Monster Initial Stickers (Topps, 1974)

 

Original Wrapper!

In the first volume of our Godzilla Guide, covering all vintage Godzilla items of the U.S., I have an occasional category that pops up called "Unauthorized, But Who Cares," when an item isn't exactly officially licensed, but is too cool to ignore.  Today's item falls into that category!

As you can see, Topps had an interesting series of sticker cards in 1974, where each card offered two different letters filled with cool monster artwork.  Here is the "Godzilla" part of that set:

Or "Not Godzilla," but it's pretty obvious what they are going for here.  The backs of the cards were blank (puzzle cards were later found in packs, rather than, you know, just actually using the card backs for that, which would've made more sense.

Also, there are variants to be found, as sometimes a letter of the alphabet could be paired with a different one, such as these other examples:

It's a pretty cool set.  Topps continued the idea of initial cards for several years, here and there (the stickers for their EMPIRE STRIKES BACK series, for example).  My problem was, I was never brave enough to actually use these kinds of things...I couldn't bear to stick one on a notebook...then the card would be ruined! I always saw them as collectibles, even when I was tiny.  Maybe there is a gene for that, after all.