October Philly Non-Sports Show to Feature Rare GPK Items

The next Philly Non-Sports Card Show is just over two months away. The 71st version of the country’s largest non-sports show is set to take place Oct. 19-20. Once again, the Toser’s have a lot of things planned for the show, with many interesting Garbage Pail Kids offerings. In addition, long time GPK artists Joe Simko and Brent Engstrom will be in attendance at the show. GPK collectors will also have the chance to purchase a number of rare items.

Joe Simko and Brent Engstrom will be collaborating on an exclusive Topps licensed card. The cards titled, Paint Job Joe(1a) and Brushwork Brent(1b) will be available at the show for $20. Collectors signing up for the Meet and Greet, Saturday night of the show, will have first crack at purchasing the cards. If you are interested in attending the Meet & Greet with Simko and Engstrom you should e-mail Roxanne Toser to reserve your spot. Only 100 copies of the cards will be available. The cost of the meet and greet is $22 and will be held 7:00 PM Saturday night at the Hilton Garden Inn after the show’s auction. By the way GPK collectors, the Saturday auction will feature a number of high end PSA graded GPK cards.

Collectors attending the show will have a chance to purchase a number of items from Jay Lynch’s personal collection/archives. After Jay’s passing his collection was donated to the Billy Ireland Museum in Columbus, OH. After organizing the collection, the museum wanted to sell off any duplicate items. Roxanne Toser was able to purchase many of these items. She will have many of these items, including a number of GPK and Wacky Packages items available at her booth during the show. About the items Roxanne told GPKNews, “We visited the Billy Ireland Museum in Columbus, OH where Jay Lynch’s collection was donated. It is 2-1/2 years since Jay passed and the museum personnel having been organizing the collection. The museum is fantastic and has so much material from many famous comic artists. Jay’s collection was quite unusual because besides the mammoth amount of correspondence and artwork, there was cards and card-related material. This doesn’t happen very often but the museum found it necessary to sell any duplicate material and gave me the opportunity to purchase it. The GPK and Wacky items are mostly from the 2000s but everything is in pristine condition. I am thrilled to be offering these items and feel collectors will be thrilled to purchase these items which were owned by Jay.”

Collectors who are after GPK merchandise from the 1980’s will also be in for a treat. While searching through a closet Roxanne hasn’t looked in for years, she came across a number of highly sought after merchandise items. Also at Roxanne’s booth will be, Pencil Billboards, Pencil Cases (one box available), Stick-On Pictures, Stick-Ons, Sunglasses, Stick-On Name Tags, Pop-Ups, Memo Books, Theme Books, Jewelry, Zipper Pulls, Hi Bounce Balls, Costumes, and Pencils! Some of these items, especially the pencils you don’t see come up for sale very often. Roxanne said the items will go on sale for the first time at the show and there will be a lot of each item available.

There will be more announced as the show gets closer. GPK collectors should start planning their trip now to the next Philly Non-Sports show. The show will take place at the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown, PA on Oct. 19-20, 2019.

Topps Advertises All Garbage Pail Kids Exclusives at SDCC

Topps jumped on the San Diego Comic Con bandwagon today and released a flyer promoting all the Garbage Pail Kids offerings at this year’s con. The flyer reviews many of the items already announced, with new details.

John Pound

Jon Pound will be making a rare public appearance at this year’s con. He will be signing at the FYE booth (#1335) Friday from 3-4 and the Abrams booth (#1216) Saturday from 11-12. The flyer mentions he will be signing exclusive SDCC GPK promo cards.

Joe Simko

Joe will be signing autographs at the FYE booth Friday from 2-4, the FYE pop up store Saturday 6-8, and the Atomic Toybox booth (#3921) on Saturday 12-2. The flyer also mentions Joe will be signing exclusive SDCC GPK promo cards.

Super7

Super7 will have the previously announced Universal Monster x GPK cards for sale at their pop-up store Wed and Thur. Any leftovers will be sold at their booth during the weekend. The flyer shows packs of 6 cards so a min. Of four packs will be necessary to make a set.

FYE

FYE will be selling all their already released GPK edibles at their booth during the show.

Creepy Co.

Creepy Co. will be selling all their previously announced GPK merchandise at the Atomic Toybox booth during the show.

Artists Begin Work on 2019S2 Revenge of Oh the Horror-ible Sketches

Updated 9/21 – Removed Lowell Isaac and Bryan Abson.

Topps sketch artists have begun receiving their sketch blanks for 2019 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids Revenge of Oh the Horror-ible. Artists will be hard at work over the next few weeks completing the sketches for the next retail set. Topps has given artists a 8/5/19 due date for sketches giving artists just over 6 weeks to get them completed. While that’s not a ton of time, it is more than the artists got the the previous set, We Hate the 90’s. Each artist being asked to complete 37 Regular, 5 Loaded, 12 Shaped, 3 Panoramic, and 3 Tryptych sketches. Those numbers pretty much fall in line with the previous set. The number of shaped sketches is double what was asked for on the previous set. Does this mean production on Collector cases will be way up with this set? The number of regular sketches is up slightly, but it appears the number of artists is slightly down for this set.

In a bit of a disappointing move, Topps is keeping the green colors used on the 2019S1 set for the sketches. The fronts of the sketches appear to be exactly the same as the We Hate the 90’s set. Both the Garbage Pail Kids banner and nameplate are green. Just like with the 2018S2 Oh the Horror-ible set there will be two different shaped sketches. Artists were given half of their die-cuts in the regular garbage can version, while the other half are a tombstone die-cut. 2018S2 had coffins as the additional die-cut. The backs of the sketches feature some familiar OS characters. Dead Ted, Weird Wendy and Tommy Tomb.

The confirmed sketch lineup appears to be down from the previous set. 2019S1 We Hate the 90’s had 56 artists complete sketches. So far 49 of the 56 have confirmed they will be completing sketches for 2019S2 Revenge of Oh the Horror-ible. The returning artists are: David Acevedo, Simone Arena, Ro Garcia Astorga, Quinton Baker, Michael Barnard, Bobby Blakey, John Brewer, Neil Camera, Pat Chaimuang, Daniel Contois, Jasmine Contois, Sobot Cortez, Jason Crosby, Shawn Cruz, Dave Dabila, Vincenzo D’Ippolito, Joe Dobbins, Joey Fitchett, Shane Garvey, Patrick Giles, Daniel Goodroad, Dennis Gortakowski, Kelly Greider, Jason Heil, Robert Jimenez, Rickey Kipfer, Mike McHugh, Rory McQueen, Chris Meeks, Lily Mercado, Ryan Moffett, Rich Molinelli, JM Monserrat, Victor Moreno, Barry Nygma, Jay O’Leary, Darrin Pepe, Steve Potter, Todd Rayner, Chad Scheres, Brent Scotchmer, Anthony Skubis, Matt Steffens, Mike Stephens, Floyd Sumner, Gregory Tilson, Dan Burn Webster, Gavin Williams and Clinton Yeager. Emma Burges, David Gacey, Lowell Isaac, Paul Mangione, Joe McWilliams, Cathy Razim, and Magnus VonRobotsson for various reasons will not be completing sketches on this set. Once again, for the second set in a row, there have been no new sketch artists identified. However, there are 2 artists returning to GPK sketches cards after a break; Simon Jacobsohn and Jon Gregory. This brings the current total of sketch artists to 51. This article will be updated as new artists are confirmed.

As the release date gets closer in Aug/Sept previews of some of the sketches should start popping up. 2019 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids Revenge of Oh the Horror-ible is set to release in stores on Sept. 25, 2019.

John Pound Announced for San Diego Comic Con

It’s that time of year again, with just over a month until this year’s San Diego Comic Con, announcements of what you can find at this year’s show are coming out. Yesterday, show organizers announced legendary Garbage Pail Kids artist John Pound will be in attendance. The announcement came within a larger announcement as they released names of special guests attending this year’s show who previously played an important role in SDCC. Pound is mentioned as being on the founding committee for SDCC. This will be a rare public appearance for Pound as he has resisted attending shows and public appearances in recent years. Special guests announced by SDCC usually have their own panel at the show. GPK collectors going to this year’s show will be in for a special treat this year.

Philly Non-Sports Show Readies Promo Cards

Show promoters are putting the final touches on next weekend’s Philly Non-Sports Card Show. The bi-annual show is the largest non-sports card show in the country. Just like last October’s show, the focus once again is on Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages. Not only will collectors have a stellar lineup of artists, but there are also a number of exclusive promos cards available at the show.

Collectors will be able to meet many of their favorite Topps artists at the show. Original Series GPK artists Tom Bunk and James Warhola headline a fantastic group of artists. Also attending Neal Camera, Fred Wheaton, Jeff Zapata, Mark Pingitore, and Vincenzo “Chenduz” d’Ippolito. Chenduz will be making his first appearance on the East Coast, traveling all the way from the Netherlands. Also, recently announced GPK sketch artist Lily Mercado will be making an appearance at her brother Jeff Zapata’s booth on Sunday at the show. This group has a few artist making their Philly debuts, so be sure to get out and meet your favorites!

Collectors coming through the doors will have different promos available to them on each day of the show. Collectors attending Saturday will receive a GPK inspired card from Neal Camera, 1a April Showers. Those attending on Sunday can get the 1b version of the Camera card, named May Allergy. Collectors on Sunday will also receive the Del Monkey Wacky inspired card also painted by Camera. All show attendees will also receive the 1b version of last show’s Toser the Destroyer card. The Brent Engstrom painted card is titled Roxanne Recon and features a slightly different background from the first version. Fans of Mark Pingitore’s Horrible Kids card will also receive a new promo card for the next Horrible Kids set.

Those attending the sold out Saturday night dinner will be in for some surprises as well. Show promoters haven’t revealed everything in store as of yet. However, guests attending the dinner will receive the next two official Topps promo cards, #3 & #4, in the Philly Non-Sport set. These two cards, one GPK and one Wacky, were painted by Layron DeJarnette and Chenduz and feature a spring theme this time. Dinner attendees will also receive a special card painted by Tom Bunk.

There will be other promo cards collectors can get their hands on as well. Cryptozoic will have a CZX outlander promo giveaway available at their booth for collectors breaking a box. George Wright will have a Galactic Groceries card for collectors. There will be a Fearsome Weirdos card from Robert Jimenez available. Collectors can also get their hands on a promo card from the Steven Universe set. Also the usual three Philly Non-Sport cards in their long running promos set will be given out as well. There is something for everyone.

Collectors in the area next weekend should take some time and check out the show. The show takes place at the Market Square Mall in Allentown, PA. Show tickets are available for $8 per day, or a two day pass for $14. The show will be open from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 5/4, and 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sunday 5/5. For more information on the show check out their website. Here are pictures of some of the cards available this weekend.

Philly Non-Sports Show to Focus Again on GPK/Wackys

Just like clockwork, the next Philly Non-Sports Card Show is coming up in just under six weeks. This will be the 70th show, and much like the 69th, the show will once again focus on Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages. The show takes place in the Merchants Square mall in Allentown, PA twice a year. The spring show is scheduled for the weekend of May 4-5, 2019. The show is the largest non-sports card show in the US and features dealers selling a wide variety of non-sport products.

Once again, there is a stellar lineup of current and former GPK artists scheduled to attend. The group is led by original series artist Tom Bunk, and also includes previous attendees Fred Wheaton, Jeff Zapata, and Mark Pingitore. Three newcomers to Philly will also attend including original series artist James Warhola, Neil Camera, and Vincenzo “Chenduz” d’Ippolito. Chenduz will be making his first east coast appearance all the way from the Netherlands. There is a lot of history and knowledge from OS and ANS days. All the artists will be on hand selling original art, prints, sketches, cards, and more. Show goers will also receive a promo card from Magic Marker Inc. (Pingitore). Prior to the show opening on Sunday there will be an artist chat. Be sure to register with the show prior to the chat. This is a great opportunity for collectors on the east coast to meet and support their favorite artists.

As with all Philly shows, there will of course be promo cards. The theme from the previous show will carry over to this show as well. All show attendees will receive a card from Brent Engstrom. The card is a different version of the Toser the Destroyer card from the previous show. This card will have a slightly different background, be numbered 1b, and named Roxanne Recon. Show goers attending Saturday and Sunday will receive a different card from Neil Camera each day as well. The usual Saturday night dinner will take place at the Ratz room inside the show hotel the Hilton Garden Inn. All guests attending the dinner will receive the next two official Topps promo cards, #3 & #4, in the Philly Non-Sport set. These two cards, one GPK and one Wacky, were painted by Layron DeJarnette and Chenduz and feature a spring theme this time. Dinner attendees will also receive a special card painted by Tom Bunk. The cost of the dinner is $19.95. Tickets are almost sold out for the show dinner, so act fast to reserve your seat! To reserve your spot contact Roxanne Toser at [email protected].

The Philly Non-Sports show is a show geared not only for collectors but for families as well. The first 20 kids into the show will receive a package including an assortment of stickers and cards to get their collection started. Show organizers are also planning a box break of GPK and/or Wacky’s. Participants purchasing a spot in the break will be randomly assigned a number to to pick special cards from the break. Show tickets are available for $8 per day, or a two day pass for $14. The show will be open from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 5/4, and 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sunday 5/5. East coast collectors this is your change to chat with artists and fellow collectors in person. For more information on the show check out their website.

Collectors & Artists Enjoy Another Gross Card Con

The third annual Las Vegas Gross Card Con was held last weekend at the Westgate Casino in Las Vegas. Collectors and artists from around the world ascended on Vegas to reacquaint with buddies, meet new friends, and get all the Garbage Pail Kids they can handle. This years show was the biggest yet with a staggering 18 current and former GPK artists in attendance. There were also plenty of GPK focused activities for collectors and artists alike. Perhaps the highlight for most in attendance was just being able to hang out with their fellow collectors and artists they chat with on a daily and/or weekly basis online.

This years Las Vegas ToyCon was held in the event center of the Westgate Casino. This was the best setup, by far, of the three Las Vegas shows. The entire show was held in one room. This made things a lot better for everyone involved and allowed the general ToyCon guest to easily find the GCC area. The 12 regular artists who attend GCC were located in their own section of the show, complete with an archway banner letting everyone know they were entering GCC. The new sketch artists who were attending for the first time were in artist’s ally in the adjoining isles. Clint Coleman’s GPK & Wacky Warehouse booth was right outside the entrance to GCC.

As usual the biggest highlight of the show for collectors is seeing all the artists. OS artist Tom Bunk was once again the headlining artist at the show. He was offering his new GPK dollhouse print for sale at the show, and it proved to be a big hit. The Gross Card Con sketch shirts being offered by Joe Simko and Jeff Zapata were also a popular item for collectors. Sales of the shirts with sketches kept both artists busy the entire show sketching at their booth. In fact a majority of the artists spent a lot of time working on commissions at the show. Another highlight from the show was David Gross’ third GPK Rejects book. Each book comes with a sketch and is filled with pages of great gags that were not used by Topps. Jon Gregory’s black canvas paintings were suburb to look at in person. It wasn’t just GPK merchandise that was selling well either. Both Michael Barnard and Chad Scheres were busy at their booths selling a number of their own original creations. Mark Pingitore also had all the Magic Marker Art items, including new magnets and promos cards for upcoming sets. In addition all sic of the first time artists attending seemed to really enjoy themselves, not only meeting collectors, but also meeting their fellow artists.

Another large part of this year’s show was Topps finally acknowledging the show existed. While Topps didn’t attend in person, they did allow one of David Gross’ unused 90’s gags to be created as promo cards. There were a number of ways to obtain both promo cards at the show, and they were a popular item for collectors. In addition Topps promoted GCC on both their GPK Facebook page, and the Topps Twitter account on Friday. This acknowledgment is a huge advancement for Topps, and shows collectors that there may be some change afoot with the brand.

There were also plenty of special GPK themed events for collectors during the show. All three days of the show featured a Scavenger Hunt. Clint Coleman would hide some exclusive ToyCon cards, sketch cards, and other goodies around the hotel for collectors to find. Saturday morning was the VIP breakfast with the artists. Many of the artists attneded with collectors who were SuperVIPs or purchased the breakfast. This setting allowed collectors a chance to talk with artists through a meal. Attendees to the breakfast also received a set of Topps Promo cards, and a special Adam Bomb decorated cookie from Joe Simko. Later that morning brought on the usual card chat with the artists. This year’s chat started off with Jago Studios CEO Stuart Drexler. He gave a quick 10 min. presentation on GPK the Game. He shared some of the game mechanics, what items they were focusing on, and general developments on the dame. He also handed out an exclusive GPK the Game sticker to collectors on Friday and Saturday at the show. That left only a minimal amount of time with the artists. While there wasn’t a lot of new information to share, the artists did mention they were working on some projects that they thought would really push the brand forward. Unfortunately, they were unable to share any additional information about unannounced products. GPKNews was in attendance, you can find video of the card chat here.

This year’s Vegas Gross Card Con ended up being a solid show for all involved. This was the best and cleanest hotel that show has been in to date. As mentioned above the show layout, while not perfect, was also the best its been. Next time not closing off the GCC area would lead to more general ToyCon foot traffic for the artists. In speaking with the artists at this years, show the vibe was it was a good show. Most artists made money, with a couple saying they had their best show day ever on Friday. The show ended up being a positive experience for almost all the artists. Every collector I spoke with really enjoyed the show. I think every collector will tell you the same thing. While it’s great to see all the cool items available, the highlight of the show is hanging out with friends you talk to throughout the year. This show brings a couple of hundred of your closest hobby friends together. If you haven’t attended a Vegas GCC show before, start planning now for next year, you will not be disappointed.

Check out a bunch of pictures from the show. Thanks to collector Jason Bryant for sharing some of his pictures as well!

 

Artists Gearing Up for Huge Gross Card Con Show

As we’ve detailed over the past few weeks, this year’s Gross Card Con will be the biggest one yet. GCC will open at the Las Vegas ToyCon one week from today. The show will be March 1-3 at the Westgate Casino just off the Vegas Strip. Recently we shared all the details around the show exclusive cards, and the official Topps promo card available at the show. Now it’s time to review what each artist will be bringing. There are 18 artists scheduled to be on hand for the show. Many of today’s current and former final card artists, along with a number of GPK sketch artists will be on hand offering a wide variety of their own original art for sale. Each artist will also have their show exclusive GCC cards they created at their table for sale. Here’s a rundown of what show goers can expect to find at each artist’s table.

Original series artist Tom Bunk is once again headlining this large group of artists. He will have posters available to purchase of his recent GPK Dollhouse painting. He will also have on hand large card versions of his Gross Card Con cards available for purchase.

Like usual, current GPK artist Joe Simko will have a table full of items to choose from. A brand new item, Gross Card Con Sketch Shirts, will be offered only at Smiko and Jeff Zapata’s tables. These shirts have the option to get an artist to draw a sketch right on the shirt! Only 100 shirts will be available. Joe will have copies of the Director’s Cut version of his 30 Years of Garbage DVD. He will have several Stranger Kids sets for sale, in addition to one complete Master Stranger Kids set (w/ all four bonus cards). He will also have some of his final art available to purchase. He will have official Topps sketch cards available to purchase or for commission, along with comic covers. He also will have plenty of his own Cereal Killers and Stupid Heroes trading cards for sale.

Current GPK artist Brent Engstrom will once again to attending GCC. He will have a number of prints of his original work available for sale.

Another mainstay GPK artist David Gross will be bringing a number of new items to the show. A brand new third installment of his popular Rejected GPK roughs will debut at the show. Collectors purchasing a book also get a pencil sketch in the book. Books 1 & 2 will be available for purchase as well. David will have a number of new original 11×14 Glossy prints available to purchase including a Thanos/Adam Bomb crossover, a great GPK/CPK mashup, a Mario parody, and more. There will also be cards of the Thanos and Pulp Fiction paintings available. He will also have final art, original pencil roughs, and his own sketch cards available for commission. If you aren’t attending GCC, be sure to message David after to show to purchase any remaining items.

Layron DeJarnette, another current GPK artist will be on hand showcasing his original art. He will have both Garbage Pail Kids and Mars Attacks final art available for purchase at the show. He also will have a number of large 11×14 prints of his original work available for purchase. Sketch cards and trading cards also will be available.

Longtime Wacky Packages and GPK artist Smokin’ Joe McWilliams will once again be at GCC. He will have a wide assortment of items highlighted by numerous final paintings from recent GPK releases. He will also have his some new prints and posters of his original art. His popular sticker packs will be available as well. He will have a number of sketch cards available in addition to taking commissions at the show. He commission list is also open for custom illustrations, paintings, and portraits.

Magic Marker Art owner/artist Mark Pingitore has been killing it lately with his new releases. He will once again be on hand with many new items available at the show for the first time. Collectors will be able to pickup promo cards for Marveless Kids 1 and Horrorible Kids 4 for $5. A brand new Series 2 Magnet set will be available for $15. A new batch of Horrorible Kids 11×17 posters will be on sale for $10 each. There will also be new shirts of Tarman Carmen for $20. Did you miss out on pre-orders for Marveless Kids 1? You will be able to pre-order at the show! He will also have a limited number of his previous sets, magnets, and posters available for purchase. Mark will also be taking commissions at the show for sketch cards and comic covers.

Former GPK art director, editor, artist, and co-Director on 30 years of Garbage Jeff Zapata will be at the show debuting a unique new item. Jeff will have some original painted folk art cereal boxes, redone with a GPK inspired theme to them. The front, back, and side panels are redone with gags from the mind of Jeff Zapata. Jeff, along with Joe Simko, will also debut the Gross Card Con Sketch Shirt. Available at both booths, the shirt is limited to 100, and gives buyers the option of getting an artist to add a sketch to the shirt. Jeff will also have some of his popular original prints available for sale.

Once again GPK artist Micheal Barnard is the workhorse of GCC. Michael is commissioned by ToyCon to create a number of pieces for be used throughout the ToyCon. Michael created the the official show Comic Cover which will be given out to the first 150 attendees each day of the show.  Michael will be on hand at the show entrance to autograph the covers. A ToyCon sticker limited to 100 will be available at his table for $5. He also has a number of products featuring the artwork for his GCC cards. 8×10 show prints, signed and numbered to 100 will be available. A custom die-cast car featuring GCC artwork will be at his table in very limited quantities for $60. He will have a special show mug for $15. He will have a number of GPK inspired sketch cards on custom stock available. A GPK inspired card set is also available for $30. In addition he will have all his popular 10×17 prints at the show $10 for the first one, $5 each additional. Finally he will have a couple of his Head Rick sets available for fans of disc golf.

For the second year in a row GPK sketch artist Vincenzo “Chenduz” d’Ippolito will be traveling all the way from the Netherlands to attend Gross Card Con. He will have some original prints, metallic postcards, and stickers for sale. He will have sketch cards on GCC stock and blank comic covers available for commissions.

Chad Scheres will be attending his 4th GCC event. He will have a table full of his original monster art available in stickers, cards, prints, and more! He will also have some new GPK inspired prints on hand as well as lots of original art.

GPKs sketch artist Jon Gregory will once again be attending GCC. He will be debuting his beautiful Black Canvas Series of acrylic paintings done on 8×10 black canvas. He will also be doing the black and while commission drawings he did at last year’s event.

GPK sketch artist Shane Garvey will be making his first appearance at the show. He will have an assortment of stickers, magnets, buttons, prints and shirts available of his original work.

GPK sketch artist Barry Nygma will also be making his first appearance at GCC. He will have copies of his show exclusive Scavenger Hunt card at his table. He will also have two new prints for sale. His Let’s Get Gross print is a show exclusive and is limited to 25 copies. He will also have a couple of stickers for sale. For every $10 spent at his table you will get an entry in a contest for the original art of the ToyCon Scavenger Hunt card.

Another first time GCC participant is GPK sketch artist Shawn Cruz, He will have new stickers available of his original GPK inspired work as a set of 5 or for purchase individually. He will also have over 20 large 12 x18 prints of his original work. Magnets will also be available. Shawn will also be taking sketch card and 8×10 commissions at the show.

GPK sketch artist David Acevedo will have giant card sized “a” and “b” versions of his scavenger hunt card available for purchase. Each name is limited to 25 copies. He will also be taking sketch card commissions at the show.

The last first time attendee, GPK sketch artist Jay O’Leary will be on hand debuting his Grosser than Gross 10 card set. The release is limited to 666 packs. You can purchase a 5 card pack at the show for $5. If you aren’t attending the show, you can contact Jay to pre-order packs now. He will also have some of his Warstars Bootleg Kids cards available for purchase.

A last minute addition to the show is GPK sketch artist Victor Moreno. He will be selling his 5 card GPK inspired wrestling set featuring many of the WWE wrestlings who will be at ToyCon. He will have his original horror prints for sale as well. He will also be taking sketch commissions on personal stock and comic covers.

But that’s not all…

Of course Clint and the gang from GPK & Wacky Warehouse will be on hand. Not only will you be able to buy the show exclusive card set from his booth, but he will have a full display of GPK and Wacky products for purchase.

Finally, you can expect to see Stuart Drexler the CEO of Jago Studios at the show. Drexler who is also the Executive Producer of GPK the Game will be on hand at the beginning of the artist talk to share some updates on the game. He will also be available Saturday during the show to talk to collectors. Don’t miss this chance to get the latest info on the upcoming mobile game, GPK the Game.

Gross Card Con Will Be Biggest GPK Event Yet

This year’s Las Vegas Gross Card Con event is shaping up to be the biggest event yet for Garbage Pail Kids collectors. This will be the 4th GCC, and 3rd to be held in Vegas. As usual, this year’s event will be part of the larger Vegas ToyCon. The ToyCon is moving venues once again. This year’s event will be held at the WestGate Convention Center at the WestGate Hotel & Casino from March 1-3. The new venue should allow for less of an obstacle course experience compared to last year’s event. The event is considered by collectors the yearly “national” show for GPK collectors. There will be the largest group ever of GPK artists attending the show. If history is any indication there will be also be a few hundred GPK collectors from around the world attending the show. This is your chance to put names to faces of the artists and collectors you talk with on a daily basis online. If you’ve never been, here’s a little of what you can expect.

Artists

As of press time there are 17 former, current, and sketch artists set to attend the show. This will be the largest group of GPK artists in one place to date. These twelve artists that attended last year’s Vegas GCC are set to come back; Tom Bunk, Brent Engstrom, Joe Simko, David Gross, Laryon DeJarnette, Smokin’ Joe McWilliams, Mark Pingitore, Jeff Zapata, Michael Barnard, Vincenzo D’Ippolito, Chad Scheres, and Jon Gregory. In addition five sketch artists will also be in attendance including Shane Garvey, Barry Nygma, Shawn Cruz, David Acevedo, and Jay O’Leary. The artists will have final artwork, official and personal sketches, prints, personal card projects, and much more available for sale at the show. They are also all very approachable and willing to chat with GPK fans during the show.

Events

Every GCC has a few special events for collectors. Once again there will be an open seminar with some of the artists doing a question and answer session during the show. Want to eat with your favorite artists? VIP ticket holders will be able to have breakfast with the artists Saturday morning. While Sunday’s breakfast with the artists is open to everyone. A Saturday evening social event will also be held at the International Bar inside the WestGate Casino. This is a great relaxed time to spend with artists and collectors.

Show Exclusive Card Sets

As always there will once again be some show exclusive cards available. Many of the artists attending are busy working on the artwork that will be featured in this sets. The sets are put together and sold by Clint Coleman of GPK & Wacky Warehouse. They will be available at his booth during the show. Expect some surprises for some collectors purchasing the sets. Some artists have already started showing off their cards for the sets!

Tickets

Collectors have a few options when it comes to tickets. Those wanting an all in one pass to everything the show offers might be interested in the Super VIP pass. For $1000 you get 3 nights hotel at the Westgate, early admission to the show, and lots of show exclusive swag. Part of the package includes a GPK themed car, and an autographed copy of the 30 Years of Garbage documentary. Gold and Silver VIP passes are also available for a fraction of the cost. Those passes don’t include hotel or most of the swag, but you still get early admission to the show and other perks. There are also individual and weekend passes available. Go to the Vegas ToyCon website to check out and purchase various ticket options. Alternatively, you should consider checking out Groupon where there are already deals up on individual and weekend passes.

2019 Series 1 GPK We Hate the 90’s Sketch Card Preview

We are less than two weeks away from the next GPK release, 2019 Series 1 GPK We Hate the 90’s. Sadly there have not been many sketch previews posted by artists. After the leadership change at Topps last year, sketch artists are discouraged from showing off sketches until release date of the set. I’ll continue my soapbox here, this is a shortsighted decision by Topps. This is free publicity they are missing out on. This also hurts the artist who can use these previews to attract future commission work. However, being the GPK artists that they are, a few have begun showing off some of their work. While we don’t have much currently, I expect more will start show up during this next week. Continue to follow this post up until release date, and I’ll add sketch previews as I find them. So far 57 artists are confirmed to have completed sketches for the upcoming set. Below is a few of the examples that have been shown so far. (Note that all sketches must be approved by Topps before being inserted into packs. Also, Topps will hold sketches back for replacements.) All photos courtesy of the artist, their Facebook page and/or website. 2019S1 GPK We Hate the 90’s will hit stores on 1/16/19.

Updated 1/8/19 (Showing sketch previews from 18 of 57 confirmed artists.) Continue reading 2019 Series 1 GPK We Hate the 90’s Sketch Card Preview