Today, is a bonafide brand. The aliens—with their exposed brains, fishbowl helmets, and cigar-chomping leader—have become iconic villains.
Before the big screen, Mars Attacks was a series of 55 trading cards released by Topps in 1962. Created by Len Brown and Woody Gelman—and featuring iconic, gruesome artwork by Wally Wood and Norman Saunders—the cards depicted a brutal invasion of Earth by Martians with exposed brains and bulging eyes. Mars Attacks
The history of Mars Attacks begins with the Topps Company, the titan of the trading card industry. In the early 1960s, the United States was gripped by "Red Scare" paranoia, but the cultural zeitgeist was also shifting toward the Space Race. Topps had already struck gold with the gruesome Civil War News cards. Now, they wanted to do for science fiction what they had done for history. Today, is a bonafide brand
But is more than just a movie or a set of cards. It is a unique cultural artifact—a parody that accidentally predicted the chaos of modern media, a critique of Cold War paranoia wrapped in bubblegum pink, and a franchise that refuses to die. Created by Len Brown and Woody Gelman—and featuring
: A fleet of flying saucers from Mars surrounds the Earth. Despite world leaders' attempts to "come in peace," the Martians prove to be chaotic, sadistic invaders who enjoy vaporizing humans and vandalizing landmarks.
Due to a massive outcry from parents and local authorities, Topps eventually halted production, making the original cards some of the most sought-after collectibles in the hobby today. 2. The Tim Burton Film (1996)