As far as countercultures go, the ’80s had many. As a kid growing up in the decade, I craved the parody of Mad Magazine, the gory edginess of Fangoria and the dangerous allure of films outside of my MPAA rating bracket. But there was one medium above the rest that really piqued the gross, lurid side of my 8-year-old personality. That was Garbage Pail Kids, the sticker/card collections released by Topps in 1985 to parody the then popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. In no time, the stickers became an obsession. I had scores of books collecting my own, and now, that rich nostalgic treasure trove of Garbage Pail Kids artwork is back on display in a new documentary retrospective.
Directors Joe Simko and Jeff Zapata have constructed a new feature-length doc covering 30 years of Garbage Pail Kids. The doc, aptly titled 30 Years of Garbage, includes interviews with creators Art Spiegelmen and Mark Newgarden as well as the artists behind the classic images, the fans and collectors and even the cast and crew of 1987’s “classic” live-action film adaptation, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie.
Check out the trailer for the new doc, and keep an eye on the film’s official site for screening announcements and DVD on-sale information.
