The Lost Art of Bubble Gum Card Wax Packs!
The Top 10 Wax Pack Designs From Your Childhood!
Greetings Mad Creators!
As promised in my latest YouTube video, I've delved into the captivating world of wax pack wrappers, bringing to life all the bad movie cards I've designed in previous videos. And let me tell you, capturing that classic screen-printed aesthetic was no small feat. Thankfully, I enlisted the help of Retro Supply Co., masters in digital tools that perfectly emulate vintage analog art with uncanny accuracy.
Now, before we dive into the nostalgia, let me hook you up with something special. A FREE pack of Retro Supply bushes which you can download here! Plus Retro Supply wants to sweeten the deal with an exclusive discount on their incredible line of products. Just use code "RETROSERK24" for 20% off your order when you check out at retrosupply.co.
Ah, the pop art of wax packs! There's truly nothing quite like it – from the limited color palette to the bold, saturated inks, and those charming off-register printing errors. And let's not forget the unique waxy texture of the paper. To celebrate my undying love for wax wrapper design, I've compiled a list of my top 10 Greatest Wax Wrappers of all time!
Let's jump right in:
10. Magnum P.I. 1981 (Donruss)
This wrapper embodies everything we love about Magnum PI – Tomas Magnum his red Ferrari, and that iconic Tom Selleck stache. The red, blue, and gold color scheme is executed flawlessly, and Selleck's portrait is nothing short of perfection.
9. The Incredible Hulk 1979 (Topps)
While the Hulk's body may have turned into a green blob towards the bottom, the vibrant colors of green against the magenta background, accentuated by yellow in the logo, redeem this design.
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 (Topps)
A departure from the typical bold and colorful designs, this wrapper opts for earth tones, a bold choice indeed. But Topps absolutely nailed the depiction of Indiana Jones, making this design stand out in its originality.
7. Batman Series 2 1966 (Topps)
Completing the dynamic duo with the addition of Robin, this second series Batman wrapper makes great use of its limited color palette, creating a striking image of the caped crusaders against the classic Batman logo.
6. Charlie's Angels Series 1 1977 (Topps)
Topps wisely avoided detailed portraits of the three Angels, instead opting for their iconic silhouette logo and a graphic layout. And it paid off beautifully – simple yet effective.
5. Kiss Series 1 1978 (Donruss)
This wrapper is a no-brainer, featuring the legendary headshots of the band, their infamous logo, and a bright blue background. It's a design that will undoubtedly go down in wax wrapper Kissstory!
4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1978 (Topps)
No spoilers here. Topps decided not to feature any images of the extraterrestrials revealed at the end of the film. Instead, the designer focused on the imagery of bright lights illuminating the road ahead, using the perfect combination of primary colors and black to create a design that pops.
3. Star Wars Series 2 1977 (Topps)
Darth Vader's stunning profile against a colorful array of illustrative reflections (Bonus points if you spotted the reflection of the four-pane glass window which seems out of place in the Star Wars universe.) Vader’s image rests atop the world-famous Star Wars logo, making this wrapper worthy of framing.
2. Masters of the Universe 1984 (Topps)Â
Topps may have greased the palm a bit by giving us four different wapper designs featuring He-Man, Teela, Skelator, and Orko but any of these designs on their own would still rank high on this list. Even though the art featured on the trading cards is taken from the Filmation animated series Topps's decision to emulate the illustration style from the mini-comics accompanying the toy line elevates these designs to the next level.
1. The Empire Strikes Back 1980 Series 1 (Topps)
Wax Pack art doesn't get any better than this! Darth Vader's menacing portrait practically jumps off the solid red wrapper while the intense yellow logo pulls you in. This wrapper design is pure pop art perfection!
And there you have it, my top 10 Greatest Wax Wrappers of all time! But hey, what do you think? Do you agree with my list, or do you feel I made some glaring omissions? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Before I sign off, I've added a limited number of my Bad Movie Wax Packs to my online store. Get them before they're gone – just visit my website.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep making awesome stuff!
I noticed that the art is limited to screen print colors; yellow, red, blue, black.