Garbage Pail Kids

by Peter Bagge, Jeff Zapata, Phil Elliott

Remember mullets and teased bangs? Stonewashed denim jackets and jeans? Well, not everything about the ‘80s was lame, because that’s when the Garbage Pail Kids ruled the world! Those irreverent, satirical stickers quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon, but they never had their own comic book... until now! In the spirit of the avant-garde cartoonists and humorists who fathered these miscreants, a new generation of alternative-comics creators has lent their unique talents to bring the Garbage Pail Kids into the wacky world of comics.

Genres: Graphic Novels

120 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2014

About the author

Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist known for his irreverent, kinetic style and his incisive, black-humored portrayals of middle-class American youth. He first gained recognition with Neat Stuff, which introduced characters such as Buddy Bradley, Girly-Girl, and The Bradleys, and followed it with Hate, his best-known work, which ran through the 1990s and later as annuals. Bagge’s comics often exaggerate the frustrations, absurdities, and reduced expectations of ordinary life, combining influences from Warner Brothers cartoons, underground comix, and classic cartoonists like Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Robert Crumb. Beyond satire and fiction, Bagge has produced fact-based comics journalism, biographies, and historical comics, contributing to outlets such as suck.com, MAD Magazine, toonlet, Discover, and Reason. His biographical works include Woman Rebel, about Margaret Sanger, Fire!!, on Zora Neale Hurston, and Credo, on Rose Wilder Lane. Bagge has collaborated with major publishers including Fantagraphics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel, producing works such as Yeah!, Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd, Other Lives, and Reset. He has also worked in animation, creating Flash cartoons and animated commercials, and has been active as a musician in bands such as The Action Suits and Can You Imagine. Bagge’s signature art style is elastic, energetic, and exaggerated, capturing movement and comic expression in a way that amplifies both humor and social commentary. His personal politics are libertarian, frequently reflected in his comics and essays, and he has been a longtime contributor to Reason magazine. Bagge’s work combines biting satire, historical insight, and a relentless visual inventiveness, making him a central figure in American alternative comics for over four decades.

Reviews

[Lolly's Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like many others, I didn't buy this intentionally but received this as part of the September 2016 Comic Bento box. During the 80's (yes, sadly, I'm that old) I collected Garbage Pail Kids trading cards, despite owning several of the Cabbage Patch Dolls which they parodied. (My mom was actually one of those mothers who fought in a scrum to purchase one of the first production dolls for my Christmas present; again, yes, I'm that old and that spoiled.) Eventually, I had a stack of cards about two and a half inches high which I did get a chuckle from every time I flipped through them. (Sadly, I was stupid enough to get rid of said cards during one of our many family moves--I could seriously kick myself in the ass right now over the things I've gotten rid of, like my collection of She-Ra dolls and Star Wars figures. Damn, I be dumb!)

The cards were one thing: small, manageable doses of potty humor, with illustrations that, despite their subject matter, were actually well done. This graphic novel is just too overwhelming and too sensory stimulating in all the wrong ways. Frankly, after reading a couple of pages, I felt the need for a shower. Or two.

I never watched the cartoon, so maybe that makes a difference. Maybe not. But never having been a huge fan of scat, vomit, and gross-out humor, and with no well-written storyline to underpin all the nastiness, the graphic novel was just one big turn-off for me.

[Mutant Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve always liked the idea of Garbage Pail Kids more than the actual execution. I can forgive the hit-or-miss name puns, and lowbrow satire is fine with me. I’m even a fan of the art and collected many of the cards myself. It’s just that the parodic aspect always seems to fall short of being genuinely clever.
You might chalk up my distaste to this being a kids' comic, and that may be true, but I was surprised to see several sexual references in this volume, which left me wondering who this is really aimed at. The trading cards never went there, as far as I know, for obvious reasons.
Peter Bagge's contributions are probably the best of the bunch, who I think is a good fit for this kind of material. I kept thinking Johnny Ryan would’ve been an excellent contributor too, if they’d dared to hire him. And while I’m fantasy booking, an Art Spiegelman story would’ve been fun to see, though I assume he’s long since moved on to more artsy-fartsy stuff these days.
The idea that this vulgar comic found its way into some unwitting loot box subscribers’ hands, with no frame of reference for what they were getting, is pretty hilarious, though.

[Jim Street · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is exactly what you should expect with a GPK comic collection: an anthology of gross stories from some of the best cartoonists in the industry. Body humor is the cornerstone of pretty much every story. Of course that might not be your kind of thing.
Now, the ratings on this thing... whew! They stink! But do they stink because this thing is horrible, terrible, and rotten? Or are they so low because this thing is depraved and should never have been made to begin with?
I gotta give it 1-star because it's gross, disgusting, and offensive! ;)
The art is great, the writing is gross - if it weren't the grossest or the gross GPK, it would get 5 stars!

[Brian Lakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for some nostalgia...

Totally ridiculous read, but if you saw the cover and read it you should have guessed. If you were an 80s kid, you remember packs of cards and afternoons trading them with your buddies. Good times.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Halloween, 1985. I had just returned from a night of trick-or-treating. I had a plethora of Tootsie Rolls, lollipops, and Reese's Cups. Not a bad haul. But at the bottom of my bucket was something different. It was enclosed in wax paper and produced by Topps. But these weren't baseball cards. No, this was something truly bizarre- they looked like Cabbage Patch Kids on the cards but they were kinda gross and really funny. They were Garbage Pail Kids.
Now we jump to October, 2016. I just got the latest Comic Bento box from the post office. This month's theme was 'As Seen On TV.' I was very interested to see what the folks at Comic Bento had for me in this month's mystery offering.
The first 3 books were based on shows that I was familiar with. But number 4 was kinda strange- it was a collection of Garbage Pail Kids comic books published by IDW Publishing. Apparently, a short-lived animated series that only aired in Canada counts as a 'As Seen On TV.' Well, Comic Bento is a Canadian based company...
About the book- it reminded me of my childhood and I couldn't wait to read it.
Boy, did I wish I waited...
The comics feature some of the most popular Garbage Pail Kids- Blasted Billy, Greaser Greg, and Nat Nerd and the ick factor is set to overload. But these comics are not for kids!
I remember there being potty humor, fart jokes, and boogers galore in the original trading cards that doubled as stickers. But there wasn't sex jokes, cursing, and more visual poop than all of the world's sewers combined. I'm hoping this was rated at least Teen cause this stuff wasn't for kids.
I realize now that these comics, filled with short stories and single-page spreads, were mean to be read by grown-ups who remembered having these cards when they were little and wanted to revisit a childhood memory. But as with anyone who is approached by a rebooted franchise from their childhood, it's quite shocking when the material isn't so innocent anymore.
Unlike the elementary school I attended, which banned the Garbage Pail Kids eventually, I'm not calling for this book to be censored. It's just not for me anymore. Some stories actually made me nauseous. Some made me feel like a grown man that's just too old for this silliness. I muddled through and finished this book. But it's not going to be a permanent part of my collection. I'll take it to the used book store in hopes of getting some a little more sophisticated- like a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird or the Collected works of Plato. Who am I kidding? I'm probably gonna get a new Archie's Double Digest.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

With 'Garbage Pail Kids' by various artists, I should have known what I was stepping in to, but the cast of guest artists like Peter Bagge and Shannon Wheeler and others drew me in to the trap.

I was a little old when the Garbage Pail Kids phenomenon hit, but I understand it's appeal. I collected Odd Rods and Wacky Packages, (and dearly wish I'd hung on to some of them after seeing what some of them go for now), but I digress. The Garbage Pail Kids appeal to a certain gross out humor. The problem with 4 volumes of it, is eventually the body fluid jokes threaten to become a stinking flood. There are only so many rivers of snot and other things a person can put up with. At least this person.

The art can't be faulted. The characters stay true to their trading card selves. It seems like certain characters are more popular than others, maybe for their ability to ooze more or something.

As you can tell, this really wasn't for me, but there is probably a fan out there who will love the retro characters in adventures where they have to use their "special" powers.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Phil · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book in the September 2016 Comic Bento box. It was not for me though. I've never seen the show it is based on. The book is filled with toilet humor, which I could probably forgive except there is no story. Each part of this book is a vignette that last no more than 5 or 6 pages tops. These are so disconnected that I felt no connection to this book whatsoever.

There are characters that recur over the course of the book, but they get no introduction, so fans of the show might like it but it can leave anyone else lost. Each one has some gimmick that ties into the humor of the book, although there can be some overlap between characters.

The art seems to be right in line with the cartoon. It isn't my style, and it tries to be disgusting. Sometimes it hits the mark and sometimes it just tries too hard. That being said, there are some clever moments. The art in particular is used to poke fun at quite a range of topics. There are some stories that tackle nerd culture, but these felt like they went on too long.

This book states right out that it is for immature readers and it is not wrong.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's only so far you can go with GPK gags, but the crop of cartoonists on this project are all very talented and they make the most of it. You may give a star or two more if your taste for scat humor is greater than mine.

[Jody Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started strong and was good fun until an awful 3rd chapter dragged it down a star or two.

[Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would have never read this if Comic Bento hadn't shipped it out in their monthly box. Not my thing. Nonstop poop and vomit jokes don't interest me much at all. To each their own.

[Sita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. Nonstop potty jokes/grossness, I reached my limit within the first 10 pages or so. Doesn't appeal to me in any aspect. I couldn't appreciate the art since the story was crap.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

GPk Trash

It's pretty bad, I prefer collecting the cards... the only positive is that GPK didn't die in the 80's. Great trip down memory lane.