 |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 ORIGINAL MADBALLS ARTIST JAMES GROMAN (L) VERSUS GPK ARTIST JOE SIMKO (R) |
| PER
CLOUDCO ENTERTAINMENT AND TOPPS PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MADBALLS™ vs. GARBAGE PAIL KIDS® FACE-OFF IN "A BATTLE OF THE GROSSEST" BRAND COLLABORATION LOS ANGELES. January 14, 2020. Cloudco Entertainment, owner of the venerable-but-irreverent Madballs™ brand, and The Topps Company, owner of the renowned-yet-subversive Garbage Pail Kids® brand ("GPK"), have teamed up for a collaboration that playfully pits classic 1980s icons and "co-heavyweights of gross" against one another. The collaboration will feature all-new 1980s inspired artwork from veteran Madballs and GPK illustrators and kick-off with a number of consumer goods partners, including trading cards, collector toys, soft lines, collectible augmented reality pins, and more. As an original "gross out" brand of the 1980s, Topps released its Garbage Pail Kids series of trading cards in 1985, featuring hilariously revolting characters with appropriately irreverent names. Fifteen different card series were produced over the next three years in addition to a GPK animated series and a full slate of globally-licensed consumer products, with ongoing product lines that continue to the present day. For its part, Madballs launched its irregularly-shaped toy foam balls in 1986, featuring its own proprietary and often-socially-inappropriate characters with ghastly faces, grotesque names, and disruptively funny attitudes to match. Madballs went on to sell tens of millions of toys, inspire a series of animated specials, and launch an extensive consumer products program that included comic books, softlines, video games, collectibles, seasons, and back-to-school products.  2018S1 WE HATE THE '80s PARODY BY ARTIST BRENT ENGSTROM For over three decades, Madballs and GPK have both been known as the "grossest of the gross", co-ruling counterculture with their pun-heavy names and subversive humor, and this collaboration features all-new artwork that pits entire groups of Garbage Pail Kids and Madballs' characters against one another, as well as individual characters from each brand in fun and tongue-and-cheek one-on-one face-offs. Artwork will remain "authentically 80s" via all-new imagery from long-time veterans of each brand like Jim Groman, who worked on the original Madballs brand launch in the 1980s, and Joe Simko, an artist and illustrator whose artwork has been prominently featured in the brand's trading cards and packaging. Consumer product launch partners include: Topps (trading cards), Megalopolis (two-pack action figures), Mad Engine (apparel and accessories), Chalk Line (jackets), Mishka NYC (streetwear, apparel, accessories, and vinyl Medicom figures), Pinfinity (augmented reality pins), and Super Impulse (collectible toys), with specific mobile app, retail, publishing, and other partnerships to be announced shortly.  2019S1 WE HATE THE '90s PARODY BY ARTIST JOE MCWILLIAMS "Madballs and Garbage Pail Kids are of the same era and share tons of irreverent attributes so we love the idea of a fun 'confrontational collaboration' that plays off the two brands as competitors," said Robert Prinzo, Cloudco Entertainment's Head of Global Licensing. "Whether it's Hollywood monsters, horror icons or comic book superheroes, fans always want to see 'impossible' match-ups from different universes, so we're grateful to partner with Topps and deliver the 'grossest' possible version of that here." ... "Shared nostalgic roots and over-the-top zaniness make this collab a no-brainer," said Ira Friedman, Topps' VP of Global Licensing. "Our respective fan bases as well as pop-culture aficionados everywhere are going to have fun with this outrageous mash-up." |
| Per
press release on January 14, 2021,"We are humbled to be a part of The Madballs
x GPK brand collaboration, it represents the ultimate nostalgic marriage as two
powerful properties of our youth collide. Having worked with the GPK brand already,
we are thrilled to pick up from where we left off while adding an incredible partner
like Madballs into the mix!" - Ilan Friedman, Co-Owner, Chalk Line About Chalk Line: Chalk Line is an apparel company that initially rose to popularity during the mid 90's. The company has a core focus on the ultimate sports and entertainment fan specializing in a diversified assortment of product including both outerwear and sportwear. Today, Chalk Line works with over a dozen licensors and has put a major emphasis on pop culture and nostalgia. www.chalk-line.com/ ~ Per website: Chalk Line is an apparel company who initially rose to their popularity during the mid 90’s. The company has a core focus on the ultimate sport and entertainment fan specializing in what is known as the “Fanimation” jacket. A jacket, which was far ahead of its time, featuring original sublimated artwork on the back of the jacket. The artwork featured immense attention to detail and vintage pieces are still sought after and collected to this day worldwide. The company is perhaps most famous for featuring imagery of individual athletes as well as entertainment icons within its artwork. Historically, there have been licensing agreements with the following organizations; NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA, Warner Bro’s, Disney, Nascar, USA Olympics, and DC Comics. |
Per
press release on January 14, 2021, "Here at Mad Engine we are thrilled to
be part of this very fun and unique collaboration of Mad Balls vs. GPK brands.
We can't wait to present this kitschy collection of tees, hoodies, joggers, headwear,
and other accessories to our retailers. The celebration of these two iconic pop
culture brands from the 80s is just what we all need right now!" - Cindy
Levitt, SVP of Licensing, Mad Engine Global LLC About Mad Engine: Mad Engine Global LLC is a leading license manufacturer for apparel and accessories. With over 150 licenses that include Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, Fortnite along with owning brands Neff and LRG. Mad Engine sets industry trends and produces high quality product for kids and adults and for all tiers of retail. www.madengine.com ~ Per website: Founded in 1987, Mad Engine has grown to become the leading global licensed apparel wholesaler with top brands including Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and Nickelodeon. Mad Engine’s footprint spans multiple continents, with unique locations dedicated to design, customer service, manufacturing, quality assurance and distribution. This enables us to fully meet the needs of every customer, ensuring the best customer experience possible. Mad Engine is known for setting industry trends, placing us parsecs ahead of the competition. Every day our goal is to deliver innovative products in every category–from loungewear to t-shirts–for thousands of customers throughout the United States and Canada. We are proud to bring to life the best designs & styles for over 100 of the top brand licenses in the world, and look forward to continued growth and great partnerships. |
Per
press release on January 14, 2021, "This is one of those crossovers that
many of us have imagined since we were kids collecting both lines. I've had these
match ups in my imagination since the 80s," said Ben Westover, Megalopolis'
Creative Director. "Garbage Pail Kids is a timeless treasure, and one of
my absolute favorite properties from childhood. I'm thrilled that we have the
chance to introduce the GPK and Madballs universes to one another. It's a perfect,
monstrous synergy!" added Matt Westover, Megalopolis' CEO. About Megalopolis Toys: Megalopolis Toys is the go-to retailer for premium action figures and pop-culture fandom, brings the Comic Con experience online with original streaming content on mobile and Web platforms. To learn more, visit www.megalopolis.toys.  NOTE: 2-PACK ACTION-FIGURE MOCK-UP SET The Madballs press release mentioned 2-pack action-figure sets being available from Megalopolis. On January 14, 2021, Megalopolis Toys shared a Premium DNA mock-up image of one of the Madballs vs GPK 2-pack figures featuring the characters for Bruise Brother and Mugged MARCOS, respectively. Bruise Brother has been around since the Amtoy Series 2 release in the '80s, so this is a perfect '86 matchup! A Megalopolis Premium DNA version of Bruise Brother was on pre-order for a 2021 release with a price point of $35. The mock up does state 'Premium DNA', but not sure if the Madballs VS GPK figs will have accessories & be 6". The GPK version will not have the revealing pierced nipple, but a vest instead. Per February 03, 2021, email newsletter blast, "COMING SOON: Premium DNA Madballs vs Garbage Pail Kids" The newsletter contained the 'PRESSER' release and four mock-up card images for the upcoming 2-pack figures, numbering 1 through 4. The Topps company provided suggestions and these should be implemented for the final product. Artist JOE Simko shared two of the final artwork pieces to social media on Feb 03 and Feb 04, 2021. 
 
 ORIGINAL ARTWORK CARD #1 + ORIGINAL ARTWORK CARD #2 Card #1 — Madballs Screamin' MEEMIE vs OS4 GPK 140a Mouth PHIL (140b Tooth LES) Card #2 — Madballs Bruise Brother vs OS2 GPK 44a SY Clops (44b One-Eyed JACK) 
 Card #3 — Madballs Oculus Orbus vs OS3 GPK 114a Starrin' DARREN (114b Peepin' TOM) Card #4 — Madballs Bruise Brother vs OS3 GPK 102a Mugged MARCUS (102b Kayo'd CODY) 
 ORIGINAL ARTWORK CARD #3 + ORIGINAL ARTWORK CARD #4 |
Per
press release on January 14, 2021, "Mishka is excited to be part of the Madballs
x GPK collaboration project! We grew up collecting and obsessing over both the
Madballs & Garbage Pails Kids brands. They have heavily inspired us as a brand
as well as artists and creatives. We can't wait to mix our world with the GPK
x Madballs world incorporating our characters and design sensibility for graphics
that will excite fans as well as opening an entire new crowd to these classic
properties." - Greg Rivera, President, Mishka NYC About Mishka NYC: Mishka started in 2003 in Brooklyn becoming a part of the very important and historic second wave of US streetwear. Since then, Mishka NYC has become a leader in the weird and unusual, pulling from its background of inspiration including, Comics, Horror Movies, Punk Rock, Sci-Fi and everything in between. Collaborations over the years include many brands and artists such as Sesame Street, Harvey Comics, Ghost World, Army Of Darkness, Robocop, Brisk Ice Tea, G-shock, Zippo, Sega, and many more! www.mishkanyc.com Per Wiki, "Mishka NYC is a streetwear company and record label based in New York City, established in 2003 by Mikhail Bortnik and Greg Rivera. The brand designed T-shirts, hats, sweaters, and accessories feature bright colors and grotesque, albeit playful, cartoon imagery. Mishka NYC's most notable design is the 'Keep Watch' eyeball and the 'Bearmop' logo, a cartoon bear." In Russian, it means "bear cub" or the female version of the male name "Michael". On January 14, 2021, Mishka NYC took to social media to state, "Insanely excited to finally announce that we will be part of something that I can only describe as a dream come true! MadBalls™ vs Garbage Pail Kids™ official collaboration! We have some amazing things planned and can’t wait to release; the only thing else I can say is Keep Watch!" •  • On April 30th, 2021, Greg Rivera took to social media to share the exclusive Mishka trading card to collectors stating: Since I just received the newsletter and I think it would be fun for everyone here to see it first, my brand Mishka is part of the GPK vs Madaballs collaboration excitement. As a GPK fan, the idea of creating a card for this was essential. Although Topps didn't allow us to sell a card, they did say we could produce one as a giveaway! So the first 300 people that buy one of our collaboration t-shirts will get one of these limited officially licensed and maybe the first ever?! Mishka + GPK vs Madballs card! I designed the front and back & my favorite modern GPK artist, Joe Simko, brought it to life. he absolutely kiled it and I hope everyone enjoys it. Sorry it had to be a limited thing, I was hoping I could sell it as an open run, but that's the way it goes sometimes! PS, this will be first to market on the NTWRK app at 5pm PT, on Thursday, May 6th. 
NOTE: CARD MOCK-UP; FONT PRINTED LIKE VARIATION SAMPLE  On 05/02/2021, artist Joe Simko shared the final artwork to social media, minus the GPK logo and nameplate. On Monday, 05/03/2021, Justin Gammon shared an animated gif of the trading card to social media. Madballs, NTWRK and other sources all posted to social media on 05/05/21, the day before the launch to promote the upcoming drop and stating: Drop goes down tomorrow at 8PM ET / 5PM PT. first 300 people who buy this shirt will get an official Topps x Madballs x Mishka Trading card.  On release day, 05/06/2021, a much cleaner version of Greg Rivera's message was posted to the NTWRK drop stating: If someone asked us if we had a choice [chance] to collaborate between GPK vs Madballs, I think just like ADAM Bomb, our heads would explode! So that's why when we were asked if we wanted to be an official apparel partner between a new project called 'Madballs vs GPK', we felt this must of been a gross-out dream come true, and it was! For our first drop, we had our favorite contemporary GPK artist, Joe Simko, create the ultimate fantasy card graphic incorporating all three properties! This amazing graphic looks awesome on a t-shirt, but we could not not have a card! Topps said the only way we could do this is by having it be a giveaway with a product. We made 300 cards. So the first 300 people that order this shirt will get the card! There is no other way to purchase the card from us! 100% Cotton Tee. NOTE: THIS IS A PRE-ORDER. YOUR CARD WILL BE CHARGED AT CHECKOUT. ORDERS WILL SHIP IN 4-6 WEEKS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL.   Per social media on 05/07/2021: madballsx Gross out dream come true! Were you one of the lucky few who purchased a shirt last night and got the official limited-edition Topps x Madballs x Mishka trading card? Mishka’s first Madballs VS GPK drop features artwork from our favorite contemporary GPK artist @joesimko_nyc who created the ultimate fantasy card graphic! Download the @ntwrk app for future Madballs VS GPK drops by @mishkagram!  The t-shirts with or without the bonus card began shipping the week of 06/14/2021. Per social media on 06/19/2021, the president and co-owner, Greg Rivera posted: "We snuck 10 cracked prism cards into the GPK vs Madballs Mishka collab t-shirt. Anyone lucky enough to get one?" Unsure if the total regular cards mailed out was either 290 or still 300; more than the limited amount are often printed for replacements, handouts, et cetera. |
Per
press release on January 14, 2021, "We are excited to be a part of the Madballs
x Garbage Pail Kids brand collaboration and helping fans relive the 80s and 90s
through disgustingly awesome augmented reality pin badges." - Caleb Paullus,
Founder, Pinfinity About Pinfinity: Pinfinity is revolutionizing the world of pins and pin collecting through their patent-pending augmented reality platform which enables pins to come alive with animation, sound, and other interactive elements through their free mobile app. Founded by a team of experienced professionals with over one billion dollars in licensed direct to consumer product sales, Pinfinity pins feature top franchises in fandom and include Hasbro (Transformers, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, G.I. Joe), Henson Studios (Fraggle Rock, Farscape, The Dark Crystal), Tetris, CAPCOM (Street Fighter), Bandai-Namco (Pac-Man) and more. You can keep up-to-date on all things Pinfinity through their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. www.pinfinityar.com  Per Pinfinity website on January 19, 2021, "Pinfinity Announces Madballs & Garbage Pail Kids Partnership!" Two classic brands from the '80s are making a major splash with an epic partnership! Cloudco Entertainment and The Topps Company, the names behind the beautifully disgusting and disgustingly beautiful Madballs and Garbage Pail Kids, are coming together for a showdown between two nostalgic '80s brands. Garbage Pail Kids debuted originally in trading cards, with Madballs starting out as foam toy balls - both in 1985. What followed was a number of animated series, consumer product lines, and more! But now with these two grotesque franchises teaming up for an epic Madballs vs GPK battle, original animators and illustrators from both brands are joining forces to create new and unique artwork that will be featured in a number of new product offerings - including a partnership with none other than Pinfinity! "We are excited to be collaborating with the Cloudco team on the Madballs vs. GPK launch," says Caleb Paullus, Pinfinity CCO and Co-Founder. "We're excited to help fans relive the 80s and 90s through disgustingly awesome augmented reality pin badges." Pinfinity will be creating a brand new series of premium, hard-enamel collectible pins that will be enhanced with augmented reality experiences. Pinfinity joins a long list of fantastic brands working on this new Madballs vs. GPK collaboration, including Topps trading cards, Megalopolis, Mad Engine, Chalk Line, Super Impulse, and Mishka NYC. Stay tuned to pins.ar for updates, and to know when our new Madballs vs. GPK AR pin collection goes live! 2021 Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC. |
On
March 24, 2021, PinFinity set up a 'Register for Early Access' page to be notified
"first" via email of their first installment of AR Madballs vs. GPK
pins, and shared an image of the first series of pins that would be available.
The ad showed the first, longer 'Madballs vs. Garbage Pail Kids' title. Artists
Joe Simko, whom created the artwork for the pin backs, shared some final artwork
on social media the days to follow.  On April 15, 2021, the pre-order of the three pins went live. Collectors could pre-order each pin set for $19.99, or the whole set for $49.99. The website stated, "Get your hands on these exclusive, limited edition GPK VS Madballs pin sets! See these disgustingly awesome pins comes to life with ANIMATION and some wicked downloadable wallpapers. POP OUT the character out by moving your device away from pin and place it in your real world. 3 Sets to Collect!" Series: Garbage Pail Kids VS Madballs • Regular price$29.99 — Sale price$19.99 PRE-ORDER ITEM - SHIPS IN MAY • AR Features: Animated + Pop Out + DLC  GPK VS Madballs - Sy Clops VS Horn Head Pin Info: Style Numbers: PFGPKMB001 vs. PFGPKMB002 • Material: Zinc Alloy • Size: 3.4cm x 3cm // 1.3in x 1.1in vs. 3.1cm x 2.9cm // 1.2in x 1.1in • Plating: Black Nickel Free • Clutch: 2 Black Rubber NOTE: ARTWORK ALSO USED FOR THE MEGALOPOLIS RELEASE 
GPK VS Madballs - Oculus Orbit VS Starin' Darren Pin Info: Style Numbers: PFGPKMB003 vs. PFGPKMB004 • Material: Zinc Alloy • Size: 3cm x 2.7cm // 1.1in x 1in vs. 3.1cm x 2.5cm // 1.2in x 1in • Plating: Black Nickel Free • Clutch: 2 Black Rubber NOTE: ARTWORK ALSO USED FOR THE MEGALOPOLIS RELEASE 
GPK VS Madballs - Lock Lips VS Adam Bomb Pin Info: Style Numbers: PFGPKMB005 vs. PFGPKMB006 • Material: Zinc Alloy • Size: 3cm x 2.8cm // 1.1in x 1in vs. 2.8cm x 4.5cm // 1in x 1.7in • Plating: Black Nickel Free • Clutch: 2 Black Rubber |
"We at Super Impulse are absolutely appalled at the pairing of these despicable creatures, and cannot wait to bring our collectible toys to the grimy little hands of kids and kids-at-heart everywhere." - Alan Dorfman, CEO, Super Impulse About Super Impulse: Super Impulse is committed to toy innovation, novelty items and accessories for kids and the young at heart. Most notably recognized for lines World's Smallest® and World's Coolest® which include a range of licensed miniatures with working functions and keychains as well as Tiny Arcades®, real working mini classic arcade games; Tilt™, motion activated Handheld Electronics, and much more! Super Impulse has the latest in classic retro and trend-forward toys with "a little something" for everyone! www.superimpulse.com DEF'N: Impulse Buy — the buying of goods without planning to do so in advance, as a result of a sudden whim or impulse. Impulse buys tend to be placed at check-outs and on end-caps. ~ Per website, "Super Impulse, established in 2016, is committed to innovative toys, novelties and accessories for kids and the young at heart. We offer licensed and non-licensed products designed to elicit smiles. Our products are both classic retro and trend-forward. Creativity and innovation are at the heart of everything we produce – from authentic, miniature retro toys to the latest in portable, handheld electronics and more! Spanning decades of awesome toys, we’ve got it all! Take a trip back in time with Super Impulse’s retro toys, throwbacks for grownups and the perfect collectibles for kids! Miniature versions of iconic retro toys like Pac Man® and Frogger®, Rubik’s Cube®, Hot Wheels®, Barbie®, Magic 8 Ball®, Lite Brite®, Stretch Armstrong® and more!" As of August 05, 2020, Super Impulse announced their partnership with the Topps Company: Super Impulse, internationally recognized for lines World's Smallest® and World's Coolest®, has significant experience with licensed products as well as miniature toys. Wacky Packages Minis aligns with the Super Impulse audience and is a perfect addition to their roster of miniature toys. "Nobody does miniatures better than Super Impulse and we are amped to bring Wacky Packages Minis to the market," says President of Super Impulse, Alan Dorfman. "There is a loyal collector base spanning five decades of Topps stickers; in fact, I collected them as a kid! We can't wait to bring these to a new generation of boys and girls." |
