RELEASE PERIOD : JANUARY 20,
2017

The thematic, doomsday-esque,
2017 Series 1 (aka ‘2017S1’) ADAM-Geddon set announcement was released
by the Topps Company, Inc. on Tuesday July 26, 2016—only three months after
the Prime Slime Trashy TV 2016S2 set announcement. The end-of-the -world apocalyptic
set was scheduled to be released in the ‘New Year’ (of political fear) on January
20, 2017 right in time for the presidential ‘Inauguration Day’ considering the
set will include the ‘Best of the U.S. Presidential Election’ from 2016; although,
Topps did announce online that the set would be out as early as January 18th.

def’n:
Geddon (suffix) – denoting a catastrophic event caused
by or related to the stem word—in this case—’ADAM Bomb’. def’n:
Armageddon – the location where the last battle between
good and evil will be fought.

The
GPK series includes all-new artwork or contributions by GPK artists Brent Engstrom,
Joe Simko, David Gross, Mark Pingitore, Neil Camera, John Pound (previous material),
JungHwa Im, Colin Walton (editor, art director, writer) and Mark Von Ohlen (brand
manager); most involved submitting their own concepts and nomenclature. The base
set has dropped from 220 cards down to 180 cards. Each foil or plastic pack (with
a suggested retail price of $1.99) contains eight sticker cards, except for the
Hobby Collector Edition box with exclusive premium content packs that contain
eight stickers per pack or may contain seven sticker per pack with a special insert.

PACK
IMAGE — WRAPPER ARTWORK : JOHN POUND — LOGO DESIGN : COLIN WALTON

180
A+B CARD SET : SUBSETS BASE CARDS
SUBSETS
: 20 Dumb Deaths + 10 Pollution + 16 Bio & Tech + 18 Plagues + 36 Natural
Disasters
+ 10 Monsters + 10 Alien Invasion + 24 Apocalypse + 36 Nuclear

BASE
+ CHASE INSERT CARDS & ONLINE SETS
1,329 TOTAL CARDS
= 180 Base Card Stickers + 180 Puke Splatter Parallel (R+H) + 180 Pee
Splatter Parallel (Target gravity feed) + 180 Spit Splatter Parallel (H) + 180
Bruised Splatter Parallel (HC) + 180 Bloody Nose Splatter Parallel (HC) + 180
Fool’s Gold Parallel + 20 Classic GPK ADAM-Geddon (R jumbo pack) + 20 Classic
ADAM-Geddon Patches (HC) + 10 Best of 2016 Presidential Election (H) + 6 Gross
Bears bonus (Wal*Mart/Topps Online value box) + 6 Bathroom Buddies bonus (Target
value box) + 1 Standard Sketch (R) + 1 Panoramic Sketch (R jumbo pack) + 1 Dual
Artist Panoramic Sketch (HC) + 1 Shaped Sketch (H+HC) + 1 Loaded Puzzle Sketch
(R value box) + 1 Artist Autograph + 1 Printing Plate

*

PRODUCT
RELEASE SHEETS
e-SHEETS + PROMOTIONAL
PICS : HOBBY PAGES 1-5 + RETAIL PAGES 1-5

‘CLICK’ PIC TO VIEW ALL PAGES

*

HOBBY
PRODUCTION RUN

HOBBY + RETAIL BOX
ODDS — PARALLELS: green Puke – 1:1 (R + H) and Fool’s Gold [50 per subject]
– 1:51 • PRINTING PLATE card – 1:1,1063 • SKETCH cards: Shaped (H
& HC exclusive) – 1:178 • ARTIST AUTOGRAPH card [25 per subject]
– 1:168 • Best of 2016 Presidential Election card [1 per box; H &
HC exclusive] – 1:24

HOBBY
+ RETAIL BOX — PKG005583 — UPC 8-87521-05576-0 — 24 PACK : NO ‘H’
ON BOX
NOTE: BEST OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION INSERTS
CARDBOARD CASE BOX —
PKG005584 — FGC002291+2293 — UPC 8-87521-05577-7 — 8 BOX / 24 PACK
CT
FOIL PACK — PKG005582 — UPC 8-87521-05575-3 — NO ‘H’ ON
WRAPPER; SRP $1.99

*

HOBBY
COLLECTOR BOX ODDS — PARALLELS: blue Spit [99 per subject; HC exclusive]
– 1:2, Fool’s Gold [50 per subject] – 1:51, black Bruised – 1:1 (HC exclusive),
red Bloody Nose [75 per subject; HC exclusive] – 1:3 • PRINTING PLATE
card 1:1,062 • SKETCH cards: Shaped (H & HC exclusive) – 1:178,
Dual Artist Panoramic (HC exclusive) – 1:694 • ARTIST AUTOGRAPH card
[25 per subject] – 1:168 • Best of 2016 Presidential Election card [1 per
box; H & HC exclusive] – 1:24 • Manufactured Patch card [99 per
subject; HC exclusive] – 1:36

COLLECTOR
HOBBY BOX — PKG005586 — UPC 8-87521-05573-9 — ’24 PACK’ + ‘H’ ON
BOX
NOTE: BEST OF PREZ ELECTION INSERTS
BOX ART INLAY — PKG005587 —
ARTWORK BY JOE SIMKO
CARDBOARD CASE BOX — PKG005588 — FGC002292
— UPC 8-87521-05574-6 — 8 BOX / 24 PACK COUNT
FOIL PACK — PKG005585
— UPC 8-87521-05572-2 — ‘H’ ON WRAPPER;
SRP $2.49

*

RETAIL
PRODUCTION RUN

RETAIL BOX ODDS —
PARALLELS: green Puke – 1:1 (R + H), yellow Pee – 1:4 (R exclusive; Target
gravity pack),
Fool’s Gold [50 per subject] – 1:51 value box + 1:26 jumbo
pack + 1:? gravity feed and blaster pack • PRINTING PLATE (4 per subject):
gravity feed and blaster pack – 1:1,073 + jumbo pack – 1:1,076 + value box – 1:1,080
• SKETCH cards: Standard (R exclusive) – gravity feed and blaster
pack 1:326 + jumbo pack – 1:163 + value box – 1:326; Panoramic – 1:637 jumbo pack,
Loaded – 1:75 value box • ARTIST AUTOGRAPH card [25 per subject]: jumbo pack
and value box – 1:168 + gravity feed and blaster pack- 1:168 • GROSS BEARS
– 3:1 (Wal*Mart value box; online) • BATHROOM BUDDIES – 3:1 (Target
value box exclusive) • CLASSIC RADIOACTIVE cards – 1:1 (jumbo pack
exclusive)

GRAVITY
FEED BOX — PKG005590 — UPC 8-87521-? — 8 CARDS PER PACK; TARGET

CASE BOX — PKG005591 — FGC00? — UPC 8-87521-? — ?
PLASTIC
PACK — PKG005589 — UPC 8-87521-05578-4 — $1.99 SRP

VALUE
PACK — PKG005593 — UPC 8-87521-05581-4 — $4.99 SRP :
NOTE:
CLASSIC RADIOACTIVE CHASE CARDS
CARDBOARD CASE
BOX — PKG005594 — FGC002295 — UPC 8-87521-05582-1 — 1/108
COUNT

BLASTER
VALUE BOX — PKG005597 — UPC 8-87521-05584-5 — ‘5 PACK’; TARGET;
LISTED $9.99 SRP
NOTE: 3 BATHROOM BUDDIES STICKERS
CARDBOARD CASE BOX —
PKG005598 — FGC002296 — UPC 8-87521-05585-2 —
16/5+1 COUNT
FOIL PACK — PKG005595 — UPC 8-87521-05583-8

BLASTER
VALUE BOX — PKG005599 — UPC 8-87521-05586-9 — WAL*MART; TOPPS ONLINE:
“$9.99 SRP”
NOTE: 3 GROSS BEARS CARDS STICKERS
CARDBOARD CASE
BOX — PKG005598 — FGC002297 — UPC 8-87521-05587-6 — 16/5+1
COUNT
FOIL PACK — PKG005596 — UPC 8-87521-?

GRAVITY FEED BOX — PKG005601 —
UPC 8-87521-05590-6 — 4 CARDS PER PACK : SPECIALTY STORE
CARDBOARD CASE
BOX — PKG005602 — FGC00? — UPC 8-87521-? — ?
FOIL PACK
— PKG005600 — UPC 8-87521-05589-0 — $.99 SRP

—
The set marks the seventh thematic Yearly
Series release since 2014 (two sets per year) from the Topps company and
the fourth thematic release (anniversary, american, TV and doomsday) for the GPK
franchise.

A staggering number of 38 Sketch Artists (alphabetical
by last name) completed the various sketch card versions for the 2017S1 set: Simone
Arena, Michael Barnard, Dan Burn Webster, Neil Camera, Daniel Contois, Jasmine
Contois, Sobot Cortez, Jason Crosby, “GPK Dave” Dabila, Vincenzo “Chenduz”
D’Ippolito, Brent Engstrom, Patrick Giles, Cecilia Granata, Dustin Graham, Jon
Gregory, Dennis Gortakowski, Kelly Greider, Jason Heil, Marisol Henriquez, Lowell
Isaac, Robert Jimenez, Matthew Kirscht, “Smokin’ Joe” McWilliams, Chris
Meeks, Lily Mercado, Ryan Moffett, Rich Molinelli, JM Monserrat, Sean Norvet,
Barry Nygma, Steve Potter, Cathy Razim, Chad Scheres, Joe Simko, Anthony Skubis,
Matt Steffens, Denis St. John, Magnus Von Robotsson. Besides the sketch cards
located within the boxes, the artists were given ten blank sketch card ‘Returns’
from the Topps company, and once approved, could be kept, sold or auctioned —
these sketch cards are often more highly detailed and go for a higher price.

Dual
Panoramic tag-team possibilities: Simone Arena & Neil Camera, Dan Burn Webster
& Neil Camera, Neil Camera & Ryan Moffett, Neil Camera & JM Monserrat,
Daniel Contois & Jasmine Cointois, Jason Crosby & Chad Scheres, Vincenzo
“Chenduz” D’Ippolito & “Smokin’ Joe” McWilliams, Patrick
Giles & Chris Meeks, Dennis Gortakowski & Dustin Graham, Dennis Gortakowski
& Marisol Henriquez, Jon Gregory & “Smokin’ Joe” McWilliams,
Kelly Greider & Matt Steffens, Jason Heil & Cathy Razim, Lowell Isaac
& Ryan Moffett, Lowell Isaac & Steve Potter, Robert Jimenez & Magnus
Von Robotsson, Lily Mercado & Anthony Skubis, Barry Nygma & Steve Potter,
et cetera.

—
Following the New Year, the Topps company began to post further
promotional mock-up material on social media (Facebook, etc.) to promote the ADAM-Geddon
release: The seventh promotional image,
Destroying A. DOUG—painted by Joe Simko is based direclty off of the 1962
Mars Attacks! image for card #36 ‘Destroying a Dog’—painted
by Norman Saunders. The controversial card back read: “The Martians not only
attacked the big cities, but also struck at the less populated sections of the
country. Frightened citizens had to flee into the woods for safety or be burned
with their homes. The invaders would leave their saucers and search small caves,
looking for signs of the hiding families. In one cave, a Martian found a group
of six people huddled together in fear. Before the invader could use his death
weapon, a dog leaped up at the alien. The startled spaceman ran out of the cave,
followed by the animal and its young owner. The invader then turned his deadly
ray on the barking dog, destroying it as the young boy cried out in horror.”
The OS4 GPK character was taken from cards 138a Alien IAN & 138b Outerspace
CHASE painted by John Pound.

—
For ‘The Plagues’ cards, Topps requested that artist
Brent Engstrom add an additional Kid-like victim to the concept sketch for cards
2a Locust LUCAS & 2b Swarmin’ NORMAN; pictured below is Engstrom’s original
Concept variation. More than twice the amount of
locusts were added to the final artwork image.

—
Artists will submit similar Concepts
to Topps, especially for the recent thematic GPK releases that call for specific
topics per subset. Artist Brent Engstrom turned in a monsoon wave concept after
Joe Simko’s ‘Natural Disasters’ image for cards 9a Monsoon JUNE & 9b STORM
Serge with the submitted names *SUE Nami and *Crushing CRAIG. Artist Joe Simko
turned in a Kid covered with boils concept after Brent Engstrom’s ‘The Plagues’
image for cards 7a Boily BOYD & 7b Pus GUS with the name *BOBBY Boil. The
art director at Topps usually takes the concept that was turned in first.

—
Sadly, this is the last GPK installment where collectors
will see artwork by artist Mark Pingitore. Mark has
ended his freelance gig with Topps in order to pursue his own personal line of
parody releases through his Magic Marker Art website (http://magicmarkerart.storenvy.com/).
Thus far, besides his ‘SLOP! Culture Kids’ clothing he has released an impressive
Horrorible Kids vinyl die-cut set poking fun at the horror movie genre and two
Disasters of the Universe sets that pay homage to the Masters of the Universe
world. A G.I.JOKES set making fun of G.I.JOE characters is in the works
with a TMNT parody set also on the horizon.