Bob, you had inquired about the checklist. Here is the series 1 checklist. One look at it and I’m in the second grade again. Nixon is President and all those unopened Wacky’s are sitting in the box on the candy counter at the Spa in Franklin Lakes. All is well… –fog
Apparently, Wacky’s were painted mostly by
FROM WakckyPackages.org Bum Chex, along with Choke Wagon, was pulled early and replaced by Windhex, making it one of the toughest titles in a complete series 1 to 16. Bum Chex also has the distinction that it is the only one that artist Norm Saunders actually signed. He slipped his signature in by signing one of the checks, the green one. He was not allowed to sign the works because Topps wanted to keep their artists top secret, so as not to have them stolen by other companies. Norm slipped his intials in various other places, but this is the only one known where he got the full name in.
This is my favorite from series 2: Run Tony. The story goes that Italian Americans looked up from watching The Godfather and complained that this made light of their ethnicity so it was pulled early in the run, thus making it scarce.
I DO recall it being hard to get but I’m not sure if that is the answer. Unless a company’s legal department was sending in a “Cease & Desist” order, they probably wouldn’t have just pulled it.
If you come across this book in a garage sale, buy it! On Amazon, there is one used copy listed at $250.00
Reprint anyone? –fog
Here’s the secret to why you couldn’t get certain Series 1 Wacky’s. A photo of an original, uncut sheet right from the printer. Look at the middle row: There’s only one Lavirus, one Paul Maul, one Mutts and one glorious Band-Ache. It’s funny how your mind plays tricks on you. I only vaguely remember Mutts as being particularly hard to get or desirable but the other three were very tough, for sure. Contrast those with the 6 Maddie Boy’s and 4 each of the Crust, Jail-O, Weakies and Duz. Now that I think about it, Grave Train was also pretty hard to come by.
One other thing that didn’t catch my eye in 1974 is Paul Maul. The slogan was “Where peculiar people congregate” and the insinuation is very vaugue but really is referring to “Paul” “Mauling” you. I was buying these things I think the first grade, possibly second. That’s awfully young to really even understand what that was getting at. And, of course, today, if you google the phrase “Paul Mall” (without the “U”), you’ll turn up references to Pee Wee Herman. With what all has transpired in the last 35 years, I doubt seriously, if they would be printing the Paul Maul card today. –fog (more…)
Saint Drogo (1105-1185), a Flemish nobleman who was reportedly able to bilocate, maintaining his presence in two locations at once. Witnesses claimed seeing Drogo working in fields simultaneously, and going to mass every Sunday. He is the patron saint of coffee and coffeehouses, we suspect because his peculiar talent for multitasking. This is from Neatorama and they pulled it from Mental Floss
Bilocation is central to a lot of magic tricks and there is a good movie out about just such a thing but I won’t spoil it…just pay attention if you see it.
And Drogo reminded me of one of my top ten all time favorite Wacky Packages from the 1970′s: Dr. Ono: Crackpot Brain opener; Causes Clots, Tough on Nerves
You know there was something about the artists who drew the old ones. They make new ones but they are not the same and it’s mostly the drawings. Well, that and nostalgia in general I suppose because it is the same with a new album by an old band that you liked: It never matches up! And that’s because the new one, while basically of the same ilk, doesn’t have the load of memories attached to it.
These Wacky’s were outrageously popular in the 2nd grade and maybe 3rd for me. I can still remember trading Kevin ***** a bunch of crap for the coveted “Band-Ache” (Windchester and Lavirus were also tough, tough gets). He took a few commons like 6-Up and DuzentDoNothin’s and maybe a Wind Hex or Minute Lice. Hey, he was happy. [I'm glad he was because I saw him in a poolroom a few years ago and he is as big as a refrigerator now--just immense--and I recall seeing him fight in school (he was picked on) and he could jab like Joe Frazier! He was such a nice guy--the nicest-- but if people hassled him enough....whap, whap...whap]
I had thrown all my Wacky’s away apparently somewhere along the line and that is a loss. But I came across an old Band-Ache in some drawer somewhere and threw it out on ebay and it was bid up to $125 bucks! Not in real good shape either.
My favorite of all-time? Hmm, it’s close but I’ll go with this one:
I’m sorry, that’s hilarious. –fog
PS – Now I’m on Wacky sites reading about the rarity of these things. This Spit and Spill is the first version and the artist left the original product name on the top of the box. It was pulled from production and a second one was substituted. Collectors pay more for this one. I just enjoy seeing the JPEGs and remembering how much fun I had with these things.
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