The Annotated Wacky Packages All-New Series 1
Wacky Packages ® & © The Topps Company, Inc.  All Rights Reserved

Introduction

The Annotated Wacky Packages pages aim to document Topps' All-New Series (2004 - present) in contextual depth for fans and collectors:

ANS1 base sticker 'Gravestones', 'Frosted Snakes' tattoo, 'Bling Pup' cling

For information on classic, pre-2004 Wacky Packages stickers, visit the most complete resource on the Web, wackypackages.org.

Annotated ANS1 Index

Overview

In February of 2004, Topps announced that it was producing Wacky Packages All-New Series 1, the first new Wacky product from the company in over a decade.Wacky Packages All-New Series 1 pack Anticipation for the series was high among collectors: by the early 2000s, the Internet had facilitated a community of fans who remembered Wacky Packs from their childhoods and a vast marketplace in which the classic stickers and related merchandise could be purchased and traded.

All-New Series 1 was published in late May 2004. As the name implied, the set consisted of mostly new material (rather than reprints), but it also included some inventory paintings that had been created for an abandoned series in the early 1990s. While some longtime aficionados were put off by the few titles which relied on gross-out humor (i.e. "Baby Poop" and "Struggle"), most fans welcomed and enthusiastically collected the new series, which included 55 base sticker cards, 9 clear vinyl Clings, and 10 temporary Tattoos.

There were no short-printed titles in the base set. It is unclear whether there were multiple printings, but there is no evidence that any changes were made to any aspect of the series in subsequent printings.

Topps apparently received a complaint from Mars, Incorporated about the parodies of its candy products in All-New Series 1: "Scarburst," "Sneakers, " and "Spittles." The 3 Musketeers parody 3 Racketeers that was held back from ANS1 was dropped from ANS2 for this reason. Twits, an ANS2 candidate lampooning Twix, was also abandoned to avoid further complaints from Mars, Inc.

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Checklist

Click on the hyperlinked names (more to come) for additional information about individual titles.

Promo Cards (3 titles)

P1 [ ] Mr. Coffin
P2 [ ] Sludgsicle
P3 [ ] Coach Motel


Base Set (55 titles)

01 [ ] La Chew29 [ ] Baby Poop
02 [ ] Scrapple30 [ ] Bling Pup
03 [ ] Coldfish31 [ ] Sneez-It
04 [ ] Chimps Ahoy!32 [ ] Error
05 [ ] Sludge Shoppe33 [ ] Gearios
06 [ ] Foot Gushers34 [ ] Choperation
07 [ ] Go-Dirt35 [ ] Martha Skewered
08 [ ] Chimp Stick36 [ ] Sneakers
09 [ ] Hairy Patter37 [ ] Pus Pop
10 [ ] Gutterade38 [ ] Grand Theft Audio
11 [ ] Spittles39 [ ] Antenmann's
12 [ ] Batz40 [ ] Aquaflush
13 [ ] Gravestones41 [ ] Lice Cakes
14 [ ] Mr. Coffin42 [ ] My Little Phony
15 [ ] Lame Boy43 [ ] Nuttin' Butta
16 [ ] Frosted Snakes44 [ ] Smellio's
17 [ ] Macaroni for Geese  45 [ ] Foolgers
18 [ ] Fright Castle46 [ ] Dead Bull
19 [ ] Dork47 [ ] Sludgsicle
20 [ ] Mean Cuisine48 [ ] Sicken McSluggets
21 [ ] Zit Kat49 [ ] Anvil
22 [ ] Slop Tarts50 [ ] Welts
23 [ ] Peter Panhandle51 [ ] Gormel
24 [ ] Struggle52 [ ] Clodlike
25 [ ] Who Cares? Bears53 [ ] Scarburst
26 [ ] Obit54 [ ] Sslips
27 [ ] Nutti-Brain55 [ ] Snots
28 [ ] Tix


Bonus Cards (2 titles)

B1 [ ] Asteroids
B2 [ ] Coach Motel


Tattoos (10 titles)

01 [ ] Gearios06 [ ] Aquaflush
02 [ ] Sneakers07 [ ] Foolgers
03 [ ] Frosted Snakes   08 [ ] Dork
04 [ ] Slop Tarts09 [ ] Chimps Ahoy!
05 [ ] Choperation10 [ ] Go-Dirt


Clings (9 titles)

01 [ ] Fright Castle06 [ ] Antenmann's
02 [ ] Scrapple07 [ ] Gutterade
03 [ ] Macaroni for Geese   08 [ ] Zit Kat
04 [ ] Anvil09 [ ] Bling Pup
05 [ ] Foot Gushers


Unpublished Paintings*

[ ] Gooya
[ ] Plop on Pop**
[ ] Snot Cakes
[ ] Snot Pockets
[ ] Swansong Snot Pie
[ ] 3 Racketeers

* See notes about unpublished Wacky Packages
** Title was published in a later series

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Credits Matrix

John Williams - Editor and Writer
Jeff Zapata - Editor, Concept Artist, and Writer

#TitleFinal ArtistWriter/Concept Artist
P1Mr. CoffinTom BunkFrank Santopadre/?
P2SludgsicleJohn Pound?
P3Coach MotelTom Bunk?
01La ChewZina SaundersJay Lynch
02ScrappleTom BunkJay Lynch
03Cold FishZina SaundersJay Lynch
04Chimps Ahoy!John PoundJay Lynch
05Sludge ShoppeStrephon TaylorJay Lynch
06Foot GushersTom Bunk?
07Go-DirtTom BunkJay Lynch
08Chimp StickTom Bunk?
09Hairy PatterJohn PoundJay Lynch
10GutteradeTom BunkJay Lynch
11SpittlesSean Greathead??
12BatzTom BunkJay Lynch
13GravestonesJohn PoundFrank Santopadre/?
14Mr. CoffinTom BunkFrank Santopadre/?
15Lame BoyJohn Pound?
16Frosted SnakesJohn PoundJay Lynch
17Macaroni for Geese   Tom BunkJay Lynch
18Fright CastleTom BunkJay Lynch
19DorkTom BunkJay Lynch
20Mean CuisineTom Bunk?
21Zit KatZina SaundersJay Lynch
22Slop TartsStrephon TaylorJay Lynch
23Peter PanhandleTom Bunk?
24StruggleTom BunkJay Lynch
25Who Cares? BearsJohn PoundJay Lynch
26ObitStrephon Taylor?
27Nutti-BrainTom BunkTom Bunk
28TixGlover Brothers?
29Baby PoopJohn PoundJay Lynch
30Bling PupJohn PoundJay Lynch
31Sneez-ItTom BunkJay Lynch
32ErrorTom BunkJay Lynch
33GeariosZina SaundersJay Lynch
34ChoperationJohn Pound?
35Martha SkeweredTom BunkJay Lynch
36SneakersJohn PoundJay Lynch
37Pus PopJohn PoundJay Lynch
38Grand Theft AudioTom BunkJay Lynch
39Antenmann'sZina SaundersJay Lynch (1990s rough)
40AquaflushStrephon TaylorJay Lynch
41Lice CakesTom Bunk?
42My Little PhonyJohn PoundJay Lynch
43Nuttin' ButtaTom BunkJay Lynch
44Smellio'sJohn Pound?
45FoolgersZina SaundersJay Lynch
46Dead BullSean Greathead?
47SludgsicleJohn Pound?
48Sicken McSluggetsJohn PoundJay Lynch
49AnvilTom BunkJay Lynch
50Welt'sJohn Pound?
51GormelJohn Pound?
52ClodlikeTom Bunk?
53ScarburstTom BunkJay Lynch
54SslipsTom BunkJay Lynch
55SnotsTom BunkTom Bunk
B1AsteroidsDavid GrossDavid Gross
B2Coach MotelTom Bunk?

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Promotions

Promotions for ANS1 included stickers, flyers and other printed advertising; ads on the Web; and a television commercial.

Print Advertising

Promo Cards

Three promotional stickers were released, appearing in Diamond Comics Previews magazine, in Garbage Pail Kids All-New Series 2 packs, and elsewhere. The promos were the same size as a standard trading card, but the die-cut sticker images were smaller than a typical Wacky to allow for the inclusion of the logo on the front; the borders were a burgundy color rather than white; and the numbers were printed on the backs.

The paintings used to create the three promos were more than 10 years old, having been commissioned for the unpublished 1992 Wacky Packages series.

Mr. Coffin
Mr. Coffin
Sludgsicle
Sludgsicle
Coach Motel
Coach Motel

Brochures/Flyers/Sell Sheets/Posters

Advance Brochure

A four-page preview brochure was distributed in March of 2004. It is likely that this brochure was developed before any new art was finalized, because only images from the unpublished 1990s crop of Wackys were shown.

brochure page 1 Page 1
"Choperation" is shown incomplete on this page, missing much of the text of the final sticker.
brochure page 2 Page 2
The final ANS1 pack was different in many ways from the mock-up shown here.
brochure page 3 Page 3
The "Mean Cuisine" image includes a spelling mistake that was corrected before publication.
brochure page 4 Page 4
The display box mock-up differs from the final; "Plop on Pop" was not in ANS1.

Sell Sheet

Dealer Letter

ANS1 Sell Sheet The ANS1 sell sheet distills elements from the brochure, above. Dealer Letter The February 19, 2004 letter to wholesale hobby distributors

Preliminary Checklist

Preliminary Checklist This checklist was sent to retailers in February 2004. A number of differences can be found between it and the final ANS1 checklists, including the number of cling titles (originally 15, reduced to 9) and the replacement of several base set titles.

"Notebook" Flyer

flyer side 1 Side 1
This flyer was released in April, showing several ANS1 titles that had not been seen to that point.
flyer side 2 Side 2
The second side highlights the magazine inlay stickers campaign.

Auction Preview Flyer

flyer Issued to promote the Topps Vault art auctions beginning on June 26, 2004. An auction preview was held June 24-26 in New York City.

Magazine Inlay Promo Stickers

Magazine Inlay Promo Stickers The inlay sheet of three die-cut stickers was bound into subscription copies of Mad magazine and a number of DC Comics titles.
Several changes were made to the "Fright Castle" image between the release of this promo and the initial printing of ANS1 to appease the White Castle company.

Store Displays

Target Display Sheet (Excell Marketing)

Target display sheet Designed by trading card distributor Excell Marketing, this display was featured in the card sections in many Target stores. The sheets were marked to be removed by 6/10/04.

"On Sale Here" Window Sign

'On Sale Here' window cling Sign
Designed for retailers, the vinyl "cling" sign was meant to be displayed in store windows. The printed side adhered to glass
The photocopied flyer that accompanied the cling Sign Flyer
A photocopied flyer accompanied the sign

Internet Advertising

While there were many web pages that promoted ANS1, this section concentrates on official Topps web content.

Topps.com Sites and Links

Topps Newsletter
Topps Newsletter
The Topps Newsletter (Vol. 18, 03/18/04) announced the new series, displaying "Bling Pup" and "Struggle."

The article promises "15 different reusable Clear Cling Vinyl Decals." This was scaled back to 9 for the final release. (See the preliminary checklist for the 15 proposed titles.)
Topps.com Pop Culture
Topps Preview Web Page for ANS1 (click image to go to the page)
Topps posted its first preview web page for ANS1 in March 2004.
ad from the Garbage Pail Kids official site Garbage Pail Kids World
Late in 2004, an ad graphic that linked to wackypackages.com appeared on Topps' Garbage Pail Kids official site in a cross-promotion effort. The ad proclaimed "If you like this site, you'll love Wacky Packages."

Topps' Official Wacky Packages Site

Collector Greg Grant was the owner of the wackypackages.com domain name when Topps was preparing to launch its official site. Topps traded some original art to Grant in return for the URL, while he kept the wackypackages.org address for his site.

Home Page

placeholder graphic for wackypackages.com Topps' initial posting was a simple "coming soon" placeholder page.
wackypackages.com site The official site went live with an interactive "Wacky Mart" theme in early June 2004. The site included simple games for site visitors to play; completing the games allowed visitors to collect points toward downloads such as desktop wallpaper, screensavers, and cut-and-fold Wacky boxes.

Efrain Cintron was responsible for much of the site's background artwork, animation, and game designs.

Topps E-mail Ads

Topps e-mail ad - click to enlarge "Celebrate the Season with Topps!"
The company promoted ANS1 and other products in a holiday-themed e-mail advertisement dated November 11, 2004.

Television Advertising

A 30-second TV commercial for ANS1 ran on the cable channels Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Toon Disney, and Discovery Kids in the fall of 2004.

TV ad flyer The flyer which heralded the commercial TV ad screenshot A screenshot from the TV ad (thumbnail links to an mpeg movie file on wackypackages.com)

According to a Topps flyer, the commercial ran again in the New York metro area starting January 10, 2005 on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

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Packaging Details

ANS1 display boxes were red, featuring a yellow Wacky Packages logo. Boxes sold in both hobby and retail channels held 24 packs. Wacky Packages All-New Series 1 display boxTwo "bonus" boxes were produced for the distributors Excell Marketing and Legends, LP; each contained 10 packs, with 1 extra pack and 1 exclusive card.

Pack wrappers were also red with a yellow logo, echoing the pack color scheme of many of the previous "first" series (1973, 1979, 1985). The red tended to appear more rust or orange early in the run. Packs contained 6 cards, with a 1-in-4 packs chance of finding a cling insert, and a 1-in-6 chance of pulling a temporary tattoo.

Shipping cases were brown cardboard with little more than the logo and case codes in black print.

Display Boxes and Packs

Shipping Cases

Thanks to Paul Furth for the breakdown of the case, display box, and wrapper codes!

Specialty Packaging

Rack Packs

Excell Marketing and Legends, LP offered multiple configurations of rack packs (trading card packs sealed in a clear plastic blister, meant to be hung on a store peg) for ANS1.

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Spin-offs/Licensed Products

Vending Stickers

The first batch of Wacky Packages Special Edition vending stickers was distributed starting in February 2005 by Vending Supply, Inc. The set, which was intended for sale in sticker vending machines only, consisted of 15 separate card backs with 22 images derived from ANS1. Some of the cards were cut in the shape of the Wacky outline while others were rectangular cards, containing multiple die-cut stickers.

A second series of vending stickers debuted in September 2005. Along with additional images from ANS1, this set contained classic Wacky Packages titles like "Tied" and "Kook-Aid."

None of the ANS1 parodies of products made by Mars, Incorporated—"Scarburst," "Sneakers, " or "Spittles"—have appeared (or will appear) in vending sticker form due to a "cease and desist" request from the company.

Wacky Packages Special Edition #1

01 [ ] Frosted Snakes     
02 [ ] Bling Pup
03 [ ] Sicken McSluggets
04 [ ] Foot Gushers
05 [ ] Macaroni for Geese
06 [ ] Baby Poop
07 [ ] Chimps Ahoy!
08 [ ] Lame Boy 
09 [ ] Gutterade
10 [ ] Who Cares? Bears/Lice Cakes/Coldfish
11 [ ] Dead Bull/Aquaflush
12 [ ] Batz/Sludgsicle
13 [ ] Snots/Zit Kat
14 [ ] Go-Dirt/Tix
15 [ ] Hairy Patter/Pus Pop

Wacky Packages Special Edition #2

01 [ ] Head & Boulders     
02 [ ] Hostile Thinkies
03 [ ] Koduck
04 [ ] Kook-Aid
05 [ ] Mr. Stubble
06 [ ] My Little Phony
07 [ ] Tied
08 [ ] Grand Theft Audio 
09 [ ] Slop-Tarts
10 [ ] Sneez-It
11 [ ] Gearios
12 [ ] Dork
13 [ ] Clodlike
14 [ ] Badzooka/Chumps
15 [ ] Creep/Life Servers

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Go to
The Annotated All-New Series 1
The Annotated All-New Series 2
The Annotated All-New Series 3
The Annotated All-New Series 4
The Annotated All-New Series 5
The Annotated All-New Series 6

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