“Waxing Nostalgic” – original – 20”x20” acrylic on canvas

Description

“Waxing Nostalgic” 20”x20” acrylic on canvas

In June of 1985 I turned 10. That’s also the same time Garbage Pail Kids were released.

The iconic pink wax package of the first series will forever elicit from me a feeling of sheer joy. Hunting down and collecting the complete set of Garbage Pail Kids became a nearly full time job that summer.

I’ll never forget going with my father to his friend’s house later that year. While I was playing with his friend’s daughter I looked up from the game we were playing and saw something I couldn’t believe. There was a Garbage Pail Kids sticker stuck on the side a dresser that I’d never seen before. I was flabbergasted. I had them ALL. I’d studied the checklist and practically had it memorized. Who the hell was this snot covered anomaly Messy Tessie? The girl I was playing with did not understand my urgent questioning. I needed to know where it came from.

That’s the moment I learned that there was a second series. My work was no longer complete! The thrill of going to the corner store where I was told they could be found was beyond compare. I was worried that I’d never get them all because this store wasn’t near my house. There was no way my parents were going to drive out of the way to so I could drop a few quarters on some new GPk on a regular basis.

Luckily they were soon available near my grandparents’ house where I got my usual fix of MAD Magazines, candy, and comic books when we’d visit on weekends. I collected them up until about the 9th series, but the first five series that used Adam Bomb on different colored backgrounds heralded the excitement of discovering new, disgusting, characters that annoyed adults and teachers enough to make the news. Much like the Cabbage Patch kids made the news for being so popular, albeit acceptable.

I never stopped loving the originals, and looking at the original packages will always make me happy.