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This article appeared in USA Today July 21, 2004
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Spoofs are back in style

  Andy Warhol would be proud:
Wacky Pacakges are back.
  Hugely popular in the '60s and
'70s, Wackys spoofed products
with loopy art and gag names such
as Frosted Snakes and Foolgers.
Trust us, that's hilarious when
you're a preteen
  Card giant Topps has added a
new lineup of stickers lampooning
55 brands of more recent vintage
-- including Martha Skewered Living
Behind Bars.

  Art from the new series joined
classic fare at a recent auction. The
hottest item? Crust, a Crest-like
tube with the legend "Garlic Flavor,
Brush Teeth Twice a Month.
  What, maybe $1,000?
  Try $22,850.
  Runner-up bidder Gregory Grant
of Philadelphia, whose collection of
original Wacky art is valued in the
low six figures, doesn't disguise his
disappointment. "That stings."
  Hang tough, Greg. Topps has
more such originals in its vaults,
and another auction is in the cards.
                 --Marco R. della Cava