I wanted to follow-up yesterday’s Digimon post with Cadbury of Canada’s companion release from 2000; their series of Pokémon bars. Just like the Digimon, these were a licensed release that re-sized and re-branded Cadbury’s standard Caramilk bar, this time with a fun variety of Pokémon collectible wrappers.
I think the first time I ever heard about Nintendo’s Pokémon was when the news came out about the Japanese cartoon and how some of the flashing light special effects used were inducing seizures in children. It was at once hard to believe and strangely ridiculous to imagine a cartoon having that power. But other than that news story, I didn’t really know what Pokémon was until later when my friends at Marvel Comics brought them to my attention again.
Around 1998 or 1999, there were a group of Assistant Editors and artists who would challenge each other in the bullpen to all sorts of entertaining illustration games. One such bit of distraction was performed by Paul Tutrone, who was illustratively turning Marvel staffers into Pokémon characters. Paul was one of the many fantastic and talented people I had the fortune of working with at Marvel – he could always get me laughing. Paul even transformed me into a Pokémon during that period — which I thought was pretty cool. Now back to the candy.
As with the Digimon wrappers I shared yesterday, there is surprisingly nothing that I could find on the internet about the Cadbury Pokémon release. No images or information at all, which makes today’s post another CollectingCandy.com exclusive premiere! Woo-hoo! Once again this was a series of twelve different wrappers – so let’s get to them:
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Bulbasaur #01 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Charmander #04 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
This next one is for a character that appears to be a living piece of Silly Putty:
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Ditto #132 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Eevee #133 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Jigglypuff #39 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Marril – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Mewtwo #150 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Pikachu #25 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Ponyta #77 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Psyduck #54 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Snorlax #143 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
Canada – Cadbury Caramilk – Pokemon – Squirtle #07 – chocolate candy wrapper back – 2000
That’s all twelve of Cadbury’s Pokémon bar wrappers – a complete set. I hope you’ve enjoyed checking them out.
Oh and one more thing – I always kept the drawings and sketches my friends made for me at Marvel. Since I mentioned it, I thought I should dig it out to share, so here it is: Me, Pokémon-ized!
Jason Liebig as Pokemon by Paul Tutrone – 1998
Ha ha! See you next time!
I was looking up Marill images (as I am a HUGE Marill fanatic) and I had NO idea these really cool candy wrappers ever existed! Oh how I’d love to have a Marill one! I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for one some day! Thanks for sharing!