PRODUCTION ARTWORK — BITS
& BOBS BACKSTORY —ANNOTATED NOMENCLATURE
DEFINITIONS TAKEN IN PART FROM
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY
COPYRIGHT © 1998—CURRENT, AARON J. BOOTON.
NO PART OF THIS WEBSITE MAY BE COPIED, EXHIBITED, OR OTHERWISE USED
WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSIONS OF THE AUTHOR/GPKWORLD
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460a
BALL ‘N SHANE = The phrase meaning to be tied down by ‘ball and chain’. def’n: Ball — A spherical or almost spherical body or entity. def’n: Chain — A connected, flexible series of links. 460b HARDY ROCKY = Hard rock. def’n: Hard rock — Rock music marked by harsh, amplified sound, feedback, and other electronic modulations. def’n: Hard — Physically or mentally toughened. Firm, rigid. def’n: Rocky — Consisting of or full of rocks.
— Warhola’s doing-hard-time (to be imprisoned as punishment for a crime) gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a prisoner, within a well-guarded prison yard (high walls, barbed wire, watchtower, armed guards), breaking apart rocks with a sledgehammer. The convict is seen wearing typical black-and-white striped prison garb, and shackled to a ball-and-chain, where the ball is serenely the prisoner’s head, connected by the ear. It is unclear what the full conception means, but perhaps the convict is a captive within their own head/mind, weighed down by guilt, and shackled to themselves. Breaking rocks and stone is a prisoner trope often seen in movies, etcetera. Of American-English origin, the phrase ball-and-chain denotes a heavy metal ball secured by a chain to a person’s leg to prevent (easy) escape. — In 2011, Topps released the image within their Flashback Series 3 set, but the large header blocked out most of the background, including most of the watchtower. The yellow header, yellow nameplate, and yellow border really washed this image out, but also made the B&W character pop out from the image. |
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461a
MARA THON = Marathon. def’n: Marathon — A long-distance race, especially one on foot. A test or contest of endurance. 461b RACY
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462a
HALF PRICE = Half price; for half the price, a ‘FOR SALE’ slogan. def’n: Half — One of two equal parts. def’n: Price — To fix or establish a price for. The amount of money asked or given for something. 462b CHECKED-OUT
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463a
PHOOEY TO HUGH = Phooey to you. def’n: Phooey — A term of disbelief, to strike back. 463b RAZZIN’ ROSS — Ross; R forename to go with the word ‘razz+ing’. def’n: Razz — slang. To ridicule; to heckle.
— Warhola’s tongue lashing gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character sticking their tongue out, out of spite, usually to annoy or to offend the other ‘person’, but in this case, the character’s own tongue, in turn, is sticking their own tongue out at the offender. Perhaps even the personified tongue is tired of his owner’s antics and bad behaviour. The character’s personality can be somewhat identified by their mean face, down-to-business rolled-up sleeves, and his know-it-all bow tie. — Per Warhola’s original tight pencil artwork, the character is seen with a seriously short crewcut, hands on hips, writing instrumetns in the front shirt pocket, and severely tucked in shirt. Notations under the artwork, most likely dictated by either Art Spiegelman or Mark Newgarden, stated, “- horizontal – madder expression”, where the vertical image format was changed and a meaner expression given to the character, “- longer hair – tongue longer – portrude further”, where the hairstyle was changed and the tongue extended. The angle of the tongue’s ‘body’ was also switched up a bit, to make it face the character more. |
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464a
TONGUE TIED TEDDY — Teddy; T forename to go with the words ‘tongue tied’. def’n: Tongue — The fleshy, movable, muscular organ of the mouth that functions in tasting, speech, and as an aid in chewing and swallowing. def’n: Tie — To draw together and knot. def’n: Necktie — A narrow band of fabric worn around the neck and tied in a knot or bow. 464b DRESSED TO KILLIAN = Dressed to kill. A phrase meaning to be dressed sharply, smart, stylish. def’n: Dress — Clothing; apparel.
— Bunk’s literal tongue-tie(d) gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character dressed for business success, with a pinstripe suit, a flower in their lapel, slicked-back hair, and their favourite tie. If at some point the character needs to attend a business meeting, the character would indeed find himself tongue tied and unable to communicate properly. — Compared to Bunk’s original tight pencil artwork, his colour rough shows the tongue as being more realistic looking, rather than fabric-like, with added tastebuds. The business suit has also gained some stripes, and a flower is shown sketched into the character’s lapel, off to their left-hand side. For the final artwork, the flower has been moved to their right-hand side, and the character was give more ‘leg room’, and a stronger stance. |
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465a
UPSY DAISYS = Upsy daisy. A term meaning to get up carefully, often spoken to a child. def’n: Up — From a lower to a higher position. A rise or ascent. 465b BARFY
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466a
SEASICK CECIL — Semi-rhyme; the forename Cecil with the word ‘seasick’. def’n: Seasick — Nausea and other discomforts resulting from the motion of a vessel at sea. 466b DINNER AT EYTAN = Dinner at eight. A common dining phrase to tell the time when food will be served. Also, a famous movie title, from 1933, Dinner at Eight. def’n: Dinner — The main meal of the day. A formal banquet.
— Bennett’s tongue drifting-at-sea gag, the unintended movement of a ‘boat’, was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character sitting down for a meal on their makeshift raft. The character has succumbed to cannibalism (the act of consuming human flesh) and has set the ‘table’ for some fine dining, with a placemat, fork & knife, salt & peper shaker, and a bottle of ketchup, as two man-eating sharks lurk nearby. The lost-at-sea character has a mouth-watering look of pure bliss upon their face. The maritime flatboat has an ‘SOS’ flag held aloft by a tree branch; SOS is not an acronym, but a Morse code string of three dots and three dashes that is used as a distress signal or code, and often seen written out as a message, as ‘SOS’. — Garbage Pail Kids, in general, were mass-produced and released in several different countries under different monikers, often with a rough translation of GPK or The Garbage Gang title. A Spanish set, released as La Pandilla Basura, was available in Spain in 1989 and contained the character with the nomenclature of Sin Destino MARINO = Without Destination MARINO. LBP translated to The Trash/Garbage Gang, since the international name of GPK had to change after the lawsuit ended in 1987 within the U.S. — Email to Jim during April 2016: “Do you remember how you found work for Topps back then, by chance?” … Bennett, ” I really can’t remember. Most of my work those days just came from the art director giving me a call and seeing if I was available. I have very pleasant memories. They were fun and easy to work with, and paid very well for such quick simple images. I remember branching out into “Max Headrome” point of purchase displays, and a few other interesting projects that I can’t recall. It was truly in the early days of a long career. Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane and let me know if I can ever help again.” |
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467a
TONGUE IN CHICO = Tongue in cheek. def’n: Tongue-in-cheek — Meant ironically or facetiously. def’n: Cheek — Either side of the face, below the eyes, or the inner sides of the mouth. def’n: Cheeky — British slang. A term used to describe an action that is done humoursously, often audaciously. def’n: Irony — The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. 467b NICK
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468a
MUMMIFIED CLYDE — Rhyme; the forename Clyde with the past tense word ‘mummified’. def’n: Mummy — A body embalmed, and wrapped after death. def’n: Muffify — (esp. in ancient Egypt) To preserve a body by embalming and wrapping it in cloth. 468b TWYLA
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469a
UPSET TOMMY = Upset tummy; informal. stomach. def’n: Upset — To disturb the normal functioning of. def’n: Stomach — The abdomen or belly. The digestive organ. 469b TUB ‘O LARS = Tub of lard; slang. an expression for a heavy amount of weight/fat. def’n: Tub — Bathtub. def’n: Lard — The white rendered fat of a hog.
— Bunk’s porcelain tub prep gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character readying a bathtub in anticipation for some rubber ducky fun. A faucet tap cannot be seen within the image, so the character is barfing up the semi-liquid contents of his stomach into the tub to make up for the lack of water. — Compared to Bunk’s original colour rough artwork, the concept remains the same, minus some colour changes, such as the towel (hung over the character’s shoulders) and a pair of paints attached to the peg in the background. The only major changes was a hair cowlick added to the back of the character’s head and the removal of a soap holder in the tiled wall. Items in the pool of vomit include, a sardine can, fish bones, apple cores, cigarette butts, empty tin can, chewed gum, random bone, a swimming rat, and a green alcohol bottle. |
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470a
QUICK SANDY = Quicksand. def’n: Quicksand — A soft, shifting mass of loose sand mixed with water that yields easily to pressure and in which a heavy object tends to sink. def’n: Quick — Moving fast or doing something in a short time. 470b ABRAHAM SINKIN’ = Abraham Lincoln. def’n: Lincoln, Abraham — 1809-1865, the 16th President of the U.S. from 1861 to 1865. def’n: Sink — To submerge beneath the surface or descend to the bottom of a liquid or soft substance.
— Bunk’s sinking-in-quicksand gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character humourously sinking in quicksand within a playground’s sandbox, with children playing carefreely in the background. This case of childhood abandonment shows the descending victim up to his arm and hands in sand, and the granular substance pouring into the character’s mouth, whilst struggling, which we know only makes the sinking (feeling) go faster. Green grass was also added to the scenery, which makes the sand stand out more in contrast. — Compared to Bunk’s original colour rough artwork, the overall concept remains the same, except the perspective is changed slightly, where we get more of a distant view rather than a more of a birdseye view. This places the character a bit lower within the artwork and shows more background and sky, almost strengthening the dropping feeling. A watertower & swingset has been added to the background townscape, plus a sand shovel being flung out of the character’s grip and placed up-in-the-air—and no longer poking out of the sandbox. Once of the buckets have been removed, a bucket sand stucture added, and various colours changed. |
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471a
FREESTYLE KYLE — Rhyme; the forename Kyle with the word ‘freestyle’. def’n: Freestyle — Unrestricted as to style or method. 471b RAD
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472a
WALTER FALL = Waterfall. def’n: Waterfall — A steep descent of water from a height. 472b RONNY NOSE = Runny nose. def’n: Runny — Inclined to run or flow. def’n: Nose — The structure on the face that contains the nostrils and organs of smell.
— Pound’s extreme, runny nose gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that John executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character with a ‘stream’-ing, flowing nose. def’n: stream — a small, narrow river; usually with trout. The character is standing stock-still, while his nasal flow carves a small waterway into the valley. The character seems quite unbothered by a pair of field mice paddling a small canoe and riding his current. — Pound’s character can be found on a State Quarter Relic Card (#SQ-MS), released within the 2023S1 GPK Go On Vacation set in February 2023, within the hobby collector boxes only. |
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473a
HEAVY MERYL = Heavy metal, similar to hard rock. def’n: Hard rock — Rock music marked by harsh, amplified sound, feedback, etc. 473b ONE-NIGHT
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474a
SOLE FOOD SOL = Soul food. Sol; the same-sounding forename as the word ‘sole’. def’n: Soul food — Food popular amoung African Americans. def’n: Sole — The bottom of a foot, shoe, boot, etcetera. 474b GOOEY STUEY — Rhyme; the forename Stuey with the word ‘goo+ey’. def’n: Goo — slang. Thick, sticky matter.
— Warhola’s ABC gum gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character sticking around the underbelly section of society, and underneath the crushing soles of humanity. The already-been-chewed gum has been stepped on, and the foot being raised, causing the character to stretch upwards, being made to be longer, without breaking or tearing. The character is, naturally, surprised of his sticky predicament. |
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475a
ROAD-KILL WILL — Rhyme; the forename Will with the words ‘road-kill’. def’n: Roadkill — Animals killed on the road by vehicles. def’n: Road — An open way for the passage of vehicles, persons, and animals. def’n: Kill — To put to death; slay. The act of something that is killed or destroyed, as an animal. 475b STOP SY = Stop sign. def’n: Stop sign — A traffic sign posted at an intersection to signal motorists going toward it to come to a full stop.
— Warhola’s signage gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character falling back off of his skateboard with such force that he smacks into the sign he just passed, coming to a complete STOP, breaking the wooden pole, and splattering beyond the metal signage. The severe accident may have been caused by the untied shoe, and dangling shoe lace that can be seen on the character’s right foot, but it cannot be for certain—pure speculation. The shadow of the sign and character on the grass is pretty humourous. This is the second skateboarder within the set. Of course, STOP signs are regulatory road/traffic signs that instruct drivers to come to a complete stop, usually in the oncoming direction. |
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476a
BARF BAND BEN — Ben; B forename to go with the words ‘barf band’. def’n: Barf — slang. Vomit. def’n: Band — A group of musicians who play together. ie: marching band, typically in a parade, etcetera. 476b OFF KEY LEE — Rhyme; the forename Lee to go with the term ‘off key’. def’n: Off — In error; wrong. def’n: Key — Scale or system of related tones in music which are based on a keynote.
— Warhola’s marching band gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character marching down a packed street, and playing a musical instrument whilst puking. The background contains no buildings, so it’s speculative that a parade or event is occuring within a smaller town or city, and we only see the silhouettes of parade watchers in the background. Usually green-in-the-face means a person is jealous or envious, but in this case, the character is forcing vomit through the sousaphone, a brass musical instrument within the tuba family, but in the key of BB (Low B Flat). The sousaphone is severely clogged with barf and a plethora of other missing objects, such as a black Converse-like shoe, a fish bone, and a crushed pop can. |
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477a
INGRID Inc. — Ingrid; I forename to go with the word ‘inc.+orporated’. def’n: Incorporated — Made into a corporation. To unite or combine so as to form one body; merge. 477b Smokestack
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478a
BAZARRE LAMAR — Rhyme; the forename Lamar with the word ‘bizarre’. def’n: Bizarre — Strikingly unconventional; odd. 478b REARRANGED RAYMOND — Raymond; a similar-sounding forename to go with the word ‘re-arrange+d’. def’n: Re — Again. def’n: Arrange — To put into a specific order or relation.
— Warhola’s out-of-sequence gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character rearranging himself behind a wooden fence in order to catch snot falling from his nose. In his attempts to rearrange correctly, to allign with the catching game, snot has dripped down onto the three levels of fencing, along the character’s hand & arm, onto the character’s shoe, and onto the grassy lawn. A quizical bird is watching from one of the wooden posts, as the character attempts to line up his teacup, while holding a teaspoon. It’s quite the bizarre concept, so it’s aptly named. — The character was picked to be one of the two completed puzzles (puzzle preview card + puzzle pieces) for the set. |
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479a
GULPIN’ GABE — Gabe; G forename to go with the word ‘gulp+ing’. def’n: Gulp — To swallow greedily or rapidly in large amounts. A large mouthful. 479b OVER EATIN’ ETHAN — Semi-rhyme; the forename Ethan to go with the words ‘over eating’. def’n: Over — Excessive; excessively. def’n: Eat — To consume or ravage as if by eating.
— Bunk’s gluttony gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character shoving food through his wide-open gob and right down his gullet. The overeater can be seen holding his hinged head open for the intake of one-third of a ham bone. The character’s face is watching in hungry anticipation with mustard dripping down his chin, body, and arm. The blond-haired, blue-eyed child with a row of perfect chompers is holding his pinky finger up with fine-dining flare. — Compared to Bunk’s original colour rough artwork pieces and tight pencil rough, the overall concept remains the same, except the table is laid differently, some subtle changes are made to the character, and the meat of choice has been switched out. As with a lot of Bunk concepts, the background, surroundings, hair, and clothing can go through a few colour changes. The tight pencil artwork, through the first two colour rough pieces, the character is tossing items (half a chicken, half a chicken plus canned beans, and a ham bone) into his gullet while holding the other section of the meat still on the plate. A short, right-margined comment, by art director MARK Newgarden, stated, “One plate, less.”, and the table area is circled a few times. The bowl of salad, pot of potatoes, mustard, ketchup, grape soda can, and extra plate has been removed from the first colour rough, but a suggestion of a mustard bottle was added to the right margin of the second colour rough, and a carving knife & salt shaker added. For the third and final colour rough, the bone part of the ham has been moved to the section on the plate, the character is now holding the ham with a carving fork, and the mustard bottle with drips added. Additionally, the character is now holding the top of his head, his eyes are now on the prize, and his teeth size enlarged. |
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480a
ROBBY RUBBISH — Robby; R forename to go with the word ‘rubbish’. def’n: Rubbish — Something discarded as refuse; trash. 480b GARBAGE
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481a
CAR-STICK KARLA — Karla; K forename that sounds like the word ‘car(-stick)’. def’n: Carsick — Nauseated by vehicular motion. def’n: Stick — A stiff; listless person. To project or protrude. 481b CRUISIN’
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482a
LICKIN’ LEO — Leo; L forename to go with the word ‘lickin+g’. def’n: Lick — To pass the tongue over. 482b LAPPIN’
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483a
SEEDY SYDNEY — Semi-rhyme; the forename Sydney with the word ‘seedy’. def’n: Seedy — Having many seeds. Shabby; run-down. 483b FERTILE MYRTLE — Rhyme; the forename Myrtle with the word ‘fertile’. def’n: Fertile — Rich in material needed to sustain plant growth: fertile soil.
— Warhola’s veggie-patch gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character being grown with a farmer’s field, showcasing rows of corn and a few sunflowers, being tended to and plentifully watered. Several seed packages are seen scattered throughout the image, to show what plant or vegitable is being grown, but the homunculus growth is seen popping out of five different locations, growing the hands & arms, the feet & legs, and the head & torso of the character. — Per Spiegelman’s rough sketch, via Garbage Archive, the artwork shows a similar caretaker with a watering can, sans cornfield and sunflowers in the background, with the seed packet signs (one stating ‘RADISHES‘, I believe), and head & appendages being unearthed. The cursive writing may state ‘FERAL PLANTS‘, or something close—oftentimes called feral crops, but these are domesticated plants that revert to the wild. |
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484a
TIM CAN = Tin can. def’n: Tin — A malleable, silvery metallic element used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion. Any can, box, pan, or other container made of or plated with tin. def’n: Can — A metal container. 484b RUSTY
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485a
12 O’CLOCK HY = 12 o’clock high; meaning midnight. def’n: High — Being at or near a peak or culmination. def’n: Midnight — The middle of the night. 485b MIDNIGHT DWIGHT — Rhyme; the forename Dwight with the word ‘midnight’. def’n: Midnight — The middle of the night; 12 o’clock at night.
— Warhola’s time’s-running-out gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character tied to the large hand of a steepled clock tower—often seen in old town squares, town halls, etcetera—awaiting the hand to hit the stroke of midnight, when the poor victim, seen in his pajamas, meets his fate, by a noose that’s tied around his neck. There is roughly six minutes to go. — Per Newgarden’s thumbnail and rough sketch, via Garbage Archive, the artwork shows a clockface on a building, with the townscape in the background, much like the final artwork. The time is roughly five minutes to 3 o’clock. Mark has written the number ’12’ off to the right-hand side and Warhola may have written ‘midnight’ to catch the time and setting. Mark has also written ‘CHAS ADDAMS GAG‘ off to the margin. Chas, a penname/pseudonym, more commonly known as Charles (Samuel) Addams, was an American artist and cartoonist well known for his dark, humorous, and macabre characters, with the best known being the Addams Family, and his gothic aesthetics. The reference material, has the clock time showing as 12:46, so the character, dressed in business attire, has a 14-minute countdown, and may have occurred during lunchtime, rather than a nighttime scene. |
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486a
CHISELER CHAD — Chad; CH forename to go with the word ‘chisel+er’. def’n: Chisel — A metallic cutting and shaping tool with a sharp, beveled edge. To shape or cut with a chisel. Chiseler, noun. 486b JULIUS SNEEZER = Julius Caesar. def’n: Caesar, Julius — 44b.c., Roman general, statesman, and historian. Emperor of Rome, dictator or tyrant. def’n: Sneeze — Expel air suddenly and violently through the nose and mouth by an involuntary spasm. Sneezer, noun.
— Warhola’s snot-sculpture gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character sculpting a statue out of the snot running from the artiste’s nose. The final artwork shows the artists using a chisel & hammer, sporting a beret hat, whereas the colour artwork, by Warhola, shows the artist molding the sculpture using his hands. The card dress uses a green nameplate, a first for the OS releases, most likely to play up the green snot theme. — Warhola’s tight pencil & colour rough artwork can be found littered with notes by either Art Spiegelman, Mark Newgarden, or both, found along with his own notations, and slightly different for the Xeroxed copy; James lived in NYC and was able to visit the Topps office or meet up with Art in the city to go over concepts, etc. Comments were jotted on the sidelines pointing out a ‘Skylight’ at the top of the picture and that the farthest sculpture was a ‘H. Moore Type’ (or ‘Henry Moore behind’ on tight pencil); this is a tribute to Henry Moore, an English sculptor/artist who passed away in August of 1986, whom created sculptures of abstract human form. The other two statues are The Thinker (Le Penseur) by Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor, and David, a Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo. Additional notes in the tight colour rough mention a ‘Younger Kid, full profile, chipping at sculpture’ where a chisel and hammer were added to the artwork, to add ‘More goo’ to the main sculpture and that the ‘Back statues will be the same green slime color as his present work”, but appear on the tight pencil artwork as ‘unfinished’, ‘Kid-younger’, ‘Full profile’, ‘hammer & chisel’, and ‘more good down statue’. |
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487a
DEAD LETTER DEBBIE — Debbie; D forename to go with the term ‘dead letter’. def’n: Dead letter — letter that cannot be delivered or returned because of a wrong address, not enough postage, etc. 487b MAIMED MAMIE — Mamie; similar sounding forename as the word ‘maim+ed’. def’n: Maim — To disable; mutilate; cripple. To impair.
— Bennett’s biting drop-box gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character crying out as a ‘U.S. MAIL’ box bites down on their arm. Perhaps the character was trying to dig the love letter out after dropping it into the blue USPS drop mailbox. These boxes serve as a drop off point for mail and small packages, generally found in larger towns and cities. — On May 10, 2022, artist James Bennett took to social media, stating, “A collector of Garbage Paul Kids commissioned me to create a newer version of Adam Bomb. I was one of the original artists of the famed series and relished the opportunity to recreate something from the very start of my career as an illustrator. Very cool.” & on May 24, 2022, stating, “Almost finished with ‘Adam Bomb’ of Garbage Pail Kids fame. Having fun with these new commissions, reliving my career beginnings.” |
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488a
TELLY SCOPE = Telescope. def’n: Telescope — Any of various optical devices or instruments used to detect and observe distant objects, making them appear nearer, by an arrangement of lenses, or curved mirrors and lenses, by which rays of light are focused and collected, resulting in a magnified image. 488b PEEK-A-BOO BEAU — Beau; B forename to go with the game phrase ‘peek-a-boo’. def’n: Peek a boo — A child’s game in which a person hides his or her face and then suddenly reveals it, calling “peekaboo!”
— Bunk’s peeping tom gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character standing on top of a building and looking through a telescope within a nighttime cityscape scene, spying at a lady across the street, within another building’s window, with his tongue sticking out in lust, and his eyeball drooping out of the front end of the instrument in lechery. — Compared to Bunk’s original tight pencil and colour rough artwork, the concept remained the same with no major changes or additions. The cinderblock building the character is standing on became roof-tiled for the colour rough, and without embelishment for the final artwork. The man-in-the-moon face was added during the colour rough phase, and appears quite subtly within the final artwork. The victim of lasciviousness, is seen with both hands on her head and arms seductively over her shoulders for the tight pencil and colour rough versions, but with only one hand on the head and the other on the hip for the final artwork, outlining her curvacious body, as though she’s aware of the voyeur. |
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489a
IRATE IRA — Ira; I forename to go with the word ‘irate’. def’n: Irate — Angry; enraged. 489b ANGRY
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490a
KINKY KRISTINE — Kristine; K forename to go with the word ‘kinky’. def’n: Kinky — A quirk of personality. To form a kink, a twist in a rope. 490b KNOT
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491a
SUNKEN TREVOR = Sunken treasure. def’n: Sunken — Submerged; Sunken treasure. def’n: Treasure — Accumulated or stored wealth in the form of valuables, such as money or jewels. 491b ANCHORED HANK — Hank; H forename to go with the word ‘anchor+ed’. def’n: Anchor — A heavy metal device attached to a vessel and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place. To hold or be held fast by or as if by an anchor.
— Bunk’s sink-to-the-bottom gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. Another knotted character. The image depicts a character sinking quite quickly to the bottom of a seabed or ocean floor, passing by a bottom-feeder shark and swimming fish, with air bubbles floating up fast. The character’s eyes are severely crossed, possibly due to descending too quickly to the depths. The seabed or ocean floor shows another victim, sans tongue, in the form of a skull sitting solemnly alone, but not for long. — Compared to Bunk’s original tight pencil with colour and colour rough artwork, the overall concept remained the same with no major changes. The original concept had the character sinking with a more side-profile view, with seabed walls around him, and his tongue tied to a smooth rock. The image started out containing two fish, but also a jellyfish. This sketch had an image of a tied tongue off in the margins, to show what the knot should look like. The colour rough shows the character sporting a pair of pants and different coloured clothes, a shark has replaced the jellyfish, the seabed walls removed, the rock becomes more square, the eyes crossed, and a skull with sea snake or eel added. The final artwork added a school of small fish to the skull and eye socket, and placed blood vessels in the character’s crossed eyes. |
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492a
CORY ON THE COB = Corn on the cob, which is cooked on the cob. def’n: Corn — A kind of grain that grows on large ears. def’n: Cob — Corncob. 492b HOT BUTTERED CORINNE = Hot buttered corn. def’n: Hot — Possessing great heat. def’n: Butter — A soft, yellowish, fatty substance churned from milk or cream and used as a food. To put butter on. def’n: Corn — A tall, widely cultivated cereal plant bearing seeds or kernels on large ears.
— Warhola’s corn-on-the-cob gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character as an inanimate ear of peeled corn, being held by a human, slathered with butter, and being consumed as a corn on the cob meal. I would speculate that the human is attempting to eat field/feed corn, often reserved for livestock feed, since its extra fibrous and tough, rather than sweet corn, which is causing the human’s teeth to break while bitting into the ear of corn. In Indian-corn style, the iris and whites of the eyes, plus single tooth, are coloured kernals. The butter is dripping from the corn on the cob, as well as out of one of the nostril holes. |
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493a
PEANUT BUTTER ‘N KELLY = Peanut butter and jelly, type of sandwich. def’n: Peanut butter — A thick, pasty, brown food made of roasted peanust ground until soft and smooth, used as a spread on bread, etc. def’n: Jelly — A soft, semi-solid food made by causing a liquid containing pectin or gelatin to set. 493b OUT-TO-LUNCH
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494a
MITCH MATCH = Rhyme; the forename Mitch with the word ‘match’; Mismatch. def’n: Mismatch — Match badly or unsuitably. def’n: Match — A short, slender piece of wood or pasteboard, tipped with a mixture that catches fire when rubbed on a rough surface. 494b HOT DOT — Rhyme; the forename Dot with the word ‘hot’. def’n: Hot — Yielding much heat. def’n: Hotspot — A region of hot tempaturature in comparison to its surroundings.
— Bunk’s lit-match gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a hot-headed character—doing things or reacting to things quickly and without thinking carefully—is seen as an inanimate object in the form of a match within a matchbook. The character’s match head is sweating profusely under the extreme heat, generated by a combustion reaction that occurs when ignited by friction against a rough surface. A lit match produces a flame that can reach temperatures of around 600 to 800 degrees Celsius (1112 to 1472 degrees Fahrenheit). The character is most likely feeling hot-and-bothered under the collar and especially above it! Even still, they appear to be in good spirits. — Compared to Bunk’s colour rough artwork, the character had a slightly more stressed facial features, with the downcast eyebrows. This concept & submission may have been from an earlier series, pre OS10, considering the character’s eyes and ears have a much more Cabbage Patch Kids appearance and design, but updated with the oval eyes and regular ears for this later release. |
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495a
GLOPPY GLEN — Glen: GL forename to go with the word ‘glop+py’. def’n: Glop —slang. Any thick, soft, sloppy, or gluey substance or material. 495b SLOP TOP TODD — Todd; T forename to go with the words ‘slop top’ def’n: Slop — Spill liquid upon; spill; splash. Liquid carelessly spilled or splashed about. def’n: Top — The highest point or part.
— Warhola’s unclog-the-backlog gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character being held upside down and being used as a toilet plunger—a device consisting of a rubber cup on a long handle, used to clear blocked pipes by means of water pressure and suction. The human’s hands ‘of God’ have a death grip on the character’s leg, so it’s good the character doesn’t bend at the waist, while getting submerged in waste. The very murky toilet waters are a nice vomit or diarrhea/diarrhoea green colour. The character is highly surprised to find himself being repeatedly swirlied. — The character was picked to be one of the two completed puzzles (puzzle preview card + puzzle pieces) for the set. |
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496a
ALLISON WATERLAND = Alice in Wonderland, title parody of a children’s Disney movie. Alice in Wonderland — animated movie released on July 30th, 1951. Based on the novel “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland” published in 1865 and written by the British author Charles Lutwidge Popgson. def’n: Water — A clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid. Essential for most plant and animal life. def’n: Land — A distinct region or area. 496b JON POND — Rhyme; the forename Jon with the word ‘pond’. def’n: Pond — A still body of water, smaller than a lake.
— Bennett’s surreal diaper gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image shows a character sitting in their own filth, within their own diaper. The ‘sitting in your own filth’ term, sometimes heard as swimming, marinating, stewing, etcetera, is related to the personal hygiene process of bathing oneself, where one literally sits in one’s own filth, while sitting in a bath; but not in all cultures, mind you. The surrealistic approach shows a smaller upper body sitting within the larger lower body’s diaper, with a disgusted look upon the character’s face, even facing a rubber ducky-like toy—which couldn’t be the traditional colour yellow due to the concentrated urine being a similar colour. — On May 10, 2022, artist James Bennett took to social media, stating, “A collector of Garbage Paul Kids commissioned me to create a newer version of Adam Bomb. I was one of the original artists of the famed series and relished the opportunity to recreate something from the very start of my career as an illustrator. Very cool.” & on May 24, 2022, stating, “Almost finished with ‘Adam Bomb’ of Garbage Pail Kids fame. Having fun with these new commissions, reliving my career beginnings.” |
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497a
LAME LEM — Lem; L forename to go with the word ‘lame’. def’n: Lame — Disabled in one or more limbs, especially so as to impair walking. 497b EDWARD HOPPER = Edward Hipper, 1882-1967. def’n: Edward Hipper — American realist artist from NY who painted American landscapes and cityscapes with emphasis on isolation, loneliness, and melancholy. def’n: Hopper — One that hops. def’n: Hop — To jump on one foot. To move with a short skip or leap.
— Warhola’s lame duck gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that James executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character pulling his rolling, wooden duck toy, that has ripped his leg off during the process. leaing a clean cut and exposed leg bone. The boy’s face has a ‘what the f@%! just happened’ look with his finger up to his mouth in wonderment. The term ‘lame duck’ is an unsuccessful person (or thing), but in politics, it’s usually associated with an elected official whose power has been reduced. — Per Art Spiegelman’s rough sketch, via GPK Archive, the indoor ‘pull toy’ concept shows two images, the image on the left being a loose idea sketch, and the image on the right being a tighter sketch, showing more of a wooden toy, rather than a rounded plastic toy. Compared to the final artwork, the duck has a very mean face, with evil intentions, and placing the hand up to the mouth gives the image balance, brings you around the arwork, and gives you an idea of the character’s cluelessness. |
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498a
ROLLS ROYCE = Rolls Royce, motor car company. Rolls Royce — Created by Sir Henry Royce, co-founder and chief engineer. First production model created in 1904. def’n: Roll — Move along by turning over and over. Toilet roll. 498b PISTON
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499a
ABANDONED AMANDA — Semi-rhyme; the forename Amanda with the word ‘abandon+ed’. def’n: Abandon — To desert, forsake. To give up completely. 499b PLEASE
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500a
WINKLESS WALLY — Wally; W forename to go with the word ‘wink+less’. def’n: -Less — Lacking. def’n: Wink — To close and open the eyes rapidly; blink. 500b SIGHT LES = Sightless. def’n: -Less — Lacking. def’n: Sight — The ability to see. The act or fact of seeing. Having sight.
— Bunk’s eyeball displacement gag was one of several approved concepts through Topps that Tom executed for the OS12 set. The image depicts a character whose eyeballs are sitting within his mouth cavity rather than in the empty eye sockets; this has a very porcelain-dool or plastic doll head feel to it. The character is very nonchalant and stoic. — Compared to Bunk’s several colour-rough artwork pieces, the initial concept had eye sockets that contained mirror-image mouths, with a top layer of teeth and protruding tongue, and the hair was short-cropped and sticking up. The second colour rough had a hairstyle what was combed to the side and the mouth treatment within the eye sockets removed, and the character dressed with a v-neck cardigan & bowtie. The third colour rough had the character sporting a pair of overalls or bibs, no snot under the nose, and the hair parted down the middle; this is the only piece of artwork where the iris colour was green instead of blue. The final artwork appears to have enlarged the head and mouth region a bit to centralize this area as the focus line. — The character was picked to be the main box artwork and wrapper image for the set. |
THE ORIGINAL GPK SETS ALL HAD UNIQUE DIE CUTS FOR THEIR
STICKER OUTLINE, ADOPTED FROM THE WACKY PACKAGES FRANCHISE
