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Garbage Pail Kids, the popular ’80s sticker trading cards intended to parody the then popular Cabbage Patch Kids, are reportedly now being considered for a revival animated series at HBO Max, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Actor Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down), with his production company Rough House Pictures, is currently collaborating with collectibles manufacturer Topps and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s Tornante on the planned show.
If you’re of a certain age, the mere mention of Garbage Pail Kids no doubt conjures up images of their gross-out and grotesque humor–aspects that drove the cards to runaway success, but also caused them to be banned in many schools at the time. That polarizing reception also propelled the cards in 1987 to a lesser known TV series that never aired on our shores, but ran for 13 episodes elsewhere. Also that year, Garbage Pail mania was in full effect, with a live-action film about the trading cards also hitting theaters.
It’s unknown whether McBride will lend his voice to any of the characters in the potential series, but his presence is a good sign for the direction the franchise might go. As an actor, McBride is particularly skilled at writing and performing characters with unbound obnoxious behavior–but THR is reporting that the animated series “will be family-friendly and appeal to audiences of all ages.”
Another attempt at a Garbage Pail Kids TV series would be part of a broader push to mine yesteryear toys and nostalgia for narrative potential. At the very least, it would be joining the growing cinematic universes of Slinky, Rubik’s Cube, and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
