Category Archives: 2017 Adamgeddon

How Many 2017 GPK Adam-Geddon Cards Were Produced Part 2

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This is Part 2 of a two part series on the production of 2017 GPK Adam-Geddon. If you missed Part 1 you can go here to catch up.

In the first post we looked at how many packs/boxes/cases were produced of 2017 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon. Here’s a review of what we came up with.

  • Total Production – 459,000 Packs
  • Collector – 36,000 Collector Packs or 1500 Hobby Boxes or 187 Collector Cases
  • Retail/Hobby – 423,000 Retail/Hobby Packs

I’ll be using these numbers to try to come up with an idea how many of each type of parallel and insert were created for the set. This will give you a good idea how rare a set is and how quickly you need to snap up that card for your rainbow! I’ll also compare some of this info to the previous sets for reference. As a reminder in addition to using the sell sheet and odds, we will also have to make some assumptions  and flat out guesses when trying to figure some of these out.

So how many of each type of card was made? We can’t figured it out for every type of insert or parallel. Some card types we don’t have enough information. Other times however, Topps is nice enough to tell us exactly how many of a card was produced. Like previous sets, Topps has continued to number many card types. This means we already know most of the parallel and insert numbers already! Makes this post a lot easier! We know Spit /99, Bloody /75, and Fool’s Gold /50 for the parallels, and Patches /50 and Autos /25 for the insert sets!

Still there are some things we just can’t determine. Topps has made it tough on us in recent releases. They no longer share a lot of information on the sell sheets for insertion numbers. This means we can not figure out each different retail pack type. Therefore, there are many retail items that we are unable to determine the production on. For example, the Yellow Pee borders. Since there is no way to break out the number of gravity feed packs from the other retail packs, we can not determine how many Pee borders were made. This also true for the various retail bonus sets; Classic Adamgeddon, Gross Bears, and Bathroom Buddies. However, with production down 28% compared to Prime Slime, there will be a lot less of these sets. The lack of retail breakdown also means we can not determine how many Loaded Sketches or Panoramic Sketches were inserted into packs.

Let’s discuss what we can figure out.

While we can’t figure out the Yellow Pee parallel, we can determine how many of the other two non-numbered parallels were made. We can also find out how many of the Best of the Presidential Election bonus inserts were made.

  • Bruised Borders – 36,000 Collector packs X 1 Odds (doh) = 36,000 total Bruised borders / 180 cards in set = 200 per card.
  • Puke Borders – 423,000 Retail packs X 1 Odds (doh) = 423,000 total Puke borders / 180 cards in set = 2,350 per card.
  • Best of Presidential – 36,000 Collector packs  / 24 Odds = 1500 total cards / 10 in set = 150 of each card made.

Some very interesting things to point out in those numbers. Because there are 1000 more Collector packs compared to Prime Slime, there are actually more Bruised cards this time. However due to production cuts in retail there are now less Puke cards. Perhaps the biggest different is in the Best of Presidential “Bonus” cards. In previous sets you would get one card per Collector & Hobby box. With Topps chasing Hobby boxes to match retail the cards were only available in Collector boxes this time. That means more than a 40% cut in available bonus sets with this release. There can only be 150 Bonus sets possible this time. These cards might dry up quickly.

One thing I always find interesting is to determine what pack types the printing plates and artist autographs are hiding? Retail always had the majority of the plates because over 80% of the production is retail. We know Topps inserted 360 plates into the production, so here is the breakdown of how many can be found in each pack type.

  • Collector Plates – 36,000 packs / 1062 odds = 34 plates in Collector packs
  • Retail/Hobby Plates – 423,000 packs / 1073 odds = 394 plates in Retail packs
  • Collector Autos – 36,000 packs / 168 odds = 214 autos in Collector packs
  • Retail/Hobby Autos – 423,000 packs / 168 odds = 2517 in Retail/Hobby packs

First an explanation on why the numbers for each are higher that they should be. If you remember back in Part 1 of our discussion, I talked about Topps chasing the odds on Jumbo Retail packs this year. Previously the odds would be halved on everything for Jumbo packs, therefore a Jumbo pack would count as 2 packs. However, this time for Plates and Autos that is not the case. Our pack number of 423,000 assumes Jumbos as 2 packs, this is why the numbers come out a little bit more. I think the main thing to point out here is plates will be few and far between in Collector boxes, this is a change from previous releases where they fell at a much higher rate.

Topps has continued their practice of not revealing how many total sketches of each type are inserted into packs. While we can’t figure out all sketch types, there is a few we can determine based on odds.

Shaped Sketches – 36,000 Collector packs / 178 odds = 202 Shaped Sketches in Collector packs.
Regular Sketches – 423,000 Retail/Hobby packs / 326 odds = 1297 Regular Sketches in Retail/Hobby packs
Dial Artist Panoramic – 36,000 Collector packs / 694 odds = 52 Dual Artist Panoramic Sketches in Collector packs.

A couple of things stand out right away. Hobby boxes no longer contain Shaped Sketches, therefore there is more than 60% fewer Shaped sketches in this release. Dual Artist Panoramic Sketches are cut by almost 50% compared to Prime Slime. This matches information shared by the artists when they began drawing the sketches. They were giving far less to draw for this release.

Looking at the numbers for Adam-Geddon really tells a story, but also leaves many unanswered questions. Production was cut way back compared to recent sets. Is interest falling in retail GPK sets? Or is this just distributors over correcting because of over ordering on Prime Slime? Topps has yet to announce the next retail GPK set. It will be interesting to see how the smaller set size coupled with the lower print run affects the next GPK set.

Finally, can we figure out how many base cards were produced? Not really, but we can use what we know and give it our best guess! We know Collector packs have 6 base cards per pack now, except for packs containing patches, but that number is so small we will go with 6. Retail/Hobby packs 7 base cards per pack this time around, except for packs containing gold dust, autos, sketches, and plates, but again that number is so small I’m going to go with 7 per pack.

Base Cards – (36,000 Collector packs X 6 cards per pack) + (423,000 Retail/Hobby packs X 7 cards per pack) = 3,177,000 Total Base Cards produced / 180 cards per set = 17,650 Total of each base card.

While that’s a ton, its down from over 25,000 of each Prime Slime card. Get those sets while you can!!!

This is Part 2 of a two part series on the production of 2017 GPK Adam-Geddon. If you missed Part 1 you can go here to catch up.

How Many 2017 Adam-Geddon Cards Were Produced? Part 1

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This is Part 1 of a two part series on the production of 2017 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon. Click here for Part 2.

Topps closed out 2016 with a retail Garbage Pail Kids set that was produced in higher numbers than recent sets. The TV show theme didn’t always resonate either, as many complaints came in with collectors not understanding the gags. Throughout the last 10 months, Topps has also gone full steam ahead with various GPK online exclusives. Collectors did seem to be a little more excited when the theme of the first set of 2017 was released. Would the new Adam-Geddon theme with classic characters propel the new set to higher production? Or would over-production and collector apathy result in lower demand? I’m going to attempt to answer those questions in this two part series on the Adam-Geddon production. While Topps has kept a similar format as the previous releases, they still made some pretty major changes this time around. Some of those changes unfortunately makes it even harder to break down specific production numbers. Let’s see what we can actually figure out.

First my disclaimer! Production numbers are never an exact science, and Topps makes it tough on us. In order to attempt to solve this riddle we need to look very closely at the clues in both the odds and the sell sheets. Some things to keep in mind for this post. 1) Topps doesn’t want the public to know exactly how much of each card was made. Why? No idea really, I think its dumb, but historically Topps only provides enough information to get close. 2) We need to make some assumptions. Those assumptions will be based on the clues we have, but still some guessing has to happen. 3) The odds never quite seem to come out completely equal. However we can round and get pretty close to how much was produced. 4) Topps changes what is printed from what the sell sheet says all the time. This will throw off all our numbers. 5) Keep in mind Topps historically holds back 5% of the print run to cover missing hits, damaged cards, and their No Purchase Necessary program. These numbers would include that 5%. With all that in mind let’s get started…(Warning lots of math coming up. If you don’t want to hear about the process, skip to the bottom for the answer sheet!)

First we need to figure out how many packs were made for the entire print run. In order to do that we need to use a card type where all the odds are exactly the same in Hobby, Collector, and Retail packs. Once again there is only one card type that fits that description in this set, the Fool’s Gold borders, at 1:51. Here is what we know, there are 180 cards in the set. Fool’s Gold cards are numbered on the back to /50. Therefore, 180 cards X 50 number of golds per card = 9,000 total Fool’s Gold cards X 51 odds = 459,000 total packs made for the release. This is our first stop along the way where things could go wrong. There is only one card type shared across all pack types with similar odds. As you’ll see in a later discussion, while Autos and Plates are also shared across each pack type, Topps has drastically changed the odds on Jumbo Retail packs, therefore throwing off the numbers. We have to use what we have available to us. I believe this is a good starting point, and gets us on the path to more information.

Now let’s try to figure out how many of each pack type was created for this release. Collector packs are always the easiest to figure out because they always contain cards that are exclusively made for the set. This time there is one type of insert and two parallels that are exclusive to Collector boxes, and are numbered on the back.

  • Patch Cards – 20 cards in set X 50 made per card = 1000 total patches X 36 odds = 36,000 Collector packs made
  • Bloody Red Border – 180 cards in set X 75 made per card = 13,500 total Bloody borders X 3 odds = 40,500 Collector packs made
  • Spit Blue Border – 180 cards in set X 99 made per card = 17,820 total Spit borders X 2 odds = 35,640 Collector packs made

The numbers are very close for two types, but off on the Bloody borders. Here’s why I think they are off. The actual odds for Bloody borders are probably lower than 1:3, but Topps rounds up on the packs. I’m willing to bet most collectors will average more than 8 Bloody borders per collector box, early box results show most boxes with 9 reds. I believe this gives us a good number of Collector packs. I’m going to go with 36,000 for our purposes throughout the rest of our discussion.

Now let’s move onto Hobby packs. Darn you Topps! This was one of the major changes Topps made in the configuration of the product this year. Hobby packs are basically Retail packs now. There is nothing to distinguish a Hobby pack from a basic Retail pack. In previous releases we could use a card type that Hobby and Collector packs shared, that we also knew the print run of. Since that no longer exists, and we can’t tell the difference in packs, there is no way to determine how many Hobby packs were produced. While this is frustrating, it won’t stop our quest! For the rest of our discussion I will combine Hobby packs into Retail packs.

We know we have 36,000 Collector packs. So how many Retail/Hobby packs do we have? 459,000 total packs – 36,000 Collector packs = 423,000 Retail/Hobby packs. While that’s a lot of packs, is significantly less than previous releases. One way I use to be able to double check my numbers was to use another card type that is in all pack types, where we know the print run. There are two types that fit that description, Autos and Plates. Let’s looks at the numbers for both types.

  • 90 autos in set * 25 print run = 2,250 total autos * 168 odds = 378,000 total packs
  • 360 total plates * 1070 Avg. odds = 385,000 total packs

What a second….that’s a lot less total packs than what we came up with earlier. We can’t use these numbers because of another change Topps made on the odds. In previous releases the Jumbo Retail packs counted as 2 regular packs. All the odds on Jumbo packs would be exactly half of a regular pack. So it made it very easy to just count each Jumbo pack as 2 packs. With Adam-Geddon only Fool’s Gold and Sketch cards have the odds halved. The Plate and Auto odds are the same as other retail packs. That tells us plates and autos will be much harder to pull in Jumbo retail than regular retail packs. It also explains why the total pack numbers are lower when we use these numbers above. Its only counting the Jumbo packs as 1 pack, which makes sense based on the odds.

That leaves us with 423,000 Retail/Hobby packs. We can however deduce from the number above there is right around 45,000 Jumbo packs produced. We aren’t however able to break down the pack distribution any further with this series. We don’t know the total print run of the various sketch types. Those are the only other different card type inserted into packs. So the best we can do is come up with a total retail pack number of 423,000.

Here’s what I believe the total production numbers to be for Adam-Geddon:

  • Total Production – 459,000 Packs
  • Collector – 36,000 Collector Packs or 1500 Hobby Boxes or 187 Collector Cases
  • Retail/Hobby – 423,000 Retail/Hobby Packs

(Once again my numbers could be off. We had to make some assumptions and trust the sell sheets and odds. But I’m confident these numbers are really close.)

So what does this all mean? Production is way down compared to the previous set, Prime Slime Trashy TV. This looks to be the lowest set produced since I started running the numbers. Take a look at the last three sets and the production numbers:

  • Total Pack Production
    • Apple Pie – 484,000
    • Trashy TV – 638,000
    • Adam-Geddon – 459,000 (28% decrease in total overall production vs. Trashy TV)
  • Collector Pack Production
    • Apple Pie – 36,500
    • Trashy TV – 35,000
    • Adam-Geddon – 36,000 (3% increase vs. Trashy TV)
  • Retail Pack Production
    • Apple Pie – 408,500
    • Trashy TV – 550,000
    • Adam-Geddon (Includes Hobby packs) – 423,000 (23% decrease vs. Trashy TV, that includes hobby packs added in)

Topps prints to order their product. Which means based on distributor pre-orders, Topps decides how much product to produce. The numbers tell me this set was under ordered compared to previous releases. It shows collectors continue to purchase Collector cases in similar numbers. However, retail orders appear to be down significantly from previous sets. Topps made other changes as well that affects the print run. The base set is almost 20% smaller than previous sets. Topps also changed the number of cards in a pack, to 8 across the board. As you will see in part two all this changes how many of each card type exists.

All fun stuff to think about as you bust into those new packs! Let me know your thoughts on the numbers in the comments!

This is Part 1 of a two part series on the production of 2017 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon. In Part 2 we will look at production numbers for all parallel and insert sets. Part 2 can be found here.

2017 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon Explained

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After only a three month break, Topps has released the next retail set, 2017 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon. The theme is a welcomed and major departure from the last GPK offering, Prime Slime Trashy TV. This set’s theme focuses on classic GPK characters in end-of-world scenarios. Topps is continuing with the same format for the base sets that started a couple of years ago. This time however, the set size is smaller. The 180 card set is comprised of 9 subsets. The base cards continue to lack card back artwork, sticker die-cuts, and numbering is on the back. Once again there are no checklist cards for the base set. Production for this set appears to be down compared to previous releases. I will have the usual articles taking a stab at production numbers in a few days. Click here for the official checklist Topps released. Here is what you can find, and where you can find it in 2017 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon.

(Note: I will continue to update this post as new information comes to light and any new parallels/inserts are found.)

  • Base Set – 180 total cards made up of 9 different subsets.
    • Alien Invasion (5a/b – 10 Total Cards)
    • Apocalypse (12a/b – 24 Total Cards)
    • Bio & Tech (8a/b – 16 Total Cards)
    • Dumb Deaths (10a/b – 20 Total Cards)
    • Monsters (5a/b – 10 Total Cards)
    • Natural Disasters (18a/b – 36 Total Cards)
    • Nuclear (18a/b – 36 Total Cards)
    • Pollution (5a/b – 10 Total Cards)
    • The Plagues (9a/b – 18 Total Cards)
  • Parallel Sets – Same exact cards from the Base set, except with a different speckled color border.
    • Bruised Border (Dark Blue/Black) – 1:1 – Collector (180 Cards)
    • Spit Border (Light Blue) /99 – 1:3 – Collector (180 Cards)
    • Bloody Nose Border (Red) /75 – 1:2 – Collector (180 Cards)
    • Fool’s Gold Border (Gold) /50 – 1:51 – Retail/Hobby/Collector (180 Cards)
    • Puke Border (Green) – 1:1 – Retail/Hobby (180 Cards)
    • Pee Border (Yellow) – 1:4 – Target Retail Gravity Feed (180 Cards)
    • Printing Plates – 1:1062 Collector, 1:1063 Hobby, 1:1080 Retail, 1:1076 Retail Jumbo, 1:1073 Gravity Feed (360 Total Plates – 4 per card artwork)
  • Insert Sets – All the various insert subsets that can be found in packs.
    • Best of the Presidential Election – 1:24 – Collector (5a/b – 10 Total Cards)
    • Classic Adamgeddon – 2 Per Jumbo Retail (10a/b – 20 Total Cards)
    • Gross Bears – 3 Per SE Blaster Box (11-15,L3 – 6 Total Cards)
    • Bathroom Buddies – 3 Per EA Blaster Box (7-9a/b – 6 Total Cards)
    • *Adam Bomb’s Armageddon – 2 Per Blister Pack (2a/b – 4 Total cards) *On sell sheet, not on checklist. Has not appeared in stores yet.*
    • Patch Card /50 – 1:36 – Collector (10a/b – 20 Total Cards)
    • Artist Autograph /25 – 1:168 Collector, Hobby, Retail (90 Total Cards – 1 per card artwork)
    • Sketch Card – 1:326 – Hobby/Retail (38 Artists)
    • Shaped Sketch – 1:178 – Collector (38 Artists)
    • Double Artist Panoramic Sketch – 1:694 – Collector (?? Artists)
    • Loaded Sketch – 1:75 – Blaster Box (38 Artists)
    • Panoramic Sketch Cards – 1:637 – Jumbo Retail (38 Artists)

2017 Series 1 GPK Adam-Geddon Retail Odds

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Thanks to eBay member cardgarys for the following pictures the Jumbo Retail and Blaster Box packs for 2017 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon. Thanks to Clint at GPK & Wacky Warehouse for the picture of the Gravity feed pack odds.

A few interesting things to point out on the odds. Historically Jumbo packs odds are 1/2 of a regular retail pack. This is because there are twice as many cards in a Jumbo pack. This isn’t the case this time, except with the Gold borders and Sketch cards. This leads me to believe the hits will be very hard to pull from Jumbo packs. On the positive side all other odds are easier compared to Prime Slime. Gold borders, Autos, and Sketch cards are all a little bit easier pulls this time around. Coupled with the set size being a smaller 180, this leads me to believe retail production is down quite a bit compared to the previous release. I will have a full rundown of production in a few days after I’m able to run the numbers.

2017 GPK Adam-Geddon Retail Blaster Pack/Box Odds

  • Fool’s Gold 1:51
  • Printing Plate 1:1080
  • Artist Autograph 1:168
  • Sketch Card 1:326
  • Loaded Sketch Card 1:75 Blaster Boxes

2017 GPK Adam-Geddon Retail Jumbo Pack Odds

  • Fool’s Gold 1:26
  • Printing Plate 1:1076
  • Artist Autograph 1:168
  • Sketch Card 1:163
  • Panoramic Sketch Card 1:637

2017 GPK Adam-Geddon Gravity Feed Pack Odds

  • Pee 1:4
  • Fool’s Gold 1:51
  • Printing Plate 1:1073
  • Artist Autograph 1:168
  • Sketch Card 1:326

2017 Series 1 GPK Adam-Geddon Collector & Hobby Odds

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There’re out! Collectors have begun to see the next retail series, 2017 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon, in stores and hobby shops. Thanks to collector Ke We we have the picture below of the Collector pack odds. Thanks also to collector Stephen Hiteshew for the Hobby pack odds.

Many interesting tidbits by looking at the Collector pack odds. Spit parallels are twice as easy to pull in Collector packs, due to them not appearing in Hobby packs this time. Bloody Nose are the same rate, while Gold parallels are slightly easier. However, major hits are extremely tough compared to previous releases. Plates are almost 5x tougher to pull, Dual artist sketches 2x tougher to pull, Shaped sketches are a little tougher, while patches are similar. This leads me to believe a couple of things. 1) There are many less sketches inserted this time around compared to Prime Slime, which we saw in what was issues to artists to complete. 2) Plates have been moved to a different pack type almost completely. 3) Print run of at least collector boxes look to be similar to previous release.

A couple of other notes. There are 20 patch cards this time, 10a/b all /50. That means the same number of patches exist, just more to put a set together. Also Topps decided to cut the set to 180 cards. Not sure why the cut, but this leads me to believe total production will be down by 20% this time around. I will have a breakdown of production numbers in the coming days once I can run the numbers.

When looking at the pack odds for Hobby packs, what was described in the sell sheets is indeed true. Hobby packs are basically the same as Retail packs. All the odds are the same for each pack type, except for printing plates, which are very close. Hobby packs might be the worst buy this time since you don’t get any extra bonus or parallel cards. Very disappointing to see Topps take this route with Hobby boxes. Take note of the odds when making your purchase decisions.

Adam-Geddon Collector Pack Odds:

  • Spit 1:2
  • Bloody Nose 1:3
  • Fools Gold 1:51
  • Printing Plate 1:1062
  • Artist Autograph 1:168
  • Best of the 2016 Presidential Election 1:24
  • Shaped Sketch 1:178
  • Dual Artist Panoramic Sketch 1:694
  • Patch Card 1:36

Adam-Geddon Hobby Pack Odds:

  • Fool’s Gold 1:51
  • Printing Plate 1:1063
  • Artist Autograph 1:168
  • Sketch Card 1:326

Topps Releases 2017 Series 1 GPK Adam-Geddon Checklist

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2017 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon has released to stores as of 1/18, and with it comes the latest checklist from Topps. As with the last few sets, Topps doesn’t included checklists on card backs anymore. However, they have been nice enough to provide collectors with the information. Topps has made some changes to the set configuration compared to previous sets, and even the sell sheets. The base set only contains 180 cards in 9 different subsets. A set size nearly 20% smaller should make it easier for collectors to put together. The Collector “bonus” set, (Best of the 2016 Presidential Election), is 10 cards this year, up from the usual 8. Also the Collector only Patch insert set is now 20 cards, (10a/b) all numbered to /50.  Gross Bears, Bathroom Buddies, Classic Adamgeddon retail bonus sets also appears on the checklist. Here is the checklist in PDF format.

2017 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon Sketch Card Preview

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Updated 12/20 with sketches from Chenduz, Heil, Moffett, Isaac and Camera.

imageSketch card artists have been hard at work the last few weeks on the sketches for the next retail Garbage Pail Kids release, Adam-Geddon, set to release in stores on Jan. 18th. The floodgates have opened and artists have been sharing their approved sketch cards. I will keep a running post below as artists share sketches. (Note that all sketches must be approved by Topps before being inserted into packs. Also, Topps will hold sketches back for replacements.) Originally when the artists signed up for sketches on this set, Topps said they could not show previews. It’s good to see the leadership at Topps change course on that edict, and allow this great work to be shown. Take note that there is a change to the Dual Artist Panoramic cards this year. Artists were matched up with multiple artists in some cases. This was due to timing issues with artists living outside of the United Stated. There will be many new pairings this time around. All photos courtesy of the artist’s Facebook page and/or website.

(Showing sketch previews from 33 of 37 confirmed artists.)

Artist: Simone Arena

Artist: Michael Barnard

Artist: Neil Camera

Artist: Daniel Contois

Artist: Jasmine Contois

Artist: Sobot Cortez

Artist: Jason Crosby

Artist: “GPK” Dave Dabila

Artist: Vincenzo “Chenduz” D’Ippolito

Artist: Brent Engstrom

Artist: Patrick Giles

Artist: Dennis Gortakowski

Artist: Dustin Graham

Artist: Cecilia Granata

Artist: Jon Gregory

Artist: Kelly Greider

Artist: Jason Heil

Artist: Marisol Henriquez

Artist: Lowell Isaac

Artist: Robert Jimenez

Artist: Matthew Kirsch

Artist: Joe McWilliams

Artist: Chris Meeks

Artist: Lily Mercado

Artist: Ryan Moffett

Artist: Rick Molinelli

Artist: JM Monserrat

Artist: Sean Norvet

Artist: Barry Nygma

Artist: Steve Potter

Artist: Cathy Razim

Artist: Chad Scheres

Artist: Anthony Skubis

Artist: Denis St. John

Artist: Matt Steffens

Artist: Magnus Von Robotsson

Artist: Dan Burn Webster

2017 GPK Adam-Geddon Sketch Card Artist List Comes Together

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Updated 1/26 to add Joe Simko.
Updated 12/13 to add Brent Engstrom.
Updated 11/15 to add Joe McWilliams.

panobackThe last six weeks have been very busy for Topps and the Garbage Pail Kids brand. Topps has been busy with the release of 2016 GPK Trashy TV and the online exclusive presidential election sets. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time from now until Jan. 20th to get 2017 Garbage Pail Kids Adam-Geddon ready for release. Last week sketch cards artists for the set have begun to receive invitations to work on the set from Topps. With an early Dec. deadline to have sketches finished, artists will be drawing cards with their turkey this Thanksgiving. In fact artists have already received their blanks, and are hard at work on those sketches. The sketches feature a black back, with a pink autograph bubble on the regular sketch front. See below for pictures of all the blank sketches, thanks for artist Magnus for the pictures!

With the 2016 GPK Trashy TV set Topps expanded the artist lineup. 34 total artists completed sketch cards for the set. The majority of those artists have confirmed they will return for the first set of 2017, while some newcomers will also make their debut. The following is a list of artists who worked on the Trashy TV set, and will return for the Adam-Geddon set. Simone Arena, Michael Barnard, Neil Camera, Daniel Contois, Sobot Cortez, Jason Crosby, “GPK” Dave Dabila, Vincenzo “Chenduz” D’Ippolito, Patrick Giles, Dennis Gortakowski, Cecilia Granata, Jon Gregory, Kelly Greider, Jason Heil, Marisol Henriquez, Lowell Isaac, Robert Jimenez, Matthew Kirsch, Chris Meeks, Lily Mercado, Ryan Moffet, Rich Molinelli, JM Monserrat, Sean Norvet, Barry Nygma, Steve Potter, Cathy Razim, Chad Scheres, Denis St. John, Matt Steffens, Magnus Von Robotsoon, and Dan Burn Webster. Long time GPK artist Jeff Zapata has decided to take a break from GPK, and will not be completing sketch cards for the set. The mystery artist from last set, Yeldarb, as been confirmed as artist Brad Tabar. Brad will not be doing sketches on the Adam-Geddon set. Also of note, mainstay GPK artists Brent Engstrom and Joe Simko are returning to sketch cards after not doing them for the last few years. That makes 34 returning sketch cards artists.

Topps also decided to add on additional artists to the set who have all worked for Topps in the past. Joining on for the Adam-Geddon set is Jasmine Contois, Dustin Graham, Joe McWilliams and Anthony Skubis. Dustin Graham is a veteran GPK sketch artists who missed the Trashy TV set, but has worked on multiple sets in the past. The other new artists are all veteran Topps sketch artists. That brings the current total sketch artist count to 38 for the Adam-Geddon set. If anyone knows if any other artists confirmed for the set, please let me know!

Despite the large number of artists, Topps is cutting way back on the number of sketch cards each artist will complete. According to some of the sketch artists, their work load has been cut back 50% or more for the various sketch types. Its too early to tell, but this could have a huge effect on the set. If Topps prints the same amount of Adam-Geddon as they did Trashy TV, sketches will be very tough to find. Probably up to twice has hard or more on the odds. The only other possible explanation would be if the Adam-Geddon was severely under ordered by distributors for both retail and hobby. The bottom line is there will be far less Adam-Geddon sketches available this time around.

Topps has also made some changes to take note of with the sketch return card process. Once again artist’s return sketch cards need to be completed prior to the release of the set, and approved by Topps. This was a controversial change Topps started with the Trashy TV set, however this time the cards do not need to be mailed into Topps. The art director will be approving scans of the returns this time around, limiting the possibility of damage by the postal service. Another change is more additions to the “banned” character list. Previous, artists could not draw cards featuring Stan Lee, Gene Simmons, or the Hundreds set. This time around no Disney properties can be drawn, this includes Star Wars and Marvel. Also the recent music festival set cards from, Riot Fest, can not be sketched most likely due to license agreements. Finally, Topps also will no longer allow the artists to show teasers of their sketch cards prior to the release date. Personally this is disappointing, as GPKnews usually compiles all the previews right up until the release date. Let’s hope Topps backtracks from this, and realizes the previews is the best free PR Topps can get.

Future Direction of Garbage Pail Kids Brand Explained

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toppsIn an exclusive interview with GPKNews.com, Topps Brand Manager, Entertainment, Mark Von Ohlen went into many details about where the Garbage Pail Kids Brand is headed for the rest of 2016 and into 2017. Print on Demand is here to stay, while Topps is looking at ways to not only expand the collector base for retail sets, but also keep the experienced collector happy.

When asked about Print on Demand and what the future holds for collectors in general Mark was very bullish on the technology, “As media consumption becomes customized or immediate so must trading cards. Print on demand is a great solution to this.” He made it clear Topps is going after a specific customer base with the Print on Demand sets, “Trading cards are the original blind bag purchase, which while it’s all the rage in 3D mini figures today, there’s also a consumer base who just wants to know what they’re getting. I love the chase, the hunt, the gamble, but I’ll also open my wallet for something specific that I really want to avoid the ‘work’ of hunting it down.” Topps is all in with Print on Demand, and collectors can expect many more online exclusive GPK cards for the rest of 2016, and into 2017. Mark expanded on what collectors can expect next in GPK Print on Demand, “For GPK, we have 3 more months of election madness ahead so more is on the way. In 2017, we’ll continue to parody pop culture (music, movies and more) and try out some new territories as well.”

In addition to staying in the moment and being timely with Print on Demand, Topps is looking for ways to get the casual collectors in the retail space. To that end, Topps is completely restructuring the pack configuration for the first set of 2017, Adam-Geddon. Pack size for Retail and Hobby are moving from 10 cards to 8. The lower pack size allows Topps to lower the suggested retail price for GPK. Mark confirmed this with GPKNews, “We lowered the pricing in retail to $2 packs to create a lower barrier to entry for new consumers. We’re always trying to reach new collectors and felt the current pricing structure was a bit prohibitive.”

Finally, Mark commented on a popular topic with collectors, Chrome OS 3, and if it will ever see a release. Mark admitted the reason why new series of GPK chrome hasn’t been released is due to cost, “Chrome is really tricky. It’s an expensive technology, and it’s not for everyone.” At the same time Mark mentioned Topps is looking into how to make the set a reality for experienced collectors, “Obviously as we are looking for new fans we don’t want to leave our super-fans behind so we are exploring ways to make Chrome a reality.” While Topps doesn’t have a solution yet, Mark floated a way Chrome 3 might be possible, “I wouldn’t rule out Kickstarter, but maybe even something as simple as a preorder that requires a minimum purchase quantity before we go to print. If we hit the number, it happens and if we don’t, it doesn’t get made.”

Leadership at Topps has a clear plan for where the Garbage Pail Kids brand is headed in the future. While continuing retail sets, there will be a focus on Print on Demand online sets. They also are continuing to find ways to bring new collectors into the hobby, while trying to maintain longtime collectors. It appears GPK will remain a top brand in the Topps Non-Sport library at least through 2017.

Interview With Garbage Pail Kids Brand Manager Mark Von Ohlen

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gpk_94x94Mark Von Ohlen has been Brand Manager at Topps for almost two years now. Originally hired on by Topps to be the Brand Manager over the Star Wars brand, he is now the Topps Brand Manager, Entertainment. He oversees all Topps non-sport brands for Topps; Star Wars, Wacky Packages, Mars Attacks, Walking Dead, Preacher, WWE, Doctor Who, and of course GPK. Working hand in hand with Colin Walton, they are responsible for all Garbage Pail Kids sets/merchandise for Topps. Mark was nice enough to agree to an e-mail interview on the eve of the launch of the next GPK set, Prime Slime Trashy TV. Mark talks about his background, and what his job entails at Topps. He shares some hints about what can be found in the next GPK set. He shares his thoughts on the Direct to Print movement at Topps, and what the future holds there. Mark also shares what’s being offered at this year’s New York Comic Con. And yes, I asked him about Chrome OS 3….

GPKNews – Thanks for the interview, Mark! Being Brand Manager at Topps is a dream job most collectors would love to have! How did you get started with Topps?

Mark Von Ohlen – I’ve been working in marketing for almost a decade, and after my last job I decided that I wanted to work on something I was really passionate about. I am a big geek and pop culture junkie. I go to conventions all the time. Last year I went to 15 shows. This year I’m scaling back slightly – only going to 12! I’m an avid collector of action figures, trading cards and other collectibles. You should see my office; it’s lined with autographed photos, mini figures and binders of cards. When I found out Topps was hiring, I jumped at the chance to work on Star Wars! It’s every geeky kid’s dream. We had a fantastic year with several great new product launches plus of course the new movie. Then, I got to launch the first ever Topps Doctor Who trading cards in the US. As a Whovian, this was seriously a dream come true. Now I’m working on GPK, another brand I grew up with and love tremendously. It’s been a real thrill so far.

GPKNews – Can you share with collectors what a Brand Manager does? Specifically when it comes to GPK, how are you involved with the brand?

MVO – The brand manager has a long list of responsibilities. It’s kind of like being a movie producer because no one really knows what you do, but you kind of do everything. Brand managers are generalists, typically, meaning they have a degree in business management or, in my case Economics and Business, and work with specialists who execute the strategy. As the brand manager, I work with my fantastic associate brand manager, Colin Walton, on product development and marketing. Fans of GPK know Colin as he has been the editor/art director/artist relationship manager/brand expert working on GPK for almost a decade. I would seriously be lost without him. He and I will ideate a product (ie the upcoming GPK Adam-geddon). From there, we will decide on the design elements, what insert cards should be included, sku configuration and pricing, exclusive content, etc. From there Colin works closely with the incredibly talent pool of artists to sketch the jokes and images for the cards. We review them together, and then the ones we like get painted. We also decide on any retailer exclusives and partner with the Sales team on retailer executions. We also decide on marketing initiatives (what conventions to attend, what ads to place, etc). It’s like running your own business on a brand by brand basis.

GPKNews – How aware were you of Garbage Pail Kids when you were a kid? Did you collect back then? I know you are a big Star Wars fan, what do you collect now?

I had so many GPK stickers when I was a kid, and used to put them all over the walls in my house. It used to make my parents so angry, but they kept buying them for me anyway! I collected a lot of entertainment trading cards when I was young. I had several Star Wars sets, ET, Ninja Turtles, WWE and even a Cyndi Lauper card set. I’m still a big geek and have a pretty massive trading card and action figure collection.

image002GPKNews – Garbage Pail Kids Prime Slime Trashy TV is set to launch in early October. The recent GPK sets have all been themed sets. How did you guys decide the time was right to do a GPK set based on parodies of current TV shows?

MVO – The themed sets for GPK are so much fun. The American As Apple Pie set really tapped into this incredible year-long conversation in the pop culture surrounding the election. It was basically the catalyst for our Election pulse program running on Topps.com right now. We have so much more planned between now and the election! Regarding the TV set, we really are living in the new age of content. An age where Amazon can win Emmys! Seriously, think back even 2 years ago. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? But there’s more content than ever. Not necessarily great content, but certainly more, so we felt TV (in all its forms) was the right medium to make fun of as it undergoes this incredible transformation.

GPKNews – I know you don’t want to reveal any secrets about the new set yet, but do you have a favorite card in the set? Maybe something that really caught your eye?

MVO – I reviewed every card with Colin and honestly this theme is spectacular. The artists really gave us fantastic paintings. As someone who watches too much TV, the whole set a lot of fun. Some standouts: we have a Twin Peaks card that I love! (One of my favorite shows.) We have Kathy Lee and Hoda behaving exactly as you might expect. My name ‘Mark’ is finally back on a card and with a TV show that I’ve loved for the past 20 years (hint). Plus we’ve got classic shows, current favorites and even returning series like The X-Files, which is one of Colin’s favorites.

GPKNews – I know Topps is already working on the next GPK set, Adam-Geddon, set to release in Jan. 2017. Collectors seem to be excited about that theme. Is there anything you can share with collectors about what to expect with the Adam-Geddon set?

MVO – Get ready. This one is over the top ridiculous. Adam-geddon is explosive, literally, and one of our more hilariously violent sets in recent years. In many ways it feels like vintage GPK because it delivers on that shock factor that the original fans loved.

GPKNews – A change that jumped out to me when looking at the sell sheets for Adam-Geddon was the pack configuration across the board. Hobby/Retail packs moved down to 8 cards, while Collector packs up to 8 cards. I noticed prices on pre-orders are lower than past releases. Was the reason for this change to get to a lower price point?

MVO – We lowered the pricing in retail to $2 packs to create a lower barrier to entry for new consumers. We’re always trying to reach new collectors and felt the current pricing structure was a bit prohibitive. We also streamlined the hobby sku to eliminate confusion about content.

GPKNews – What does the future hold for the Garbage Pail Kids brand? Can you share with us any other plans for 2017?

MVO – Well, we still have 3 more months of 2016 to get through first, and they are going to be insane. With the election imminent you can expect us to be even more engaged in the political conversation, as we’ll have several more releases between now and Election Day. We also have something special planned for Inauguration Day that we’ll reveal toward the end of the year. As for 2017, I expect to continue our pop culture Topps.com products where we make fun of celebrities, music, movies and TV. We saw some amazing press coverage regarding our music sets, in particular the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and Riot Fest. We’re looking to do more of those partnerships.

GPKNews – I know you attend conventions like San Diego Comic Con, Star Wars shows, the National Sports Collectors show, etc. Do you enjoy meeting with fans and hearing what and how they collect?

MVO – I love going to conventions. I attend between 10-15 per year. Only a few are ‘official’ for Topps like SDCC, NYCC, The National. The rest of the time it’s just me walking around meeting celebrities and artists. I love meeting the fans and always want to hear from them. We’re making products for the fans so the more information we can get from them, the better we can serve the needs. Luckily the GPK fandom is not shy so I’m pretty up-to-date on their requests. I would love to do a Topps sponsored GPK con at some point, and I know there is interest there. We haven’t been able to make it work yet but maybe sometime in 2017?

GPKNews – Topps offered Jumbo GPK sets at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. I know Topps usually has a presence at the New York Comic Con in October. Any show exclusives from Topps planned for the event? Anything GPK related going to be offered?

MVO – Yes, we will have some pop culture oriented exclusives at NYCC. We branded them as GPK Prime Slim Trashy TV and we parody Star Trek, Powerpuff Girls, The Flash, Big Bang Theory, and My Little Pony. It’s 5 new paintings (so 10 stickers total counting the A&B names) for $29.99. You can find us at NYCC Booth #454 with the GPK exclusives plus a Star Wars Rogue One exclusive card set, giveaways, and some surprises.

GPKNews – Funko recently started offering GPK Series 2 to distributors for a Nov. release. Collectors are excited to see the GPK license agreement continue with Funko. I know during 2015 there were many license tie-ins with the 30th anniversary of GPK. Is Topps still open to licensing the GPK brand for merchandise? Anything cool in the pipeline?

MVO – Yes we are thrilled with the Funko items! Aren’t they awesome? In fact they did exclusive GPK Election Funko’s as well featuring Donald Dumpty and Billary Hillary. We are still continuing to explore new licensing opportunities but nothing new to announce at the moment.

chrome2GPKNews – A popular topic with collectors, really since 2014 and the last Chrome GPK release, has been, will there be a GPK Chrome OS 3 release? I know there have been some comments on Facebook that you guys are looking into the possibility. Can you share your thoughts on Chrome OS 3 getting a release? Maybe as an online exclusive? Would a Kickstarter type of campaign work for something like this?

MVO – This is every GPK super fan’s favorite topic. I honestly get emails every week on this product, but Chrome is really tricky. It’s an expensive technology, and it’s not for everyone. Our goal on GPK is to expand the brand to a wider audience. That’s the reason we’ve done the themed sets (American Pie, Trashy TV), the Election items, the Pop Culture parodies (The Grammys, The Academy Awards, etc) and partnerships (Riot Fest) and expanded licensing (Funko). Obviously as we are looking for new fans we don’t want to leave our super-fans behind so we are exploring ways to make Chrome a reality. We don’t have a solution yet, but we’re open to ideas. I wouldn’t rule out Kickstarter, but maybe even something as simple as a preorder that requires a minimum purchase quantity before we go to print. If we hit the number, it happens and if we don’t, it doesn’t get made. Would fans be okay with something like that?

GPKNews – Print on Demand products has been a focus for Topps as a whole this year. Topps Now on the baseball side, the Preacher cards, UFC, WWE, are just a few. I want to say the trend might have actually started with the Garbage Pail Kids online sets released early this year. Most of the GPK online sets have been released under the Apple Pie theme. Will new sets continue being offered by Topps? If so, for how long? Through the presidential election? Are there any plans on offering online sets under the Trashy TV theme after the release of that set?

MVO – Thank you for giving credit where credit is due. The GPK Election pulse was basically the ‘beta’ version of Topps Now. And the GPK community delivered! Print on demand is happening because of this awesome group of people. We’re looking to expand it into more properties as well. For GPK, we have 3 more months of election madness ahead so more is on the way. In 2017, we’ll continue to parody pop culture (music, movies and more) and try out some new territories as well. We have a few ideas for Trashy TV – would you guys like a GPK take on classic Christmas Specials?

artgpk-stic-16gpkrace-0001_fr_1GPKNews – Do you see Print on Demand being the future of card distribution for manufactures? Do you see a future where this is the main method GPK collectors will go to purchase cards?

MVO – Our industry is changing significantly and in many ways catching up to where media is going. Think about your TV viewing habits. At one point it was crazy to think people would record shows and zap commercials, but now that’s standard practice. Binge watching has also become the new norm. I can tell you I watched ‘Stanger Things’ in one Saturday. As media consumption becomes customized or immediate so must trading cards. Print on demand is a great solution to this. I also think it eliminated some of the hurdle of not knowing what you’re getting. Trading cards are the original blind bag purchase, which while it’s all the rage in 3D mini figures today, there’s also a consumer base who just wants to know what they’re getting. I love the chase, the hunt, the gamble, but I’ll also open my wallet for something specific that I really want to avoid the ‘work’ of hunting it down. That’s where print on demand really delivers. It also allows us to be very in-the-moment. Topps Now captures moments right when they happen. GPK has been doing that all year with the election. If you play any of the Topps card trader apps, that’s the same experience. The immediacy and relevance is maximized with print on demand and digital. We’re looking at the 2017 plan for GPK and seeing how we can really play in this space even more than 2016 as it will allow us to be in the moment. This doesn’t mean ‘traditional’ trading cards are going away. Tactile collectibles are always going to be important and we intend for our full-series sets to always be around.

GPKNews – At the 2015 National Sport Collector’s Convention, during the Topps Q&A session, there was discussion around pack searching in retail stores like Target/Wal-Mart. Topps representatives mentioned Topps was working on packaging that would make searching packs harder. This is a very common frustration with collectors who walk in to Target and see the local pack searcher “fingering” the packs. GPK Jumbo Retail packs were “see through” for the Apple Pie release. Is there any work going on at Topps to help combat pack searching?

MVO – Yes, Topps is working on something but I can’t reveal any details right now. My #1 recommendation for fans looking for hits and high value items is to shop in hobby or buy full boxes or cases, as that is where you get your guarantees anyway. The odds are really long in mass for hits unless you pick up a $20 value box which usually comes with a manufactured relic card. The retail market is really for the casual collector and to fill in your base and inserts as the price per pack is lower.

GPKNews – Have you had a chance to see the 30 Years of Garbage documentary Jeff Zapata and Joe Simko directed? If so what were your thoughts on the film?

MVO – Yes, I was at the premiere in NYC. It was so great to meet those guys in person. Colin works with them regularly and they were instrumental in bringing GPK back to the current fan base. I personally loved the film and learned quite a few things that I didn’t know about the history of the brand. I hope we’re still talking about GPK when it comes time for the 50th!

GPKNews – You are in charge of classic brands for Topps that in many cases collectors have been collecting for decades. What are your thoughts about being part of this Topps history?

MVO – I feel the weight of this role every day; and I mean that in the most positive way. There’s an incredible legacy that people who worked at Topps before me have left and I want to add to that. The reason I wanted to work for Topps in the first place was to be part of something I truly love. Being the brand manager working on awesome brands like Star Wars and GPK is a dream come true. I hope the fans see the passion I have, and are as excited by everything we’re doing with these brands now as they were years ago.

GPKNews – Finally, what’s your favorite Garbage Pail Kid?

MVO – I have Monstrous Mark on the door of my office. 😉

monmark