The Great Old Bubble Gum Cards and Some Cigarette Cards
punch 'em out
The Great Old Bubble Gum Cards and Some Cigarette Cards
was published by Prime Press in 1977. The punch-out book contains 137
perforated reprints of classic trading cards released from 1910–1942. The
collection was compiled and authored by Topps Chewing Gum employees Woody
Gelman and Len Brown.
Woody Gelman and Len Brown are the creators of the Mars Attacks card
series for Topps. Gelman is also co-creator of Topps bubble gum mascot
Bazooka Joe. Gelman served as associate editor on Jefferson R. Burdick's 1960
edition of
The American Card Catalog: The Standard Guide on All Collected Cards and
Their Values.
"A Nostalgia Press Reprint" is printed on the back of each card. Prime Press
was a division of Nostalgia Press, Inc. Gelman reprinted collections of
vintage comic strips and other pop culture memorabilia from 1960–1979.
"The Comics" subset includes a reprint from the
Superman Gum
series. "Superman's Arch Enemy" depicts Superman against the Golden Age Luthor.
Superman Gum was first released in late 1940 by Warren Bowman's
Gum, Inc.
in Philadelphia. The series was illustrated by Fred Ray, known for his patriotic
Superman covers during
World War II.
The 1910 "Baseball Cigarette Cards" subset includes one of the first
mass-produced reproductions of a T206 Honus Wagner card. The Wagner card was
originally distributed with packs of Piedmont and Sweet Caporal Cigarettes
between 1909–1911.
The reprint is a photograph of the "Ratner-Gammon Wagner" formerly owned by
Newark Evening News writer Willie Ratner. The card is also known as the
"Original Wagner," the first example featured in mainstream press. A photograph of the card was published in the November 6, 1930, edition of the Newark Evening News. On June 11,
2017, the "Original Wagner" sold at auction for $609,294.
1930s-1940s: The Comics Checklist | ||||
1931 | Walter H. Johnson | Dick Tracy Caramels (R41) | 91 | Quick on the Draw |
1934 | Schutter-Johnson | Tarzan and the Crystal Vault of Isis (R147) | 32 | The Fight at the Water Hole |
1935 | Cartoon Comics (R27) | 118 | Harold Teen | |
1935 | Cartoon Comics (R27) | 133 | Joe Palooka | |
1935 | Gum, Inc. | Mickey Mouse Bubble Gum (R89) | 9 | Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse |
1935 | Gum, Inc. | Mickey Mouse Bubble Gum (R90) | 99 | Mickey Mouse, Groucho Marx |
1936 | Cartoon Adventures (R28) | 408 | Tailspin Tommy | |
1936 | Cartoon Adventures (R28) | 417 | Broncho Bill | |
1936 | Cartoon Adventures (R28) | 442 | Buck Rogers | |
1937 | Believe It Or Not | Ripley's Believe it or Not (R21) | 45 | The Royal Freak |
1937 | Whitman | Big Little Book Series (R23) | 32 | Flash Gordon |
1940 | Gum, Inc. | Lone Ranger Chewing Gum (R83) | 6 | Ghouls at Work |
1940 | Gum, Inc. | Superman Gum (R145) | 12 | Superman's Arch Enemy |