2023 COMC BINGE - PART 4 GREASY KID STUFF

 ALL RIGHTY THEN. WE'VE COMPLETED A VINTAGE BASKETBALL SET, GOT AN ODDBALL OF MY FAVORITE STAR WARS, UH, PLAYER, AND (MOSTLY) COMPLETED A VINTAGE TOPPS SET. WHAT'S NEXT ON THE ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE IT IMMEDIATELY COMC BATCH?

WAIT... WHAT?

1991 TOPPS WACKY PACKAGES COORPSE LIGHT

WACKY PACKAGES IS A BIG BLIND SPOT IN MY COLLECTION. I WAS TOO YOUNG TO BUY THEM WHEN THEY CAME OUT AND BY THE TIME I REALLY STARTED COLLECTING IT WAS THE GPK ERA AND THE VINTAGE ONES WERE NOT EASY TO FIND. I'VE PICKED UP A COUPLE OLD ONES HERE AND THERE AND SOMEHOW ENDED UP WITH AN O-PEE-CHEE PACK AT SOME POINT. THERE'S BEEN A TON OF REBOOT, REPRINT AND ON DEMAND CARDS PRINTED UP THIS CENTURY BUT I'VE ONLY PICKED UP ONE RACK PACK FOR THE MY LITTLE BONY CARD SHOWING ON THE FRONT. SO MY COLLECTION IS NOT TERRIBLY WACKY

I BECAME AWARE OF THIS 1991 CARD AND KNEW I HAD TO GET IT ASAP. BUT WHY? WHERE DOES THIS FIT IN THE COLLECTION? IT IS MY FIRST 1991 CARD SO A WACKY TYPE CARD COLLECTION COULD BE TAKING SHAPE. BUT WHY THIS ONE. IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE BRAND, I'M NOT REALLY A BEER DRINKER ANYMORE AND COORS LIGHT WAS NEVER MY FAVORITE. IT IS KIND OF A MONSTER CARD WHAT WITH WITH THE SPOOKY SCARY SKELLINGTONS REACHING FOR THE LOVELY SEWER WATER. I GUESS IT WOULD FIT IN THE MONSTER BINDER, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY EITHER. IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS

SHEMPOO! THE GRUNGY LOOK IS IN! THAT'S AT LEAST A MORE CONTEPORARY REFERENCE TO 1991 THAN LOVE CANAL. I WAS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A SHEMP HOWARD SOLO CARD TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION AND BUDDY, THEY AIN'T EASY TO FIND. SHEMP ISN'T IN ANY OF THE VINTAGE THREE STOOGES SETS WHICH FEATURE MOE, LARRY, CURLY AND OCCASIONALLY CURLY JOE FROM THE MOVIES. SHEMP DOESN'T SHOW UP UNTIL 1997'S DUOCARDS STOOGES SET. BUT I KEPT LOOKING FOR SHEMP AND FINALLY THIS ONE POPPED UP ON THE BACK OF A WACKY PACKAGES STICKER. THIS PREDATES THE DUOCARDS SHEMP BY SIX YEARS! SHEMP ROOKIE CARD PERHAPS? IT'S ACTUALLY NOT SHEMP'S FIRST APPEARANCE ON A TRADING CARD AS HIS VERSION OF THE STOOGES ARE ON AN EXTREMELY SCARCE BRITISH CARD FROM ABC MINORS BUT THAT ONE'S A TAD OUTSIDE MY BUDGET. THIS ONE'S SLIGHTLY MANGLED, BUT THEN AGAIN SO WAS SHEMP. AS A BONUS I THINK THIS ILLUSTRATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN DRAWN BY ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS, DREW FRIEDMAN, WHO IS KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE OF ALL THINGS SHEMP. I CAN'T FIND ANY CONFIRMATION ANYWHERE FOR WHAT ARTIST DREW THIS CARD BUT IT LOOKS A LITTLE FRIEDMANNY TO ME SO I SHALL CHOOSE TO BELIEVE WHAT I WANT TO BELIEVE

THIS CARD ALSO BEGINS A THEME THAT RUNS THROUGHOUT MY BLACK FRIDAY PICKUPS. THIS WON'T BE THE ONLY SHEMP YOU SPY