Bubblegum cards

[Niblet]

Does anyone remember a set of bubblegum card-type things that featured DC superheroes, but each card featured 3 characters and was cut in such a way that you could fold parts of their bodies over each other? Thus you could mix up Superman's head, Batman's torso and Aquaman's legs, and other permutations. I think this was in the late 60s. What were the cards called? I had a look at the site Peter mentioned on another thread (great site, btw) http://oldbubblegumcards.com/1960s/Batman/index2.html but can't see what I'm referring to.

[Lew Stringer]

They were called Comic Book Foldees and were published in 1967 or 68. I have a few somewhere but no time to sort them out at present. Plenty of images on the net though:

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&xh ... 92&bih=680

[steelclaw]

I collected Barretts Sweet cigarette cards.

And Bubble gum captain Scarlet, & The Monkees cards.

[Niblet]

They were called Comic Book Foldees and were published in 1967 or 68. I have a few somewhere but no time to sort them out at present. Plenty of images on the net though:

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&xh ... 92&bih=680

Thanks, Lew

Funny how one's memory plays tricks. I remembered them as having 3 folds per picture, but actually there were only 2, and it seems there was only one superhero per card, I thought you could mix up the heroes.

[Peter Gray]

I loved the Bananaman candy sticks..banana flavour.
As a good guess they must have had cards to collect as well..can't remember now..sooo long ago..well for me it is..

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Niblet/Lew; many thanks for rekindling the memories of Comic Book Foldees, which completely slipped my memory since probably the late 60s...there were hairs on the back of my arms standing up on end when I saw these once again!

Great theme for a thread, Niblet.....a company called Anglo also put out a lot of good stuff. Anyone remember a Superman bubblegum set that made up a long story of Supe stopping loads of disasters, the last card which explained who was behind it.......MR MYXZqunpronounceable, who was like a little goblin with magic powers, and on the last frame in the card set the little evil goblin was resting, unseen, on Superman's back, very memorably...the rear side of these cards made up a lavish painted mega-scene.

The Batman set [there were 2 I believe] very especially memorable, as were the MONKEES set, a Planet of the Apes set [depicting scenes from the sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes, released in 1970] was slightly disturbing: another memorable set was the Captain Scarlet bubblegum cards, with very good graphics, which must have tied in with the TV series of 1967.


Absolutely no VCRs of course in those days, so visually, these items were very desirable to kids of the day, just as important as comics of the day...I remember being hooked on these cards, a real victim of consumerism as I freely admit now! Powerful memories, though...I can still smell the sugared bubblegum within these sealed flat packs of bubblegum, and imagine the glossy , waxed paper they were wrapped in, and I'd give anything to go back and relive this period!!!!



Another couple of sets that stick in my mind from this period was the very American COMIC BOOKEES: anyone recall those?

And how about a set of horror-stickers in an elaborate painted style, a bit like Ken Reid's style, with stark black backgrounds? I think these made up Horror-Fantasy characters made into 'living' Alphabet letters, etc... these were exclusive designs, not a tie-in to anything else.I'd love to revisit these again.These stick in the memory very vividly, as does a set of Universal bubblegum cards depicting scenes from the 30s/40s Frankenstein films, etc, the first time I ever recall seeing shots from these movies.

Lastly, a set of US-imported 'mock ads' in the style of MAD Magazine came along later---these were nicely-painted satirical adverts of consumerist delights, and very good also.



All these items are from the mid-late 60s/very early 70s. Think I'll start looking into this stuff!

[grumpy old man]

I remember a set for the Ron Ely Tarzan series that formed a “poster” on their flip sides.

There was also Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum which had a three (?) panel comic strip inside the pack.

[Niblet]

I saved up tokens from Bazooka Joe packs (or maybe just saved the empty wrappers) and sent off for a metal whistly-thing mounted on a ring you wore on your finger. You put it to your lips and blew, causing a little propeller inside to whizz round and emit a high-pitched siren-type sound. Wish I still had it.

[stevezodiac]

Also, before we had VCRs, there was a set of Star Trek photo novels with an episode reproduced in paperback book form with hundreds of colour stills with speech balloons added. I think I have the full set of eleven or twelve. There were also large format paperback books of classic movies like Stagecoach and Casablanca using this format (but in black and white).

I can also remember those colour sheets you could put on the front of your black and white tv to make it colour - Blue at the top yellow in the middle and green at the bottom - not much good if you were watching Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea or suchlike.

[Niblet]

Any males of a similar vintage to me will remember the American Civil War bubblegum cards. As well as the cards, in each pack you got a facsimile Confederate banknote.

I think there was a bit of an outcry at the violence depicted on the cards.

http://www.bubblegum-cards.com/Civil-Wa ... index.html

[big bad bri]

i used to love the old horror cards from the 70s i think they were from hammer films & had a red border with drawings of dracula wolfman etc cant remember what the series was called but i did see a set at a comim mart about 20 years ago i wish i bought em.

[Niblet]

I think those cards were called Shocking Laffs aka Shock Theatre.

http://cobwebbedroom.blogspot.com/2008/ ... cards.html

http://strangethingsarehappening.com/hammercards.html

[stevezodiac]

I have all the Civil War cards and every bank note denomination. There was a company in Somerset that sold all the classic bubble gum cards - I bought a few sets from them. I presume they were copies as they were in mint condition. They may still be going.

Just googled them and they are called the London Cigarette Card Company and they have hundreds of sets including 60s tv shows. £50 or £60 for some sets though.

[big bad bri]

I think those cards were called Shocking Laffs aka Shock Theatre.

http://cobwebbedroom.blogspot.com/2008/ ... cards.html

http://strangethingsarehappening.com/hammercards.html

yep i just went to that site & they are the ones but i cant believe i was buying graphic cards like that when i was about 6 but i do remember i was desperate to see the films then which to this day i still havent i must check out the dvds.maybe thats what gave me a love for horror films good & bad. thanks for the info niblet

[Niblet]

I have all the Civil War cards and every bank note denomination.

I never had the full set but I did have quite a few of the cards, and wads of the banknotes. Sadly, all long since vanished.

i was desperate to see the films then which to this day i still havent i must check out the dvds.

My favourite Hammer horror is The Devil Rides Out. An enjoyable load of tosh about satanic rites, with Christopher Lee as one of the good guys.