What do you think?
Rate this book
Wacky Packages
Wacky Packages—a series of collectible stickers featuring parodies of consumer products and well-known brands and packaging—were first produced by the Topps company in 1967, then revived in 1973 for a highly successful run. In fact, for the first two years they were published, Wacky Packages were the only Topps product to achieve higher sales than their flagship line of baseball cards. The series has been relaunched several times over the years, most recently to great success in 2007.
Known affectionately among collectors as “Wacky Packs,” as a creative force with artist Art Spiegelman, the stickers were illustrated by such notable comics artists as Kim Deitch, , Bill Griffith, Jay Lynch, and Norm Saunders.
This first-ever collection of Series One through Series Seven (from 1973 and 1974) celebrates the 35th anniversary of Wacky Packages and is sure to amuse collectors and fans young and old.
Known affectionately among collectors as “Wacky Packs,” as a creative force with artist Art Spiegelman, the stickers were illustrated by such notable comics artists as Kim Deitch, , Bill Griffith, Jay Lynch, and Norm Saunders.
This first-ever collection of Series One through Series Seven (from 1973 and 1974) celebrates the 35th anniversary of Wacky Packages and is sure to amuse collectors and fans young and old.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2008
15 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 5, 2024
Ahh...wacky packs. Those stickers that felt like they were coming straight from Mad Magazine. During the early to mid 70s the packs of parody stickers for a time outsold Topps' ubiquitous baseball cards. So an art book showing those first releases is kind of a nostalgia no-brainer. Now, I was a bit young for those early 1973 and 1974 packs. But I do remember the later releases. And what I really remember were the promotional give-a-ways. Digging in to a loaf of Wonder Bread for a Wacky Pack sticker was a gateway to laughs. This is great time capsule and as Norman Saunders' last major art project they are well worth the look. One might have wished for a bit more insight in to the individual cards, but that's a small complaint. If you grew up in the 70s, this is going to get the neurons firing.
October 23, 2008
I love Wacky Packages. In fact, I still have my collection from when I was a kid preserved in a special binder. This book is a collection of the stickers from series 1 - 7. Nice for a stroll down memory lane.
Suggestion for future editions: to really complete the experience they should have a scratch-n-sniff page scented as that powdered sheet rock bubble gum that would crack into shards as you began to chew it.
Suggestion for future editions: to really complete the experience they should have a scratch-n-sniff page scented as that powdered sheet rock bubble gum that would crack into shards as you began to chew it.
May 21, 2008
This is a solid little block of awesome. A time machine disguised as a book that sent me back to my goggle-eyed days as a rabid collector of these original series of Wacky Packs (yeah, I'm old enough to have bought them when they were 7 cents a pack). The book design is excellent (love the wax-paper dust jacket) and the reproductions are sharp and lovely. A must-own book.
March 6, 2018
A fun trip down memory lane; slightly superior to the second volume in this series.
May 1, 2023
Topps released a fantastic collection of their Wacky Packages product line, and this is basically a compendium of the entire series of gross-out, slant poackage sticker designs created by Art Spiegelman and his team. There is even a great introduction by Spiegelman. A fun book that brought back all of the nostalgia of the era, while evoking some silly chuckles even at my age. A lot of fun, and glad they published this rather than letting the stickers disappear to history.
July 12, 2018
A Fun Nostalgia Trip
If you remember Wacky Packages, this book is for you. Finally get a look at all seven sets of stickers in this one book and remember your childhood.
If you remember Wacky Packages, this book is for you. Finally get a look at all seven sets of stickers in this one book and remember your childhood.
March 6, 2020
Very fun to relive all those great parodies of brands.
April 15, 2021
I love all of them omg
September 14, 2023
The rating is for the archival nature of this, although some of these remain incredibly funny.
June 8, 2025
Really nice retrospective on the product parody card series. Really nice high quality images on the card art.
June 30, 2022
This is totally a stroll down memory lane. I remembered so many of these "products" and still chuckled at them.
What can I tell you? I never grew up. :-)
What can I tell you? I never grew up. :-)
November 30, 2011
Originally posted on Moonshine Arts magazine.
Topps Company is most well known for its continued production of sports related cards, such as baseball and football. However, at various points in its history Topps has branched out into other creative arenas, such as the famous Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages. Wacky Packages was born out of more creative era of advertising where design helped sell the product. The cards were the brain child of Woody Gelman, Lee Brown, and Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer prize winner author of Maus.
The introduction is written by Art Spiegelman, where he discusses how he came to be involved with the Topps Company and how they helped give him a creative outlet to practice and hone his artistic skills. The majority of the book, however, is filled with reproductions of images from the seven series. Each of the cards is reproduced in large and easy to read, with bright vibrant colors. The reproductions make it easy to determine which product the artist spoofed and to examine the level of detail created for the cards. Like everything some of the cards are better than others, such as "Mrs. Klean will up the floor with Mr. Klean if she can find him," a clever parody on Mr. Clean. Other parodies, such as "6up," are clearly not as creative (even Art admits that this was probably one of the worst gags.)
Readers will enjoy examining the large illustrations and determining how the parody differs from the reality. This is a book that can easily be enjoyed by all ages.
Topps Company is most well known for its continued production of sports related cards, such as baseball and football. However, at various points in its history Topps has branched out into other creative arenas, such as the famous Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages. Wacky Packages was born out of more creative era of advertising where design helped sell the product. The cards were the brain child of Woody Gelman, Lee Brown, and Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer prize winner author of Maus.
The introduction is written by Art Spiegelman, where he discusses how he came to be involved with the Topps Company and how they helped give him a creative outlet to practice and hone his artistic skills. The majority of the book, however, is filled with reproductions of images from the seven series. Each of the cards is reproduced in large and easy to read, with bright vibrant colors. The reproductions make it easy to determine which product the artist spoofed and to examine the level of detail created for the cards. Like everything some of the cards are better than others, such as "Mrs. Klean will up the floor with Mr. Klean if she can find him," a clever parody on Mr. Clean. Other parodies, such as "6up," are clearly not as creative (even Art admits that this was probably one of the worst gags.)
Readers will enjoy examining the large illustrations and determining how the parody differs from the reality. This is a book that can easily be enjoyed by all ages.
January 29, 2013
Fabulous pictorial collection of the revival of the trading cards relaunched in 1974. The hardcover edition has a dust jacket that is made of material that is similar in feel to the wax paper packaging of the original trading cards. When you remove the dust jacket there is a picture on the front cover of the stick of gum that was found inside the wacky packages. Additionally, there is a bonus pack of wacky stickers inside the back cover with a picture of the crumbled stick of gum on the back cover (this gum frequently would break into pieces). In addition to the pictures of the series one through series seven, including all 223 rare and hard to find stickers distributed in 1973-1974, there is a very interesting overview of the artist, Art Spiegelman. Art Spiegelman was part of the creative force at The Topps Company, which was the leading producer of trading cards and creator of Bazooka bubble gum. A follow-up edition,
, was released in 2010 and covers series 8-14, years 1974-1975. A must have for anyone who collected these trading cards back in the 70's.
, was released in 2010 and covers series 8-14, years 1974-1975. A must have for anyone who collected these trading cards back in the 70's.
October 18, 2014
When I was old enough to notice Wacky Packages they were packaging them inside of Wonder bread as a promo. I remember going to the grocery store with mom and looking in the bag to see which sticker was in there. My brother had this piece of poster board that he had stuck his collection on and I always loved to get that out and look at all the amazing detail in the sticker art. I think to a great extent this made me want to be an artist. Years later, they revive the series, I've been trying to collect them all ever since.
Most new collectors will never know the joy of the original series unless they have a good deal of money to invest in collecting them. This book definitely fills that void for those who may never own these old cards. I've thoroughly enjoyed looking through this many times. The card prints are beautiful and big so you can see all of the details of this amazing artwork. Definitely worth it if your a fan. It also comes with a limited edition card that you can only get with the book.
Definitely worth the money!
Most new collectors will never know the joy of the original series unless they have a good deal of money to invest in collecting them. This book definitely fills that void for those who may never own these old cards. I've thoroughly enjoyed looking through this many times. The card prints are beautiful and big so you can see all of the details of this amazing artwork. Definitely worth it if your a fan. It also comes with a limited edition card that you can only get with the book.
Definitely worth the money!
February 12, 2009
A trip down memory lane. The opening and closing essays by Art Spiegelman and Jay Lynch (respectively) alone are worth the book, which consists of--besides the essays--entirely of reprints of artwork: "Moobelline... Cow Mascara"! "Monotony... World's Quietest Bored Game"! and the classic "Quacker Oats, along with many many others, are just hilarious.
For the uninitiated, "Wacky Packs" were stickers sold by the Topps company in the 70's (they'd appeared briefly in the late 60's before being revitalized and expanded from 1973 - 74... I think they have made periodic comebacks since then). The stickers parodied various products: household goods, coffee, cigarettes, pet foods, etc... illustrated by Spiegelman (who got his professional start at Topps), Bill Griffith, Kim Dietch, Jay Lynch, Norm Saunders, and others. It's funny how a marginal art (actually, on the margins of the margins!) was such a focal point for so much talent.
For the uninitiated, "Wacky Packs" were stickers sold by the Topps company in the 70's (they'd appeared briefly in the late 60's before being revitalized and expanded from 1973 - 74... I think they have made periodic comebacks since then). The stickers parodied various products: household goods, coffee, cigarettes, pet foods, etc... illustrated by Spiegelman (who got his professional start at Topps), Bill Griffith, Kim Dietch, Jay Lynch, Norm Saunders, and others. It's funny how a marginal art (actually, on the margins of the margins!) was such a focal point for so much talent.
January 9, 2017
This is an art book. It is so well put together graphically it's insane. Not only is the art amazing (as it should be) but design-wise the book is just so pleasant to go through. The outside dustcover is made out of the same wax paper that old bubblegum used to be packaged in. Underneath the dust cover is a beautiful graphic photograph of a stick of gum from one of the packages. The inside cover is a full double page collage the cards. Each page displays very simply and pleasantly a different card. Very well made.
May 23, 2012
Another fun package here like GARBAGE PAIL KIDS. Noah and I had a good time looking through these tonight. He enjoyed the products that are still around and I found myself thinking about those parodied by Topps that are no longer available. I also found it funny how many stickers were dedicated to tobacco products and beer back in 1973. Thin dust jacket has that Wacky Packages feel and the book comes with stickers in the back for trading with your older friends.
October 18, 2012
Would it have killed Topps to include any sort of annotations to "Wacky Packages?" Preliminary sketches, anecdotes, comparisons with real products, et al would have been much appreciated. The perfunctory foreword and afterword provide the only sort of context. Fansites already have all of the images, plus many of these extras. Superfluous.
June 13, 2008
Long before Garbage Pail Kids, there were Wacky Packages. Subversive cards that mocked popular advertising and packaging. Oh, how I loved them. Thanks to this handsome little collection I took a long walk down memory lane, and learned that none other than Art Spiegelman was one of the artists.
December 4, 2008
In the right hands, throw up, maggots, and blood letting can make you smile. (But it's true -- the end papers, with Art's crib sheet for generating puns, is what holds my interest longer than the cards themselves.)
Read
August 10, 2011Used to collect these stickers as a kid. Didn't know their MAD/Spiegelman/Zippy the Pinhead connection until reading this book, which comes with a set of reissued stickers but no gum. My officemate Devon asked to see this...he likes comix and graphic arts.
October 27, 2014
I love Wacky Packages, so this was a delightful romp down memory lane for me. Sure, I wasn't collecting these classics from the 70's, but as a kid, I would spend so much time painstakingly organizing my own collection again and again to find the perfect means of keeping them. Such fun :)
September 27, 2008
I took this home for Tom. I leafed through it. It was entertaining in an elementary school kind of way. Made me giggle and think things were gross...
September 28, 2008
This brings back memories of my misspent youth.
to-buy-eventually
June 28, 2009Ooh, I saw this at the MoMa here in NYC, and had to restrain myself from buying it. Fun nostalgia!
October 2, 2013
So awesome! Who knew these were done by Art Spiegelman & Bill Griffiths? We were not "throwing away our allowance on crap" after all!
July 6, 2009
About 4 pages of history and the rest is picture goodness from the 1973 series. Plus you get a bonus pack of rare and unreleased stickers.
November 5, 2009
Priceless visual reference.
December 7, 2008
Good for 5 seconds...basically garbage
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews