Garbage Pail Kids

One of my most vivid childhood memories is about collection those awesome Garbage Pail Kids cards. The art was pretty funny, even though it was gross most of the time. It's always nice to remember those times.

Here in Brazil, it was called "Gang do Lixo" meaning "Garbage Gang"... and it was amazingly found in lots of countries back then. The GPK was release in 1985 and was a big hit... it mocked the Cabbage Patch Kids, which was the cute version of GPK. Unfortunally, it is REALLY hard to find the card arts... I found some new art at Luis Diaz' site, one of the artists behind GPK, but the sites with the original series images got only low quality pieces. So, check these out! Hope you remember these. Cheers!

Update: You may check cards from the original series (with names and all that) clicking here!!

Update 2: For those wondering if is there a new series of cards, YES! THERE IS! Check out the official PDK site. ;)

About author

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Hello, everyone! I'm Paulo, a 24 years old designer from Porto Alegre, Brazil. I work as a webdesigner since 2006, but websites and blogs have been a hobbie for me since 1999. At Abduzeedo, I try to bring only the hot stuff for you guys... and hope that all of you enjoy my posts! Cheers! *Now on Twitter.

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Pretty ghoulish, yet very watchable.

Ryan G's picture
Ryan G (not verified) 10/07/2008

Two words: THANK YOU!

Arkanjel's picture
Arkanjel (not verified) 10/03/2008

man this is badass man keep it up,
i like the batman one -Adam bomb #2-

adam bomb 10/02/2008

This brings back memories. I used to collect them. I had almost the whole first series. I wish I kept them. oh well. thanks for the post!

Francisco's picture
Francisco 09/29/2008

Oh, brother! Michael, take your hanky outside.

Are these from some new series? They can't be from the 80's sets, because one of them pretty obviously mocks Paris Hilton, which would place the vintage of these images to only the past few years or so.

Trading Cards's picture
Trading Cards (not verified) 09/29/2008

Thanks guys for the interesting comments. I love to hear each and everyone's thoughts. :)

Luis Diaz's picture
Luis Diaz (not verified) 09/29/2008

I Love these cards, in fact, i still have over 2,000 of them. I have all of every original series from 2-15 and most of series 1. If anyone wants scans I might be pursuaded to scan some.

JasonCLucifer's picture
JasonCLucifer (not verified) 09/26/2008

I looked into it and none of these are the originals, so that is definitely a spongebob parody - not inspiration ;). These are pretty cool, they really take me back to the big yellow bus days. I wonder if there will be a new series, or if the artist these came from was simply inspired by the originals.

Vincent Le Pes's picture
Vincent Le Pes (not verified) 09/26/2008

FilthyRichmond.com is teh taint.

Jossie's picture
Jossie (not verified) 09/26/2008

I can't believe these were popular when I was growing up. http://www.clownoftheday.com

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified) 09/26/2008

Absolutely fantastic! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. ^_^ I had these stuck all over my Trapper Keepers when I was in gradeschool. I wonder what else they could come up with if they started producing these again?

PikaPikaChick's picture
PikaPikaChick (not verified) 09/26/2008

I think those guys that didn´t apreciate this post are too young. I collected those cards when I was 11 (unfortunately I just completed half of the album), and it was a very good influence for my drawings. I still think that GPK is a very good reference for illustration. And still very funny for me :o)

Very good post.

Alisson's picture
Alisson (not verified) 09/26/2008

Did you anyone saw ?

YAMEDE's picture
YAMEDE (not verified) 09/26/2008

Dont find much stuff like this these days.

Conrad Gorny
Freelance Graphic Designer
www.conradgorny.com

Conrad Gorny's picture
Conrad Gorny (not verified) 09/26/2008

Anyone else notice the one that looks just like spongebob?

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified) 09/26/2008

Really nice!

Sibren's picture
Sibren (not verified) 09/26/2008

Guillaume is right. There is worst on the net... I never saw this on my side :( Maybe I'm to young.. Just got 18 this summer.
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We <3 HamBoneZ !

HamBoneZ's picture
HamBoneZ 09/26/2008

those are great, anyone remember collectibles called eurostyles (just like the font) featuring amazing graphics, i used to collect those when i was a kid, and now impossible to find them back...

adel's picture
adel (not verified) 09/26/2008

Thanks for posting these! Lots of memories. I'm 31 years old and loved looking at these when I was a kid. Granted, I'm a girl and thought they were disgusting and preferred the real Cabbage Patch Kids, but I remember the boys in my class going insane over these illustrations. Gross but I enjoyed looking at them too. Haha!

Thanks for posting! I bet the cards are highly collectible.

Steelgoddess's picture
Steelgoddess (not verified) 09/26/2008

We used to have those in France too and I used to collect them ! :)

And don't worry about the "under 18" people who might look at this page, they can easily find "worse" things on the net...

Guillaume's picture
Guillaume (not verified) 09/26/2008

Wow, these bring me back, even though some of them are clearly new. I remember saving up 2 bucks in quarters and buying 8 packs one day in first grade. It was glorious, even if the gum was basically inedible (which didn't stop me from sticking 8 pieces in my face as I unwrapped the cards).

The comments saying they're inappropriate are absolutely hysterical. If you're offended by something as innocuous as these, do you really think you should even be on the internet?

Paulogog's picture
Paulogog (not verified) 09/26/2008

I remember these card always gave me a very weird feeling as a kid. I wouldn't say they damaged me, but they definitely destroyed a little bit of my innocence. Great collection- takes me back. Great site design too, bravo!

Mark Nutter's picture
Mark Nutter (not verified) 09/26/2008

I can still smell the bubblegum that came with them. Ahh, the good old days.

Adriana's picture
Adriana (not verified) 09/26/2008

Here original cartoons movies: p-toon.com

ani's picture
ani (not verified) 09/26/2008

Absolutely amazing stuff here. Wow, I am speechless.

Jiff
www.privacy.es.tc

JIff WIlson's picture
JIff WIlson (not verified) 09/26/2008

man I feel old reading some of these comments. "Warning graphic content: contains gore, etc." really!? I started collecting these things in '85... i was 6. wow kids are sensitive these days.

anyhoo, well done, love'em, these are excellent!!

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified) 09/26/2008

my brother still has our old cards ... those were the days *sight*

sam3k's picture
sam3k (not verified) 09/26/2008

Um... This is an inspiration and design website. This is a really cool insipiration! I know it could be "gore" but does these pictures are aswome? It's great to see diversity and I'm sure 90% of active people on this site are over 18..
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We <3 HamBoneZ !

HamBoneZ's picture
HamBoneZ 09/26/2008

what's with the "disgusting" comments?? This guy can post whatever he likes, this is his website, helllllooo????? doh...

If you don't like the post, don't come in and read, make your own site or blog and curse all you want... otherwise, shut up.....

AxBk's picture
AxBk (not verified) 09/26/2008

Just noticed people whinging about these down below lol Is good to see they haven't lost their effect all these years on. For the record, they were made for kids so I don't really see why a warning is neccesary lol

Please take 5 minutes to vote for me at http://www.dontpaniconline.com/designbrief/entry/?id=4481 before September 28. Greatly appreciated :)

darkodin 09/26/2008

I loved these things as a kid, and partly credit them to my love of gory movies and death metal in later years of my life lol I remember they were very controversial in the day and if launched now would be equally so. They were created to parody Cabbage Patch Kids and at one stage they were sued by them. Thanks for bringing back so many good memories :)

Please take 5 minutes to vote for me at http://www.dontpaniconline.com/designbrief/entry/?id=4481 before September 28. Greatly appreciated :)

darkodin 09/26/2008

Ah, I've always loved these, I remember havin' some as a kid!

@Michael, I'm almost certain these cards were aimed for children, not adults.

@Everyone else, there's no reason to be rude. ;o

Danny Tatom's picture
Danny Tatom (not verified) 09/26/2008

Yup, sure is gross!... But that's what I love about it! Good ol' Ren & Stimpy / Itchy & Scratchy style gore!

I've never heard of the Garbage Pail Kids before tonight, but I love them already. I'm gonna stand on the opposite side of the room to Michael - more like this is fine by me!

Rob Barrett's picture
Rob Barrett (not verified) 09/26/2008

That's legend. Donn sent me on the link. What a blast from the past. Brilliant.

I wonder where the hell all my cards went to...

Alex Leonard's picture
Alex Leonard (not verified) 09/25/2008

Wow! this is amazing

Wyd's picture
Wyd (not verified) 09/25/2008

Insane! I loved this topic!

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We <3 HamBoneZ !

HamBoneZ's picture
HamBoneZ 09/25/2008

very nice i like them all keep up the good work.

P.S. MICHAEL I A UP TIGHT LIL BITHC, COME ON THE WORK IS REALLY GOOD

This is really cool i like it. keep up the good work.

P.S. I AGREE MICHAEL IS A UP THIGHT LITTLE BITHC, THE WORK IS GOOD. I DONT SEE HER POSTING ANY DOPE SHIT

JAE. CALI FRESH CREW's picture
JAE. CALI FRESH CREW (not verified) 09/25/2008

That's funny. These are obviously new versions (see the Matrix reference in one of the illustrations).

I remember my brother collecting these when I was a kid, and yes, they were just as disgusting but they never traumatized me. Honestly, they gave my brother and I a good chuckle.

The thing I miss is all the clever names they gave the illustrations. None of these modern versions have a name for each kid. I can't remember any of the names from the old ones, but they told an even greater story when accompanied by the illustration.

It's funny people take offense at these things, but then perhaps they weren't exposed to these kinds of things as children as some of us were and are therefore hypersensitive to it. Nothing wrong, exactly, with being sensitive towards violence, but it also helps to remember this is all just make-believe, too.

Search flickr and you'll find a lot of photos of some of the original cards/stickers:

http://flickr.com/search/?q=garbage+pail+kids

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified) 09/25/2008

f*ck! the guy got serious issues!

jei's picture
jei (not verified) 09/25/2008

i really can't believe it, i looked all over mercadolivre.com for an old album and never found anything and then you show up with the guy's site.

must be a message from nostalgia heaven

i was born 1982 and this is pretty much basics to my childhood memories. do you happen to remember the ploc monsters, or the pepsi rubber creatures we used to trade for the bottle's cap?

do you remember 1980's "decalques" and the fabulous arts? i can even remember the smell!

thankyou so much Paulo!

Raffael Regis's picture
Raffael Regis (not verified) 09/25/2008

WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT? I JUST LOVE GPK

pelamordedeus eu tinha o album, os 2 albuns de figurinhas!

DO YOU HAVE THE OLD ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE ILLUSTRATED ALBUM?

AGGGHHHH PIREI NA BATATINHA

Raffael Regis's picture
Raffael Regis (not verified) 09/25/2008

Kind of gross, but really awesome. I'm 14 and I have no problem viewing these things, mainly because their awesomeness overshadows their gross parts :D

Daan's picture
Daan 09/25/2008

I used to have SOOO many of these cards! I still regret the day I traded all my cards to a friend for his He-man collection. ARGHH! Did I see the origins of Spongebob Squarepants above?

Andy's picture
Andy (not verified) 09/25/2008

Holy cow there are some negative people on here. Its ART! Its Badass! I used to see this stuff when i was like 5.....Maybe you guys shouldn't come on the site then....I hope to see many more posts like this!

Ben K's picture
Ben K (not verified) 09/25/2008

I mean, it's nice of you to share, but probably because I'm younger, I've never seen these things before, so I'm not familiar with these, but still, it's pretty gross. =D

If people like this, good, but I can understand why some don't. ^^
__________
Cheers,
Chris - http://flickr.com/photos/jakhris/2884806635/

JaKhris's picture
JaKhris 09/25/2008

Geez, I don't know what's the matter if you people, moralists. I used to collect these when I was 8 years old. I don't see any problem in these. And cartoons nowadays are just like these, like The Simpson's Itchy and Scratch... geez, pleople. Please.

paulo's picture
paulo 09/25/2008

That is some VERY weird art... quite disgusting... disturbing... Not very Abduzeedo-ish.

And I agree with Michael. I'm 15, I can look a these pics but still, it's inappropriate.
___________
Cheers,
Chris - http://flickr.com/photos/jakhris/2884806635/

JaKhris's picture
JaKhris 09/25/2008

These are totally awesome man! They bring back so many memories!

P.S. Micheal is a little bitch who probably lives a very sheltered life.
Shut the fuck up bitch.

Peter's picture
Peter (not verified) 09/25/2008

Wow, that's quite a blast from the past. Part of my childhood memories I had completely forgotten about, thanks for the reminder.

Donn's picture
Donn (not verified) 09/25/2008

This stuff is simply disgusting, sure it took some artistic ability to create it, but I expect better from the people of Abduzeedo than to post stuff like this. Seriously, there are people under the age of 18 that look at this site, and the least you could do is put some kind of warning, like, "Warning graphic content: contains gore, etc." I really hope I don't see more stuff like this again on this site.

Michael's picture
Michael (not verified) 09/25/2008

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