Meet the Beef Bucket Kids: St. John's artist puts local spin on '80s classic

Remember the Garbage Pail Kids?

The silly and sometimes tasteless characters were a parody of the Cabbage Patch Kids that appeared on stickers and trading cards in the 1980s.

Now, St. John's artist Brad Parsons is putting a Newfoundland twist on the characters with the Beef Bucket Kids.

Parsons says he still has a few Garbage Pail Kids cards, and what started as an exercise drawing a few of the characters became a creative way to parody some well-known locals.

"I thought it would be a great idea to do a parody of Newfoundland's notable people and culture and it just snowballed and turned into this and I've been having a lot of fun with it."

The first notable person to get the Beef Bucket Kids treatment was Rick Mercer — who became Sick Mercer.

"Rick and sick goes together so well, it had to be done," Parsons said.

Characters like Alan Boil, Scary Hibbs and Snarl English soon followed, and Parsons even had the opportunity to present some locals with their Beef Bucket Kid likenesses.

"They seem to love it. Rick Mercer [was] really happy about it, he took a picture with his own phone, I guess to show his friends," he said.

"But it's all in good fun, and I've gotten a great response from everybody who I've met."

With the general public, Parsons said he's gotten a mixed response, but plenty of people are enjoying the local version of a nostalgic collector's item.

"A lot of people who grew up in the '80s and collected Garbage Pail Kids and was into that kind of stuff, when they see it, they get a thrill out of it," he said.

"They just love the Newfoundland connection."

Parsons also made a special set of Valentine's Day cards with phrases like "I'd save you a draw, me love," and "Accordion to my heart, I love you" and has plans for more seasonal offerings.

The Beef Bucket Kids products are available online or or at markets around St. John's.

With files from Weekend AM

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