BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 65: LAUGHING LONS

 WE HAVE A SCARY DOUBLE FEATURE TODAY, PERFECT FOR HALLOWEEN SEASON

1973 TOPPS YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING - REMEMBER... ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES

I'VE ALREADY SHOWN OFF MY PETER CUSHING AND CHRISTOPHER LEE CARDS, IT'S TIME FOR THE CHENEYS. I LOVE THE YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING SERIES FROM TOPPS, THEY ARE THE PERFECT MIX OF SKEERY MONSTERS AND CORNY JOKES. IT'S A GREAT GIMMICK, TAKE STOCK PROMO PHOTOS FROM CREATURE FEATURES AND ADD A STUPID CAPTION. MANY COMPANINES USED THIS FORMULA, BUT TOPPS GOT THE UNIVERSAL LICENSE SO YOU GET A LOT OF STARS ON THE CARDS INSTEAD OF PEOPLE IN RUBBER MONSTER SUITS. LON CHENEY JR. WEARS HIS ICONIC WOLFMAN MAKEUP AND SKULKS IN THE WOODS IN THIS PHOTO FROM THE ORIGINAL THE WOLF MAN FILM FROM 1941. I'VE SEEN THIS PHOTO A THOUSAND TIMES AND WAS HAPPY TO SEE IT IN TRADING CARD FORM. THE CAPTION WRITER SEEMS TO THINK LON IS A BEAR AND NOT A WOLF HOWEVER. THE JOKE'S ON HIM THOUGH, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S A SOUND STAGE AND NOT A REAL FOREST

THE ORIGINAL 1959 YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING SET WAS ILLUSTRATED BY THE GREAT JACK DAVIS AND HIS ART LIVES ON WITH THESE MONSTER CARICATURES  ON THE BACK. THIS IS A SECOND SERIES CARD AND I'D LOVE TO COLLECT THE ENTIRE SET BUT I KEEP DOING STOOPID SHIT LIKE BUYING BOXES OF JUNK WITH MY LIMITED FUNDS. AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE CAPTION ON THE FRONT THE JOKES ON THESE CARDS ARE VERY HIT OR MISS BUT I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER ONES. EVEN MONSTER KIDS ARE PICKY EATERS

1980 TOPPS YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING - THOSE DARN WEIGHT-REDUCING PILLS!

ONCE I FOUND JUNIOR I STARTED LOOKING FOR SENIOR. THE 1980 VERSION OF YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING IS MOSTLY THE SAME AS THE 1973 VERSION WITH THE ADDITION OF A COLORFUL BORDER. THIS BORDER IS SO ODD, IT TOOK A MISHMASH OF SPOOKY STUFF AND CRAMMED IT ALL TOGETHER. BATS, SKULLS, AND WOLVES ON A GOTHIC COLUMN WITH CARVED WOOD TRIM FOR SOME REASON? THE BORDER MAKES NO SENSE BUT IT'S UNIQUE AT LEAST. THIS PHOTO IS FROM PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SPECIFICALLY THE SCENE WITH LON DRESSED UP AS THE RED DEATH AT THE BALL. THAT SCENE IS IN COLOR IN THE FILM, BUT ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A PROMO PHOTO. THIS CAPTION ALSO READS MORE LIKE A PSA THEN AN ACTUAL JOKE. DON'T BE CARELESS WITH FIRE IN THE WOODS AND STAY AWAY FROM DIET PILLS, KIDS. THEY'LL KILL YA

THE BACK OF THE CARD IS BASICALLY A REHASH OF THE PREVIOUS VERSION JUST WAY MORE COLORFUL. I'M NOT A PRINTING GUY BUT THREE COLORS FOR THE BACK OF A NOVELTY NON-SPORTS SET SEEMS EXCESSIVE BUT CREEPY GREEN, BLOOD RED AND MOON YELLOW IS A GOOD LOOK. THE JOKE/LIMERICK ON THE BACK SUCKS. PUNNING ON THE DUAL MEANINGS OF A COUPLE OF THE NAMES FOR SEASONS IS MILDLY CLEVER AT BEST AND CONFUSING AT WORST. ALSO RHYMING FALL WITH FALL? C'MON. A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN THIS SET IS THE EXTRA LINE EXPLAINING THE CONTEXT AND THE FILM FOR THE PHOTO ON THE FRONT. THIS KIND OF CARD SET JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE, THE LAST ONE I CAN REMEMBER WAS THE 1988 TOPPS FRIGHT FLICKS SET WHICH INCLUDED MORE RECENT AND GOOPY HORROR FILMS. HORROR THEMED TRADING CARD SETS ARE USUALLY FOCUSED ON ONE SINGLE FILM AND ARE DEADLY SERIOUS NOWADAYS. WE COULD USE A GOOD SILLY HORROR SET NOW BUT I THINK THEY MAY SIMPLY BE A PRODUCT OF THE 60'S AND 70'S. WE'RE NOT DONE WITH HORROR ICONS, OCTOBER SPOOKY SEASON AIN'T OVER YET BY A LONGSHOT