Author Archives: Jeff

Topps Reveals Checklist for 2024 Series 1 GPK Kids At Play

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The first big Garbage Pail Kids release of 2024 is almost here! Today Topps revealed the checklist for 2024 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Kids At Play. Once again the base set is comprised of 200 cards, 100 new pieces with a/b versions.

After taking the last set off, GPK cards will return to retail stores like Target and Walmart. More pack types mean the insert sets are spread out. No matter which configuration collectors purchase, there are a lot of inserts to collect. Retail Display (Hobby) boxes will have Tom Bunk’s Let’s Get Physical (10), while Blaster boxes will have the Ill-Influencers (20) insert set. Collector boxes will have a number of exclusive inserts; Game Over (24), Bored of Board Games (10), Wacky Packages: Playthings (8), GPK “TCG” (12), and GPK of America Patch Cards (10).

Once again, Joe Simko, Brent Engstrom, David Gross, and Joe McWilliams did all the base card art for the set. As with 2023S2, there will be three different artist autos inserted throughout all pack types; Base /90, Fool’s Gold /50, and Foilfractor 1/1. Base auto print run is up to /90 of each. While sketch artists don’t appear on the checklist, GPKNews can confirm there are 68 sketch artists that completed sketches for the set. This includes 5 making their GPK sketch debut. The list of sketch artists on the set are; David Acevedo, Simone Arena, Andy Artz, Ro Garcia Astorga, Robert Ball, Bobby Blakey, Neil Camera, Marion Carole Miller, Nik Castaneda, Chenduz, Slippa Chervascus, Tim Clinton, Dan Contois, Jasmine Contois, Sobot Cortez, Jeff Cox, Steve Crockett, Jason Crosby, Adam Dobrzeniecki, Rusty Gilligan (New Artist), Daniel Goodroad, Terry Gordon, Kelly Greider, Kimber Grobman, J Hammond, Robert Harris, Guy Holzer, Lowell Isaac, Robert Jimenez, Karl Jones, Debjit Kar (New Artist), Ricky Kipfer, Brandon Klein (New Artist), Eric Lassen, Aaron Laurich, Fox Layng, Dan Lydiate, Steve Martin, Julia McKenzie, Rory McQueen, Eric Medina, Chris Meeks, Lily Mercado, Rich Molinelli, Victor Moreno, Nik Muggli, Erik Muller, Barry Nygma, Justin Olson, Mark Parisi, Tim Parsons (New Artist), Darrin Pepe, Jean Pierre, Anthony Pietszak (New Artist), Cathy Razim, Paul Reynolds, Eddie Rhodes III, Rich Rios, Lee Rumball, Chad Scheres, Brent Scotchmer, Brandhen Snyder, Mike Stephens, Greg Tilson, Greg Trieze, Gavin Williams, Clinton Yeager, and Ziggy.

You can find the checklist for 2024 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids GPK Kids At Play here. The kids officially hit the playground this Friday, 2/16/24.

Topps Launches 2024 Garbage Pail Kids Putrid Poetry

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Love is in the air! Topps today launched their first online set of the year, 2024 Garbage Pail Kids Putrid Poetry. This year’s set contains 21 base cards, 10 new pieces with a/b versions, and a checklist card. Each set purchased comes with 29 cards. In addition to the base set, collectors will receive 3 Red Heart parallels (Die-Cut), 1 Chocolate Fingerprint parallel, 2 Putrid Poem inserts, 1 C Name, and either 1 Foil or 1 Sketch or 1 Relic. The Foils are available in Rainbow /25 (1:6) and Gold /50 (1:3). There are three total relic cards (1:10), and also a card by Ermsy limited to 1:5. Sketch odds are listed as 1:2.5 boxes. There are a total of 26 artists that did sketches for the set. Included are three artists making their GPK debut. Here is the list of artists with the number of sketches they completed. Eric Lassen (50), Cesar Lopez (New Artist) (70), Steve Crockett (60), Kimber Grobman (60), Barry Nibert (50), Eric Medina (70), Neil Camera, Carmen Santa Ferrara (New Artist) (50), Darrin Pepe (60), Jasmine Contois (70), Brandhen Snyder (60), Aaron Laurich (50), Barry Nygma (40), David Acevedo (70), Nik Castaneda (50), Eric Muller (50), Chad Scheres (60), Victor Moreno (70), Tim Clinton (50), Marion Miller (70), Albert Collado (40), Roobeeo (50), Kasey O’Rourke (New Artist) (15), Chenduz (70), Greg Trieze (60), and Simone Arena (60). This article will be updated as more information becomes available. Topps is raising the price this year of the set. Each set can be purchased for $44.99. Shipping is free when choosing the economy option. There is no time limit on the sale. Here are pictures of some of the cards from the set.

Topps Teases 2024 Garbage Pail Kids Putrid Poetry

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Topps yearly dedication to love is upon us. Today via their social platforms, Topps started teasing this year’s Valentine’s set, 2024 Garbage Pail Kids Putrid Poetry. Nothing is revealed about the set except for a new card of Ashley Can eating her box of chocolates fresh from the garbage. As is tradition, collectors can expect sketch cards to be randomly inserted into sets. Putrid Poetry is scheduled to launch on Topps.com this Thursday, 2/8/24.

Topps Shares Box/Pack Art for 2024S1 Garbage Pail Kids: Kids At Play

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We are just two weeks away from the release of the next Garbage Pail Kids retail set, 2024 Series 1 GPK Kids At Play. Topps today shared with GPKNews the box and pack art for the Collector’s Box. Both the box and pack contain new art with a gag based on a popular kids block set. The pack or box don’t reveal any other info about the set. After being pushed back a couple of weeks, 2024S1 Kids At Play is set to release 2/16/24.

Jago Studios Announces the End of GPK: The Game

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Garbage Pail Kids: The Game is no more. Jago Studios, the company behind the GPK mobile game, announced today via their social channels that the game would be discontinued. The game was removed effective today from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The company announced current players would be able to continue to play the game until its final shutdown on 3/31/24.

The game garnered some excitement from collectors as it was the first licensed video game featuring GPKs. However, after launching in 2019, the company quickly stopped fixing bugs and updating the game. This led to the majority of original players to stop playing. The game however made a comeback one year later with a relaunch in 2020. The company has been continuing to launch new content within the game since then. The game was able to create a small but loyal following who’s dedicated players will miss.

 

Topps Delays 2024S1 GPK Kids At Play

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Topps today begin informing distributors that the 2024 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids: Kids At Play set was delayed. Topps has set the new street date as Friday, 2/16/24. GPKNews has been hearing rumblings for a couple of weeks now that the set would be delayed. No overreaching issues led to the delay. Topps just needed some more time to get everything ready for pack out after the holidays. Collectors can expect a post Valentine’s launch.

GPK Nation Launching Adam Bomb Cheater’s License OS 1 Coin

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GPK Nation is getting 2024 off to an old school start! The company will be launching tomorrow the GPK Adam Bomb Cheater’s License OS 1 Coin. The officially licensed coin features Adam Bomb on one side, with the artwork for the Cheater’s License from the original card back  on the other side. Each coin will be numbered to /50. The coin goes on sale at the GPKNation website tomorrow, 1/10/24, at 3:00 PM EST.

2024 Garbage Pail Kids Series 1 Kids At Play Hobby Sell Sheet

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It’s been over a month since Topps first announced the next retail set, 2024 Garbage Pail Kids Series 1 Kids At Play, by releasing the retail sell sheet to distributors. With just over three weeks until the scheduled release date, the company today finally released the Hobby sell sheet. Once again collectors can expect a 200 card base set, 100 new pieces in a/b versions. The theme is everything related to children’s playtime and activities.

There will once again be Collector boxes, and Retail Display boxes. The Retail Display boxes will also be sold under the “Hobby” label, continuing to confuse collectors and allow companies to charge more money for the same thing. The usual parallels will return. Booger Green parallels can be found one per pack in all retail pack types, while Black parallels can be found one per pack in Collector packs. Blue parallels (/99) are exclusive to Retail Display packs, while Red (/75) will be exclusive to Collector packs. Grey (/199), Fool’s Gold (/50), and Printing Plates (1/1) can be found throughout all pack types. Like 20223S2, there will once again be artist autographs of the base cards in addition to Fool’s Gold autos (/50), and Foilfractor Autos (1/1). The sell sheet also advertises a whopping five exclusive inserts for Collector boxes. The Game Over insert set features iconic video game characters from the 1980’s. Bored of Board Games are new and previous GPK characters in famous board games. Wacky Packages: Playthings will features famous toy and game themed packaging. There will once again be patch cards, as the GPK Scouts Patch Cards will once again be a hit in boxes. The patches also have a number of parallels; Green (/150), Blue (/99), Red (/75), Fool’s Gold (/50), and Foilfractor (1/1). There will also be the GPK “TCG” Cards, these “First Edition” trading cards feature GPK characters that mock TCG cards. The TCG cards will also have Foilfractor (1/1) versions. There is no mention of the insert sets found in the “Hobby” boxes, but the Retail sell sheet does mention the Tom Bunk Let’s Get Physical set that will be found in Retail Display boxes. Sketch cards of course return with regular sketches in Retail Display boxes, while Shaped and Triptych sketches will be in Collector boxes.

You can view the sell sheets below or the PDF can be found here. 2024 Garbage Pail Kids: Kids At Play is still set to release in just over three weeks, 1/24/24.

The 2023 GPKNews.com Best of GPK Award Winners

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If GPK in 2022 was known for set delays and giant print runs, 2023 quite possibly will be known for getting back to normalcy. After years of set delays, Topps returned to more of a normal schedule by the end of 2023. Collectors finally got the long delayed GPK Vacation set in early 2023, saw Chrome 6 in the middle of the year, and ended with InterGoolatic in the fall. Additionally, the giant unrealistic print runs from 2022 returned to a more realistic number in 2023. In the online realm, there were once again a number of 6 week sets, as well as the usual releases celebrating different events. Online sales remained strong through the year, but started to slow as the year ended. With lower print runs and lower online sales, GPK’s popularity may be softening in the new year.

GPK merchandise begin to see a transition. Products long in the pipeline and delayed from Covid were finally released. However, Fanatics begin to limit new licensed products as the company transitioned from old Topps management to Fanatics. Collectors still got a number of different products from GetAGrip, multiple comic releases from Dynamite, and a number of individual products from longtime licensees Abrams, Insight Editions, GPKNation, Super Impulse, and License 2 Play. One new comer, Flix Candy, debuted with a popular candy item.

2023 was another strong year with multiple retail, online, and merchandise releases. It’s time to take a look back at what stood out in 2023. The following is the 7th annual 2023 GPKNews.com Best of GPK Awards. Winners have been selected by the editor of GPKNews.com in eight categories. Additionally, a Reader’s Choice winner was also named in each category. Readers of GPKNews were able to vote in a poll on GPKNews’ Facebook page in mid-December. On some awards there is agreement, while others vary in opinion. Let the debate begin! It’s time to celebrate the best in GPKs for 2023!

And the winners are…

2023 GPK Retail Set of the Year
Winner: 2023S2 InterGoolatic Mayhem
Reader’s Choice: 2023 InterGoolatic Mayhem

Due to the late 2022 release of Chrome 5, collectors had 4 retail sets to vote on in this category for the first time. It didn’t matter, in the biggest squash of the Reader’s Choice awards, 2023S2 InterGoolatic Mayhem was the easy winner. We agree as the set is the 2023 Retail Set of the Year winner. Feedback from collectors on the set’s release was nearly unanimously positive. Collectors enjoyed the sci-fi theme, gags, and artwork in the set. Additionally, the quality control for Topps on the set, while not perfect, was a marked improvement over previous releases. This all added up to easily the set of the year. Honorable mention: 2023S1 Vacation, 2023 Chrome 6, 2022 Chrome 5.

2023 Online GPK Set of the Year
Winner: GPK x View Askew
Reader’s Choice: 2023 Oh the Horror-ible Expansion Set (1-6)

Topps decided to run back many of the online releases in 2023. There was another Ermsy Entertainment Blend, another MLB x GPK set by Alex Pardee, more six week expansion sets, and the usual Valentine’s, Krashers, and award winner sets. There was one new theme this year, and it’s this year’s 2023 Online GPK Set of the Year. The GPK x View Askew set was sold simultaneously at SDCC and on Topps.com. The cards celebrated the films of director Kevin Smith. The set saw some positive publicity for the GPK brand. Both GPK collectors and Kevin Smith fans chased parallels of the key cards in the set throughout the year. In the Reader’s Choice voting, collectors chose this year’s Oh the Horror-ible set just barely over the View Askew set. Surprisingly, Sapphire dropped in popularity for the first time, finishing third in voting. Honorable mention: 2023 Oh the Horror-ible Expansion (1-6), Sapphire 3, Valentine’s Day is Cancelled, and GPK x MLB 2.

2023 Non-Traditional Set of the Year
Winner: 2023 Topps International Trading Card Day
Reader’s Choice: 2023 Topps International Trading Card Day

Who doesn’t like free cards? Well, no one! This year’s 2023 International Trading Card Day GPK set is this year’s winner for Non-Traditional Set. For the second year in a row, collectors around the country burned gallons of gas as they drove from store to store to claim their free GPK pack. A wide selection of base cards and auto inserts had collectors trading and selling for weeks to complete their sets. Honorable mention: 2023 NYCC Set, Fanatics Executive Set.

2023 Topps GPK Licensee of the Year
Winner: GetAGrip Skateboards
Reader’s Choice: GetAGrip Skateboards

The company that somehow got original GPK artist John Pound to sign cards, is easily this year’s GPK Licensee of the Year. GetAGrip shocked the collecting world by releasing two blind bag skateboard releases this year that were highlighted by autographs from John Pound. Pound had refused for years to be involved with anything GPK. That wasn’t all GetAGrip did this year. The company also released a wooden toy product, Deadwoodz, and some high end GPK themed neon lights. No company released a wider variety of GPK merchandise this year. Honorable mention: Dynamite Entertainment, GPK Nation, Super Impulse, and Flix Candy.

2023 Rookie Sketch Artist of the Year
Winner: Marion Carole Miller
Reader’s Choice: Marion Carole Miller

2023 was a banner year for new GPK sketch artists. A record 19 artists made their GPK debut this year. They ranged from first time sketch artists to veterans of other Topps sets. The result was a number of excellent sketch cards in the final set of the year, InterGoolatic Mayhem. This was such a hard category to choose a winner in, there could have easily been any of 10 different winners. However, despite all the online promotion, reader’s agreed with GPKNews that Marion Carole Miller is the GPK Rookie Sketch Artist of the Year. The artist brought his unique style to both returns and pack inserted sketches that has already found a large fan base. Collectors will hope to chase his sketches for years to come. Honorable mention: Eddie Rhodes, Eric Lassen, Steve Martin, Fox Layng, and Julia McKenzie.

2023 Sketch Artist of the Year
Winner: Chris Meeks
Reader’s Choice: Bekki Sharp

We have three-peat! This year’s GPK Sketch Artist of the Year is once again Chris Meeks. Chris Meeks has set himself apart from his peers when it comes to GPK sketch cards. His GPK returns routinely fetch the highest figures in the secondary market. He continues to contribute to all GPK sets, with his pack inserted cards also being high quality. There are a lot of great GPK sketch artists, but right now Meeks stands out. The Reader’s Choice award once again saw heavy promotion by multiple artists. This year Bekki Sharp came out on top after a close vote. Honorable mention: Bekki Sharp, David Acevedo, Eric Medina, Mike Stephens, and Gavin Williams.

2023 GPK Artist of the Year
Winner: David Gross
Reader’s Choice: David Gross

It’s now four years in a row, as David Gross is the GPKNews Artist of the Year. Gross also won the Reader’s vote in a landslide once again. All the artists do a fantastic job on the artwork for the sets throughout the year. However, it’s the gag writing that puts Gross’ cards a cut above. From the obvious to the small details, he makes sure the gags are just as important as the art. Another banner year for new GPK artwork!  Honorable mention: Joe Simko, Brent Engstrom, and Rory McQueen.

2023 GPK Card of the Year
Winner: Marty Mayhem (Trashy TV Philly Promo 1a Artist/Concept David Gross)
Reader’s Choice: Ghost Buster (InterGoolatic 74a Artist/Concept Brent Engstrom)

In the Reader’s Choice voting it was neck and neck between the Marty Mayhem and Ghost Buster for Card of the Year. Ghost Buster was the most popular card from the most popular set of the year. So why then was Marry Mayhem chosen as the Card of the Year? This card helped to advance that ever so rare Disney GPK card. There haven’t yet been any main stream Disney or Star Wars cards, but with the help of Adam F Goldberg, the card was able to be approved and used as a promo card at the Philly Non-Sport card show. The card expertly depicts Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem in GPK form. A popular card that helps to make inroads to Disney properties makes it the Card of the Year. Honorable mention: Ghost Buster, Spacin Jason, Night Mary, Silent Bobby, AI Adam, and Sleepy Faye.