MARS ATTACKS ON MONDAY!

Today we begin a look at the trading cards that are not only legendary, but are also notoriously controversial. First released in 1962 by Topps, Mars Attacks was developed by Len Brown, who was hired in 1959 at the young age of only eighteen by Woody Gelman, the creative director at Topps.

Until his retirement in May 2000, Brown helped to bring many memorable trading card sets to drug and variety stores over the years, including Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids, Star Trek and Star Wars, but he said he liked Mars Attacks the best. Comic fans may also recognize his name as the co-creator of the well-loved T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS series from Tower Comics.

Originally intended to be called Attack From Space, Brown changed the name to the shorter (and snappier) Mars Attacks. He partnered with Wallace Wood and together they developed the series. Brown was inspired by Wood's cover of EC's WEIRD SCIENCE #16 (November-December 1952) and, by combining together a contemporary version of H.G. Wells "The War of the Worlds" and the looks of the Martians on the comic book cover, the rest is history, as they say. 

Here are the first eight cards from the set. More info on the history of Mars Attacks as we go along.

NEXT: Destroy the City!