'SHOCKING LAFFS' Bubble Gum Cards

Similiar to the American 'You'll Die Laughing' bubble gum cards that came out during the 1960's/70's. 'Shocking Laffs' a.k.a.Shock Theatre was a set of 50 cards released in 1976 by Topps Chewing Gum Inc. and printed in the U.S.A. The set would feature wonderful colour photos from mainly Hammer Dracula films. The 'You'll Die Laughing' cards would feature black and white photos from mainly Universal Monster films, many of these photos were altered and would feature mystery faces in place of the non-monster characters featured in the photos. Films that were covered in the Shocking Laffs cards were 'Dracula a.d.1972', 'Frankenstein must be destroyed', 'The Satanic rites of Dracula', 'Dracula has risen from the grave', and 'Taste the Blood of Dracula'. Also Like the You'll die Laughing cards the photos would have a corny caption underneath and on the back an equally corny joke usually between 2 monsters, ghosts, witch doctors etc. Underneath these were a little description about the film scene featured on the front. The jokes and description were framed by cartoon monsters, the same on each card. Shocking Laffs background colour on the backs of the cards were either light red or dark red, strangely the set of 50 cards did not have a number 17 but instead had 2 number 47 cards, not sure the reason behind this. Apprently there is also 2 number 40 cards both have the same photo on the front but a different joke on the back, there is also a rare American test set that features some cards with different photos on the front.

The pictures above show an original box that the cards would of been sold in, this was featured on ebay a few years ago, I have no idea what it sold for, but I am pleased that I saved the picture as I have never seen another anywhere. The other pictures show examples of cards-No.5 showing a scene from 'Frankenstein must be Destroyed' and No.15 with a scene from 'Taste the Blood of Dracula', next is a the back of card No.45, and the last picture shows both No.47s.