By now, you’ve heard how the original 1990s broadcast of Twin Peaks took the United States of America by storm. The excitement dissipated shortly after the beginning of season two, and subsequently, the series ended with a two-part finale aired in June 1991. About a year later, the phenomenon was “happening again” in Japan. For this Art Peaks article, I examine stickers released in the Japanese market during the frenzy for David Lynch and Mark Frost’s wonderful and strange show.
WRAPPED IN PLASTIC – ISSUE NUMBER 68
The first time I saw these stickers was on the back cover of “Wrapped in Plastic” No. 68 by John Thorne and the late Craig Miller. In the early days of my fandom, this magazine set the gold standard for Twin Peaks reporting. I still reference the publication while researching articles for this blog. This issue had Part 3 of their look at magazines from Japan.
On page 1, Thorne and Miller credited the back cover image: “Back cover reproduction of Japanese stickers (C)Twin Peaks Productions.”
Despite multiple search, I’ve been unable to find the original stickers.
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT – JUNE 26, 1992
During my research, I found an Entertainment Tonight broadcast from Friday, June 26, 1992 discussing Twin Peaks mania in Japan.
It’s wild to think that this was at least a year and a half before I discovered the show in fall 1993. How I wish I would have fallen in love with it earlier.
The video had glimpses of really cool things such as this (possibly unlicensed) Twin Peaks FBI hat.
They also had video of Frank Silva (Killer BOB) and Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer) meeting Japanese fans on Monday, February 17, 1992. It’s difficult to say if they met them in the “real Twin Peaks” of Snoqualmie Valley, Washington or if it was in Japan.
BIZ INTERNATIONAL
While watching the video, this artwork on this Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me button (?) caught my eye.
The “twin peaks” reminded me of one sticker from the back cover of “Wrapped in Plastic.”
It also reminded me of artwork from the back cover of a Japanese souvenir program for my favorite David Lynch film (see this article for a deep dive).
This same artwork is found under production photos for the Pilot Episode on the spectacular The Mauve Zone. Notice the population – 51,200 – which is time before it was changed to 51,201.
This could be alternate or early artwork for the now iconic Welcome to Twin Peaks sign.
MERCHANDISING RIGHTS FOR TWIN PEAKS
The “Wrapped in Plastic” sticker had two copyrights – Biz International and Twin Peaks Productions. The latter is self-explanatory yet I had the most difficult time finding any information about Biz International.
A Washington Post article by Tom Shales on July 24, 1990 stated the merchandising rights are held by the distributor World Vision [sic]. Hamilton Projects Inc. based in New York was the merchandise vendor who would create some of the earliest products (t-shirts, mugs, etc.).
My gut tells me that Biz International was an overseas vendor granted merchandising rights for Japan during the height of the craze.
TWIN PEAKS STICKERS
So let’s take a closer look at these stickers. You’ve already seen the one with mountains.
A doughnut … of course. First mentioned in the Pilot Episode by Special Agent Dale Cooper while riding in Sheriff Truman’s vehicle.
I am … a FBI sticker.
The eagle was most likely a nod to the Department of Justice seal. There’s a fascinating letter about this seal from February 14, 1992 on their official website.
The Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department badge which uses the previously discussed “twin peaks” artwork in the center of the badge.
The badge reminds me of the badge logos seen on the side of law enforcement vehicles in the Pilot Episode.
The logo is different on the side of the Sheriff Department vehicle Truman drives.
Perhaps it was nod to a time when the town of Twin Peaks was located in Diamond County and Sheriff Harry Truman wore a Diamond County Sheriff badge. This behind-the-scenes photo from The Mauve Zone shows Michael Ontkean at the Train Car scene sporting that badge. That’s a whole other story for another time.
Next up is the cherry pie sticker.
The cherry pie on the sticker appears to be the same cherry pie on the cover of the “Welcome to Twin Peaks – Access Guide to the Town.”
Finally we have the Great Northern Hotel logo, which is supposed to look like a wood print.
I can’t help thinking of the maze logo from HBO’s Westworld.
RR DINER LOGO
I found one more sticker-like logo that seems like it could have also been a part of this collection. Etsy user Morbiditee listed a vintage Double R Diner t-shirt from 1990 (most likely produced by Hamilton Projects Inc).
The shirt contains a small round “RR Diner” logo that’s the perfect size for another sticker.
The only time we see this logo is on the side of the 1977 Ford Pinto Wagon outside the Double R Diner in The Missing Pieces. Luckily Anthony P. Anderson snapped this behind-the-scenes photo during filming.
Here’s to hoping that one day I’ll find the original Japanese stickers as I love these obscure treasures from my favorite television show.
