Of all the Wacky Packages rip-offs that I've ever encountered, N. G. Slater Corp's "Kooky Patches" (early 70's) might be the most obscure. In this kooky-wack world of sickening spoofs, Big Macs become "Big Tacs", Baggies become "Saggies", and One-A-Day vitamins become "None-A-Day." The checklist on the backside of the product card reveals even more gaggy gems to come from Series One: Junkys, Jerks, Belches, Butts, Snotties, Vomit, Doublestink Gum, Kentucky Fried Chipmunks etc. Yes sir, funny, gross-out humor was every kid's bread 'n butthole back in the day, and I'd love to see the original illustrated art which I'm sure worked out great visually. Unfortunately, in this sticky / stitchy, iron-on / sticker patch format, the gags don't really seem to translate all that well, with all of the great detail getting a bit muddied in those colorfully sloppy strings. (Googled the others in the set and in a few cases some look just fine though.) Still, another cool find, and seeing Ronald McD with a mouthful of tacks really made my day!
4 comments:
Wow those are awesome. Yeah, I agree, I'd like to see the original art, but the weird scattered thread nature of trying to turn that into a patch creates ... real art.
The McDonald one would give Pennywise a run for his money in being just an outright scary clown -- and it's not meant to be that way but certainly translated to patch in that manner.
The alligator looks like he's been invaded by an alien parasite and none-a-day is a new type of modern art.
"The wackiest thing you ever saw!" they can't be accused of false advertising.
I had never thought of putting patches on books or bulletin boards, maybe it was a west coast thing, I don't know.
Had these been made overseas I could understand the imperfect stitchwork, but being made in the US by union workers? They must have been the last items made before the union decided to strike.
It is amazing how much kitsch was cranked out during the decade of the Bicentennial.
Woah, trying to read that None-A-Day bottle is like a magic eye poster. I got real far from the computer and I focused on my index finger about a foot from my face, and then I slowly moved it toward the screen and then... maybe it says "UNDIGESTABLE VITAMINS"? I think maybe smaller stitches would have worked better? And maybe an editor?
I'm off to find pix of the Cracker Jerk patch. That's the one I want the most--a good lampoon of the world's worst snack, and a kinda punk name tag for a North Carolinian.
Edit: Hey! Only sixteen bucks on eBay!
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