The Garbage Pail Kids Are Returning In a New Mobile Game

If you grew up in the 80's, then you may remember the Garbage Pail Kids. They were introduced as sort of a counterpoint to the Cabbage Patch Kids, with a number of unreasonably weird -- and sometimes hilariously gross -- choices. Thousands of fans collected their cards for years and some even managed to see their live-action New Line Cinema film...though we're still not sure why.

Well, guess what. They're back! Jago Studios has announced that it has partnered with The Topps Company to create a new mobile card-collecting game featuring the Garbage Pail Kids. It will feature a number of characters from the original line-up of cards and stickers along with some new ones debuting for the first time.

"Garbage Pail Kids are icons of the '80s and a mobile card battler featuring their freaky antics is a natural expansion for the infamous and beloved brand," said Stuart Drexler, Jago Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "We are thrilled to be working with Topps and look forward to bringing these memorable characters to life in a new way fans can interact with, directly on their mobile devices."

The series recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, so a mobile release seems pretty timely. "GPK enjoyed massive playground popularity in the 1980s as children around the world collected and traded hundreds of millions of cards, much to the disgust and dismay of their parents. Depicting kids in foul and comical scenarios, such as Fryin' Brian, sizzling in the electric chair or Tee-Vee Stevie, mesmerized by multiple screens, GPK created over 600 collectible characters between 1985 and 1988. Fans loved the outrageous parodies and passionately worked to complete their collections, with many schools banning GPK cards outright, claiming they were a distraction to students. New GPK packs were issued in 2003 and were met with massive enthusiasm, initiating a new era for the notorious brand. Garbage Pail Kids cards continue to sell today at over 14,000 retail outlets across North America."

"The game from Jago Studios will bring our Garbage Pail Kids to mobile devices around the world in a new way people haven't had before," said Ira Friedman, Vice President, Global Licensing at The Topps Company. "For fans from the '80s or the new generation just learning about the brand, virtually battling with GPK collectible cards offers a new mobile social experience that remains faithful to the irreverent heritage of Garbage Pail Kids."

The game hasn't been given a release date just yet, but it's expected to arrive for iOS and Google Play (Android) later this year. And yes, collecting them all is the name of the game.