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I was drafted early into the War on Pop Culture. An adolescent soldier, my artillery was Mad magazine, Cracked! and any early form of satire I could find. These were comics I perused with great interest; however there was another form of parody that was the anticipated object of my saved allowance as I anxiously awaited the next trip to the corner store. Wacky Packages.
 These amusing cards satirizing America’s best-known and loved products were one of the few things I actively sought as a young girl in the 70’s. They delighted, engrossed and entertained me for much of my childhood. Part of the allure was the clever artwork and hilarious captions. “Chock Full of Nuts and Bolts Coffee,” or “Gadzooka Bubblegum.” I remember what a guilty pleasure it was to read these cards making a mockery of the products that were in my house. I wondered how they got away with it. Topps produced these popular cards from 1967 to 1992. I personally had not seen them in years, until I was shopping with my own 9 year old son on vacation this past summer, and we spotted the familiar packages among the baseball and Yu Ghi Oh cards. I was immediately transported back to when I was nine, and I had those stickers plastered all over my dresser (much to my mother‘s horror at the defacement of a piece of furniture). We bought the 3 packs they had left in the store, and greedily ripped them open in the parking lot. My son had the same tickled reaction I did, and I knew this was something he and I would enjoy sharing together. Topps just began production of Wacky Packages again in May of this year, and Series 1 are now available nationwide. Some of my favorites are “Frosted Snakes,” “Spittles,” and “Dead Bull.” And again, the only canvas appropriate for such an American treasure is a major household appliance--the garage refrigerator hosts many of the products on the inside as now adorns the outside.
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