PRODUCTION ARTWORK — BITS & BOBS BACKSTORY —ANNOTATED NOMENCLATURE









BASE CARDS: 335a—378b




335a CUTE TIPPI = Q-Tip ®; un-identified.
Q-Tip; Cotton tips; Cottons swabs — Used to clean earwax residue from the ear.
def'n: Swab — A bit of sponge, cloth or cotton for cleansing some part of the body, etc.
def'n: Cute — Being attractive in an endearing way.

335b WAXY WENDY — Wendy; a W forename to go with the word 'wax+y'.
def'n: Wax — Earwax; cerumen.
def'n: Earwax — The sticky, yellowish substance secreted by glands along the canal of the outer ear.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's EARDRUM(S) PENETRATION gag, plural, was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a cute GPKid jamming and ramming a larger-than-life cotton swab through her left ear canal and protruding out her right ear canal, going through her skull & brain. As pigtails go, they are sitting quite high on the character's head, perhaps as not to get in the way of her heavy-handed hygiene practices. The usually careful technique of delicately holding a cotton swab is replaced by a fisting method, most likely also ridding the ear canal of more than just built-up earwax. The gag is further driven by the inclusion of a comedic lit candle; which of course are made from various 'real' sources, ie. beeswax, paraffin wax, gel, plant waxes, et cetera.
— The GPK character can be as a miniature toy product within the 2014 Series 2 MiniKins release, as #21 within the set.








336a LASER RAY — Parody of the laser (beam) gun game called 'Laser Tag'.
def'n: Laser — A device which generates and amplifies light waves in a narrow and extremely intense beam of light of only one wavelength going in only one direction.
def'n: Laser gun — A handheld device that incorporates a laser beam; both as a reader and within science fiction.
def'n: Tag — A children's game of "It" and chasing.
def'n: Ray — A line or beam of light: rays of the sun.

336b SIZZLIN' SID — Sid; S name to go with the word 'sizzle+ing'.
def'n: Sizzle — Make a hissing sound, as fat does when it is frying or burning. Be very hot: sizzle in a heat wave. Burn up with intense heat.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's ZAPPED BY LASER GUN gag was listed as '9-JP-19 REV.', the 19th Topps-approved concept that John executed for the OS9 set. It is unknown where the revision came into play, since previous thumbnail and original concept artwork has not been shared with the public, but Pound does note: "ALT. LYING ON GROUND?", per tight line artwork, located at the bottom of the mid-production piece. The brand name Lazer Tag, generically known as 'laser tag', was developed by Worlds of Wonder (a subsidaiary of Hasbro in 1998) and released in 1986. The "tag" pursuit game uses infrared toy guns and came with the laser gun and chest plate reader. Not to be confused with the Nintendo Zapper. Note the character is wearing a pair of light-blue striped CPK shoes.









337a EARLY BERT = Early bird; as in the phrase, "The early bird gets the worm."
def'n: Early bird — informal. Person who gets up or arrives early.
def'n: Bird — Any of a class, Aves, of warm-blooded vertebrates that lay eggs, have a body covered with feathers, two legs, modified forelimbs to form wings with which most species use to fly.

337b ROTTEN ROBIN = Rotten robin; adj, noun.
def'n: Rotten — Decayed or spoiled: a rotten egg. Corrupt; dishonest. Bad; nasty.
def'n: Robin — A large thrush, bird of North America, brownish-gray with a reddish breast and white on the lower abdomen and throat.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's BIRD FOOD gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a mother robin (or similar bird) feeding a GPKid to her two young pre-fledglings that are sitting in their nest expecting mouth-to-mouth food at a regular basis. A brood of young are born with their eyes shut and first open them roughtly five days after hatching. The miniaturized character is seen showing signs of profusely sweating, most likely out of fear and due to intense stress. Per Bunk's early colour rough artwork, the smaller nest seen more in the distance and tucked between two branches, hold four baby birds; the blacker bird was made more robin-like in color.









338a SEE-SAWYER = See saw.
def'n: See saw — A children's game in which the children sit at opposite ends of a plank and move alternately up and down. A plank resting on a support near it's middle so the ends can move up and down; a teeter-totter.

338b TEETER TODD = Teeter-totter.
def'n: Teeter-totter — See saw; see above.
def'n: Teeter — To move or attempt to balance unsteadily; to sway back and forth.
def'n: Totter — To move in a feeble or very unsteady way.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's TEETERING ON THE BRINK gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid attempting to see-saw with his own noggin as a counterweight, and doing quite well in balancing. Per Bunk's original colour rough, the character started out as a girl sporting a yellow sun dress and blue shoes. The art director simply wrote 'BOY' at the top of the concept, telling the artist to change the character to the male gender for the final artwork. The message "Backgr. light calm" was also scrawled over on the right border to have Bunk paint a nice serene background atmosphere giving the painting a lonley, almost dusktime feeling of playing alone in a playground with no other children up until dinner/suppertime.









339a SNOT ROPE HOPE — Hope; an H forename to rhyme with the words 'snot rope' = jump rope.
def'n: Snot — Nasal mucus; phlegm. An untrustworthy, or malicious person.
def'n: Jump — To spring off the ground or other base by a muscular effort of the legs and feet.
def'n: Rope — A heavy, strong cord made of twisted strands of fiber, wire, or other material.

339b DRIPPY DEBBIE — Debbie; a D forename to go with the word 'drip+py'.
def'n: Drip — To fall or let fall in drops. slang. An unpleasant person.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's SNOT ROPE gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid jumping rope down a cityscape with her own 'snot rope'; the thick rubbery drainage from the nose caused by excessive mucus production... similar to thicker spit rope! Per Bunk's colour rough artwork, the final artwork feels like it's a combination of both pre-production pieces. The brown and green rope of snot has become more yellow-tinged, still placed on a yellow background, and surrounded by Pound's signature purple, background buildings. The light & dark brunette hair became black and the light green & pink dress became an aqua green sun dress. The shoes and ponytail ties are all different colours for all three renditions. Additional snot was added to the dress and bottom of one shoe at one point during the process, and a blue string at the neck of the final dress to match the blue socks.









340a HALF-BAKED BETTY — Betty; a B forename to go with the words 'half-baked'.
A possible parody of the "Betty Crocker" brand name and baking products.
def'n: Half-baked — Only partly baked. informal. Ill-conceived; foolish. Lacking good judgement or common sense.
def'n: Bake — The act or process of baking. informal. Baked; fully stoned (Half-backed; half stoned).

340b ROLLIN' ROLANDA — Semi-rhyme; the forename Rolanda with the word 'roll+ing'.
def'n: Roll — To move by turning over and over. To spread, compress, or flatten by applying pressure with a roller.
def'n: Rolling pin — A smooth cylinder for rolling out dough.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's ROLLING IN DOUGH gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that James executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid using a rolling pin to roll out her head and neck as thougth it's acting as backing dough. Additional skin-coloured dough is pictured to the right and a flour shaker to the left—used to decrease the sticky effect the dough has on a rolling board; which apparently isn't working too well. The downward forced perspective of the image makes the arms appear super extended and not quite like a CPKid. Little flour handprints can be seen all over the kitchen: on the countertop, on the kitchen drawers & cupboards, and on the back of the chair. The nomenclature of 'half-baked' suggests the slang meaning being 'half stoned', especially since the doughy girl isn't even partly baked or baked at all just yet; and the slang for 'baked' would then mean fully stoned.









341a JUICY BRUCE — Rhyme; the name Bruce with the word 'juice+y'.
A possible parody of the "Betty Crocker" brand name and baking products.
def'n: Juice — A fluid naturally contained in plant or animal tissue. A bodily secretion. To extract the juice from.
def'n: Juicy — Full of juice; succulent. Interesting, colorful, or racy.

341b FRUITY RUDY — Rhyme; the name Rudy with the word 'fruit+y'.
def'n: Fruit — The ripened, seed-bearing part of a plant, especially when fleshy and edible.
def'n: Fruity — Tasting or smelling of fruit.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's SQUEEZED-TO-THE-LAST-DROP gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid being juiced like an orange on top of a manual juicer. Although the Kid is an inanimate object, an actual piece of fruit, the facial features are still somewhat animated. Moreso with Bunk's original concept of a lemon being squeezed—instead of an orange—with a puckered mouth , worried eyebrows, and a nervous sweat squirting out along with the character's liquid essence. The bright atmosphere and background of the 'lemon concept', being squeezed by a lady's hand, was replaced with a very dark background for the 'orange concept', where the character is now being squeezed by a male hand, who definitely has the upper hand in this scenario.


WHAT IF?










342a JIM EQUIPMENT = Gym equipment.
def'n: Gym — informal. A gymnasium.
def'n: Gymnasium — A room or building equipped for sports.
def'n: Equipment — The things with which one is equipped (weights, punching bag, et cetera).

342b BUDDY BUILDER = Body builder [n]; body building.
def'n: Body building — The pratice of developing the body through physical excercise and diet, especially for competitive exhibition.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's MOUTH EXPANDER gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid being used as a spring chest pull (or expander) exercise equipment for building the chest muscles, et cetera. Keep in mind, the MMO, maximal mouth opening, on average, is around 50mm for adults; this being 50-60mm for the male gender and 45-55mm for the female sex. In general, Bunk tends to submit one to three color pencil roughs for each concept, giving a variety of different color schemes and whatnot, where at times his tight ink artwork appears to be the reworked or revised concept prior to the final artwork. In the earlier, color rough iteration, the tiny GPK character is wearing pants, not sporting CPK shoes, does not have teeth all around the cheeks (just centralized), and doesn't have the tongue sticking out (remains behind the teeth and jaw area), weights are relocated, and straining sweat added to the body builder. This is mostly missed due to the nameplate, but the shadow of the GPK character is seen splayed acrossed the green gym shorts.









343a CON VIC = Convict.
def'n: Convict — A person found guilty of a crime, especially one serving a prison sentence.
def'n: Con — slang. To swindle. A convict.

343b AL CATRAZ = Alcatraz.
def'n: Alcatraz — A small island in San Francisco Bay. A former penitentiary on the island used by the U.S. Government for dangerous criminals.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's JAILBIRD gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid behind bars, obviously a 'repeat' offender and jailbird; def'n = a person who is or has been in prison, especially a criminal who has been jailed repeatedly. The striped prison uniform (often associated with chain gangs) was en vogue during the 19th century but began to be abolished in parts of the U.S. during the early 20th century. Bunk's revised tight line artwork, with the GPK character sporting a checkered shirt, is based off of a concept by artist Jay Lynch where you see the character's full body standing inside his prison cell rather than at the prison window. The nomenclature of 'Jailhouse RICK' is a parody of the 1957 musical Jailhouse Rock starring Elvis Presley.









344a PERRY CHUTE = Parachute.
def'n: Parachute — An umbrella-shaped device used especially to retard free fall from an aircraft (or vehicles).
def'n: Chute — informal. A parachute.

344b RIP CORD = Ripcord.
def'n: Ripcord — A cord pulled to release a parachute from its pack.
def'n: Cord — A string or small rope of twisted strands of fibers.
def'n: Rip — To tear or become torn apart. To split.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's RIPPED-A-NEW-ONE gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts an oversized GPKid landing on a building and being torn & enveloping the building as though made out of parachute material. The character obviously wasn't following PLF (parachute landing fall), a safety technique that allows a parachutist to land safely and without injury. The level of surprise on the face has changed from the tight line artwork to the final artwork, where the character is shocked to, "Uh oh, something just ripped me in half." The hand position has also changed, the thumbs pointing down are not two thumbs up!









345a CYRIL BOWL = Cereal bowl.
def'n: Cereal — An edible grain, as wheat or corn. A food prepared from such grain.
def'n: Bowl — A rounded, hollow container for liquids and food.

345b SOGGY OGGIE — Rhyme; the forename Oggie with the word 'soggy'.
def'n: Soggy — Saturated with moisture; soaked.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's BRAIN FOOD gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid, most notably just its head, as a breakfast cereal bowl. To keep the character GPK-like, the head retained its flesh colour tone and was made real by being 'MISSING' as seen on the milk carton. In December 1984 and January 1985, the nonprofit National Child Safety Council began a nationwide program called the Missing Children Milk Carton Program in the U.S. by placing photos of missing children on milk cartons; let me tell you, it was not as fun as reading the cereal box backside. The monkey brains-like concept "ALL BRAIN" is a name parody of the "ALL BRAN" cereal product; basically the leftover pieces of grain husk after flour is milled. The character, and representation of the character, is seen three times within the artwork, including a glimpse of the bowl on the cereal packaging.
— Per Bunk's tight line artwork, several changes took place from the conceptual to final artwork stages. The milk carton tagline of "WE 'HEART' GARBAGE", and the full cereal box title of "ALL BRAIN GARBAGE" were dropped. The overhanging brain matter, flopping over the sides of the cereal bowl, and the character drooling (including the milk carton kid) were all removed. The cereal box information line of "LOTS OF SUGAR, NATURAL NUTTY" was changed to "DELICIOUS NUTTY" as notated at the top of the tight line artwork by the art director, and the hype ad of "FREE" was changed to "SAVE 5¢".









346a PEELED PAUL — Semi-rhyme; the forename Paul with the word 'peel+ed'.
def'n: Peel — The skin or rind, especially of a fruit. To strip the skin, rind, or bark from; pare. To remove by or as if by peeling; pull off. To lose or shed skin, rind, or bark.

345b SKIN LES = Skinless; adjective.
def'n: Skin — The membranous tissue that forms the outer covering of an animal. An animal hide or pelt. An outer layer or covering, as the rind of fruit. Skinned; to remove skin from.
def'n: Less — Lacking.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's PEELING BACK A LAYER gag was one of several approved concepts by John that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid accidentally peeling away his skin. The background shows a closet full of identical 'outer layering' clothing on hangers and previous changings littered around the carpeted floor. The character shows an element of surprise on his face for unintentionally tearing his identical uniform.
— Artist James Warhola completed the first final artwork piece prior to the art director at Topps having John Pound paint a different, alternate version, for the printed card. Per Mark Newgarden: "The consensus was, it just wasn't working. Compare it to John's and you can see why. Definitely a tough concept to solve. Even John's doesn't read if silhouetted. What's unusual is that we went this far and then started all over again with another artist." In previous sets, John Pound's tight pencil or final artwork was used for new GPK artists coming on board to mimic; this was a reversal, bringing in Pound to solve the concept. Newgarden has a number '14' circled on the artwork—possibly for the fourteenth final artwork piece turned in for the OS9 set and the artist's initials circled 'JW' along with several potential card names including; Raw RON, CURT Shirt, Inside OTTO and Peeled PAYNE (none were obviously used). Without the closet of skins in the background and nomenclature the concept wouldn't read well with Warhola's finished product; the character is simply removing an 'outfit' with hardly any face showing. Compared to Pound's piece, with better footing and hand placement, John adds another layer of humor by making the character accidentally tearing his 'outfit' whilst removing it; thus, putting that closet of skins to good use.









347a DAM DAN — Rhyme; the forename Dan with the word 'dam'.
def'n: Dam — A barrier built across a waterway to control the flow of water. Dammed.
def'n: Damming — To hold back.

347b MIKE DIKE — Rhyme; the forename Mike with the word 'dike'.
def'n: Dike — A wall or embankment built to hold back water and prevent floods. A ditch or channel.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's WATERLOGGED gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a young Dutch GPKid blocking a cracking dam with his right pointer finger, while attempting to hollar for help whilst waiving his left hand. However, a flood of dammed water and aqautic lifeforms are protruding from his opened mouth, shutting out any attempts at screaming for help. One can assume that wall didn't last intact too long. Per Bunk's many color-rough pieces, the original concept had the character sporting quite unique clothing, including wooden clogs, and headgear (called an 'ear iron') that are triangular flaps or wings, usually seen as part of the female's traditional gear; which is why there was most likely a revision. The updated color roughs have the character sporting the Dutch national costume (woolen pants with silver buttons on the front square flap, wooden clogs, kerchief, shirt, and jacket), including the Dutch cap. The woodmill disappears and a shadow under the fish appears.









348a PLANE JANE — Rhyme; the forename Jane with the word 'plane'.
def'n: Plane — A carpenter's tool for smoothing and leveling wood. To smooth or finish.

348b WOODY SHOP = Wood shop.
def'n: Wood — The tough, fibrous supporting substance beneath the bark of trees. Used for building material.
def'n: Woody — Consisting of or containing wood. Suggestive of wood.
def'n: Shop — A workshop.
def'n: Workshop - An area, room, or establishment in which manual work is done.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's NOT-SO-PLANE-JANE gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid using a wood hand plane on themselves, specifically on their head. Planer, another term for a bench plane, is ususally power operated. Per Bunk's early color rough artwork, the hand plane was being handled a bit awkwardly & the hand position eventually "changed hands", while the character also manhandled a hammer. The character is sporting a plain t-shirt which was changed to a collared work shirt & overalls for the follow-up color rough & final artwork. The dripping & drops of blood, plus the nail poking of the character's arm, were removed from the concept, the hammer was laid down on the workbench, and the ruler in the bib pocket changed positions.









349a POLLUTED PERCY — Percy; a P forename to go with the word 'pollute+d'.
def'n: Pollute — To make impure or unlean; contaminate.

349b BARNACLE BILL — Bill; a B forename to go with the word 'barnacle'.
def'n: Barnacle — A small, hard-shelled marine crustacean that attaches itself to submerged surfaces.
def'n: Bill — A beak-like mouth.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's LIFE-IN-A-FISHBOWL gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid with a clear, circular, glass fishbowl as a head with fish tank-like contents within. Compared to an alternate color rough concept, where the character is sporting a striped t-shirt, the attire has been replaced with a more nautical (concerning sailors; maritime) theme, and the character is sporting a sailor suit; a popular clothing style for children, to boot. The fish bowl's contents consist of several skeletal fish, a dead upside-down fish, a pair of dentures, an old sardine can, and bones; suggesting the water may be a bit polluted and unsafe for living conditions.









350a MISTY SUDS = Words to describe a bubble or bubbles.
def'n: Bubble — A rounded object with gas trapped in a liquid to form or give off bubbles.
def'n: Misty — Consisting of or resembling mist. Vague.
def'n: Suds — Soapy water. Foam.

350b AMELIA AIRHEAD = Amelia Earhart; 1898-1937? American aviator.
def'n: Airhead —un-identified. Clueless; ditzy.
def'n: Dumb —informal. Stupid.
def'n: Dumbbell —slang. A stupid person; dolt.
def'n: Dolt — A stupid person; blockhead.
def'n: Blockhead — A stupid person.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's BOTTLE OF BUBBLES gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a surreal GPKid moment frozen in time where a headless character is blowing air into a bubble wand, producing a very large bubble in the shape and form of her head. Perhaps to enhance the color of the clear bubbles, Pound added a very colourful, rainbow-esque colour palette to the background. It may show up in the color rough artwork, but the tight line artwork does not show the warped images of the GPK header within its three upper bubbles; the complete, albeit distorted, GPK header can be seen on the printed card.









351a CHERYL PERIL — Rhyme; the forename Cheryl with the word 'peril'.
def'n: Peril — Danger. Something that endangers.
def'n: Danger — Exposure or liability to evil, injury, or harm.

351b DEFLATIN' NATHAN — Rhyme; the forename Nathan with the word 'deflate+ing'.
def'n: Deflate — To release contained air or gas from. To collapse by such a release.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's FEELING DEFLATED gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that James executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid as a deflating hot air balloon, inanimate object. The head region has a puncture leak with air escaping and the whole right side of the face region has caught on fire. Hot air balloons fly by heating gas inside the balloon with a burner at the mouth (which causes it to be lighter than the cold air on the outside); thus, the tying off of the balloon at the bottom—like a regular kid balloon with string—would cause the air inside to overheat, which would eventually catch the balloon, rope & basket on fire, and potentially explode. The artwork showcases an older style of balloon, pre nylon or dacron, where the bag is enveloped with and outside netting. Humourously, the wicker basket (or gondola) aslo has a ship anchor attached to it, along with ballasts (sanddbags or lead weights).
— Oftentimes, a GPK originates from a simple concept sketch and the artist further fleshes out the idea. Art Spiegelman supplied a large sketch of the character with the suggested 'HOT AARON' nomenclature, which unfortuantely, was not kept for one of the final twin cards. 'Hot air balloons' was located on the OS9 GPK flowchart with the New Product Development (NPD) office.
— The tight pencil artwork, by artist James Warhola, added more billowing smoke and a popped hole section, and later removed the clouds. Art Spiegelman, playing art director for this particular character, added the key notes, "put guy in basket" and "deflated, wounded expression", once reviewed, prior to the final artwork being created.









352a HERMAN HORMONE — Semi-rhyme; the forename Herman with the word 'hormone'.
def'n: Hormone — A substance produced by living cells that is transported, as by blood or sap, and stimulates other cells by means of chemical action.

352b TURNED-ON RON — Rhyme; the forename Ron with the words 'turned-on'.
def'n: Turn on —slang. Something that brings great pleasure or excitement.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's FUNNY FEELINGS gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a prepubescent (pre-pubes, pre-scent) GPKid hitting a pubescent stage, unfolding and ogling at a 'PLAYTOY' centerfold. The magazine being an obvious parody of the "gentleman's" magazine 'PLAYBOY'. The character's head mimics the excciting process of unfolding the centerfold, standing erect and at attention, as they say. Per Bunk's many color and tight line artwork, the character went through a few subtle changes; the character's legs were placed together rather than spread apart, the head shows signs of a vistigial ear, and the 'PLAY TRASH' mag showcases a model inside a garbage can. The various out line artwork also shows a baseball cap flying off, a gust of air added below the character (dramatic wind), a bow tie & ears appearing and disappearing, an open-mouth & tongue moment.









353a BAZOOKA JOANNE — Parody of the Topps chewing gum product and mascot name 'Bazooka Joe'.
Bazooka Joe was spoofed in OS3 as cards 84a/b; Bazooka Joe Comics come with the gum.
def'n: Bazooka — A crude wind instrument , invented and named by Bob Burns (1896-1956); Topps named their gum after this instrument. A portable rocket launcher used against tanks.

353b BUBBLY BABS — Babs; a B forename to go with the word 'bubble+y'.
def'n: Bubble — A rounded, generally spherical, hollow or sometimes solid object.
def'n: Babble — To utter indistinct, meaningless sounds.
def'n: Chewing gum — A sweetened, flavored preperation for chewing usually made of chicle; aka 'bubble gum'.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's STICKY SITUATION gag, titled 'BIG BUBBLE BURST 9-JP-17; REV.', was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set; the seventeenth completed for the set with a revision. The image depicts a GPKid and the aftermath of an explosion of her chewing gum bubble. Since earlier thumbnail concept sketches have not been shared with the public, it is uknown where the revision took place for the artwork; although, it may have involved sticking part of the exploded bubble to the GPK header. From the pile of Bazooka Gum wrappers in from of the character, a minimum of twenty pieces of gum were used to create the 'big bubble'.









354a CLARK SHARK — Rhyme; then forename Clark with the word 'shark'.
def'n: Shark — Any of various often large and voracious marine fishes with tough skin and small, toothlike scales. A ruthless, greedy, or dishonest person.

354b MANNY EATER = Man eater/maneater.
def'n: Man — A human being; person. Mankind.
def'n: Eat — To consume (food); to consume or ravage as if by eating.
def'n: Maneater — An animal that has a propensity (natural tendency) for killing and eating humans.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's SHARK WEEK gag, titled '"JAWS" SHARK 9-JP1; REV.', was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid as an actual, maneating shark. Pound questioned "PINK SKIN?", within the preproduction artwork, which would "humanize" the animal and give it the color of human skin, rather than the natural grey skin of a killer, great white shark. Steven Spielberg gave the animatronic shark the name 'Bruce' that was used in the 1975 film JAWS. Unlike an actual shark, the facial features were placed on the underside of the nose area of the animal, instead of to the sides, to make it look more like a GPK character. Beyond the large fishhook, human arm and hand, and behind the rows of teeth, one can comically see an uvula at the back of the shark's throat. Per tight line artwork, this character was the first concept for the OS9 set by Pound.









355a BEASTY BOYD = A name parody of the 80's-90's Caucasion rap group the Beastie Boys.
def'n: Beast — Any animal, especially a large four-footed animal. A brutal person.
def'n: Beastly — Of or like a beast; savage. Disagreeable; nasty.

355b SEMI COLIN = Semicolon.
def'n: Semicolon — A mark of punctuation (;) indicating a degree of seperation intermediate in value between the comma and the period.
def'n: Semi — Half-partial; partially. Occuring twice.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's HALF BEAST gag, titled '1/2 MONSTER FACE 9-JP4', was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid that has a face and body that consists of exactly half a golden-boy human and half a monster-like creature. The beast is reminiscent of the old Topps Monster Initials release(s), with a horn protruding out of the character's head and tufts of CPK hair sprouting in various places. The preproduction artwork heavily suggests that the image would be slightly lopsided and show a bit more of the creature's green arm, displaying the entire hand within the tight line artwork; the human's side is left undrawn and the arm is even left unpainted for the final artwork. Per tight line artwork, this character was the fourth concept for the OS9 set by Pound.









356a MOMMA MIA = Momma mia. An Italian exclamation. A song title of the Swedish group ABBA.
def'n: Exclamation — A sudden utterance, an interjection.
def'n: Momma — informal. Mother; mamma. Also: Mommy; mammy; mama.

356b ELECTRIC SHARI = Electric chair.
def'n: Electric chair — A chair used to electrocute a person sentenced to death.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's OLD-TIME ELECTRIC CHAIR gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid, or rather, a much older woman, strapped to an old-fashioned, wooden electric chair. Per Bunk's color rough and tight line artwork, quite a bit of the additional electrical components were removed from the piece, leaving the chair a bit more streamlined and clean. Although the framed picture shows a picture-within-a-picture effect, much-like the earlier GPK prisoner for cards 343, it's actually a minaiture replica of the famous painting Whistler's Mother, in which the GPK painting is a parody of, except it adds a bit of electricity to the subject matter. The 1871 painting, by American-born painter James Abbott McNeil Whistler, is also casually known as Portrait of Artist's Mother, but is actually titled Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1. The artwork is of Whistler's mother, Anna McNeill Whistler.









357a 3-DEE = 3-D; three-dimensional.
def'n: Three-dimensional — A three-dimensional motion picture, etc. Of, having, or existing in three dimensions. Having or appearing to have extension in depth.

357b BLURRY BLAIR — Blair; a BL forename to go with the word 'blur+ry'.
def'n: Blur — To make or become indistinct; obscure. To smear or smudge. Something that is hazy and indistinct.
def'n: Blurry — Something that is not clearly or distinctly visible; hazy.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's 3-D GLASSES gag, titled '3D COMIC 9-JP-', was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid holding a generic 3-D comic where the character's outine matches the red and green/blue lines of the comic strip; the double-headed and double-visioned character has their eyeballs flying out for one head and barfing for the other. Double vision, known as 'Diplopia', is when you see two images of the same thing. The tight line artwork states '(RED/GREEN LINE ART)' to help drive the concept, although three-dimensional viewing glasses tend to be red and blue, but can also be green. Per pencil line artwork, this character was an unnumbered concept for the OS9 set by Pound, so it's unclear, numerically, when it was approved.









358a MAC THE KNIFE = Mack the Knife.
A song title from the Theme from the Three Penny Opera written in 1928; words by Berthold Brecht and music by Kurt Weill. Louis Armstrong recorded the song in Sept of 1955 and was later a cover song of the Grateful Dead band.
def'n: Knife — A cutting instrument consisting of a sharp blade with a handle. A cutting edge.
def'n: Pocket knife — A small knife with a blade(s) folding into a handle.

358b WADE BLADE — Rhyme; the forename Wade with the word 'blade'.
def'n: Blade — The flat-edged cutting part of a sharpened tool or weapon.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's POCKET KNIFED gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid as a pocket knife, modeled after the popular red Swiss Army Knife. Most survival or scout pocket knives contain both a spoon and a fork, however, this particular parody of a pocket knife sports a spork; a spoon-shaped eating utensil with very short tines at the tip. The spork (character's head) and other popular parts of the pocket knife have been turned into the character's four limbs; a left arm file (nail filer), and three re-shaped and blunted blades (pen blade, large knife blade, small knife blade) for the other limbs, all with 'nail nicks' for access. The pocket knife also contains a short knife blade—that has poked the human and drew blood, a key ring, a corkscrew, a ruler with fish scaler, and a small tweezer or toothpick (usually one located on each side).









359a KEROSENE KERRY — Kerry; a K forename to go with the word 'kerosene'.
def'n: Kerosene — A thin oil distilled from petroleum or shale oil, used as a fuel and alcohol denaturant.

359b BLAZIN' BLAKE — Blake; a B forename to go with the word 'blaze+ing'.
def'n: Blaze — A brightly burning fire. A destructive fire. To burn brightly.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's PYROMANIAC gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid with pyromania tendencies that happens to be a fireman, so instead of spraying much-needed water onto the burning school building, the character is feeding the fire with more flames instead. The building is quite engulfed in flames and billowing black smoke, and the fireman appears to be on a fire engine truck's ladder, albeit an older version. Per Bunk's many colour roughs, the school started out as a 'PUBLIC SCHOOL' where the character was at the entrance with no hose hooked up to the fire hydrant next to him. One colour version showed the color concept as if it were burnt by fire, where the fireman has a friendly face that was later turned into a more mean, vampiric mouth with furrowed brows. Another similar colour rough that matches the final artwork layout, not shown, has the flames more cylindrical like the line artwork. The '1/2' on the helmet is the station number where the fireman is stationed.









360a MARCUS MUCUS — Rhyme; the name Marcus with the word 'mucus'.
def'n: Mucus — The viscous liquid secreted as a protective lubricant coating by glands in the mucous membrane.

360b GUN BERYL = Gun barrel.
def'n: Gun — A weapon consisting esentially of a metal tube from which a projectile is fired. A protable firearm.
def'n: Barrel — The long tube of a gun.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's GUNSNOT gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid being manhandled and its trigger being squeezed in the form of an inanimate object revolver that's being fired, but instead of a gunshot, the end result is a wad of 'gunsnot' hitting a brick wall. The handgun is most likely modeled after the Smith & Wesson model 29, a six-shot, double-action revolver. The gun was made famous by the "Dirty Harry" Callahan character from the Dirty Harry series of films starring actor Clint Eastwood. Several barrel lengths were offered as standard models, with the shortest being three inches in length, and up to ten inches; this piece is obviously a 'special' order. The character seamingly has no earholes, so doesn't have to worry about their eardrums, but is still squeezing its eyes shut due to the handgun recoil and sneeze-like effect/affect.









361a DICED BRICE — Rhyme; the forename Brice with the word 'dice+d'.
def'n: Dice — A small cube, as of food. To cut into cubes.

361b CHOPPED CHET — Chet; a CH forename to go with the word 'chop+ped'.
def'n: Chop — To cut by striking with a heavy, sharp tool. To cut into bits; mince. A cut of meat, usually taken from the rib, shoulder, or loin and containing a bone.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's SELF MUTILATION gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that James executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid in barbarian-like attire with battle axe in hand, slicing and dicing himself up. Although no blood appears around the wounds, there is a nice amount on the axe blade. A collapsed warrior appears in the background, still reaching up to the heavens, and a skull is present within the foreground of the artwork. The character is sporting a battle helmet, two warrior bracelts, a teeth necklace with medallion, fur loincloth with skull buckle, two warrior anklets, and fur boots with leather straps/string. The character is separated into eighteen parts.









362a DOUG FOOD = Dog food.
def'n: Dog — A domesticated carnivorous mammal related to wolves and foxes.
def'n: Food — A substance taken in the body and assimilated by an organism to maintain lie and growth; nourishment.

362b NICK YICK — Rhyme; the forename Nick with the word 'yick'; yuck.
def'n: Yuck — slang. Exclamation expressing disgust, strong distaste, etc. Also, yuk.
def'n: Yucky — slang. Disgusting; very unpleasant; distasteful: yucky food.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's CANNED DOG FOOD gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid made out of mush that has been emptied into a dog bowl for immediate consumption, an empty tincan of dog food in the background that reads "GPK DOG FOOD" (a leading competitor) and "FOR DOGS" (naturally). The character made out of minced mystery meat by-products is seen drooling and dripping, clumped in a sitting position in no apparant distress about his dire straits situation. The dog owner may want to invest in a new can opener from the jagged looks of things.









363a SLIDIN' SLOAN — Sloan; a SL forename to go with the word 'slide+ing'.
def'n: Slide — To move or cause to move over a surface while maintaining continuous contact. A sliding movement or action. A smooth surface or track for sliding.

363b FLAMIN' DAMON — Rhyme; the forename Damon with the word 'flame+ing'.
def'n: Flame — To burn with a flame; blaze. To break into or as if into flames. A condition of active combustion.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's SLIP SLIDIN' FOOD gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid with sever slide burn to the point of spontaneous combustion—an instant ignition caused by an element self-heating followed by thermal runaway and autoignition. A friction burn is a form of abrasion injury caused by the friction of skin rubbing against a surface, in this case, a sun-scorched, hot metal summer slide. Both of Bunk's colour rough and final atwork show the character flying down the slide, arms out wide, with the victim's feet, legs, buttocks, and hips having burned away, leaving a billowing cloud of black smoke in his wake.









364a STICKY RICKY — Rhyme; the forename Ricky with the word 'sticky'.
def'n: Sticky — Sticking or tending to stick; adhesive.
def'n: Stick — To be or become fixed or embedded in place.
def'n: Flypaper — Paper coated with a sticky substance for catching flies; aka fly strip.

364b GOOEY LOUIE — Rhyme; the forename Louie with the word 'goo+ey'.
def'n: Goo — A sticky, wet substance.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's STICKY SITUATION gag was one of seven approved concepts by Topps that James executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid as a fly strip; aka fly sticky tape, et cetera. The character appears to have been abandoned, much like the environment around them; the decrepit room contains smashed windows, pull shades with holes, cracked and peeling paint on the walls, and cobwebs/spiderwebs on the wooden ceiling beams. Flypaper, aka fly ribbon, fly strip, fly capture tape, fly catcher, et cetera, is a fly life-ending device made of paper coated with a sweetly fragrant, and extremley sticky substance that traps flies and other insects when landed upon. The head and extended neck make up the reel of the fly strip, where the rest of the body makes up the cone/container. The 'pest control' character has no less than 50 flies attached to it, and his twin brother can be seen in the distance.









365a SHRAP NELL = Shrapnel.
def'n: Shrapnel — An artillery shell containing metal balls, fused to explode in the air above enemy troops. Shell fragments from any high-explosive shell.

365b HANNA GRENADE = Hand grenade.
def'n: Hand — The terminal part of the arm below the wrist.
def'n: Grenade — A small bomb detonated by a fuse, designed to be thrown by hand or fired from a rifle or grenade launcher.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's FRAG OUT gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid as an inanimate object in the form of a fragmentation-type anti-personnel hand grenade. The character is seen having been tossed into a live battlefield full of previous thrown grenades and their divots—plus a victim's boot, two grenades post-explostion taking out an enemy soldier, and one mid-explosion grenade in the upper background. The hand grenade could possibly be the Mk 2 grenade (aka Mk II), introduced by the U.S. armed forces in 1918 during WWII, but I like to consider it to be the replaced and failed Mk 1 grenade of 1917, designed to be simple but fool-proof, yet had major problems in the field and was retired from servcie by the Mk 2 before the war ended.









366a LOW-LIFE LOLA — Lola; L name to go with the words 'low-life'.
def'n: Low — Below average, as in amount, degree, or intensity. Of small value or quality. At a low position or level.
def'n: Life — A manner of living.
def'n: Lower class — The group in society of low social and economic status, ranking below the middle class.

366b SIS POOL = Cesspool.
def'n: Cesspool — A covered hole or pit for receiving waste or sewage. Drainpipe.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's HEAD IN THE GUTTER gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a 'down in the dumps', yet hopeful, GPKid using their tongue to extend well beyond a city sewer grate in attempts to gather scrapes or remnants of food or riches dropped by the passing pedestrians and tossed garbage of vehicles within the gutters of the street(s). The free curbside pick-up offers a plethora of unwanted items, including a ball of wadded paper, a bottle cap, a can's pull-tab, five cigarette butts (two with lipstick), rocks/pebbles/gravel, potential spit, an open food tin, a wad of pink gum, a green gum wrapper (Wrigley spearmint?), a paperclip, a possible used teabag, and some pooled water. The shoe might be modeled after the popular and colorful kids shoe brand KangaROOS, found with a zipper and pocket (on the side).









367a DENT AL = Dental.
def'n: Dental — Of or pertaining to the teeth.

367b FLOURIDE IDA — Semi-rhyme; the forename Ida with the word 'flouride'.
def'n: Flouride — A binary compound of flourine with another element.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's TUBE SQUEEZE gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid, as as a lump of toothpaste, having been squeezed from an old Crest® tooth paste tube and onto a yellow toothbrush. The red triangle at the bottom of the toothpaste tube read 'WITH FLOURISTAN' and the top portion read 'REGULAR FLAVOR'. Pound's artwork also heavily shows a teenager going through puberty, with acne, whiteheads, boils, blackheads, scarring, et cetera, plus a real need to brush their plaque-ridden, green teeth. Perhaps Pound had this tube on hand (or rather, in hand) as a tube model for the piece.









368a NAT SPLAT — Rhyme; the forename Nat with the word 'splat'.
def'n: Splat — A slapping noise.
def'n: Splatter — To spatter; blend of 'splash' and 'spatter'.
def'n: Splash — A flying mass of liquid.

368b JUGGLIN' JUD — Jud; a J forename to go with the word 'juggle+ing'.
def'n: Juggle — To keep (two or more objects) in the air at one time by alternately tossing and catching them.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's JUGGLING ACT gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid with, count them, four heads. Bunk's colour rough and final artwork potrays the character as a professional juggler, the later being in Arabian Night-like attire. The misjuggled & dropped head has splatted to the ground and has splashed his own right foot & pant leg. The heads contain an assortment of band-aids/plasters, bumps, and abrasions showcasing that the noggins have fallen an umpteenth dozen times before, so perhaps not so professional of a juggler. Two sets of eyes are onlooking, one set is looking skywards, and the third is cross eyed.









369a SCALPED RALPH — Rhyme; the forename Ralph with the word 'scalp+ed'.
def'n: Scalp — The skin covering the top of the human head. To cut or tear the scalp from.

369b BONE-HEAD FRED — Rhyme; the forename Fred with the words 'bone + head'.
def'n: Bone head — informal. A stupid person; blockhead.
def'n: Bone — The hard, dense, calcified tissue that forms the skeleton of most vertebrates.
def'n: Head — The upper or anterior bodily extremity.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's BUZZKILL gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set, listed as the twentieth concept by Pound titled "AT BARBER'S 9-JP-20". The image depicts a GPKid sitting in a barber's chair getting a buzzcut, but the clippers have 'slipped' and shaved the character to the bone, from his chin right to the top of his head, revealing his skull & removing much more than just his hair. Interestingly, hair clippers are intended for bulk hair cutting on larger areas, but does not cut extremely close to the skin (unless a guard is not used, as seen in this case); a hair trimmer is designed for outlining, shaping, and for cleaning up around the neck, ears, and sideburns.
— The characer was used as the main and side box artwork, the wrapper character, the retail movie poster ad, and for one of the two set puzzles.









370a CEMENTIN' QUENTIN — Rhyme; the forename Quentin with the word 'cement+ing'.
def'n: Cement — A construction adhesive consisting essentially of powdered rock and clay substances that forms a paste with water and sets as a solid mass.

370b MINUS HANS = Minus hands.
def'n: Minus — Reduced by; less. informal. Lacking; without. A loss, deficiency, or disadvantage.
def'n: Hand — The terminal part of the arm below the wrist.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's HEAVY-HANDED gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid that has held his hands in wet cement for much too long, allowing it to dry for far too long, and has lost his hands in the long process. Keep in mind, in general, a sidewalk with freshly poured concrete isn't ready for foot traffic for at least 24 hours; the time for it to safely cure. Instead of a sign reading "KEEP OFF THE GRASS" that's stuck into the lawn, we have a "KEEP OUT FRESH CEMENT" with a stake stuck in the cement. The sidewalk shows foot traffic occured while the character was waiting for the cement to cure, and someone wrote 'G.P.K. WAS HERE' right in front of him. The CPK-shoe sporting kid does seem quite surprised at the hard facts and outcome.









371a GRIPPIN' GRIFFIN — Rhyme; the forename Griffin with the word 'grip+ping'.
def'n: Grip — A tight hold; firm grasp. To get and maintain a tight hold on.

371b REN WRENCH — Semi-rhyme; the forename Ren with the word 'wrench'.
def'n: Wrench — A sudden, forcible twist or turn. An injury produced by twisting or straining. Any of various tools with fixed or adjustable jaws for gripping, turning, or twisting an object such as a nut. To twist or turn suddenly and forcibly.



BITS & BOBS:
— Bunk's THROW A WRENCH IN THE WORKS gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that Tom executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid as an inanimate object, an adjustable wrench tool, where the teeth are acting as the grip and are breaking to pieces. Per Bunk's earlier colour rough, the character was basically a silver/grey wrench, but eventually was 'clothed' to make it look more like a humanoid with legs and a defined head. The striped overalls were made solid and the bow tie disappeared. The human hand was also covered with a green work glove, possibly so the skin-like colour of the character stuck out more.









372a JACK FROST = Jack Frost.
def'n: Jack Frost — Frost or freezing weather thought of as a person or character: Jack Frost nipped at my nose/toes.
def'n: Frost — A covering of small ice crystals formed from frozen water vapor.

372b WINDOW PAYNE = Windowpane.
def'n: Windowpane — A pane of glass in a window.
def'n: Window — An opening constructed in a wall in order to admit light or air.
def'n: Pain — An unpleasant sensation arising from injury.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's FROSTBITE gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that James executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a GPKid with his toungue stuck under a shut windowpane, causing pain, and being subjected to the elements. In this case, extremely cold weather conditions causing severe frostbite = def'n: an injury to body tissue caused by exposure to extreme cold, usually affecting body extremities such as the nose, fingers, or toes; sometimes resulting in gangrene = def'n: the localized death and decompisition of body tissue due to obstructed circulation, etc. With the number of tiny birds checking out the incident, spring might be around the corner.









373a DESI ISLAND = Deserted island.
def'n: Desert — To forsake or leave; abandon.
def'n: Island — A land mass, one smaller than a continent, surrounded by water. Something isolated or surrounded.

373b MAROONED MAUREEN — Semi-rhyme; the forename Maureen with the word 'maroon+ed'.
def'n: Maroon — To abandon, as on a deserted island. To leave (a person) helpless.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's STOOL STRANDED gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that James executed for the OS9 set; original concept execution by artist Tom Bunk. The image depicts a GPKid stranded on a small island-like structure within a toilet bowl. Per Bunk's colour artwork which eventually stated "LATER PAINTED BY JAMES WARHOLA" by the artist, the bathroom was a bit cleaner overall and a palm tree was sprouting from the brown 'dirt'. For Warhola's final artwork, a greener colour was added for the 'ground', the palm tree removed, and a bit more debri and filfth added to the surroundings, including brown 'substance' on the ground, yellow backsplash on the walls, fingerprints all over, and several GPK cards on top of the tank of the toilet—mostly cut out for the printed card.









374a SWISS KRIS — Rhyme; the forename Kris with the word 'Swiss'; Switzerland.
Swiss cheese was first made in Switzerland in the 15th century; aka emmental or emmentaller.
def'n: Swiss cheese — A firm white or pale yellow cheese with many large holes.

374b CHEESY CHANDRA — Chandra; a CH forename to go with the word 'cheese+y'.
def'n: Cheesy — Of or like cheese. slang. Of low quality; inferior.
def'n: Cheese — A solid food made from the curds of milk.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's CHEESE HEAD gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set, titled 'SWISS CHEESE 9-JP-9 REV.', the nineth concept by the artist for this particular set. The image depicts a GPKid as a block of Swiss cheese being thinly sliced, showing duplication of the character. Per Pound's colour rough, once suggested name "Swiss JESUS" may have been tongue-in-cheek for the hole-y cheese being thy holy Lord; it is unkown what type of revision took place since earlier thumbnail sketches and early concepts have not been shared with the public. The character is sporting a white CPK-like diaper and appears to be quite content with its cheesy condition.









375a TRAP DORA = Trap door.
def'n: Trap door — A hinged or sliding door in a floor or ceiling.

375b REAR VIEW MYRA = Rear veiw mirror; a vehicle mirror to view out the rear window.
def'n: Rear — The back or hind part. Located in the rear.
def'n: View — The act of seeing; sight.
def'n: Mirror — A surface capable of forming an image of an object placed in front of it.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's BUTT FLAP gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set, titled '2 FACE'. The image depicts a GPKid pulling up the back flap (aka butt flap, trap door, et cetera) of their one-piece jumpsuit sleepwear, revealing a second, creepy face that's peering out; reminiscent of "Here's Johnny!" from The Shining. Pound's colour rough shows the same reveal, with the character smiling at the revelation and standing within a very colorful, tiled bathroom with sailboat pjs.
— The characer was used as one of the two set puzzles for the release.









376a RETCHIN' GRETCHEN — Rhyme; the forename Gretchen with the word 'retch+ing'.
def'n: Retch — To try to vomit.

376b ILL JILL — Rhyme; the forename Jill with the word 'ill'.
def'n: Ill — Not healthy, sick. Not normal; unsound. Not well. An ailment.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's PATCH OF SICK gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set. The image depicts a colorful GPKid character made up of completely patchwork components, including their cascading column of vomit. Patchwork is basically needlework where small sections of cloth, usually quite random &unmatching with different designs, colors, and/or textures are sewn together; often seen in quiltwork. The image shows three flies still attracted to the pseudo flow of throw up.









377a CLOSET CLYDE — Clyde; a CL forename to go with the word 'closet'.
def'n: Closet — A small room for storing supplies or clothing.

377b HOOKED HOWIE — Howie; an H forename to go with the word 'hook+ed'.
The phrase 'hang out to dry' or 'hung on a hook' means to leave someone or something behind; to be abandoned, especially at a time or moment of great difficulty.
def'n: Hook — A curved or sharply bent device, often of metal, used to catch, pull, or hold something.



BITS & BOBS:
— Warhola's HUNG UP ON A HOOK gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9. The image depicts a GPKid hung up on a coat rack, surrounded by an umbrella to their left and a scarft & hat and a jacket to their right (the coat is strangely hung up in reverse). The shelf above shows off a row of very fancy high-society hats. Not much backstory is known about this character, why he was hung up on the hook, why he's green, and why he even has a hole in his head. It is interesting to note that the last two GPK characters of the set are both 'hung up', as-in retiring, and are the last two characters to have an extreme cloth-doll appearance before the OS10 set; one up on a hook and in the closet and the second up on a nail in a garage.









378a EMPTY EMMY — Rhyme; the forename Emmy with the word 'empty'.
def'n: Empty — Containing nothing. Lacking substance, value, or effect. To make or become empty.

378b RAGGED AGGIE — Semi-rhyme; the forename Aggie with the word 'rag+ged'.
def'n: Ragged — Tattered. Dressed in tattered clothes. Having a rough surface. Imperfect.
slang. Warn down; warn out. Run ragged.
def'n: Rag — A scrap of cloth.
def'n: Ragamuffin — A dirty or unkempt child.



BITS & BOBS:
— Pound's RAGAMUFFIN gag was one of several approved concepts by Topps that John executed for the OS9 set, titled 'TORN RAG GPK 9-JP-6 REV.', the sixth concept by the artist for this particular set. The image depicts a GPKid looking a bit ragged and lonely, left to hang on a nail, rather discarded. The phrase 'run ragged' means to be utterly tired or extremely exhausted from long, tedious work; cleaning, chores, etc. It is interesting to note that the last two GPK characters of the set are both 'hung up', as-in retiring, and are the last two characters to have an extreme cloth-doll appearance before the OS10 set; one up on a hook and in the closet and the second up on a nail in a garage.


Definitions taken in part from The American Heritage Dictionary.











— The original GPK sets all had unique die-cuts for their sticker outline,
adopted from the Wacky Packages franchise.