2022S1 GPK Book Worms Releasing First, Blasters Cancelled

GPK collectors might have some hope a retail set will be releasing soon! At least one retail distributor was told today from Topps upcoming shipping plans for 2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms. Topps is planning on releasing Book Worms first. However, the popular Value Boxes (Blasters) are being cancelled. Topps told the distributor this was due to lack of available sticker stock. GPKNews had heard a few weeks back Topps was having trouble getting sticker card stock to print GPK sets. They will still be shipping the 24 pack Retail Display Boxes. There is no update on the planned Wal-Mart exclusive Mega Boxes. The distributor told GPKNews that orders for display boxes could not be increased, only original allocations would be honored. The distributor was told shipping from Topps would occur in the next 10-15 days. GPKNews does not have an update on Collector boxes as we have not heard any updates from Hobby Distributors.

Word of cancelling of Blasters is not surprising, as shortly after sketch artists received sketch blanks from Topps for Book Worms they were told to not sketch the panoramic or loaded puzzle sketch cards. Both those types are found exclusively in Blasters.

There is no update yet on what will happen to the GPK Gets Graphic Insert cards or Yellow parallels that are usually exclusive to Blasters.  There are also no official release date updates from Topps yet. GPKNews has reached out to Topps for official comment, but has not heard back. As for 2021S2 Vacation, GPKNews also asked Topps for a status of that set. GPKNews continues to hear that work continues on the Vacation set. More than likely Topps had a contract with Walmart for the exclusive Mega Boxes that they had to meet, which would explain Book Worms releasing first.

Oh yeah, the distributor was also told Topps is trying to get 2021 Chrome Blasters shipped by mid-July. More info as we get it!

This Week’s Release Date Changes from Topps for GPK Retail Sets

Last week’s release calendar update from Topps brought some hope to collectors when 2021 GPK Chrome was moved to July TBD, while 2021S2 Vacation remained with a June TBD date. However, that hope was dashed with today’s newest update to distributors from Topps as 2021S2 GPK Vacation was updated to July TBD. With this week’s updates, both GPK sets are now the last remaining sets with a TBD on the calendar. 2022S1 Book Worms remained with a 7/27/22 release date. Collectors should not trust online sellers release dates as the companies usually use the last Wednesday of the month as a placeholder date.

More Updates from Topps On GPK Release Dates for Retail Sets

In their weekly email update to distributors today, Topps made a release date update to one of the upcoming announced retail sets. After moving to June TBD just a week prior, 2021 GPK Chrome OS 4 was moved to July TBD. Maybe the most interesting thing to note is 2021S2 GPK Vacation remained TBD June. Could that mean there’s some hope for a June release for Vacation? 2022S1 GPK Book Worms remains with a 7/27/22 release date. There are now only three sets from 2021 that don’t have a release date, OT Elite Basketball and the two GPK sets. Trading card products industry wide have been delayed due to paper and printer shortages. As always it should be noted that dates from online sellers should be ignored as they typical use the last Wednesday as a placeholder date.

Topps Updates on Upcoming GPK Retail Set Release Dates

Garbage Pail Kids collectors are going to need to continue to show more patience this summer on the release of upcoming retail sets. In their regular email to distributors today on release dates for upcoming products, Topps has updated the date for 2021S2 GPK Vacation and 2021 Chrome OS 4 to “June TBD”. 2022S1 GPK Book Worms remains with its original 7/27/22 release date. The sets continue to see delays due to paper shortages and printer demands for trading cards. Topps continues to show four total products from 2021 with TBD dates. Just because Topps mentions June, doesn’t mean collectors should necessarily expect the sets to release in June. For products that are TBD, Topps hasn’t started the printing process yet. GPK artist David Gross has been telling collectors for months now that despite Topps only moving the dates a month at a time, the sets really are in an indefinite delay until Topps can address shortages. Many online sellers continue to use the last Wed. of the month as a placeholder date, so collectors should not depend on those dates from sellers. Artwork for all three sets, including artists autographs has been completed, and work continues on future retail releases.

Work Begins on 2022S1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms Sketches

While Topps has still yet to release two GPK sets from 2021, work continues on the 2022 sets. Sketch artists began receiving sketch blanks this week from Topps for 2022S1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms. The number of sketches each artist is being asked to complete varies from artist to artist. Total number of sketches seem to be in line with previous releases, with an increase on shaped sketches and a decrease on panos and tryptych. Topps has given artists a very aggressive deadline of 5/2/22 to complete sketches, giving artists just over two weeks to finish. With the takeover of Topps by Fanatics, there are a couple of new rules artists have to follow. Artists can no longer sketch cards that have pee, poop, or blood on them. Any cards featuring racial stereotypes are also no longer allowed. While the racial stereotypes make sense, it’s a mystery why Fanatics would remove body fluids, a staple of GPK’s past.

As for the sketch cards themselves, the fronts feature blue banners on the panos, tryptych, and regular sketches, and Orange banners on the shaped sketches. The nameplate on the regular sketch is white this time. Topps is using classic original series characters on the sketch backs. Regular sketches have Brainy Janie, Panos have Nad Nerd, while Tryptych have Cranky Franky and 3-Dee. Once again, shaped sketches will comes in two varieties, trash can and the new open book shapes.

The total number of sketch artists for this set will be a slightly higher than what is confirmed for 2021S2 Vacation. Topps has a mix of current artists, returning artists, and even one new artist to GPK sketches.  So far 55 of the 57 artists confirmed form the 2021S2 Vacation set have confirmed they are doing sketches for the Book Worms set. Set to return are; David Acevedo, Simone Arena, Andrew Artz, Rö García Astorga, Robert Ball, Bobby Blakey, Emma Burges, John Brewer, Neil Camera, Nik Castaneda, Slippa Chervascus, Daniel Contois, Jasmine Contois, Sobot Cortez, Jeff Cox, Jason Crosby, Vincenzo D’Ippolito, Dave Dabila, Adam Dobrzeniecki, Joey Fitchett, Dave Gacey, Shane Garvey, Patrick Giles, Kelly Greider, Jason Heil, Lowell Isaac, Robert Jimenez, Karl Jones, Rickey Kipfer, Mike McHugh, Rory McQueen, Chris Meeks, Lily Mercado, Rich Molinelli, Victor Moreno, Nik Muggli, Erik Muller, Barry Nygma, Jay O’leary, Justin Olson, Mark Parisi, Darrin Pepe, Todd Rayner, Cathy Razim, Chad Scheres, Brent Scotchmer, Bekki Jane Sharp, Brandhen Snyder, Mike Stephens, Floydman Sumner, Gregory Tilson, Greg Treize, Magnus Von Robotsson, Gavin Williams, and Clinton Yeager. After taking a break, Topps is bringing back artists Quinton Baker, Daniel Goodroad, Jon Monserrat and Matt Steffens for this set. Finally, Barry Nibert will be making his GPK debut. For different reasons, Pat Chaimuang and Pat Dobbins will not be working on the Book Worms set. This brings the current confirmed sketch artist total to 60 so far. This article will be updated as any additional artists come forward.

2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms is currently scheduled to hit stores on 7/27/22.

2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms Retail Sell Sheet

It took a while, but we finally have the Retail Sell Sheet for 2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms. Topps is continuing the same retail product strategy as they have with the last couple of sets, with a new twist. Once again, Retail Display and Value Boxes (Blasters) will be offered. However, it appears Topps is adding a new Mega Box that might be a big box retailer exclusive. Each retail pack will continue to contain 1 Booger Green parallel. The brand new parallel Moby Dick Gray /199, Fool’s Gold /50, Artist Autos, Printing Plates, and regular sketch cards will continue to be found randomly inserted into all pack types.

Retail Display boxes are once again being sold as both “Retail” and “Hobby” display boxes. Don’t let the names fool you as it’s the same box type. Once again the Sleep Drool Blue parallels /99, can only be found in Retail Display boxes. The insert set, Authors of Their Own Misfortune can also be found 1:3 retail display packs. The insert features Tom Bunk’s take on famous literary authors.

The popular Value Boxes (Blasters) will be back. Each Blaster is scheduled to come with 12 packs. The Glue Yellow parallel can only be found in Blaster boxes at the rate of 1:5 packs. Each box will also contain 3 GPK Gets Graphic insert cards. These will feature new gags based on comic books and graphic novels. Loaded Puzzle and Panoramic sketch cards can also only be found in Blaster boxes.

There appears to be a new box type debuting with the Book Worms set. The sell sheet mentions the Gross Adaptations Insert set can only be found in “Mega Box SKUs”. These will feature gags based on books and graphic novels that were turned into movies and TV shows. It appears distributors who usually offer retail products on preorder are not able to order these. Speculation is the Mega box SKU will be a “big box” retail exclusive only. The Mega Box concept is not new to Topps products, as they have been available previously in different products. The Mega boxes generally contain more packs than a Blaster box. This post will be updated as GPKNews finds out more information on the Mega box.

2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms is scheduled to be released 7/27/22. You can check out the retail sell sheet below or in PDF form here.


Topps Announces 2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms

It won’t be until summer is in full swing, but GPK collectors will be able to get in a good book this year! Today Topps announced 2022 Series 1 Garbage Pail Kids Book Worms. Once again collectors will get a 200 card base set, featuring 100 new pieces available in a/b versions. The theme of the set will be all about reading; comics, books, poems, and literature. All the usual parallels are returning, collector boxes will exclusively have 1 Inkwell Black parallel per pack, and Red Herring /75. Retail Display boxes will have 1 Booger Green parallel per pack, and exclusively Sleep Drool Blue parallels /99. A new parallel, Moby Dick Grey /199, along with Fool’s Gold /50, printing plates, and artist autos can be found throughout all pack types.

There will of course be plenty of inserts to collect. Original Series artist, Tom Bunk will return once again with an insert set called Authors of Their Own Misfortune. These will be found on in Retail Display boxes, 1:3 packs. Wacky Package Prose inserts will be 1 per Collector box only. Finally, Book Marked! will also fall 1 per Collector box. Those are goofy and gross “Keep Reading” slogans. Patch cards are returning to Collector boxes, but this time there are parallels. Collectors can find a Base /199, Blue /99, Red /75, Gold /50, or FoilFactor 1/1 for each patch. Popular Shaped sketch cards along with Triptych sketches will once again be found only in Collector boxes, while regular sized sketches will be found in Retail Display boxes. Finally, each Collector box is advertised to come with one GPK iron-on patch.

2022S1 GPK Book Worms is scheduled to hit stores shelves July 27, 2022.  You can view the sell sheets below or they can be found in PDF form here, or in the pictures below.

GPK Chrome, Delayed Releases Highlight Topps GPK Plans for 2022

Collectors haven’t seen the remaining sets from 2021 yet, but that isn’t stopping Topps from planning their 2022 releases. According to the internal yearly sales calendar for 2022, Topps once again has a full slate of Garbage Pail Kids sets planned, just with some delayed dates. The calendar is the yearly production plan by Topps for 2022. Nothing on the calendar is guaranteed to happen, but it’s the plan Topps is using for the upcoming year. While the Covid pandemic saw huge increases in trading card collectors and sales for Topps, it’s also caused huge delays across all their brands. Covid slowdowns and increased demand for trading cards have caused printers to be backed up which is resulting in delays for 2021 releases. The delays will also cause the firsts sets of 2022 to be pushed back later in the year. Collectors who are use to seeing the first retail set of the year in January will have to wait. The calendar shows 2022 Series 1 GPK is being planned for early August (8/10). This is why collectors haven’t seen the set announced yet by Topps. Artists are finishing up the artwork for 2022S1 now, Topps is expected to announce the set soon.

Chrome enthusiasts can rejoice as GPK Chrome is on the calendar once again. Chrome 4 isn’t out yet, with the current release date set for 12/31/21, but with all the trading card successes in the last year, it’s a no brainer for Topps to continue the Chrome line in GPK. While “OS 5” doesn’t show on the calendar, collectors can expect Topps to continue the theme with the set. GPK Chrome is set for a 11/9/22 release date, which if it happens will get the calendar back on track by the end of the year. Surprisingly, 2022 Series 2 GPK is scheduled to release just two weeks prior on 10/26/22. The dates on the calendar are certainly not set in store, and if 2022 continues anything like 2021, Topps will have to continue to adjust dates as the year goes along. Thanks to Jeff Pellegrino of Garbage Pail Kids Superstore at Hilltop Auctions for passing along the calendar. Be sure to check out their Facebook page!