Editing Mars Attacks

{{Short description|Trading card series}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Mars Attacks''}}
{{About|the trading card series|the film based on it|Mars Attacks!{{!}}''Mars Attacks!''}}
{{Infobox toy
| name = ''Mars Attacks''
| image = Mars attacks card wrapper.jpg
| image_size = 200
| image_upright = 
| alt = 
| caption = Card wrapper for the original 1962 release of the series
| othernames = ''Attack from Space''
| type = [[Trading card]]s
| inventor = [[Len Brown (comics)|Len Brown]]<ref name=len/>
| company = [[Topps]]
| country = [[United States]]
| from = 1962
| materials = 
| features = [[Mars in fiction]]
| slogan = 
| website = 
}}
'''''Mars Attacks''''' is a [[science fiction]]-themed [[trading card]] series released in 1962 by [[Topps]]. The cards feature artwork by science fiction artists [[Wally Wood]] and [[Norman Saunders]].<ref name=len/> The cards form a story arc, which tells of the invasion of [[Earth]] by cruel, hideous [[Martian]]s under the command of a corrupt Martian government who conceal the fact from the Martian populace that [[Mars]] is doomed to explode and, therefore, proposes colonization of Earth to turn it into their new homeworld. The cards depict futuristic battle scenes and bizarre methods of Martian attack, torture and slaughter of humans, as well as various Earth nations being attacked. The story concludes with an [[Expeditionary warfare|expeditionary force]] of humans volunteering to embark on a counterattack on Mars, in which the Earth force attacks the Martians in their manner (bayoneting and bullets). The Earth attack forces, after destroying the Martian cities and killing the Martians, depart just before Mars is destroyed in the predicted cataclysm, thus ensuring the peace and safety of Earth as the Martian race is seemingly doomed to extinction. Backstories included how the invading Martians used growth rays to transform insects into monsters to attack cities, differing geographic regions dealing with the Martian invasion, Earth factions such as rival urban gangs and national differences having to be cast aside for the sake of repelling the invasion, or the sociology of Mars, in this case a small tribe of peaceful Martians who hoped to find a way to escape the destruction of Mars without attacking Earth, but their voice being overruled by the corrupt Martian government.

The cards proved popular with children, but depictions of explicit gore and implied sexual content caused an outcry, leading the company to halt production. The cards have since become collectors' items, with certain cards commanding over $3,500 at auction.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.psacard.com/Articles/ArticleView/5822/1962-topps-mars-attacks-set-martians-still-have-hobby-appeal |title=1962 Topps Mars Attacks Set – Martians Still Have Hobby Appeal |publisher=psacard.com |access-date=2013-05-10}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Topps began developing merchandise based on the ''Mars Attacks'' storyline, including mini-comic books and card reprints.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120811054555/http://www.marsattackscomics.com/1.html A look back at the mini-comic book] on Mars Attacks comics.com (archived 11 Aug. 2012)</ref> An expanded set of 100 cards called ''Mars Attacks Archives'' was issued in 1994 by Topps and spawned a second round of merchandising. Director [[Tim Burton]] released a feature film called ''[[Mars Attacks!]]'' in 1996 based on the series, spawning a third round of merchandising, including an [[intercompany crossover]] with the [[Image Universe]], titled ''Mars Attacks Image'' and published by [[Image Comics]]. In 2012, Topps released a 50th anniversary expanded set of 75 cards called ''Mars Attacks Heritage'', leading to a fourth round of merchandising that continued into 2017 with the release of an official sequel series, ''Mars Attacks: The Revenge!''

==Trading cards==
[[File:the_invasion_begins.jpg|thumb|230px|Card #1: "The Invasion Begins"]]
The ''Mars Attacks'' trading card series was created by [[Topps]] in 1962. Product developer [[Len Brown (comics)|Len Brown]], inspired by Wally Wood's cover for [[EC Comics]]' ''[[Weird Science (comic)|Weird Science]]'' #16,<ref name=len>[http://toonopedia.com/mattacks.htm ''Mars Attacks'' trading cards] on the Toonopedia website</ref> pitched the idea to [[Woody Gelman]]. Gelman and Brown created the story — with Brown writing the copy — and created rough sketches. They enlisted Wood to flesh out the sketches and [[Bob Powell]] to finish them. Norman Saunders painted most of the 55-card set (Maurice Blumenfeld painted 10 - 20% of them, but Saunders provided the finishing touches to all of the images).<ref>[https://thewrapper.tripod.com/Browninterview.html Mars Attacks Interview w/ Len Brown] (by Kurt Kuersteiner for ''The Wrapper'' magazine #146)</ref>

The cards, which sold for five cents per pack of five, were test marketed by Topps through the [[dummy corporation]] Bubbles, Inc. under the name ''Attack from Space''. Sales were sufficient to expand the marketing and the name was changed to ''Mars Attacks''. The cards sparked parental and community outrage over their graphic violence and implied sexuality. Topps responded initially by repainting 13 of the 55 cards to reduce the gore and sexuality. However, inquiries from a [[Connecticut]] [[district attorney]] caused Topps to halt production of the series altogether before the replacements could even be printed.<ref name = outre>{{cite news | last = Rice | first = David T | title = Mars Attacks: The Original Invasion Begins Again! | work = Outré |issue = #7 | pages = 44–49 }}</ref>

==Adaptations and merchandising==
In 1984, the first official item was released since the original series appeared: a direct copy of the original series of 55 cards, plus a 56th card that reprinted the wrapper graphics, was released by Renata Galasso Inc. through an agreement with Topps.

In 1994, Topps re-released the cards as an expanded version titled ''Mars Attacks Archives'', with the original 55 cards and 45 "New Visions" cards. The 45 new cards are further divided into a #0 card, three subsets ("The Unpublished 11" (with 11 cards)), "Mars Attacks: The Comics" (with 10 cards) and "Visions: New and Original" a.k.a. "New Visions" (with 22 cards)) and one card titled "Norm Saunders: A Self-Portrait". Twenty-one artists collaborated on the new cards, including [[Zina Saunders]], the daughter of the original artist Norman Saunders. [[Topps Comics]], in conjunction with the trading cards, issued a five-issue comic book miniseries based on the original 55 cards written by [[Keith Giffen]] and drawn by [[Charles Adlard]]. Topps Comics continued the story in an ongoing series that lasted seven issues, a one-shot special and three more miniseries. ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' magazine and Topps Comics also published a #1/2 issue and an Ace Edition issue (#65).<ref name = outre/>

In 1995, one year after the ''Archives'' series, Screamin' Productions and Topps released a tie-in set of eight ''Mars Attacks'' vinyl model kits with an accompanying series of eight new trading cards, each one inside one of the kits. Bonus items that could be acquired by sending in proof-of-purchase certificates from all eight of the kits were two new nearly identical bonus cards (one oversized card with the ''Mars Attacks'' logo on the top of it and one regular-sized card without it) and a limited edition ninth vinyl model kit.<ref name = outre />

In 1996, [[Warner Bros.]] released Tim Burton's feature film adaptation ''[[Mars Attacks!]]''. In conjunction, two hardcover novels were released: ''Mars Attacks: Martian Deathtrap'' by [[Lawrence Watt-Evans|Nathan Archer]]; and ''Mars Attacks: War Dogs of the Golden Horde'' by [[Will Murray|Ray W. Murrill]]. Each contained two new trading cards inside the middle of each book (the paperback editions, however, did not have the trading cards inside them). A paperback movie tie-in novelization by [[Jonathan Gems|the film's screenwriter]] was also published, in addition to two comic book [[intercompany crossover]]s with [[Image Comics]] that continued the Topps Comics run titled ''Mars Attacks the Savage Dragon'' and ''Mars Attacks Image'', both of which respectively depicted the Martians battling the [[Image Comics]] superhero the [[Savage Dragon]] and the Martians battling other characters from the wider [[Image Universe]]. [[Trendmasters]] also produced a series of toy figures based on the film.

In 2012, to commemorate the franchise's 50th anniversary, Topps partnered with a variety of companies on comic books (via [[IDW Publishing]]), bobbleheads and vinyl figures ([[Funko]] Pop!), action figures and plush toys ([[Mezco Toyz]]), costumes (Incogneato), statues and busts (Quarantine Studio), electronics skins (Gelaskins) and a commemorative hardcover book and 2013 wall calendar, both with nearly identical sets of four new trading cards (the only difference being that the book's cards had white borders on the front of the cards and the calendar's cards had green borders) ([[Abrams Books]]).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21631.html |title=Mars Attacks Gets Major Relaunch |publisher=icv2.com |access-date=2011-12-01}}</ref> Topps also re-released the original 55-card series again as a second expanded version titled ''Mars Attacks Heritage'', including two subsets ("Deleted Scenes" (with 10 cards) and "Guide to the New Universe" (with 15 cards)).

In 2013, Topps issued ''Mars Attacks: Invasion'', a reboot series of 95 trading cards featuring a new story (''Mars Attacks: Invasion'' (cards #1–58, plus a #0 promo card from the 2013 [[San Diego Comic-Con]])) with new artwork cards (divided into "Mars Invades IDW" (cards #59–77 and #91–92) and "Art of Mars Attacks" (cards #78–90 and #93–95)) and including four new subsets ("Mars Attacks: Early Missions" (with six cards), "Mars Attacks Masterpieces" (with five cards), "Join the Fight!" (with four cards) and "Anatomy of a Martian" (also with six cards)). This was the last ''Mars Attacks'' trading card series to be sold in retail stores as of this date; all other such series have been sold online ever since.

A second series of trading cards, ''Mars Attacks: Occupation'', also featuring a second reboot series of 81 trading cards that picked up where ''Mars Attacks: Invasion'' left off (''Mars Attacks: Occupation'' (cards #1–45) with new artwork cards (divided into "Art of Mars Attacks" (cards #46–63), "Factions" (cards #64–72), "Occupation Profiles" (cards #73–78) and "The Kickstarter Video" (cards #79–81)) and including six new subsets ("Mars Attacks Superstars", Mars Attacks: Then and Now!", "Mars Attacks All-Star Art" and "[[Dinosaurs Attack!]] vs. Mars Attacks" (each with nine cards (the last one of which was also available as a foil card set)), "Attacky Packages" (a hybrid subset between ''Mars Attacks'' and ''[[Wacky Packages]]'' with 13 cards; the last three cards in this subset were titled "[[Wacky Packages#Wacky Packages Old School|Attacky Packages Old School]]" (like "Dinosaurs Attack! vs. Mars Attacks", this one, too, was also available as a foil card set)) and "Mars Attacks/[[Judge Dredd]]" (with 18 cards)) was funded by Topps on [[Kickstarter]] in 2015 and released in 2016.<ref>[http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/93774/mars-attacks-topps-heads-to-kickstarter-for-new-series/ Mars Attacks – Topps Heads to Kickstarter for New Series]</ref>

A licensed sourcebook written by David Levine appeared for the fourth edition of the [[tabletop roleplaying game]] system ''[[GURPS]]''. This included artwork taken from the cards and comics. 

In 2017, to commemorate the franchise's 55th anniversary, Topps released an official sequel series to the original 1962 55-card series called ''Mars Attacks: The Revenge!'', which takes place five years after the events in the original series and chronicles a second invasion of Earth by the surviving Martians that were off-world and on Earth during the destruction of Mars. It contained 110 cards - the story itself (cards #1–55) and rough pencil art for the story cards (cards #P-1–P-55). No subsets were made for this series. It was sold as a complete box set that contained only the unwrapped 110 cards.

A third series of trading cards, ''Mars Attacks: Uprising'', was released in 2020 exclusively through a [[Kickstarter]] campaign, with cards sent to those who donated to the campaign. Multiple artists were tapped to create multiple storylines, which generally depict counterattacking humans beginning to turn the tide against the Martian invasion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshweiss/2020/02/03/mars-attacks-returns-with-uprising-card-set/ |title=‘Mars Attacks’ Is Back ACK! ACK! In New Kickstarter Campaign For Out-Of-This-World ‘Uprising’ Card Set |last=Weiss |first=Josh |date=February 3, 2020 |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=November 6, 2024}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
*Stewart, Bhob, [[Bill Pearson (American writer)|Bill Pearson]], Roger Hill, Greg Sadowski and Wallace Wood (2003). ''Against the Grain: MAD Artist Wallace Wood''. TwoMorrows Publishing. {{ISBN|1-893905-23-3}}

==See also==
* [[Mars in fiction]]
* ''[[Dinosaurs Attack!]]''
* ''[[The War of the Worlds]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}
* "[https://thewrapper.tripod.com/Browninterview.html Mars Attacks Interview w/ Len Brown]" (by Kurt Kuersteiner for ''The Wrapper'' magazine #146). Retrieved 1/22/2021.

== External links ==
*''Mars Attacks'' (complete card set) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20151215181335/http://www.trading-cards.org:80/Cards-M/Mars-Attacks/index.php archive]) – from trading-cards.org

{{Topps Sports Card Products By Year}}
{{Non-sports trading cards}}

[[Category:Trading cards]]
[[Category:Works set on Mars]]
[[Category:Mass media franchises introduced in 1962]]
[[Category:Topps Comics titles]]
[[Category:Image Comics titles]]
[[Category:IDW Publishing titles]]
[[Category:Topps franchises]]
[[Category:Military fiction]]