Creeps (violet version)

• Status:  Unpublished
• Parody Subject:  Peeps
  marshmallow treats
• Concept Writer/Artist:  David Gross
• Date of Rough Concept Drawing:  April 2004
• Painter:  David Gross
• Date of Final Paintings (both versions):  May 2004

Art Stages

Rough Concept Drawing Only minor differences can be found in comparing the initial rough drawing with the final painted pieces. In the rough, the "BornBad" logo is on the side of the box rather than the front (this is also the case with the "JustBorn" logo on the real Peeps package); the chick character on the box appears to be wearing a skintight cap; and the heart tattoo worn by the first Creep on the left says "Creeps" (plural). Due to Topps' policy that restricted the depiction of certain types of weapons, the Creeps characters could not be shown holding guns or knives.

Final Paintings Topps approved David Gross's "Creeps" rough without discussing which color of Peeps marshmallows—yellow, violet, pink, or blue—that he would paint. Gross completed the final painting in violet and submitted it to Topps. After Topps editors saw the violet version, they asked Gross to repaint it in the more traditional yellow; that version ended up on a printed card in ANS2. Both of the final paintings differ from the rough in that the headgear worn by the chick on the box is a red bandana; the "BornBad" logo is on the package front; and the first Creep's tattoo reads "Creep" (singular).