THE
COMPLETE INTERVIEW : BARNEBYS + BARREN AARON

How
did the love for GPK start? How old were you then (and how old are you now)? Were
you early or late compared to friends?

My
infatuation with Garbage Pail Kids started at the beginning of junior high school
(högstadiet), during seventh grade, in the Autumn of 1985 – I must’ve been
around 12yo. Most GPK collectors I know now were in grade school (mellanstadiet)
at the time, but I was a bit older. One day, heading home from school I noticed
two kids really into some trading cards in the seat in front of me on the bus,
I leaned forward to get a better look and I was blown away by what I saw; they
turned out to be 2nd Series GPK cards. I was instantly wowed and won over; that
obsession has lasted 35 years!

Do you remember
a scene of when you bought/got your first cards? Where did you grow up (where
do you live now)?

At
the time, I was living in Colona, IL, a small town outside of the Quad Cities
where I grew up – where my wonder years occurred during the ’80s – my brother,
Jason, and I begged our mom to take us to the closest Toys”R”Us to locate
the cards. We both spent our saved allowance to purchase $10 worth of packs and
I remember still needing the ‘MATT Ratt’ character to complete my set, even after
trading with my brother. I currently reside in Denver, CO and have been out here
for more than 20 years, but looking to relocate back to my home state in 2020.

Why do you think it was such a hype? Why did they work
on every kid? Do you remember a scene that caught the hype?

I
grew up with an older brother having Wacky Packages stuck to his bed board, step
siblings that collected MAD magazine, and friends (along with myself) that listened
to ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, so the idea of parody and satire was firmly embedded into
my head already by the time GPK were released – therefore, there was this instant
connection with these sticker images that were poking fun at the very popular
Cabbage Patch Kids dolls at the time; I’m sure it was very similar for other kids.
Plus, they became a hot commodity the moment parental figures were against them
and the more news reports and articles mentioned the cards being banned from schools.

It
was that perfect period between prepubescence and adolescence, where you didn’t
know the meaning of counterculture, but enjoyed the idea of coolness (GPK) up
against, and at odds with, cuteness (CPK), and your parents and teachers not liking
the material. The cards were everywhere; on the bus, on the schoolyard playground,
in piles on lunch tables for trading or inspection – every kid wanted the cards,
even if only collecting them briefly; for a name, character, card back, etc.

And why this moral panic from grown ups? So much moral
panic during the 1980s – video, GPK and hard rock?

Unlike
most grown ups, the cards really didn’t speak down to children. Even as a youngster,
you could tell the quality of the artwork was topnotch. As a youngster, you didn’t
know major underground comix artists had a hand in creating these masterpieces,
but you knew the $.25 cent pack and 5 sticker cards in your hand was well worth
the money and value. The subject matter on the cards really did expand your knowledge,
made you want to draw and create, broadened your imagination. Every form of entertainment,
be it artwork media, music, video, etc., questions peoples’ morals and values
– which is a good thing. However, as a kid, there is a level of innocence and
the cards felt like a language only you and your friends could understand. The
artwork spoke to you; like a secret from adults. I was lucky, even after my brothers
had turned to collecting baseball cards my mom was very supportive in my collecting
of GPK even though my step father wasn’t, she was a firm believer of individuality.

Interviewing all of these GPK-legends – when in time
do you wish that you where there with them looking at history? Some certain moments?

There
were some wonderful GPK websites on the internet at the time I started my own
pages, but they mainly just displayed information on the actual set releases (card
numbers, character names, card images) … where I wanted to know who created
and painted the artwork, I wanted to dive deeper into the creation and production
of the trading cards. Even after publishing my website, it took a year or so to
find contacts for the creators and artists and compile the artist information.

I
wish I could have been a fly-on-the-wall during the artwork thumbnail discussions,
when the ideas were still at a conceptual stage, before the tight pencil and color
rough stages. A lot of this earlier material by Pound, Warhola, and the art directors
(Newgarden and Spiegleman) still remains unseen and undocumented. I also wish
I could’ve been around to eavesdrop in on the ‘naming panel’ meetings, when the
cards received their final nomenclature.

If
you were god for one day… What would you have changed in the story about GPK
(except the movie)?

It’s
hard for me to let go of obsessions and possessions, so when the 16th Series GPK
set wasn’t released in early 1989, it took a while to grasp that GPK was no longer
going to be hitting store shelves, or rather, store counters. If I could change
anything during the history of GPK, minus the movie (UGH!), it would be to have
seen the official release of the 16th Series GPK set that was shelved and still
remains unreleased in it’s original format. I remember writing to Topps in 1989
asking whether the set would be released … no response. I was well into high
school at the time and most of the collectors around me had stopped collecting
GPK during the 4th and 5th series sets. Even though the card artwork was eventually
released in different ways (All-New Series 1, bonus cards, etc.), I still feel
unsettled as a collector knowing that the old reverse card material was never
printed and that the original set was never released.

BARNEYS
WEBSITE: Aaron Booton together with artist Tom Bunk
who was drawing Garbage Pail Kids. Photo: Aaron Booton.

LEGO collectors often reference
their “dark period”. It is the years between childhood playing and as
grown up finding the LEGO again. Did you have a “dark period”? What
happened in that case, how did you find your way back to the cards?

Absolutely.
Trading cards always felt a bit different from toys, per se, without such strict
age guidelines labeled on the packaging. I remember turning 13 and feeling I wasn’t
supposed to be playing with toys any longer and a year or so later I did put down
my LEGO, Transformers, G.I. Joe, etc. But as a ‘true collector’, after a spell,
you definitely go back and start to recollect this material again as an adult
in some form or another. That ‘dark period’ for GPK lasted a good decade, right
up to the point of publishing the website. I had to start hopping on the internet
for college homework and one of the first things I searched for was ‘Garbage Pail
Kids’ which led me to some great sites and discovering eBay around 1998. I never
owned the 1st Series GPK set (only 25 singles in random condition), so I began
recollecting GPK around that time and going full throttle back to into collecting
and discovering more about the cards.

When did
you realise that you were a collector?

I
have a very addictive personality. I believe one realizes that they’re a ‘true
collector’ when one becomes a completist within their field of hobby or hobbies
– and they can’t stop collecting. With music, I always collected every song single,
B-side, mix … and this goes for trading cards and their variations (however,
I can no longer keep up with today’s pricey chase card material and parallels),
for Harry Potter LEGO (special poly bags), for The Dark Crystal Funko POP!s (sticker
variations), comic covers, etc. Anything that I collect I’m not satisfied unless
I have it all and until I have it all. And then you turn to the next thing to
collect.

How many hours a week is dedicated to
the homepage and the collection?

I
spend 40hrs a week looking at a computer for work, so I try to limit evening and
weekend hours updating the website and social media pages to 10 or so hours per
week; this often fluctuates during larger retail releases when updating becomes
a bit more time consuming. This past year was very busy with newly licensed GPK
product, and 2020 looks to be just as engaging for the 35th anniversary, if not
even more! It’s been hard to find the time to revisit older pages and revamp and
expand on them. Items are always coming in the mail for my many hobbies, so collecting
is never put on standstill!

When did you start
the site? Is still growing? Who is the visitors? Is there a community and what
do you share? Have you made friends thru this?

I
first published the GPK website in 1998 (as ‘Barren AARON’s Garbage Pail Kids
Reference Guide’) and celebrated 20 years in 2018, which is unbelievable to me
– to be plugging away at something for that long. There was a time after 15 years
that I thought I’d stop updating the website, I was feeling burned out, but in
late 2014 I became an executive producer for the 30 Years of Garbage documentary,
that was eventually released on video in 2016, which really rejuvenated my passion
for GPK.

I don’t sell
myself well, I’m a very non-proactive and passive webmaster, so I don’t keep track
of the number of visitors and page requests; perhaps because it’s a very ‘nonprofit’
project and a pastime I perform as a passion for the hobby, where I remain humble,
but the site and visitors definitely continue to grow. I recently placed the website
on some social media channels so have witnessed just how diverse visitors are,
from an international and even gender level. The visitors in general range from
die-hard collectors to easy-going perusers who remember and are fond of the nostalgic
characters.

There is definitely
a large GPK community that runs a plethora of different websites and social media
pages for all aspects of the cards, be it for international releases, Cheap Toys
figures, sketch cards, sell & trade, et cetera. Some gather for the ‘GPK’
conventions and trading card shows throughout the year. The website and community
has led to some amazing friendships, some I know will be lifelong – with many
collectors and also several artists, from the original series and from the new
releases.

What is the most usual questions you
get (saw that you mentioned that you don’t value cards)?

I
tend to receive quite a few emails and messages asking where’s the best place
to sell GPK childhood collections – or a parent’s collection (I’m still very loyal
to eBay), contact information for the artists (usually direct them to their personal
websites), to verify if a card or uncut sheet might be a bootleg, for hi-res images
of the original artwork (I usually don’t have large images to begin with, and
don’t have permissions to circulate if I did, that’s why it’s usually watermarked),
and of course, pricing (even with the caveat).

Which
cards are most after sought today? And reaches the highest prices?

Naturally,
the 1st Series GPK cards are most sought after and their respective packs and
boxes reach a very high price. Next would be certain productions of the 2nd Series…
and then releases that had smaller production runs, and where releases weren’t
as widespread or in demand, such as the the last few releases like the 14th and
15th Series sets that are harder to locate. Most Topps releases in the ’80s, much
like their sport card lines, were mass-produced so most of the middle releases
are still relatively easy to obtain. Other sought after cards for die-hards and/or
completists would be card variations and/or errors cards such as the ever-popular
9th Series ‘no number’ 355b card (where the ink has faded and went missing during
the printing stage) that is found in a specific production run. And naturally,
anything with the ADAM Bomb character sells, Sells. SELLS.

BARNEYS
WEBSITE: Pete Heat is
affected by an unusual hair dryer. On the wall, Aaron Booton’s name is inscribed
on the wall as a tribute from the artist Tom Bunk. photo: Aaron Booton.

What are you looking for right now?
And how does your collection look like? What is the best things you found?

I
feel my Original Series collection is as complete as I’m going to get it and I
stopped collecting international releases some time ago to focus on other hobbies;
aghast! But, I still collect some newer GPK releases, pick-and-choose online material,
the GPK Funko POP!s and Mystery Minis were a favourite, and have been more focused
recently on some of the newer licensed product such as the Geeki Tikis, Greenlight
die-cast cars, and Creepy Co. product.

My
most unique item is a green-ink sketch card by John Pound from the All-New Series
4 release that never found its way into the boxes but was purchased directly from
the artist (the first iteration of a ‘Return’ sketch card); only three known to
exist. But, from the Original Series, my favourite items would have to be the
original tight pencil and color rough artwork, also by artist John Pound, for
the 3rd Series #104 character which is the mascot for my website and the first
‘Aaron’ card within the GPK realm. From the middle releases, my buddy Tom Bunk
has placed my name within the artwork for several pieces, so those cards and some
of the final artwork are my most prized possessions. For some later releases,
Brent Engstrom and Joe Simko have also given myself and website some shout-outs
on card. It’s wonderful to be recognized and acknowledged by these brilliant artists.

What are you dreaming to find? Who is your favourite
GPK illustrator? Pound, Warhola, Bunk? Why?

My
dream was always to find an Indiana Jones-like hidden tomb of 1st Series GPK boxes
since I never owned the complete 1st Series set as a kid, but that dreamed was
answered via eBay in 1998 when I was able to hold a 1st Series box, open 1st Series
packs, and collate a 1st Series set! When I was collecting international releases
I always wanted to find a horde of Bukimi Kun boxes from Japan. I have definitely
slowed down on collecting ‘everything’ GPK due to space and quite a few other
interests, but I will always search for new information for the website.

Every
artist brings something different, unique and interesting to GPK, even if it means
putting their own twist on the brand. Pound artwork is probably the most nostalgic,
profound and prolific for me, since that was the only artwork found on the card
fronts for the first two releases and the characters I have stared at for the
longest period of time since 1985. His paint strokes are quite effortless and
masterful. I grew up with MAD magazine, so I was also attracted to the reverse
card artwork by Bunk and the introduction of his artwork style to the front of
the cards for the 3rd Series set and Warhola’s for the 6th Series set.

If I would start a GPK collection… Where do you think
that I should start?