Over the last few years, I've been collecting old wax & foil packs of trading cards from the 80s & 90s. Sure, I have a ton of these non-sport cards from when I was a kid, but the artwork and design of the packaging is something I missed. When you would buy one of these packs you would tear it open and throw away the wrapper. Never giving it a second thought. Seeing these again brings back memories of feeling the slick paper in your hands, seeing the simple artwork and the smell of bubble gum. Let's dive into a few of these packs that I have on display...AGAIN!
FOX KIDS CARDS (Fleer, 1995)
I love this set! I never knew these cards existed back in the mid-90's, but if I had known, I probably would have the entire set! Where else could you get a complete base set of 150 great looking cards that feature Spider-Man, the X-Men, The Tick, Bobby's World and Eek! The Cat? What a great blend of classic after school cartoons! There also was a Fleer Ultra version of this set that included foil stamping on each card and also had some chase cards available like "Power Pop-Ups" and "Suspended Animation" cards!
WildC.A.T.S ANIMATED (Wildstorm, 1995)
I was a fan of the WildC.A.T.S comic when it first hit the stands in 1992. It featured gorgeous art by Jim Lee and the stories were fairly entertaining in a 90's extreme kind of way. My liking for the series had already waned by the time the WildC.A.T.S cartoon hit the air in 1994. These cards are based off of that series and I maybe caught 1 or 2 episodes of it's 13 episode run. Still, pretty nice set.
MUPPETS TAKE THE ICE (Cardz, 1994)
I got a few of these card packs in those 2 comics and 1 card pack combo set that the Dollar Tree used to sell. For $1 you could not go wrong. These cards are officially licensed NHL products and feature the Muppets on the ice in all the NHL teams uniforms and use official logos. There are 80 cards in the set and include such variations as "Team Facts", "Team History" and "Rules" cards. Glad to see Animal representing the NJ Devils here!
VR TROOPERS PUZZLE CARDS (Saban, 1995)
My younger brother was big into the Power Rangers in the early 90's, so when VR Troopers, a sister series to MMPR, hit screens in 1994, he was there to watch it. The premise of the show followed 3 California teenagers who stumble upon experimental VR technology. They use this technology and their martial arts talentsto find their leader's father and also to fight the evil Grimlord alongside their talking dog, Jeb! This pack of cards features cards that are puzzle pieces to a large picture of the canine sidekick. I just found out that the popularity of VR Troopers was close to that of Power Rangers, but the show was cancelled after 2 seasons due to the production staff exhausting all of the Japanese footage they had licensed to make the show! Wow!
1987 TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS
This is my favorite baseball card set of all-time! This was the set that introduced me to card collecting. I love everything about it from the selection of players included to the wood grain borders. It also helps that I could collect the entire 1986 World Series Champions Mets team. I also received my first Bo Jackson card through this set! Now enjoy this hot "Get Metsmerized" jam from 1986 featuring the mad mic skills of Dwight Gooden, Lenny Dykstra, Howard Johnson and more!
Who doesn't remember running home from school in the mid 80s to mid 90s so they could watch cartoons? I know I do. Myself and my brother would get home from school and turn on our TVs by hand to watch such classics as Tiny Toons, Bobby's World, Masters of the Universe, Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Ghostbusters and Duck Tales. Our Mom let us watch until around 5pm when Diff'rent Strokes starring Gary Coleman came on.
That's when we knew it was time to crack the books and do our homework. To this day that theme song still conjures visions of math, social studies and English books ready for me to pencil in my answers. Then one day in 1988 we turned on FOX 5 and we were introduced to an afternoon cartoon host like no other, by the name of DJ Kat!
Now, unknown to me DJ Kat had been around for a few years prior on his own show during Saturday mornings from November 28th, 1987 - December 26th, 1987. His show was then moved to Sunday mornings until December 24th, 1988. Here is a clip of the show:
Myself and my brother never really paid attention to this show, probably due to us having our usually regimented Saturday morning viewing mapped out so we could see our favorite shows. So, this was something new to us when he debuted as the host of the Fox 5 Kids club.
DJ Kat was wisecracking, funny and cool by late 80s standards and most importantly of all, he helped me become a member of the Fox Kids Club.
When you joined the Kids Club it was something special. You really felt like you were a part of something big. To prove this you got your very own membership card with the Secret Code on the back so you could receive exclusive messages and in addition to this you also got...
a FREE subscription to one of the best kids magazines of all-time, Totally Kids Magazine! This thing was packed with games, puzzles, crafts, interviews, previews of upcoming cartoons, advertisements and exclusive comics featuring everyone from The Tick to Batman! It was amazing and I would re-read these all the time until every word had sunk into my brain making me ready for any Fox related conversations that may have broken out on the schoolyard. I may still have a few of these hanging around somewhere, man I hope I do. This magazine was AMAZING! If you ever had a subscription, you know what I'm talkin' bout!
But I digress, back to DJ Kat. I've read online that the original 1987 version of this character came off as abrasive and rude and that's what caused the show to be revived and revamped in 1988 with a new puppeteer by the name of Craig Marin and a new co-host to hang out with in his dank, urban clubhouse. No longer did he have Elizabeth Rose by his side, no, the DJ Kat I know and love had the bubbly and cute Jennifer Davis played by Carmen De La Paz. I may or may not have had a crush on her back in the day? Honestly, I can't remember?
Either way, DJ Kat was a fun character who introduced our weekday morning cartoons after school and he was the coolest guy because he introduced me to the Fox 5 Kids Club! By the way, I still regret not sending in my fan artwork of DJ Kat to the show. I really think it had a chance to be featured, but my brother said it sucked and I never sent it in. Let that be a lesson kids, don't listen to your brother when he says things suck! Now let's take a final look at DJ Kat as he takes on WWF Superstar Jake "The Snake" Roberts! I wonder who is going to win?
Side note: I will never forget when DJ Kat said the letters WWF stood for Weird, Wimpy Fakes! That must have really chaffed The Snakes tights!
