1962 Mars Attacks Non-Sports Card Set (Product #143)

The Mars Attacks trading card series was created by Topps in 1962. Product developer Len Brown, inspired by Wally Wood’s cover for EC Comics Weird Science #16, pitched the idea to Woody Gelman. Gelman and Brown created the story – with Brown writing the copy – and created rough sketches. They enlisted Wood to flesh out the sketches and Bob Powell to finish them. Norman Saunders painted the 55-card set.

The cards were test marketed by Topps through a dummy corporation called Bubbles, Inc. under the name “Attack From Space”. Sales were sufficient to expand the marketing and the name was changed to “Mars Attacks”. Cards sold for five cents per pack of five. The cards sparked parental and community outrage over the graphic violence and implied sexuality depicted on the cards. Topps responded initially by repainting 13 of the cards to reduce the gore and sexuality, then, following inquiries from a Connecticut district attorney, agreed to halt production completely.