Skip to content
sci-fi-and-fantasy — Books — Crime fiction — pop-culture — Lifestyle — Fashion-and-beauty — entertainment

'70s Sticker Fad: Art Spiegelman's Whimsical Creations That Captivated a Generation in the 1970s'

In the 1970s, at the intersection of 151st Street, Broadway, and Riverside Drive, there were numerous shops catering to local children's sweet tooth. Among them, Jesus' Candy Store stood out, operated by a couple who assumed a nurturing role for the neighborhood kids, akin to surrogate parents.

,   and  ASMedia
3 min read
In the neighborhood on 1973's 151st Street, between Broadway and Riverside Drive, numerous shops...
In the neighborhood on 1973's 151st Street, between Broadway and Riverside Drive, numerous shops thrived, providing sweet treats that often led to cavities. Among these establishments, my preference lay with Jesus' Candy Store, where the proprietor, a Hispanic man, and his wife acted as guardians, nurturing us children much like surrogate parents.

'70s Sticker Fad: Art Spiegelman's Whimsical Creations That Captivated a Generation in the 1970s'

In the heart of 1970s New York City, a vibrant community on 151st Street between Broadway and Riverside Drive boasted an array of shops, including Jesus' Candy Store, a beloved establishment where the owner and his wife took care of local children as if they were their own. The store overflowed with assorted treats, including candy, toys, school supplies, and chips for Skully tops.

However, Jesus' store remained locked in the mornings, leaving open an opportunity for a new business on Broadway. The minimalistic store owned and run by Jesse Powell, a heavyset man, opened at 7 AM, catering to the early risers. Jesse, a former semi-famous saxophone player, had toured with Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie before giving it all up to open a sweet shop on Sugar Hill.

From his vantage point behind the counter, Jesse could watch downtown traffic and the nearby children playing. Jesse's wife Maxine, a tall, friendly woman with long blonde hair and hippy vibes, often helped in the store. The couple had a son and a daughter, and Jesse's car was usually parked in front of the store, recalling Darryl Lawson, a former neighbor.

In the mornings, as kids made their way to St. Catherine's Grammar School just three blocks away, Jesse's store would be bustling with children stocking up on sweets for the day. While some kids indulged in Now & Later, Mary Jane, Charms Blow Pops, and Fun Dips, others were into sports-themed trading cards by the Topps Company.

Before the rise of Wacky Packages, an irreverent sticker craze that gained popularity in the early '70s, children would buy the cards and bury them in their book bags to sneak a few during class. Initially printed on cardboard, the Wacky Packages transformed into peel-back-pressure-sensitized sticker paper in the early 1970s.

The creator of Wacky Packages was none other than Art Spiegelman, an underground comic artist and illustrator. Spiegelman introduced the concept to Topps in 1967, and by 1973, the colorful stickers were a city-wide sensation. Reported in New York magazine, the rising success of Wacky Packages was attributed to the cynical children living through the age of Watergate hearings, hating everything their parents loved (and respected).

Despite the news reports and coverage, children like the author appreciated the stickers simply because they were funny. The humor of Wacky Packages, inspired by MAD magazine and spearheaded by artists like Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and Art Spiegelman himself, resonated with a generation of children seeking a unique form of entertainment.

During a Saturday afternoon, the author had a chance encounter with Jesse at his store. After learning that the author's father lived nearby, Jesse welcomed them warmly, showering the author and his brother with extra Wacky Packages. However, a pair of incidents involving a mean Doberman Pinscher and a school prank involving Wacky Packages led the author to stop visiting Jesse's store.

Though Wacky Packages dissipated in popularity among the author's peers, they have since developed a large collectors market online. The once childish pastime has transformed into a valuable commodity for enthusiasts, showcasing the enduring influence of the 1970s culture on contemporary society.

References:1. Pinkney, R. K. (1973, October 1). Wacky Packs: New Fad for the Children of the Skeptical Seventies. New York Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1973/10/01/wacky-packs2. Shafer, T. (2021). The sticky, sick humor of Wacky Packages. The A.V. Club. Retrieved from: https://www.avclub.com/the-sticky-sick-humor-of-wacky-packages-18466889813. Spiegelman, A., & Chudnovsky, F. (1991). Maus. Pantheon Books.4. Kaplan, A. (2020). MAD Maus: Harvey Kurtzman, Art Spiegelman, and the Jews of Madison. Indiana University Press.

  1. Amidst the bustling community of 1970s New York City, the rise of a unique form of entertainment emerged in the form of Wacky Packages, a cynical yet funny sticker craze that originated from the mind of Art Spiegelman, a renowned comic artist.
  2. The popularity of Wacky Packages, inspired by MAD magazine and spearheaded by artists like Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and Spiegelman himself, resonated significantly with a generation of children seeking an alternative to mainstream entertainment, like crime fiction, lifestyle magazines, fashion-and-beauty publications, books, or sci-fi-and-fantasy stories.
  3. As time passed, the craze for Wacky Packages waned among the author's peers, but its enduring influence on contemporary society can be seen today in the thriving collectors market online, offering a glimpse into the lasting impact of 1970s pop-culture on entertainment and collectibles.

Read also:

Related

Latest