A parody GPK Poster
set was released by Topps in 1986 during the increasing popularity of
the Garbage Pail Kids trading card stickers. The due date for
the Poster set was February 31st which was produced after the OS3 set
which was issued in January and released during the OS4 set in May of
that year. The set at times has a nice Wacky Packages crossover
feel and presentation on some of the product posters. The eighteen posters
contain original GPK artwork, at times altered, with all-new
images and creations measuring 12x17 inches on this poster paper. Several
pieces were previously unpublished GPK images that did not make
it into the card sets with many of the themes being simultaneously released
in the Giant GPK 5x7 set. Each pack cost 99¢ and inlcuded
one poster. Per Mark Newgarden, this project was initially planned to
be the 2nd Series Giant GPK card set. This set marks the debut
of artist James Warhola, prior to his work located within the OS6 release.
* ARTISTS : JOHN POUND, TOM BUNK & JAMES WARHOLA WRITERS : NA |
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DISPLAY
BOX 1 VARIATION : CODE 1-588-70-01-6
MAIN CHARACTER ARTWORK : JOHN POUND SUPPORTING CHARACTER ARTWORK : TOM BUNK DESIGN : BRAD KAHLHAMER |
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WRAPPER 1 VARIATION
: WRAPPER CODE 0-588-15-01-6
18 POSTERS : POSTER CODE 4-588-26-01-6 RENDERED ARTWORK : TOM BUNK |
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SELL SHEET
1 VARIATION : CODE #588 : UPC 0-4111600588-6
RENDERED & NEW ARTWORK : TOM BUNK |
1. Poster #1
DRINK GARBAGE PAIL KOLA painted
by artist John Pound.
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The
final artwork image (L) as sold off of the online auction site eBay
along with a 2005 Topps Vault magazine ad (R) from the Non-Sport
Update pubication, issue June/July Vol. 16 - No. 3, where the characters
from Poster #1 Drink Garbage Pail Kola
can be found within. The poster image pokes fun at product placement.
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The 'HOUSE
SPECIAL' picture in the background of the poster is a rejected
painting completed by John Pound for the OS1 set that can that was published
within the Giant GPK set as card #8 Take
A Garbage Pail Kid To Lunch (L) which is very similar to the
unpublished OS10 piece by Tom Bunk (R). The Giant card image can also
be found within poster #13 Beauty Is Only Skin
Deep, which tells us the Giant set was completed prior to the
Poster set, that originally was supposed to be the 2nd Series Giant
set.
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The 'G.P.KOLA'
bottle image in the poster, with a rat instead of a character inside,
can also be found on OS4 cards 128a Sloshed JOSH
and 128b Low CAL (L) painted by John Pound
with the same style red lettering instead of blue. The same café
environment is found in OS11 cards 422a SHERI
Cola and 422b All-Night DINAH (R)
also by John Pound picturing the same toilet drink and contents, tablecloth,
booth, window curtain, the girl's clothes and ribbon style.
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2. Poster #2
HANG IN THERE, BABY painted by artist
John Pound.
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The 'HANG
IN THERE!' message slogan is a parody of the feline cat posters
of the late 80's with the dangling kitten 'hanging' from a tree limb
with one paw, where a hangman's rope or noose is assisting the critter.
To 'HANG IN' is to remain persistent and determined
in difficult circumstances.
A similar Garfield-like cat image can be found within the OS4 set for card images 159a Catty KATHY and 159b KITTY Litter (R) by David Burke and is much more humanoid in appearance but still very cat in character. The OS4 and Poster set were released around the same time and Mark Newgarden and Art Spiegelman were art directing both at the same time. Artist David Burke was tested out with GPK for the OS4 release and most likely given a tight pencil sketch of Pound's to work from. The character is given CPK yarn-like hair and the dead rat from Poster #1 Drink Garbage Pail Kola may be the same one the cat is grasping in its paw. |
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3. Poster
#3 SUGAR
CRUSTED SEWAGE painted by artist John Pound.
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The Poster #3 Sugar
Crusted Sewage image is very similar to the Wacky Packages
parody card product brand by Topps throws a satirical spin on brand
name items. This particular product image is a parody of the popular
kids cereal Kelloggs 'Rice Krispies' and their spin-off editions, 'Cocoa
Krispies' and 'Frosted Krispies' (R) with the three mascot characters
Snap, Crackle and Pop, whereas the GPK cereal has a slob-like
character that could be called Slop.
The final artwork image above as sold off of the auction house eBay and painted by artist John Pound can be seen with two additional dead rats, the third Poster image in a row with connections to dead rats. |
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4. Poster #4
GPK : THE INSIDE DOPE painted by
artist John Pound.
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The Poster #4 pokes fun
at the slogan 'THE INSIDE SCOOP', where 'scoop'
is informal for an exclusive piece of news or inside story and
'scope' is informal meaning to look at something carefully; to
scan and lastly, 'dope' is informal for a stupid person. The
image is a parody of science anatomy models that give a literal inside
look at organs, et cetera and dissects and analyzes a GPK character.
The above final artwork poster image was an unpublished concept intended for the OS2 GPK set and later considered for the OS6 GPK set as well. |
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5. Poster #5
VISIT GARBAGE PAIL LAND painted
by artist Tom Bunk.
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The Poster #5 image contains
a boat titled 'HATE-BOAT' which is a parody of
the popular television show The Love Boat that premiered in 1977
and ran for ten years. Additionally, the 'TUNNEL OF HATE'
is a parody of the title 'TUNNEL OF LOVE' that
pokes fun at 'visit' *insert locale* tourism advertising campaigns;
and specifically in this case, an amusement park and it's many rides
and attractions.
Tom Bunk's original artwork as auctioned off of eBay is pictured above and a preliminary tight color rough (R), both very MAD magazine-like in appearance and structure. Coincidentally, the image contains another rat character. |
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6. Poster #6
KEEP OUT! painted by artist Tom
Bunk.
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A
'KEEP OUT!' warning sign strategically placed
on a bedroom door or clubhouse is important during the prepubescent
(pre/pube/scent) or the formative adolescent years, to keep club activity
or whatnot secret. These public warnings stem from 'private property'
signs that oftentimes can be found fenced off by barbwire.
A similar pigtail girl cut up in a jump rope barbwire theme was later painted by John Pound and placed in the ANS4 set for cards 15a Jumpin' JEN and 15b MEGAN Trouble. |
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7. Poster #7
EAT MY FACE! painted by artist John
Pound.
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A parody of the phrase 'EAT
MY DUST!', or the derogatory 'EAT MY SH*T',
that's also a 1976 movie title; the idiom 'EAT MY DUST'
means to be outperformed (or outrun) by someone, usually by a very wide
margin, in this case, a food challeges or self-eating contests.
The 'PIZZA-FACE' concept was created for OS2 set, painted and considered for the OS6 set, placed within the unpublished OS16 set as cards 639a GUY Pie and 639b Pepperoni Toni, and eventually printed on card for the ANS1 set in 2003 as cards 9a Cheesy CHARLIE and 9b Pizza Face CHASE. Note the CPK-like eyes and the four fingers on the character instead of the three fingers that followed the GPK character model releases after the OS9 release. |
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8. Poster #8
SLIME MAGAZINE painted by artist
Tom Bunk.
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The poster features
OS1 character 19a Corroded CARL and 19b
Crater CHRIS , originally painted by artist
John Pound, that is a Wacky Packages-like product parody of the
Time Magazine publication, particularly their 'MAN OF
THE YEAR' yearly cover (R); the 'KID OF THE YEAR'
was replaced with 'ZIT OF THE YEAR' to up the
gross ante.
Tom Bunk's final artwork above as auctioned off of eBay and his tight color rough (L) is pictured for comparison; a large safety pin added and a bigger whitehead squirt. |
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9. Poster #9
GPK CALENDAR painted by artist Tom
Bunk.
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The 'calendar girl' image
is reminiscent of the OS3 character 122a Broad
MAUD and 122b Large MARGE, also
painted by Tom Bunk, with a ponytail rather than pigtails and works
as a pin-up model tribute, where the mass produced pictures are meant
to be 'pinned-up' to a wall for informal display.
Tom Bunk's final artwork above, tight pencil (L) and color rough (R) are pictured for comparison; The upper 1987 squares are eventually removed, and the head position and hair color changed. |
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10. Poster #10
DOUBLE-CROSSING THE DELAWARE painted
by artist James Warhola.
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The patriotic poster image
is a parody of the famous 1851 painting 'George Washington Crossing
The Delaware' by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. The George 'Washingdone' character
is a bit more stressed than stoic for the GPK version having
to deal with a garbage gang of idiots.
To double-cross is to deceive or betray someone with whom one is supposedly cooperating; no GPK character is being helpful to the atual crossing over, but only causing a bunch of mayhem. The GPK Poster set marks the first release where artists James Warhola participated, well in advance of the OS6 set. The GPK characters are a bit more crude and not as detailed or as defined as the OS6 card counterparts cousins. |
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11. Poster #11
NATL. GARBAGE PAIL painted by artist
Tom Bunk.
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The periodical poster
image, done up in the tradition of the 'National Lampoon' humor
magazine which ran from 1970 through 1998, is a parody of the supermarket
gossip tabloid 'The National Enquirer' that was founded in 1926. The
poster showcases several iconic GPK characters including, from
top to bottom, left to right, OS3 Peepin' TOM,
OS2 PATTY Putty, OS2 CHRIS
Hiss, OS3 LES Vegas, OS2 Double
HEATHER, OS2 Leaky LINDSAY and OS1
ADAM Bomb and his brother Blasted
BILLY.
Tom Bunk's final artwork above and color sketch (R) shows the development during production. A fly has been added to the final artwork, the Elvis impersonator's outfit color has been changed from yellow to green and the 'LAS VEGAS' misspelling corrected for the final image. OS3 Peepin' TOM is spelled 'Peeping TOM' and the 'LIFT BEFORE STOOTING' (acetate paper) was left on for the artwork sale on eBay, which should be spelled 'SHOOTING'. |
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12. Poster #12
I 'HEART' GPK painted by artist
James Warhola.
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A great GPK poster
image by James Warhola, nephew of Andy Warhol, that pokes fun at the
popular slogan I 'HEART' _________, in this case, I LOVE
NEW YORK stylized as I 'HEART' NY (R), which is the slogan, log
and song that are the basis of an advertising campaign to promote tourism
in the state of New York started in 1977. The registered® trademarked
logo is owned by the New York State department of Economic Development.
The I 'HEART' GPK painting shows the character using his own heart, cut out with the held hand saw, and used as the stylized 'HEART'. The image shows a liberal amount of lost blood and the 'LIFT ACETATE BEFORE SHOOTING' notice has been left on the image for the eBay sale. |
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13. Poster #13
"BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP"
painted by artist James Warhola.
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The poster image, if
viewed from a distance, is a skull with cross-bones. The poster contains
six different card images from the GIANT GPK set on the wall
around the vanity table. From left to right, top to bottom, cards #7
WHY FIGHT IT, COLLECT GPK, #12
IT TAKES GUTS TO BE A GPK, # 5
HAVE A NICE DAVE, #11 HOW
TO BE A GPK, #8 TAKE A GPK TO
LUNCH! the image can also be found on poster #1 DRINK
GARBAGE PAIL KOLA and #6
HOOKED ON GPK. As mentioned previously,
the Poster set was originally planned to be the 2nd Series GIANT GPK
set.
The GPK poster image is a parody of the 1892 drawing "All is Vanity" (R) created by Charles Allan Gilbert. Where 'vanity' is one of the seven deadly sins and a human skull, used as a focal point in a painting is refered to as momento mori remember you will die, hence, vanity is a deadly sin. The addition of the crossbones to the GPK parody adds a level of additional humor; one of various meanings of a skull and crossbones, poison, et cetera, as a symbol of death and especially as a memento mori reminder on tombstones. The final artwork above painted by newcomer James Warhola remains to be a dark subject matter in tone and color, but bring a brightness of color and a lightness of humor at the center of the image, including the murderess having cut up a victim, with the pictured wood cutting axe or splitting maul, and stuffed him in the bottom drawer of the vanity cabinet. |
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14. Poster #14
BEFORE AND AFTER painted by artist
John Pound.
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How to make Cabbage Patch
Kids look like Garbage Pail Kids poster painted by artist
John Pound. The image is reminiscent of the unpublished OS16 character
626a Interracial RACHEL and 626b Stitched
STELLA with the botched job ruining through clumsiness
or ineptitude, also painted by Pound; the card image was later released
within the 2010 Flashback GPK set as cards 68a Stitched
STELLA and 38b Patchwork PAULA.
The poster pokes fun at 'before and after' portrait pictures, be it weight, facial hair, et cetera; but in this case it's about a back alley plastic surgery job by a sketchy doctor (a.k.a. a mad scientist). The 'LOOK LIKE GARBAGE' is a title parody of 'LOOK LIKE A MOVIE STAR' |
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15. Poster #15
GONE WITH THE GARBAGE painted by
artist Tom Bunk.
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The garbage-man poster image
painted by artist Tom Bunk is a parody of the popular movie poster "Gone
With The Wind" (R), a 1939 romance movie starring Clark Gable and
Vivien Leigh, where the character is smooching a large bag of trash
as his love interest.
Tom Bunk's preliminary color rough is pictured (L) can be compared with the final artwork above. The layout remains mostly the same with the 'movie scenes' at the bottom of the poster being rearranged. The drooling character has been switched to a puckering-up character. |
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16. Poster #16
HOW TO BE A GARBAGE PAIL KID painted
by artist John Pound.
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This psuedo 'HOW
TO BE COOL' diagram image, a hodgepodge of GPK pieces,
can also be found as card #11 HOW TO
BE A GARBAGE PAIL KID within the
GIANT GPK card set; both images are exactly the same except for
their dimensions, 11x17 instead of 5x7, perfect for a wall poster. Most
of the painful bodily afflictions being pointed out can be located within
the GPK card series, such as 'MUSHROOM CLOUD',
'HIT BY LIGHTNING', 'TOO GROSS
TO DISCUSS' (melting), 'TOILET HUMOR',
'CREEPY INSECTS', 'THERE'S NO PLACE
LIKE HOME' (garbage can), including the torn off arm can be found
within the OS1 set, 'HOLES IN BODY', 'LEAKY
NOSE', 'WEAR CLOTHING OF BOTH SEXES', including
the veined legs located within the OS2 set and 'SNAKES
FOR HAIR' found within the OS3 set.
Per John Pound's pencil artwork the character was originally titled the 'ULTIMATE GPK'. 'Ultimate' is about the best achievable or imaginable of its kin, the utmost, the epitome, the zenith. Oftentimes connected with 'warrior', 'fighter', 'showdown' and in this case, the ultimate visual guide at HOW TO BE A GARBAGE PAIL KID, a vey rare instance of the usual plural GPK header found in the singular form. |
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17. Poster #17
GPK WANTS YOU painted by artist
John Pound.
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The patriotic poster image,
originally painted for the OS3 set for cards 110a Snooty
SAM and 110b U.S. ARNIE by artist
John Pound, is a classic parody of the iconic 1917 U.S. Army recruitment
character "Uncle Sam" (initials U.S.) painted by J.M.
Flagg (L), picking his nose rather than pointing accusingly to the general
public. The U.S. recruitment poster is based off of the popular 1914
British "Lord Kitchener Wants You" advertisement poster (R)
where the hat and finger-pointing were brought over to 'our side' with
a red, white and blue paint job finish.
The image can also be located within the 2011 Flashback Series 3 set and as a major mascot for the 2016 "American as Applie Pie in Your Face" Yearly set. |
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18. Poster #18
BUSTED! painted by artist John Pound.
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A fantastic humor poster
where 'art imitates life' which is based on the reality of how GPK
cards were 'kicked' out of school and banned from classrooms. Busted
getting caught in the act of doing something wrong, i.e. possessing
GPK cards on school grounds. The poster image can also be found
as card #14 BUSTED! from the Giant GPK
card set with the original curved GPK header rather than the straight
GPK banner at the bottom (R). The
poster image was also used for the OS5 through OS8 retail ad
posters with an enlarged, straight GPK banner and some subtle
changes.
In both the posters and Giant card, there are several OS1 and OS2 characters found throughout the image, along with various award and license card backs. As can be discerned from L-R from the 'SCHOOL' sign to the ground: 45a Leaky Lindsay and 45b Messy TESSIE, 27a Brainy JANIE and 27b JENNY Genius, 49a Double Heather, 49b Schizo FRAN/FRAN FRAN, 30a New Wave DAVE and 30b Graffiti PETEY, 8a ADAM Bomb and 8b Blasted BILLY, 73a Gorgeous GEORGE and 73b Dollar BILL, 3a Up CHUCK and 3b Heavin' STEVEN, 83a Ugh LEE and 83b Sumo SID, 77a Ghastley ASHLEY and 77b Acne AMY, 54a Fryin' RYAN and 54b Charred CHAD, 79a Sewer SUE and 79b MICHELLE Muck, 74a MARK Bark and 74b Kennel KENNY, 57a TOMMY Gun and 57b Dead FRED, 67a Phony LISA and 67b MONA Loser, 43a Smelly KELLY and 43b DOUG Plug, 44a SY CLOPS and 44b One-Eyed JACK, 66a MATT Ratt and 66b RACHEL Rodent, 62a Greaser GREG and 62b CHRIS Hiss, 5a Dead TED and 5b JAY Decay, 65a Shrunken ED and 65b Cheeky CHARLES, 42a PATTY Putty and 42b Muggin' MEGAN, 18a Cranky FRANKIE and 18b Bad BRAD, 75a Off-The-Wall PAUL and 75b ZACH Plaque, 46a Rappin' RON and 46b RAY Gun, 4a Fryin' BRIAN and 4b Electric BILL, 39a Buggy BETTY and 39b Green JEAN, 41a Mean GENE and 41b Joltin' JOE, and 40a Unstitched MITCH and 40b Damaged DON. |
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1. Two additional
Concepts listed for the GIANT GPK
set or GPK Poster set were titled 'Miami
Lice', a parody of the television show Miami Vice and
'E Pluribus Garbage' a Garbage Pail
Kids coat-of-arms.
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2. Pictured
below is a partial color rough artwork and tight ink version for the
final Wrapper created by artist Tom Bunk for the release. The
character at the bottom left hand corner is changed up quite bit for
the final artwork clothing and color has been changed, hair added
and the snot strand removed. The rendered artwork for the
OS3 character 110a Snooty SAM and U.S.
Arnie remains pretty
much the same for the final wrapper.
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3. The unpublished
Box Artwork as auctioned off of eBay during July of 2008. The
image of the OS4 character 126a Armpit BRITT
and 126b Shaggy AGGIE was replaced by the
poster parody image of the OS3 character 110a Snooty
SAM and U.S. Arnie. Also pictured
further below are two corresponding wrapper concepts in rough pencil
and color rough stages with the catchphrase 'PICK OF
THE LITTER' completed by artist Tom Bunk. The character may have
been the first 'calendar girl' selection but switched to the OS3-like
character 122a Broad MAUD and 122b Large
MARGE. This would've made a nice OS4 and Poster set crossover
since they were released around the same time.
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4. The Checklist
is found on the back of the wrapper, coded 0-588-15-01-6; all of the
posters have the same code, 4-588-26-01-6.
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5. The images for
all eighteen posters can be found on Mini Poster Cards released
within retail value boxes for the 2015 Series 2 '30th Anniversary' GPK
set. The backside portrays the original wrapper although, the
GPK original curved header has been replaced with the replaced
GPK banner; as well as on many of the front side of several cards.
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NAME
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ARTIST
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PRINT
RUN |
1
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DRINK GARBAGE PAIL KOLA |
JOHN Pound
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1
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2
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HANG IN THERE, BABY! |
JOHN Pound
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1
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3
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SUGAR CRUSTED SEWAGE |
JOHN Pound
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1
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4
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GARBAGE PAIL KIDS - THE INSIDE DOPE |
JOHN Pound
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1
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5
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VISIT GARBAGE PAIL LAND |
TOM Bunk
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1
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6
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KEEP OUT! |
TOM Bunk
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1
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7
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EAT MY FACE! : PIZZA-FACE |
JOHN Pound : 6-5
(R)
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1
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8
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SLIME MAGAZINE |
TOM Bunk
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1
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9
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GARBAGE PAIL KID CALENDAR |
TOM Bunk
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1
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10
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DOUBLE-CROSSING THE DELAWARE |
JAMES Warhola
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1
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11
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NATIONAL GARBAGE PAIL |
TOM Bunk
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1
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12
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I 'Heart' GARBAGE PAIL KIDS |
JAMES Warhola
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1
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13
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"BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP" |
JAMES Warhola
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1
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14
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BEFORE & AFTER |
JOHN Pound
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1
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15
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GONE WITH THE GARBAGE |
TOM Bunk
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1
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16
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HOW TO BE A GARBAGE PAIL KID |
JOHN Pound
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1
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17
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GARBAGE PAIL KIDS WANT YOU |
JOHN Pound
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1
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18
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BUSTED! |
JOHN Pound
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1
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