F*** Topps

[Jimbo]

I just went to Ping's store website to order a Horribe Kids set. It wasn't there. Did it sell out? I search around a bit and find out Topps made him stop selling it. Really?

Then I read Topps sent a bunch of people cease and desist notices today. Even for sketch blanks?!?!

Are the fan sets really cutting into their bottom line? F*** I mean Mark's set is his own original art. WTF.

It's bad enough Topps has destroyed the GPK brand with F****** HORRIBE ART and SH**** CONCEPTS and LAME AS F*** online "exclusive" overpriced bulls***, now they are coming after the fans? Great work guys!

I will NEVER buy another Topps product again.

F*** Topps!

[damien308]

horrible kids ? never heard of these ? but yeah , this is lame ......... what about the cards luis diaz sells on his site ? are them banned as well ?

[LiveMike]

He should sue them. Topps does not have the exclusive right to parody Cabbage Patch Kids.

[JoeCool]

I don't think Luis GAF about Topps.
He doesn't paint for them and never will again.

Creepy Ceb must have gotten the same letter as he abruptly stopped accepting GPK commissions.

I don't know if Topps can legally stop every fan art that resembles CPK but they have the bank roll to make if financially impossible for anyone to fight them.

[Deleted]

Pure, unadulterated irony that the company who got sued for encroaching on the products they were parodying is now encroaching on products that parody them.

[DJR]

Topps kiss my a$$

[JoeCool]

Who has the brand manager's email address?
Maybe we should all just tell him to eat a dik.

[fowlraoul]

also shocked over what happened to the horroribles set. i have been looking forward to that project coming to print for some time.
topps is srcewing the fans out of money and depriving a larger audience of great art.
im also not buying anything that puts money in their pockets...still.
ya f**k topps

[tommy4ya]

Sad part is the threat is enough to scare people off. Not sure they would win in a court battle, parody of a parody? 

[Game8]

Thats some real mafia s**t topps is pulling. Plus i dont think the can legally tell him not to put out his own brand. unfortunately he works for them, so telling them to go F them selfs will probably cost him his job and lose income.
I feel bad for mark. The set was looking pretty dope so far. Maybe mark can explain what happend if hes able to talk about it.

[kohima72]

I'm gutted!!! Ping's Disasters of the Universe set and Horrible Kids set are the only GPK type of product I've actually purchased in a while now. The themed sets have completely turned me off. Ping's stuff has been nothing short of phenomenal! You look at those two sets and it makes you feel like you're looking at an OS GPK series. The art is top notch and flows cohesively from one card to the next! I'm literally devastated!

[LuCypher]

So lame. I'm so sick of hearing about Topps shutting down cool projects. Guess they're afraid that Mark and other artist's work will put their current "art" to shame? They're still butthurt that they sold their OS final art for pennies on the dollar back when GPK was dead and now see them sell for tens of thousands of dollars on the regular. Good job Topps!!! 👍🏻 You guys need some new financial advisors. Now they're pumping out Raggedy Ann Kids, which are just going to end up in Trash Boxes by the truckload. Topps better watch out or the creators of Raggedy Ann and Andy will sue them like OAA. Everybody just needs to boycott all new releases, or at the very least wait until they are 1/4 the price at Dollar Tree or bought by Excell for TBs. I'll stick to collecting foreign and Imperial.

[LuCypher]

Feel free to post this anywhere you see fit 😈

Truly
Our
Products
Prove
Substandard

Tons
Of
Perplexing
Parallel
Sets

Tricking
O.C.D.
People to
Purchase
Stickers

The
Obvious
Problem
Product
Store

Tough
On
Poor
Peoples
Savings

Terminate
Our
Painfully
Priced
Sales

To
Our
Precious
Purchasers
Suck-it

Today
Only
Presidential
Parallel
Sale

Taking
Our
Picture
Painters'
Souls

Trade
Offensive
Pictures
People
Salute

Totally
Oblivious
People
Producing
s**t

The
Old
Paper
Problem
Solvers

These
Our
Piss
Poor
Standards

Truly
Our
Products
Proper
Stink

Trip
On
Poor
Prices
Sucker

Trashy
Overpriced
Presidential
Parallels
Suck

Top
Our
Pack
Profits
Shawty

The
Overly
Priced
Packaged
Stickers

Traitors
Overprice
Poor
Produced
Shite

The
Oafs
Pay
Profusely
Suckers

Taunting
Overseers
Painstakingly
Punish
Subjects

To
Overseas
Purchasers
Profuse
Shipping

Topps
Ops
Pocket
Profit
Steadily

The
Opportunistic
Parody
Place for
Stickers

The
Opportunistic
Pirates of
Parody
Stickers

Toxic
Outflow
Production
Plant
Spam

Totally
Outlandish
Price
Point
Solutions

The
Overseas
Postage
Phenomenally
Stupid

Team
Of
Professional
Pathological
Scammers

Trafficking
Obtuse
Perennial
Parallel
Stickercards

Tirelessly
Offer
Piss
Poor
Stuff

Tired
Of
Paying
Pricey
Shipping

The
Over-lord
Purveyors of
Parody
Stickers

Taking
Only
Profit
Potential
Seriously

Tyrannical
Over
Produced
Product
Superstore

Twisting
Opportunist
Peddling
Potential
Smiles

Trading
Organs
Per
Pound's
Sketches

Target
Operations
Promote
Pack
Searching

Tumultuous
Online
Profiteering
Ponzi
Schemes

Tell
Our
Purchasers
Panini
Sucks

The
Overpriced
Pathetic
Poisonous
Sacks

Trade
Organize
Package
Profit
Sales

Their
Odds
Per
Pack
Suck

Totally
Oblivious to
Public's
Pleas &
Suggestions

They
Oughta
Produce
Part
Sixteen

Terrific
Over
Priced
Parody
Stickers

Tawdry
Overpriced
Ponderous
Parody
Stickers

Target
Obsessed
Patrons
Per
Series

The
Original
Past
Present
Stickers

[aeneuman]

I think what Mark has made would hold up in court. It's a parody of a parody and we all know that MAD Magazine fought and won that fight a long time ago. However, they can just simply tell him that they'll no longer employ him which they can do anytime they want according to U.S. labor laws. He was doing better work than Topps art directors, which reflects pretty badly on the current art directors. They were simply being outperformed and they probably know it.

[Steve]

I agree, Mark kicks ass for Topps with his GPKs so I don't know that they would let him go that easily. His GPKs resemble CPKs and the artwork/concepts are on point.

[peacheswithpeaches]

Are there any pics of his work anywhere? I'd be interested to see what you're talking about.

[Deleted]

Is it possible he was breaking some kind of non-compete clause by making his series? Like is there something he signed that says he can't work on other people's/company's cards while employed at Topps? (Maybe not, since he worked on Wax Eye stuff... but what ever happened to them?)

[aeneuman]

Oct 25, 2016 12:15:20 GMT -5 peacheswithpeaches said:

Are there any pics of his work anywhere? I'd be interested to see what you're talking about.

Yes, all his stuff is posted online and in this forum. Here is his public website: magicmarkerart.storenvy.com/

[G.I. JASON]

Oct 25, 2016 11:38:34 GMT -5 aeneuman said:

I think what Mark has made would hold up in court. It's a parody of a parody and we all know that MAD Magazine fought and won that fight a long time ago. However, they can just simply tell him that they'll no longer employ him which they can do anytime they want according to U.S. labor laws. He was doing better work than Topps art directors, which reflects pretty badly on the current art directors. They were simply being outperformed and they probably know it.

you are right, it PROBABLY wouldnt hold water in court....but most folks cant afford all the lawyer fees to protect themselves in these scenarios. we're talking BOATLOADS of cash, big companies know this, that's why they do it. they know they have the bankroll to tie somebody up for a year while they sink them financially whether topps would win or not they ultimately WIN in the big picture scenario. financially crippling the other party. topps is flat out garbage, and i dont miss collecting their bullshlt. GIVES ME MORE MONEY FOR CHEAP TOYS.

this message brought to you by the foundation to make people start collecting cheap toys 30 years later.

[aeneuman]

I just read on FB that GPK just released a Halloween set. I have no way of knowing, but I can only wonder if that's why they shut down Mark's Horrible Kids.

[aeneuman]

Oct 25, 2016 12:34:33 GMT -5 @gensokyopailkid said:

Is it possible he was breaking some kind of non-compete clause by making his series? Like is there something he signed that says he can't work on other people's/company's cards while employed at Topps? (Maybe not, since he worked on Wax Eye stuff... but what ever happened to them?)

It's a good point.  I suppose anything could be in there, just depends what they ask the artists to sign and what they want to enforce.  

[aeneuman]

Oct 25, 2016 13:29:29 GMT -5 G.I. JASON said:

Oct 25, 2016 11:38:34 GMT -5 aeneuman said:

I think what Mark has made would hold up in court. It's a parody of a parody and we all know that MAD Magazine fought and won that fight a long time ago. However, they can just simply tell him that they'll no longer employ him which they can do anytime they want according to U.S. labor laws. He was doing better work than Topps art directors, which reflects pretty badly on the current art directors. They were simply being outperformed and they probably know it.

you are right, it PROBABLY wouldnt hold water in court....but most folks cant afford all the lawyer fees to protect themselves in these scenarios. we're talking BOATLOADS of cash, big companies know this, that's why they do it. they know they have the bankroll to tie somebody up for a year while they sink them financially whether topps would win or not they ultimately WIN in the big picture scenario. financially crippling the other party. topps is flat out garbage, and i dont miss collecting their bullshlt. GIVES ME MORE MONEY FOR CHEAP TOYS.

this message brought to you by the foundation to make people start collecting cheap toys 30 years later.

You make some very good points.  Even rich companies and individuals suffer under these costs.  Also, your spot on about the length of time and the very questionable outcome that awaits.  Hustler, MAD Magazine, and many others have all fought these at different times, and it seems rather ad hoc.  Here's an interesting source I browsed over and found interesting: www.firstamendmentcenter.org/parody-satire

Quote from that site:
Fair use: An elusive doctrine

Even though 2 Live Crew and Alice Randall (at the preliminary injunction stage) prevailed in the federal courts, both cases required extensive litigation. Courts will decide the application of the fair-use doctrine on a case-by-case basis. The concept of fair use is flexible and hard to define. “Although the courts have considered and ruled upon the fair use doctrine over and over again, no real definition of the concept has ever emerged,” said the 11th Circuit opinion in The Wind Done Gone case.

For this reason, Professor Jessica Litman, in the Dayton Law Review article “Reforming Information Law in Copyright’s Image,” calls fair use “a troublesome safe harbor for First Amendment rights.”

[tommy4ya]

Oct 25, 2016 14:32:28 GMT -5 aeneuman said:

Oct 25, 2016 13:29:29 GMT -5 G.I. JASON said:

you are right, it PROBABLY wouldnt hold water in court....but most folks cant afford all the lawyer fees to protect themselves in these scenarios. we're talking BOATLOADS of cash, big companies know this, that's why they do it. they know they have the bankroll to tie somebody up for a year while they sink them financially whether topps would win or not they ultimately WIN in the big picture scenario. financially crippling the other party. topps is flat out garbage, and i dont miss collecting their bullshlt. GIVES ME MORE MONEY FOR CHEAP TOYS.

this message brought to you by the foundation to make people start collecting cheap toys 30 years later.

You make some very good points.  Even rich companies and individuals suffer under these costs.  Also, your spot on about the length of time and the very questionable outcome that awaits.  Hustler, MAD Magazine, and many others have all fought these at different times, and it seems rather ad hoc.  Here's an interesting source I browsed over and found interesting: www.firstamendmentcenter.org/parody-satire

Quote from that site:
Fair use: An elusive doctrine

Even though 2 Live Crew and Alice Randall (at the preliminary injunction stage) prevailed in the federal courts, both cases required extensive litigation. Courts will decide the application of the fair-use doctrine on a case-by-case basis. The concept of fair use is flexible and hard to define. “Although the courts have considered and ruled upon the fair use doctrine over and over again, no real definition of the concept has ever emerged,” said the 11th Circuit opinion in The Wind Done Gone case.

For this reason, Professor Jessica Litman, in the Dayton Law Review article “Reforming Information Law in Copyright’s Image,” calls fair use “a troublesome safe harbor for First Amendment rights.”

I take all that as you read Hustler for the articles.

[aeneuman]

Damn, I knew using Hustler as a legal reference would expose me for the loser that I am :-)

[fowlraoul]

Oct 25, 2016 14:21:20 GMT -5 aeneuman said:

I just read on FB that GPK just released a Halloween set. I have no way of knowing, but I can only wonder if that's why they shut down Mark's Horrible Kids.

seems most likely. brent did a amazing job, but of course im not buying anything

[madmadonnawitch]

What the f**k? I was hoping he'd get to release more card sets because they're just that good. It was a themed set that I could get behind.

I bought my set the day they came out and is already shipping, will I still get it?

[billo]

Jimbo- you summed up exactly what i've been thinking since i heard about this.  I'd also like to add, quoting Abraham, (Topps) you can suck my nuts.  

[LiveMike]

F*** Topps

[Deleted]

You guys are all writing what I've been saying since 2006 and I'm glad you guys are seeing the truth. Why I started my Parody Kids line. Why Mark started his Horrorible Kids. That said I can go on and on about how shitty Topps is, but let me focus the conversation into what really matters. If you want to make a difference you have to do a few things.

1). Stop buying Topps Products. That means any of it. Stop it. Stop buying anything that comes out by them. Stop buying from resellers who are buying truckloads of stuff from Topps. Because that is how the chain goes.

2) Start investing in the artists themselves. They essentially made the GPKs. It was Art Spiegelman and Mark Newgarden. Both artists. It wasn't CEO Big Pockets. Go to their sites and buy their stuff regularly. If they aren't producing is because you guys are not buying.

3) Blast their work on your social media. I mean put their names and their store. Some of these guys love to post my work on their instagrams and don't post my credit or where to buy my cards. A lot of people don't know my stuff is not Topps. They think it is.

4) Tell your peers why you are not buying any more GPKs. Tell them Topps has been infringing on your hobby. They've been making subpar s**t and treating artists like crap. Tell them you only buy from the artists themselves and why you are not a "Name Brand" Drone. Logos and Trade Dress ain't s**t when the product they are peddling is an uncreative piece of s**t disguised as a GPK. How they rip-off former artist's stuff and try to sue them. How they try to stop the fans from making fan stuff. For all the time, money and energy spent on f**cking the people that made their s**t great so they can put fuel in their f**cking Ferraris

Nothing makes artists produce more than when you are buying directly from them. I put a halt on my Parody Kids Series 2 (currently on #23) because you guys are not buying them. Some of you are and thank you. Some are waiting around for the set to complete and maybe they'll buy one, but why aren't you really buying them? Tell the artist. I post things on Facebook and you guys are not sharing.

So if you really want to say "f**k Topps" buy from those artists. Especially those that don't work for them. You want us to make a Mega Damn Bad Ass Set then buy from us. Tell us you want to see more.

Some of you say my sets are expensive, but then spend thousands a year on Topps crap. When you buy from artists who usually doesn't have $5000 laying around things are a little more expensive. It costs more money to do the right thing. That is why good food costs more money than fast food. Same s**t. Takes time and energy to do the right thing.

I can go on on specific s**t that Topps has done to me but some of you already know. They've reused my ideas after trying to sue me. They've implemented design ideas, concept ideas, weekly set ideas, used my Character names and much more. I've been skipped over and shunned from conventions and the "documentary." All this takes money out of my pocket and my family's livelihood and focuses my attention on doing other things with my time since it's not "valued" by you guys.

But in the end I only persisted not because of the money (LOL! some years I'd probably make more working in a mall) but because I actually love painting these little whacky cartoons with a little soul. I have buckets of imagination left so I'm using it for other things and that is where I'm putting my time these days. Because the majority of GPK fans are only interested in the banner and the names and even if the middle is just a horrible amateur s**t some unimaginative cheeseball came up with or suggested. To paint GPKs from scratch is actually very very hard. Anybody can copy something already created. Try making an awesome original image that for the most part can't be traced to something else and looks flawless. Not all of my Parody Kids come out like that, but that's my goal.

That's how I've been saying "f**k Topps" for over 10 years now. By putting the very best into my own set that doesn't hurt old Toppsy in the butt too much, but if it happens so be it. So what now? Will this rant do anything? Probably not, but it won't happen just typing words on a screen. You have to go out there and speak with your mouth, your fingers and your pockets. Tell Topps to Stick it up DIAZ. You deserve much more and artists can deliver it.

[fowlraoul]

Ping and Diaz?!?! that is a set that would destroy anything topps could produce

Oh ya...f**k topps