half-Nelson. Two versions of each card were produced, with variations featuring the same artwork but a different character name denoted by an "a" or "b" letter after the card number; in rare instances a third name shared one of the letters. The sticker fronts are die-cut so just the kid with its name-plate and the G.P.K. logo can be peeled from the backing. Many of the card backs feature puzzle pieces to form giant nine-card murals; other card back subjects vary greatly from series to series, from humorous licenses and awards to comic strips and, in more recent releases, "Fakebook" profiles. Fifteen series of regular trading cards were released in the United States, with various sets released in other countries. Two large-format card editions were also released, as well as a set of fold-out posters. All-New Series sets were introduced in 2003 and Flashback rereleases began in 2010.[3]
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[edit] History
The series was the brainchild of Topps consultant and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman, who came up with the product idea after the success of his earlier creations, Garbage Candy and Wacky Packages. The concept originally began as an unreleased Wacky Packages title,[4] but the management at Topps thought it would be a good idea for a separate spin-off series. Spiegelman and fellow cartoonist Mark Newgarden worked together as the editors and art directors of the project, Len Brown was the manager, and the first run of the cards was drawn exclusively by artist John Pound.[5] Following the initial success of the cards, several additional artists and writers were brought in to contribute to the series, including Jay Lynch, Tom Bunk, and James Warhola, among others.
[edit] Variations
In Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, a smaller version was released. Each pack contained three stickers and the 'peel here' indicator pointed to the top left area. Initially in New Zealand a sixth Series of the Garbage Pail Kids was released as a market test (This version was a mix of the United States Series Six and Seven). After this success a Series One was released in Australia and New Zealand and these were known as 'The Garbage Gang' and were identical to the United States version (albeit smaller). The first series was released in Australia and New Zealand in 1989. Two different versions of Series One were released in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian stickers were darker, had a different banner and some of the names were different. From Series Two onwards, the same version was released in Australia and New Zealand. Series Four was the last release of 'The Garbage Gang'.
[edit] Commercial success
The commercial success of the trading cards led to the production of the live-action movie, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie,[6] in 1987. An animated television series was also created, but its initial scheduled broadcast in the U.S. was postponed due to parental complaints.[7] The show did make a brief appearance on U.S. television years after it was originally intended to air, and was also briefly aired in Europe.[8] The movie was released on D.V.D. by MGM Home Entertainment on July twelfth, 2005 (the original V.H.S. had been distributed by Paramount), and the cartoon series was later also released on D.V.D. by CBS Home Entertainment (coincidentally with distribution by Paramount) on April fourth, 2006.
[edit] Controversy
[edit] School ban
During the height of the card series' popularity, Garbage Pail Kids were banned in many schools planetarily.[9] One of the main reasons for the ban was that teachers cited them as distractions during class.[10]
[edit] Trade-mark infringement lawsuit
Topps was sued by the makers of Cabbage Patch Kids, Coleco, for trademark infringement.[11][12] As part of the out-of-court settlement, Topps agreed to modify the appearance of the Garbage Pail Kids to remove the resemblance between the characters, and to change the logo. Production of the cards themselves continued, but by 1988 sales had dwindled and a planned sixteenth series was never produced.
[edit] All-New Series sets
In 2003, Topps reintroduced Garbage Pail Kids with all-new art-work, dubbed the All-New Series ("A.N.S."). A.N.S. One was largely made of art-work intended for release in the 1980s, but 2004's A.N.S. Two featured brand new concepts. Unique identity numbers on the backs of silver- and gold-foil insert cards could be redeemed on-line at the official Garbage Pail Kids web-site where visitors build and "gross out" their own Garbage Pail Kids; as the number of unique identity numbers applied to the character increases, the more gross it becomes. Less than six months later, A.N.S. Three was released.
In 2005, Topps celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the G.P.K. franchise with special "Sketch Card" original art inserts for its A.N.S. Four set.[13] These were limited to one randomly inserted card per hobby-exclusive box (available only from specialty retailers), and featured original artwork by series regulars John Pound, Tom Bunk, and Jay Lynch, as well as guest artists Strephon Taylor, John Czop, Don Perlin, and Justin Green. Although a regular to the series with over thirty-five paintings, Luis Diaz was not involved in the sketch cards.
In 2006, A.N.S. Five was released with forty more new kids (each with an a/b twin), followed by A.N.S. Six in early 2007. January 2008 saw the release of A.N.S. Seven which expanded the base set to fifty-five new characters and was the last set to feature new art-work until 2010's Flashback Series One subset of six previously unpublished kids.
The A.N.S. cards differ from the original series ("O.S.") in a number of ways, the most obvious being the upgraded quality of card-stock with a glossy, ultraviolet-protective surface. The A.N.S. releases also changed the card enumerating format: O.S. cards used a continuous numbering pattern so that each new set would pick up where the last one ended (e.g. O.S. One ended at 41a/b and O.S. Two picked up at 42a/b) while A.N.S. reset the enumeration back to 1a/b with every subsequent release. Each A.N.S. also featured special "chase cards" randomly inserted in packs; for example, Foil Cards show characters from the original series (with modified art-work due to the lawsuit), Scratch 'n Stink cards, Collectible Card Game cards, Temporary Tattoos, three-dimensional Pop-Up cards, Alphabet cards, Activity cards, Magnets, lenticular Loco Motion cards, and die-cut Jigsaw Puzzle cards, along with special bonus cards available only at participating retailers in either "bonus boxes" or rack-packs; these bonus stickers were the first cards not to have a twin set.
[edit] Flashback rereleases
Topps released a twenty-fifth anniversary Flashback set on February twenty-fourth, 2010, featuring reprints of characters from the original 1985-87 G.P.K. series (eight each from O.S. One to O.S. Eight) plus six previously unpublished "Lost" characters and ten "Where Are They Now?" cards showing classic G.P.K.s drawn as they would appear today. Packs contained randomly inserted chase cards including lenticular Loco Motion, authentic Printing Plates, four levels of Parallels, and hand-drawn Artist Sketches by pop-culture artists including Layron DeJarnette, Brent Engstrom, Dave Gross, Mark Pingitore, Joe Simko, Colin Walton, Fred Wheaton, Jeff Zapata, and veteran G.P.K. artists Tom Bunk and Jay Lynch.
A second Flashback set was released on February twenty-third, 2011, with sixty-five more O.S. reprints from series One to Nine plus five added "Lost" kids, ten new "WatN?" cards, five full-depth 3-D. cards, one-of-a-kind Artist Sketches, and 10 "Adam Mania" cards showing variants of Adam Bomb's iconic mushroom cloud, plus Parallels of the base and Adam Mania sets.[14]
G.P.K. Flashback Series Three followed on November second, 2011, with sixty-six O.S. reprints, four "Lost" kids, ten "WatN?" cards, five 3-D. cards, ten Adam Mania cards, Artist Sketches, and Parallels.
[edit] The Garbage Pail Kids Movie
On August twenty-first, 1987, a film based on the card characters was released.[15] It was both a critical and commercial flop, opening poorly in three hundred and seventy-four theatres with an initial draw of only $661,512 and total gross receipts of $1,576,615. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 0% critic rating and 35% audience rating. Topps featured advertisements for the movie on the original series Nine and Ten box-topper poster and variant wrapper.
[edit] See also
[edit] Reference
- ^ Dery, Mark (March 19, 2006). "A Cartoonist in Despair? Now That's Funny". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/fashion/sundaystyles/19newgarten.html?scp=7&sq=Garbage%20Pail%20Kids&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
- ^ "Sticks to the Teeth, Not to the Ribs". The New York Times. August 17, 1988. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/17/garden/sticks-to-the-teeth-not-to-the-ribs.html?scp=6&sq=Garbage%20Pail%20Kids&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
- ^ About Garbage Pail Kids Garbage Pail Kids Online
- ^ Wacky Packages Garbage Pail Kid Pound Art
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids Index Pound Art
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids Movie Internet Movie Database
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids TV Series Parental Complaints Child of the 1980s
- ^ Garbage Paiids TV Series Airs in Europe Wharble
- ^ "Garbage Pail Kids Rage Stirring Up Controversy". Sun Sentinel. February 19, 1986. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-02-19/features/8601110201_1_garbage-pail-kids-cabbage-patch-kids-2-inch-cards. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids Distracting to Schoolchildren Skool Days
- ^ "Copyrights: Trouble in the Garbage Pail". Time. March 17, 1986. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960905,00.html. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ^ "Around the Nation; Judge Rules in Case Of Garbage Pail Kids". The New York Times. August 30, 1986. http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/30/us/around-the-nation-judge-rules-in-case-of-garbage-pail-kids.html?scp=1&sq=Cabbage%20Pail%20Kids&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids ANS4 Review Trader Crack's
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids Flashback Series 2 Master Checklist The Collectibles Workshop
- ^ Garbage Pail Kids Movie Trailer YouTube
[edit] External links
- La Pandilla Basura en español La Pandilla Basura en español
- Garbage Pail Kids World Official website
- The Garbage Pail Kids Movie at the Internet Movie Database
- Barren Aaron's Garbage Pail Kids World Reference website
- GEEPEEKAY.com Reference website
- Wayne's Garbage Pail Kids References Reference website
- Garbage Pail Kids Underground Forum website
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