View source for Garbage Pail Kids

{{Short description|Sticker trading cards}}
{{italics}}
{{about|the original card collection|the TV series|Garbage Pail Kids (TV series)|the film|The Garbage Pail Kids Movie}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox toy
| name             = ''Garbage Pail Kids''
| image            = GPK 8a adambomb.jpg
| image_size       = 200
| caption          = Adam Bomb (''Series 1'' #8a) became an icon of the ''Garbage Pail Kids'' trading card franchise; the image was used on the first five series' packs.
| type             = [[Trading cards]]
| inventor         = [[Art Spiegelman]], [[Mark Newgarden]] and John Pound<ref>{{cite news |title= A Cartoonist in Despair? Now That's Funny |work=The New York Times |date=March 19, 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/fashion/sundaystyles/19newgarten.html |access-date=2010-08-07 |first=Mark |last=Dery}}</ref>
| country          = [[United States]]
| company          = [[The Topps Company]]<ref>{{cite news |title= Sticks to the Teeth, Not to the Ribs |work=The New York Times |date=August 17, 1988 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/17/garden/sticks-to-the-teeth-not-to-the-ribs.html |access-date=2010-08-07}}</ref>
| from             = 1985
| to=2007
| materials        = 
| website          = https://www.topps.com/cards-collectibles/online-brands/garbage-pail-kids.html
}}
'''''Garbage Pail Kids''''' is a series of [[sticker]] [[trading card]]s produced by [[the Topps Company]], originally released in 1985 and designed to [[parody]] the ''[[Cabbage Patch Kids]]'' dolls, which were popular at the time.

Each sticker card features a Garbage Pail Kid character having some comical abnormality or deformity, or suffering a terrible fate or death. The characters have humorous names involving [[word play]] ([[Atom bomb|Adam Bomb]]) or [[alliteration]] (Blasted Billy). Two versions of each card were produced, with variations featuring the same artwork but a different character name, differentiated by an "a" or "b" letter following the card number. The sticker fronts are [[Die cutting (web)|die-cut]] so that just the character with its nameplate and the ''GPK'' logo can be peeled from the backing. Many of the card backs feature puzzle pieces that form giant murals, while other flip-side subjects vary greatly among the various series, from humorous licenses and awards to comic strips and, in more recent releases, humorous [[Facebook]] profiles.

Fifteen original series (''OS'') of regular trading cards were released in the United States, with various sets released in other countries. Two large-format card editions were also released, as well as a set of fold-out posters. ''[[#All-New Series sets|All-New Series]]'' (''ANS'') sets were introduced in 2003, ''[[#Flashback re-releases|Flashback]]'' re-releases began in 2010 and a ''[[#Brand-New Series sets|Brand-New Series]]'' (''BNS'') was announced for 2012<ref>[http://www.gpkonline.com/about.php About Garbage Pail Kids] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628054317/http://www.gpkonline.com/about.php |date=2010-06-28 }} ''Garbage Pail Kids Online''</ref> with ''Brand New Series 2'', ''Chrome S1'', and ''BNS3'' following in 2013. A new format was released in 2014 using the year to designate the edition, followed by the release name of ''Series 1'', which had an Olympics-style format. In 2016, the format was changed again to themed sets that spoofed different pop culture topics.

==History==
The series was the brainchild of cartoonist [[Art Spiegelman]], then a consultant for Topps. He came up with the product idea after the success of his earlier creations, ''Garbage Can-dy'' and ''[[Wacky Packages]]''. The concept originally began as an unreleased ''[[Wacky Packages#Garbage Pail Kids connection|Wacky Packages]]'' sticker for a 1985 series,<ref>[http://www.poundart.com/gpk/index.html#unpubwackygpk Wacky Packages Garbage Pail Kids] ''Pound Art''</ref> but the management at Topps thought it would be a good idea for a separate spin-off series. Spiegelman and fellow cartoonist [[Mark Newgarden]] worked together as the editors and art directors of the project, [[Len Brown (comics)|Len Brown]] was the manager and the first run of the cards was illustrated exclusively by artist John Pound.<ref>[http://www.poundart.com/gpk/index.html Garbage Pail Kids Index] ''Pound Art''</ref> They were first issued in 1985.<ref>Pound, John. [http://www.poundart.com/gpk/index.html "Garbage Pail Kids"]. Poundart. Retrieved May 21, 2012.</ref><ref>[https://www.aintitcool.com/node/52875 "WTF Hollywood: The Garbage Pail Kids Movie"]. January 22, 2012.</ref> Following the initial success of the cards, several additional artists and writers were brought in to contribute to the series, including [[Jay Lynch]], [[Tom Bunk]] and [[James Warhola]], among others.

==International versions==
The cards were also known as ''Bukimi Kun'' [{{lang|ja|ぶきみくん}}/''Mr. Creepy''] in [[Japan]], ''The Garbage Gang'' in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], ''{{lang|es|La Pandilla Basura}}'' [''The Garbage Gang''] in [[Spain]], ''Havurat Ha-Zevel'' [''{{lang|he|חבורת הזבל}}''/''The Garbage Gang''] in [[Israel]],<ref>Ido Noy “[https://www.academia.edu/61701489/Garbage_Pail_Kids_On_Caricature_Satire_and_Political_Stench Garbage Pail Kids: On Caricature, Satire and Political Stench],” ''Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Folklore'' (2022), 211-254. (Hebrew)</ref> ''{{lang|es|Basuritas}}'' [''Trashlings''] in [[Latin America]], ''{{lang|pt|Gang do Lixo}}/{{lang|pt|Loucomania}}'' [''Trash Gang''/''Crazymania''] in [[Brazil]], ''{{lang|it|Sgorbions}}'' [''Snotlings''] in [[Italy]], ''{{lang|fr|Les Crados}}'' [''The Filthies''] in [[France]] and [[Belgium]] and ''{{lang|de|Die total kaputten Kids}}'' [''The Totally Broken Kids''] in [[Germany]] and other German speaking countries, e.g. [[Austria]].

===Variations===
A smaller-sized card format was released in Australia and New Zealand. Each pack contained three stickers and the "peel here" arrow pointed to the top left area since there was no die-cut scoring. Initially in New Zealand, a ''Series 6'' of the ''Garbage Pail Kids'' was released as a market test (this version was a mix of the United States ''Series 6'' and ''7''). After this success, ''Series 1'' was released in Australia and New Zealand known as ''The Garbage Gang'' and was identical to the United States version (albeit smaller in size). The first series was released in Australia and New Zealand in 1989 with different versions: the Australian stickers were darker, had a different banner and some of the names were changed to reflect cultural differences. From ''Series 2'' onward, the same version was released in Australia and New Zealand. ''Series 4'' was the last release of ''The Garbage Gang''.

==Commercial success==
The commercial success of the cards led to the production of a live action film, ''[[The Garbage Pail Kids Movie]]'',<ref name="IMDb">{{Cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093072/ |website=[[IMDb]] |title=The Garbage Pail Kids Movie|access-date=October 3, 2024 }}</ref> in 1987. An [[Garbage Pail Kids (TV series)|animated TV series]] was also created in 1987, but its initial scheduled broadcast in the U.S. was postponed due to parental complaints.<ref>[http://www.childofthe1980s.com/2011/01/31/garbage-pail-kids/ Garbage Pail Kids TV Series Parental Complaints] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706132413/http://www.childofthe1980s.com/2011/01/31/garbage-pail-kids/ |date=July 6, 2011 }} ''Child of the 1980s''</ref> The TV series did make a brief appearance on U.S. television years after it was originally intended to air and was also briefly aired in Europe.<ref>[http://wharble.com/Garbage_Pail_Kids.htm Garbage Pail Kids TV Series Airs in Europe] ''Wharble''</ref> The film was released on DVD by [[MGM Home Entertainment]] on July 12, 2005 (the original VHS had been distributed by [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]), and the animated TV series was later also released on DVD by [[CBS Home Entertainment]] on April 4, 2006 (which was, again, distributed by Paramount). A similar set of 160 trading cards, called ''The Sloppy Slobs'', was released in Italy in 1993.

==Controversies and lawsuit==
===School ban===
During the height of the cards' popularity, ''Garbage Pail Kids'' were banned in many schools.<ref>{{cite news|title= Garbage Pail Kids Rage Stirring Up Controversy|work= Sun Sentinel|date=February 19, 1986|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-02-19/features/8601110201_1_garbage-pail-kids-cabbage-patch-kids-2-inch-cards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905131429/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-02-19/features/8601110201_1_garbage-pail-kids-cabbage-patch-kids-2-inch-cards|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 5, 2012|access-date=2011-07-05}}</ref> One of the main reasons for the ban was that teachers cited them as distractions during class.<ref name="LAT">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-30-mn-2085-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |title=Trading Cards Aren't a Class Act |date=January 30, 1986 |last=Parrott |first=Jennings |access-date=October 3, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref>[http://www.skooldays.com/categories/toys/ty1172.htm Garbage Pail Kids Distracting to Schoolchildren] ''Skool Days''</ref>

===Mexican ban===
Since 1988,<ref name="DOF28061988">{{cite web |last1=De La Madrid H. |first1=Miguel |title=DECRETO por lo que se reforma la Tarifa del Impuesto General de Importación, publicada el 12 de febrero de 1988. |url=http://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=4746417&fecha=28/06/1988 |website=DOF - Diario Oficial de la Federacion |publisher=Secretariat of the Interior |access-date=25 January 2022}}</ref> any export and import of ''Garbage Pail Kids'' is banned in [[Mexico]] due to the approval of a reform to the Export and Import Law, banning all representations of minors "in a degrading or ridiculous manner, in attitudes of incitement to violence, self-destruction or in any other form of antisocial behavior", citing ''Garbage Pail Kids'' as an example.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LIGIE.pdf|title=Ley de impuestos generales de importación y exportación|access-date=20 Jun 2012|date=June 18, 2007|website=diputados.gob.mx|publisher=Cámara de Diputados (México)|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220114347/http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LIGIE.pdf|archive-date=20 Feb 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

They are also prohibited from being imported into Australia.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/F1996B03651/2023-06-13/text |website=Federal Register of Legislation |title=Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 |date=13 June 2023 }}</ref>

===Trademark infringement lawsuit===
Topps was sued by the rightsholders of ''Cabbage Patch Kids'', Original Appalachian Artworks, for [[trademark infringement]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Copyrights: Trouble in the Garbage Pail|magazine=Time|date=March 17, 1986|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960905,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221234634/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960905,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 21, 2008|access-date=2010-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 30, 1986 |title=Around the Nation; Judge Rules in Case Of Garbage Pail Kids |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/30/us/around-the-nation-judge-rules-in-case-of-garbage-pail-kids.html |access-date=2010-08-07 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> As part of the out-of-court settlement, Topps agreed to modify the appearance of the Garbage Pail Kids to remove the resemblance between the characters and to change the logo design. Production of the cards themselves continued, but by 1988, sales had dwindled and a planned ''Series 16'' was never produced.

===BTS Bruisers===
In March 2021, Topps released a sticker card depicting a [[Whac-A-Mole]] game with members of [[K-pop]] band [[BTS]] being severely beaten with a [[Grammy]] Award. After public backlash due to the card's perceived [[Anti-Asian racism|anti-Asian]] tone, the company apologized and withdrew the card.<ref>{{cite news|title= Garbage Pail Kids pulls 'BTS Bruisers' card amid surge in hate crimes against Asians|work= Campaign Asia|date=March 21, 2021|url=https://www.campaignasia.com/article/garbage-pail-kids-pulls-bts-bruisers-card-amid-surge-in-hate-crimes-against-asi/468477|access-date=2021-05-14}}</ref>

==''All-New Series'' sets==
[[File:Garbage Pail Kids TCG cardback.png|thumb|right|200px|Card back of the ''Garbage Pail Kids Trading Card Game'']]
In 2003, Topps reintroduced ''Garbage Pail Kids'' with all-new artwork, dubbed the ''All-New Series'' (''ANS''). ''ANS1'' was entirely made up of artwork that was originally intended for release in the 1980s as ''Series 16'', but 2004's ''ANS2'' featured brand-new and original concepts. Unique numbers on the backs of silver foil and gold foil insert cards could be redeemed online at the official ''Garbage Pail Kids'' website, where visitors could build and "gross out" their own Garbage Pail Kids; as the number of unique code numbers applied to the character increased, the grosser it became. Less than six months later, ''ANS3'' was released.

In 2005, Topps celebrated the 20th anniversary of the ''Garbage Pail Kids'' franchise with special ''Sketch Card'' original art inserts for its ''ANS4'' set.<ref>[http://www.tradercracks.com/news/non-sports/2005/april/overview_gpk4.html Garbage Pail Kids ANS4 Review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819101235/http://www.tradercracks.com/news/non-sports/2005/april/overview_gpk4.html |date=2010-08-19 }} ''Trader Crack's''</ref> These were limited to one randomly inserted card per hobby-exclusive box (available only from speciality retailers) and featured original artwork by series regulars [http://www.poundart.com/gpk/index.html John Pound], [[Tom Bunk]] and [[Jay Lynch]], as well as guest artists Strephon Taylor, John Czop, [[Don Perlin]] and [[Justin Green (cartoonist)|Justin Green]]. Although a regular to the series with over 35 paintings, Luis Diaz was not involved in the sketch cards due to a previous financial dispute with Topps from years earlier.

In 2006, ''ANS5'' was released with 40 more new kids (each with an a/b twin), followed by ''ANS6'' in early 2007. January 2008 saw the release of ''ANS7'' which expanded the base set to 55 new characters and was the last set to feature new artwork until 2010's ''Flashback Series 1'' subset of six previously unpublished "lost" kids.

The ''ANS'' cards differ from the original series (''OS'') in a number of ways, the most obvious being the upgraded quality of the card stock with a glossy protective surface. The ''ANS'' releases also changed the card numbering format: ''OS'' cards used a continuous numbering pattern so that each new set would pick up where the last one ended (e.g., ''OS1'' ended at #41a/b and ''OS2'' picked up at #42a/b, while ''ANS'' reset the numbering back to #1a/b with each subsequent release). Each ''ANS'' also featured special [[Trading card#Terminology|chase card]]s randomly inserted in packs; for example, foil cards show characters from the original series (with modified artwork due to the lawsuit), ''[[Scratch and sniff|Scratch 'n Stink]]'' cards, [[collectible card game]] cards, [[temporary tattoos]], 3D pop-up cards, alphabet cards, activity cards, magnets, [[Lenticular printing|lenticular]] ''Loco Motion'' cards and die-cut jigsaw puzzle cards, along with special bonus cards available only at participating retailers in either "bonus boxes" or rack-packs; these bonus stickers were the first cards not to have a twin set.

==''Flashback'' re-releases==
Topps released a 25th-anniversary ''Flashback'' set<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topps.com/entertainment/garbage-pail-kids/garbage-pail-kids-flashback |access-date=July 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709042050/http://www.topps.com/entertainment/garbage-pail-kids/garbage-pail-kids-flashback |archive-date=July 9, 2011|title=Flashback }}</ref> on February 24, 2010, featuring reprints of characters from the original 1985–87 ''GPK'' series (eight each from ''OS1'' to ''OS8'') plus six previously unpublished "lost" characters and 10 ''Where Are They Now?'' cards, the latter showing classic Garbage Pail Kids drawn as they would have appeared if they had been released at that time. Packs contained randomly inserted chase cards, including lenticular ''Loco Motion'' cards, authentic printing plates, four levels of parallels and hand-drawn artist sketches by pop-culture artists, including [[Layron DeJarnette]], Brent Engstrom, Dave Gross, Mark Pingitore, [[Joe Simko]], Colin Walton, Neil Camera, Fred Wheaton, Jeff Zapata and veteran ''GPK'' artists [[Tom Bunk]] and [[Jay Lynch]].

A second ''Flashback'' set was released on February 23, 2011, with 65 more ''OS'' reprints from ''Series 1'' to ''9'' plus five more "lost" kids, 10 new ''Where Are They Now?'' cards, five 3D cards (resembling holograms but in full color), unique artist sketches and 10 ''Adam Mania'' cards showing variants of Adam Bomb's iconic mushroom cloud, plus parallels of the base and ''Adam Mania'' sets.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59OtHKW8tVadzMzLVl1WFcwRnM/view?usp=share_link&resourcekey=0-fsmVAryleIo1f2Pkb34PrQ Garbage Pail Kids Flashback Series 2 Master Checklist] ''The Collectibles Workshop''</ref>

''GPK Flashback Series 3'' followed on November 2, 2011, with 65 ''OS'' reprints, four more "lost" kids, 10 new ''WATN?'' cards, five more 3D cards, 10 more ''Adam Mania'' cards, plus artist sketches and parallels.

==Book==
[[File:GPKBook.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The book containing the first five series]]
Topps and [[Abrams Books]] released a hardcover book that showcased the first five series. The cover depicted a wrapper from the very first series released back in 1985. Each card was displayed with the "a" name and the "b" name on the bottom corner of the page. It also included four new chase cards that were wrapped in cellophane and adhered to the inside back cover of the book, but were easily removable without running the risk of damaging the book.

==''Brand-New Series'' sets==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2013}}
In 2012, Topps announced it would reboot the ''Garbage Pail Kids'' franchise with new character and content themes more reminiscent of the original 1980s series in a set called ''Brand-New Series 1'' (''BNS1''). The set was released on October 24, 2012. ''BNS1'' features 55 new ''GPK'' characters, a reality TV subset, motion cards, mix 'n' match stickers, parallels, artist sketch cards and code cards redeemable for a chance to be painted as a Garbage Pail Kid in the next ''BNS''. ''BNS2'' was released in March and features 55 new characters, 18 re-imagined characters, lenticular cards, glow-in-the-dark cards and folded cards. Unlike the ''All-New Series'' set and like the old series sets, the numbering of ''BNS'' continues where the previous series ended. They have now announced that there will be a ''BNS3'' released in the middle of October, after the release of the ''Chrome'' edition in August.

==''Chrome Series'' sets==
In October 2013, Topps re-released the original ''Series 1'' as a metallic chromium card set containing all 41 kids, plus 14 previously unpublished "lost" kids.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beckett.com/news/2013/04/topps-is-bringing-chrome-to-garbage-pail-kids |title=Topps is bringing chrome to Garbage Pail Kids&nbsp;— Beckett News |publisher=Beckett.com |access-date=2016-03-20 |archive-date=April 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416062128/http://www.beckett.com/news/2013/04/topps-is-bringing-chrome-to-garbage-pail-kids/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On July 30, 2014, Topps re-released 1985's original ''Series 2'' set, plus 13 returning characters from ''Series 2'' characters that have been reimagined in previous ''Garbage Pail Kids'' sets also as a set of metallic chromium cards. ''Chrome Series'' cards are thicker than the original cards and are not stickers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beckett.com/news/2014/02/garbage-pail-kids-chrome-original-series-2-out-this-summer/ |title=Garbage Pail Kids Chrome Original Series 2 out this summer - Beckett News |publisher=Beckett.com |date=2014-02-20 |access-date=2016-03-20 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==''2014 Series 1''==
Topps released a series of all-new cards with brand-new artwork for 2014. Like the older cards, these have activities on the back of the cards, including checklists, puzzles and [[Facebook]] profiles.

==''30th Anniversary Series''==
In July 2015, Topps released the ''30th Anniversary Series'' with 110 a/b cards (220 cards total). The numbering differed from previous series in that, instead of ranging from #1–110a/b, it had several themed subsets, each of which started at #1 a/b with the subsets being checklist cards featuring variations of Adam Bomb (#1–2a/b), including ''Adam Bomb: Don't Push My Button'', featuring classic ''GPK'' characters pressing Adam Bomb's button (#1–10a/b), ''Artistic Impression'', featuring historical art as ''GPK'' characters (#1–10a/b), ''Artistic Interpretation'', featuring characters drawn by guest artists (#1–5a/b), ''Comic Book Covers'', featuring art from the comic books (#1–7a/b), ''Cutting Room Floor'', featuring rejected concepts (#1–5a/b), ''Garbage Pail Kids' Kids'', featuring the children of classic Garbage Pail Kids (#1–10a/b), ''Garbage Pail Pets'', featuring animals as Garbage Pail Kids (#1–10a/b), ''Garbage Pail Presidents'', featuring 10 former U.S. Presidents as Garbage Pail Kids (#1–10a/b), ''Lost Original Art'', featuring the original paintings of classic Garbage Pail Kids which were never before published (#1–6a/b), ''Zoom Out'', featuring zoomed-out Garbage Pail Kids showing what happened in the background (#1–10a/b) and ''{{'}}80s Spoofs'', featuring parodies of things that were popular in the 1980s (#1–25a/b).

== Yearly themed series ==
After the ''30th Anniversary Series'', Topps began using a new formula that structured each series with an overall theme divided into subsets focusing on particular topics. In January 2016, ''American as Apple Pie In Your Face!'' put GPKs in situations that parodied American culture. A second 2016 series followed in April called ''Prime Slime Trashy TV'' with humorous takes on popular television shows. The first series for 2017 was January's ''Adam-geddon'', which put the Garbage Pail Kids (including some classic kids) in perilous end-times scenarios.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59OtHKW8tVaaU1SbVFoV0xjRkE/view?usp=share_link&resourcekey=0-vFDVre20WTIYO88qTGIvcQ Garbage Pail Kids Adam-geddon Master Checklist] ''The Collectibles Workshop''</ref> Topps announced that the second series for 2017 will arrive in October and be called ''Battle of the Bands'', caricaturing popular music acts and record album covers. The yearly themed series, along with their timing around the 2016 presidential elections, provided Topps with a perfect opportunity to parody American politics. In July 2015, they released the ''30th Anniversary Series'', which featured 10 additional ''Garbage Pail Presidents''. This was followed in January 2016 by ''The 2016 Presidential Candidates'', and in September 2016, they launched ''DisgRace to the White House''. The series culminated with ''Best of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election'' and the ''2017 Presidential Inaug-Hurl Ceremony'' in January 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noy |first=Ido |title=Disgrace to the White House: Garbage Pail Kids as a Platform for Political Satire – GPK History |url=https://gpkhistory.com/disgrace-to-the-white-house/ |access-date=2024-10-19 |language=en-US |isbn=978-965-598-791-1}}</ref>

==Movies==
===''The Garbage Pail Kids Movie''===
{{Main|The Garbage Pail Kids Movie}}
On August 21, 1987, a live action film based on the cards was released.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lXmuXVGidY Garbage Pail Kids Movie Trailer] ''YouTube''</ref> Its campy production made it both a critical and commercial flop, opening poorly in 374 theaters with initial receipts of $661,512 and total gross receipts of $1,576,615, making a 60% profit on its $1 million budget.<ref name="IMDb" /> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a 0% critic rating.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/garbage_pail_kids_movie |title=The Garbage Pail Kids Movie |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=October 30, 2022}}</ref> The film is considered [[List of films considered the worst|one of the worst films ever made]]. Topps featured advertisements for the film on the original ''Series 9'' and ''10'' box-topper posters and variant wrappers.

===Cancelled remake===
On March 12, 2012, it was announced that [[Michael Eisner]]'s [[The Tornante Company|Tornante Company]] would be producing a new film based on the cards, likely with computer-generated character imagery. Michael Vukadinovich was hired to write the screenplay for the film and [[PES (director)|PES]] has been hired to direct.<ref>{{cite news|title= The Garbage Pail Kids Return to the Big Screen|work= ComingSoon.net|date= March 12, 2012|url= https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=87958|access-date= 2012-03-12|archive-date= June 22, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120622225319/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=87958|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=https://deadline.com/2012/03/michael-eisners-tornante-company-behind-feature-adaptation-of-garbage-pail-kids-242718/ |title=Michael Eisner's Tornante Company Behind Feature Adaptation Of 'Garbage Pail Kids' |publisher=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date= 2012-03-12|access-date=2013-12-19}}</ref>

==Television==
{{Main|Garbage Pail Kids (TV series)}}

In May 2021, it was announced that a new animated TV series based on the cards is in the works at [[HBO Max]], and would be co-produced by Topps, Tornante Company and [[Danny McBride]]'s production company [[Rough House Pictures]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=May 26, 2021 |title='Garbage Pail Kids' Animated Series in the Works at HBO Max (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/garbage-pail-kids-animated-series-danny-mcbride-hbo-max-1234959124/ |access-date=August 6, 2024 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> In October 2023, director David Gordon Green confirmed the TV series is still in development.<ref>{{cite web|title=David Gordon Green Says 'Garbage Pail Kids' Series Still in Development|url=https://www.awn.com/news/david-gordon-green-says-garbage-pail-kids-series-still-development|last=Alexa|first=Laurén|work=[[Animation World Network]]|date=October 10, 2023|access-date=October 10, 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Wacky Packages]]''
* ''[[Hollywood Zombies]]''
* ''[[Madballs]]''
* ''[[Trash Pack|The Trash Pack]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}
* [http://www.gpkworld.com/ GPK World]
* [http://www.wgpkr.com/ Wayne's GPK references]
* [http://www.30yearsofgarbage.com/ 30 Years of Garbage]
* [https://garbagepailkids.proboards.com/ GPK Underground]
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q7735810|title=The Garbage Pail Kids Movie}}

{{Topps Sports Card Products By Year}}
{{Art Spiegelman}}
{{The Tornante Company}}
{{Non-sports trading cards}}

[[Category:1980s toys]]
[[Category:Trading cards]]
[[Category:American black comedy]]
[[Category:Topps franchises]]
[[Category:Mass media franchises introduced in 1985]]
[[Category:1980s fads and trends]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies]]
[[Category:Parodies of advertising]]
[[Category:Comedy franchises]]
[[Category:Splatterpunk]]
[[category:Collecting]]
[[Category:Waste]]
[[Category:Art Spiegelman]]