Garbage Pail Kids

Working on Garbage Pail Kids has been a major part of my career, and it’s hard to overstate what that license means to me. I’ve always been drawn to horror and darker imagery, and that naturally finds its way into a lot of my work. But one of the things I’ve come to appreciate most about working on a property like this is the range it demands. Not every piece leans dark, and learning when to pull that back, when to lean into humor, or when to keep things more playful has been just as important as the horror side of what I do.

Garbage Pail Kids is one of the most recognizable and influential trading card properties ever created, with a style of humor that helped define an entire era of pop culture. That tone has roots in the irreverent, satirical spirit of Mad Magazine, where pushing boundaries and embracing the weird was part of the identity. Garbage Pail Kids carried that forward in its own way, blending gross-out art with sharp parody and unforgettable characters. Being able to contribute to something with that kind of history and personality, especially something I grew up aware of, is something I take a lot of pride in.

Two Halloween-themed Garbage Pail Kids trading cards. The left card features a pumpkin-headed character dressed as a wizard, sitting outdoors on a stone slab with a large hat, a knife, and orange leaves around. The right card shows a witch-like figure with pale skin, dark hair, and wings, sitting on a black ornate chair against a full moon with a spider hanging from an umbrella, holding a staff topped with a bat. Both cards have a red "Garbage Pail Kids" logo at the top and a yellow banner at the bottom labeled "Name Bigname".
Colorful book cover for Garbage Pail Kids featuring two cartoon characters, a girl with red curly hair and a boy with a bald head, both making silly faces with their fingers in their noses, a green heart-shaped graphic in the background, and the title in bold red letters.
Packaging for Garbage Pail Kids KELI character with a cartoonish child inside a trash bag labeled 'Corugated KELI,' holding a rose, surrounded by love-themed items, with a colorful, heart-patterned background.
A graffiti-style street art depicting a cartoon character with red hair, sunglasses, a leather jacket, and red pants, holding a toy gun and a keyboard. Spray paint cans are on the ground, and a graffiti-covered wall with a sticker that says 'You have been denied (you suck)' is in the background. The art is labeled 'Garbage Fail Kids' and 'New Wave DAVE' at the top and bottom of the image.
A humorous cartoon cover featuring a grumpy-looking shark in the ocean, holding a red Valentine heart that says "Be Mine." The background shows a yacht with a sign that reads "Feel'n Nauti!" and a sunset sky with clouds. The top of the cover has the title "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS," and the bottom has the caption "Flirting FINLEY" in black text on a red background.
A toy prank pretending to be a package of garbage pail kids, labeled 'Fun Gus,' with a face featuring eyeballs, a nose, and a tongue.
Graffiti art of a green cartoon character with angry eyes, holding a cross-shaped object and smoking, with a shadowy silhouette of a person in a hat and briefcase in the background. The graffiti includes the text 'Official Garbage' in the top left corner.
A cartoon character resembling a mad scientist with green eyes, short spiky hair, and a scar on the face, wearing a blue jacket and a belt with a large buckle. The character is connected to a machine with wires and gauges, and is sitting in front of test tubes and containers labeled 'EYES' containing green eyeballs. Lightning strikes are visible in the background, creating an electrifying scene.
Cartoon of a small, chubby, angry character in black leather armor with spikes, chains, and a mohawk hairstyle, behind a chain barrier, with the name 'Stephen' at the bottom.
A disturbing illustration of Freddy Krueger with a red, disfigured face, wearing his signature black fedora, holding a glove with blades, and the words 'GARBAGE PAIL KIDS' at the top and 'STEPHENS' at the bottom.
Cartoon illustration of a vampire driving a red wagon decorated with garlic and a ghost, with spooky pumpkins around, in front of a purple background. The wagon displays the text "House of Garlic" and
A cartoon character with a clown face, top hat, and clown makeup, holding a horn and barking 'HONK!' against a red and beige striped background.
A cartoon illustration resembling a character with a pumpkin head on fire, dressed in a suit, holding a knife and a bird, sitting among pumpkins, with the text 'Garbage Pail Kids' at the top and 'Stephens' at the bottom.
Illustration of two characters inspired by Batman and the Joker, with the title 'Garbage Pail Kids' at the top. The Joker-like character has green hair, white face paint, exaggerated makeup, and is giving a thumbs-up. Batman-like character has a serious expression, dark costume, and a bat emblem on the chest, with the name 'Stephens' written across the bottom.
A graphic illustration of a character with a geometric patterned, angry face, holding a realistic human heart in their hands, with chains hanging around and a "Garbage Pail Kids" sign at the top.
Illustration of a creepy haunted house scene with darkness, bare trees, and skulls scattered on the ground, featuring a sinister-looking character with a cookie face and claws, wearing a striped shirt and red hoodie, labeled 'Garbage Pail Kids'.
A cartoon character with a bald head covered in red pins and strings, wearing a black and purple costume with red straps and chains. The character has an angry expression with purple eyes and gritted teeth. The background is dark with a purple banner at the top reading "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS".
A Halloween-themed illustration featuring Jack Skellington in a pinstripe suit riding a spooky swirl hill. Accompanying him is Zero, a ghost dog with a pumpkin nose. The background shows a large yellow moon with a spooky star-shaped symbol, and several grinning jack-o'-lanterns in the foreground. A badge with
Illustration of four cartoon trash can lids with drawn faces, decorated as horror movie characters with makeup and accessories, lying on a blue fabric background, with the title 'Garbage Pail Kids' at the top and the names 'Stephens' at the bottom.
A cartoon illustration of the Addams Family in front of the Nevermore Academy gates, with the Garbagé Pail Kids logo at the top, featuring a sinister mansion, dark trees, and lightning in the background.

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A cartoon drawing of a laboratory scene with a character inside a glass beaker. The character has a human-like face with a mischievous expression and is connected to numerous tubes and wires. The background has various gauges and dials. The top of the image has a sign that reads "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS," and at the bottom, there is a nameplate labeled "STEPHENS."
A cartoon depiction of Chucky from Garbage Pail Kids in front of a haunted house with dark smoke and glowing windows.
A creepy clown with red hair and sharp teeth, holding a boat labeled 'S.S. Georgie' and balloons, with the words 'GARBAGE PAIL' above, in a dark, cloudy background.
Drawing of Jason Voorhees' hockey mask with a smiling face and a smaller mask on top, set against a sunset scene with trees and a river, in a dark, eerie style.
Graffiti artwork featuring a robotic creature with a dog's face and mechanical details, with green bubbling drool, behind a sign that reads 'GARBAGE PAIL KIDS' and the artist's tag 'STEPHEN'S' at the bottom.
A cartoon illustration of the Garbage Pail Kids character, a girl with red hair in pigtails, sitting in a wooden cage during a rainstorm, with a dark cityscape in the background.
Illustration of a spooky, pumpkin-headed character with a carved face, dressed in a green suit, sitting on the ground holding a baseball bat in one hand and a lit candle in the other, in a dark, eerie forest scene.
Illustration of a cartoon character with black hair, holding a red apple, and a playful expression. The character appears to be inside an oval frame with a decorative border, and the text 'GARBAGE PAUL KIDS' is displayed at the bottom.
A cartoon illustration of a grotesque, zombie-like creature with a large, deformed face, sharp teeth, and gooey saliva. The creature is wearing a badge that says "CRYPT KEEPER" and a patch that reads "CARRION PARK RANGERS." The background features broken, dilapidated green walls.
A colorful illustration of a character from Garbage Pail Kids, featuring a grotesque, zombie-like face with exposed flesh, decayed teeth, and a rusty razor blade, held by a robotic hand.
A cartoon illustration of Dracula with red eyes and blood tears, holding a black bat, with a dark cityscape background and the text 'Garbage Pail Kids' at the top.
A colorful comic-style illustration of a kid in a yellow raincoat and red boots, holding an umbrella in a thunderstorm with lightning, rain, and a small fish nearby. The text "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS" and the artist's signature, Stephens, are at the bottom.
A cartoon-style illustration of a gruesome character with a pink, disfigured face and green eyes, wearing a black hat. The character is sticking out a long tongue and has syringes with blue liquid pointed at its face. The top of the image features a banner with the text "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS," and below the character is a label with the name "STPHENS" in stylized font.
Colorful illustration of animated monsters in front of haunted house, with the text 'Garbage Pail Kids' at the top.
A parody toy package resembling Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, styled as a 'Garbage Pail Kids' figure, with a hockey mask, a bloody knife, and a hand reaching toward the mask, against a forest background.
Cartoon character from Garbage Pail Kids with orange hair, a mischievous grin, holding a green slime-covered ray gun, set against a red background with blue and white accents.
Artwork depicting a grotesque, angry character with green eyes, rotted teeth, and disfigured face, holding sharp weapons, with fiery background and a sign that reads "Garbage Pail Kids," signed by Stephens.
A cartoon depiction of a villainous, angry, green plant with a large face and red eyes, holding a bloodied, crying teddy bear in a lush, green field with trees in the background. The text
Cartoon illustration of a evil-looking, angry child with disheveled hair, wearing a suit and tie, holding a gun, with intense expression. The background is red with chaotic lines and a sticker reading 'Official Garbage' in the top left corner.
Black and white illustration of a person with short hair and a T-shirt with the name 'Stephen' on it. The person has an eye in the upper right corner and a wide-open mouth with a cartoonish gray cat inside, also with an open mouth and a pink tongue. The background is dark with a logo in the top left corner that reads 'HIGHLAND GARBAGE'.
GARBAGE PAIL KIDS Halloween-themed illustration of a haunted house with a creepy tree, a person in a Jason mask, and a dark forest background.
A close-up of a vintage Garbage Pail Kids trading card featuring a character with a clown face, red hair, and a ruffled collar.
An illustration of a vampire character with fangs, red eyes, and black hair with a red cape, holding a woman with blonde hair in a red dress. The illustration features a label reading "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS" at the bottom.
Cover of Garbage Pail Kids sticker pack featuring a character with a hockey mask and a young boy with a frightened expression, set against a dark, rainy background.