2023 COMC BINGE - PART 11: BELATED BORIS

 HERE'S THE FIRST OF MANY MONSTER MOVIE CARDS ACQUIRED IN THE BINGE. IN '22'S BINGE I TRIED TO PICK UP AT LEAST ONE CARD EACH OF ALL THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE ACTORS: PETER CUSHING, CHRISTOPHER LEE, BELA LUGOSI, LON CHENEY SR. AND JR. I WASN'T ABLE TO PICK UP BORIS KARLOFF THOUGH AS HIS CARDS WERE PRICED AT A PREMIUM. I HAD TODAY'S CARD BOOKMARKED AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS ALMOST 75% OFF LAST YEAR'S PRICE. HELL YEAH! PATIENCE PAID OFF

1973 TOPPS YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING #53 I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY GIRLS DON'T LIKE ME!

GOOD OL FRANKENSTEIN*. ALL THE GIRLIES LOVE FRANKENSTEIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS CAPTION IS ON ABOUT. JUST LOOK AT THAT HANDSOME FACE. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT FACE IS FROM THE ORIGINAL FRANKENSTEIN, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN OR SON OF FRANKENSTEIN BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY BORIS KARLOFF'S BEAUTIFUL MUG. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING CARDS IN THE SET AND I HOOTED AND HOLLERED WHEN I FOUND IT PRICED AT A MEASLY FIFTY- FIVE CENTS. THIS CARD GOT THE CENTER POCKET WHEN I PLACED IT INTO MY MONSTER BINDER

THE CARD BACK HAS A WONDERFUL JACK DAVIS ILLUSTRATION AND A TERRIBLE AWFUL JOKE. THIS ONE IS A LITTLE EXTRA REVOLTING TO BE HONEST. UNLIKE LATER SETS THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THE MOVIE TITLE FOR THE FRONT PHOTO ON THE BACK, JUST WHICH STUDIO HOLDS THE COPYRIGHT. THIS MAKES IDENTIFYING THE FILM A LITTLE TRICKY FOR FILMS WITH MANY SEQUELS OR SOME OF THE MORE OBSCURE TITLES

WITH THIS CARD I HAVE A FULL PAGE OF LEGOSI, KARLOFF AND CHENEY JR. CARDS FROM THE SET. TOP ROW FEATURES LEGOSI AND CHENEY JR. IN FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN, CHENEY JR. IN THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN AND LON AGAIN IN THE MUMMY'S CURSE. I ACTUALLY FOUND THE ORIGINAL PHOTO IN THIS BLOG POST WHERE YOU CAN SEE VIRGINIA CHRISTINE NOT COVERED UP BY THE FACE AND HAIR OF UNNAMED TOPPS EMPLOYEE #46. THE MIDDLE ROW IS ALL KARLOFF WITH A COOL BEHIND THE SCENES PIC OF BORIS TAKING A COFFEE BREAK WITH COLIN CLIVE. I THINK THESE ARE ALL FROM THE ORIGINAL 1931 FILM, BUT FINDING ORIGINAL PICTURES FOR SOME OF THESE CARDS HAS BECOME DIFFICULT. BOTTOM ROW IS ALL LON CHENEY JR. IN ASSORTED WOLFMAN FILMS. I'M A LITTLE BIT BUMMED THAT I ONLY HAVE ONE CARD OF BELA AND IT'S NOT EVEN FROM A DRACULA FILM. LOOKS LIKE I HAVE MORE WORK TO DO WITH PICKING UP CARDS FROM THIS SET

*YEAH YEAH I KNOW "HE'S NOT CALLED FRANKENSTEIN THAT'S THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR" WHATEVER. THE COOL KIDS CALL HIM FRANKENSTEIN. HE'S NOT A MONSTER! HE'S JUST A LITTLE (VERY BIG) GUY. HE'S NOT A CREATURE! HE'S A RIGHTEOUS DUDE WHO JUST WANTS TO HANG OUT AND BE CHILL. WHEN A BILLIONAIRE EVENTUALLY STICKS A RASPBERRY PI WITH SOME AI SOFTWARE INTO SOME LAB GROWN MEAT AND IT STARTS SHAMBLING AROUND AND TRIPPING OVER THINGS EVERYONE WILL CALL IT A FRANKENSTEIN AND WE WILL ALL BE ITS FRIEND AND GET MAD AT THE BILLIONAIRE FOR CUTTING CORNERS TO INCREASE PROFITS ON HIS INSTANT ARMY INVENTION. SORRY LITERARY PEDANTS, THAT'S JUST HOW LANGUAGE WORKS. ASK ANY LINGUIST

ONLINE MEGA BOX - PART 10

 THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON TO THIS POST, JUST HANG ON AND ENJOY THE RIDE

1999 SKYBOX E-X CENTURY CADE MCNOWN

CATEGORY - SHINY

CADE WAS JUST ONE IN A LONG LINE OF CHICAGO BEARS QB FLOPS BUT 99 E-X CENTURY IS MY SECOND FAVORITE DESIGN IN THE BRAND SO I SNATCHED IT UP. MY PERSONAL E-X POWER RANKINGS:

1) 1997 E-X 2000 MAYBE THE BEST LOOKING SET EVER

2) 1999 E-X CENTURY THE SWOOSH, THE WILD NAME FONT, THE DOUBLE LOGO. I LOVE IT

3) 1998 E-X 2001 PRETTY FANTASTIC, BUT I PREFER 1999'S VERSION JUST A TINY BIT MORE

4) 1995 EMOTION THE FIRST 'HIGH-END' SET THAT REALLY GRABBED ME BY THE NUTS AND SQUOZE. PROBABLY SHOULD BE RANKED LOWER BUT NAH

5) 2003 E-X THE LAST GASP FOR E-X, VERY NICE WITH THE CLEAR STOCK PLUS THAT SECOND LEVEL HOLOFOIL

6) 2001 E-X SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, SUPER THICK WITH A SPARKLY BACKGROUND

7) 1996 EMOTION XL THIS SET DEFINITELY TAKES 1995'S CONCEPT TO THE NEXT LEVEL BUT THE FRAME IS A LITTLE AWKWARD TO ME. A TRANSITIONAL SET

8) 2002- E-X THE YELLOW PLASTIC CARD STOCK IS NOT ATTRACTIVE AND THE MULTIPLE LEVELS WERE TRADED FOR AN ODD TEXTURE THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT

9) 2000 E-X TOOK A DESIGN THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZING ON ACETATE STOCK AND CHEAPSKATED IT WITH A STRAIGHT HOLOFOIL FRONT THAT TOO OFTEN STARTED PEELING OFF THE CARD. THE MOST DISAPPOINTING SET 

10) 2004 E-X FLEER HAD GIVEN UP AT THIS POINT AND ABANDONED THE THEME OF THE BRAND. NO HOLOFOIL, NO ACETATE, JUST SOME ETCHED FOIL THAT LOOKS LIKE AN UPPER DECK RIPOFF. SADNESS

1994 COMIC IMAGES BORIS 4 FRANKENSTEIN

CATEGORY - MONSTER

ANOTHER PICKUP FOR THE MONSTER BINDER. BORIS VALLEJO'S TAKE ON OUR FAVORITE COBBLED TOGETHER CHUM MAKES FRANKIE LOOK LIKE YOUR UNCLE DENNIS WHO'S HAVING A ROUGH TIME AFTER LOSING HIS JOB FROM THE AUTO PARTS STORE BUT HE'S HANGING IN THERE THE BEST HE CAN. HE REALLY NEEDS SOME NEW DUDS SO HE CAN START GOING ON SOME INTERVIEWS THOUGH

1992 STUDIO PETE HARNISCH, HUBIE BROOKS

CATEGORY - COMPLETED THIS GODDMAN SET

I HAVE ENOUGH 93 STUDIO CARDS FOR FIVE SETS BUT I COULD NEVER COMPLETE THE DANG THING. UNTIL NOW. TIME TO START ON A SECOND SET SINCE THIS STUFF ISN'T GOING TO STOP SHOWING UP IN JUNK BOXES LOL. THESE ARE ALSO THE CARDS RESPONSIBLE FOR SPURRING ON MY COMC PURCHASE IN THE LAST POST

2001 PACIFIC AURORA CHRIS CHELIOS

CATEGORY - PLAYER COLLECTION

PACIFIC AURORA WAS ALWAYS A WEIRD LOOKING SET BUT IN 2001 THEY WENT FULL VAPORWAVE AND IT'S KINDA AWESOME. THIS WAS SADLY THE LAST AURORA SET FROM PACIFIC, NO EXTREMELY AESTHETIC BASEBALL CARDS FOR US

1993 FLEER ULTRA CARLOS BAERGA ULTRA ALL-STAR

CATEGORY - INSERT

THERE'S AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT THE REAL DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN VINTAGE AND MODERN CARDS IS WHEN COMPANIES STARTED CREATING THEIR DESIGNS ON A COMPUTER. I'M PRETTY SURE I USED THIS EFFECT IN MSPAINT A FEW TIMES BACK BEFORE THE VERSION INCLUDED WITH WINDOWS WAS NERFED TO FORCE YOU TO BUY A FANCY GRAPHICS EDITOR TO DO THIS KINDA STUFF. LIKE BAERGA HIMSELF, THIS CARD AIN'T GREAT BUT IT IS DEFINITELY VERY EARLY 90S 

1994 UPPER DECK HOLOVIEW F/X ANDY VAN SLYKE

CATEGORY - HOLOGRAM

I'VE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF 1994 SP BUT THESE HOLOVIEW F/X INSERTS ARE FRIGGIN AMAZING. MAYBE THE SECOND BEST SET WITH FLUFFY CLOUDS AS A DESIGN ELEMENT

EVEN THE BACKS LOOK GOOD. DAMN, UPPER DECK WAS THE BEST WHEN THEY WERE FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS

1991 FLEER ULTRA WILL CLARK, DOUG DRABEK ULTRA TEAM

CATEGORY - INSERT

LATE 80S SUPERSTARS, HELL YEAH. I COMPLETED THE ULTRA BASE SET WITH A KENNY ROGERS CARD I PICKED UP AT BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA, NOW IT'S TIME TO FINISH THE ULTRA TEAM SET. WILL I DO IT BY THE END OF THE YEAR? NO, NO I WON'T. THE LAST CARD I NEED WAS ONE OF THE LAST CUTS MADE WHEN I SPENT MY LAST FIVE BUCKS ON COMC

2015 PANINI AMERICANA CALVIN BOREL WINNER'S CIRCLE

CATEGORY - INSERT

FOR SOME REASON THERE WAS A TRUCKLOAD OF 2015 PANINI AMERICANA PACKS AT DOLLAR TREE A FEW YEARS AGO AND I BOUGHT WAY TOO MANY OF THEM BUT NOT QUITE ENOUGH TO FINISH THE BASE SET. THIS GOT ME A LOT OF INSERTS THOUGH INCLUDING THIS DIE-CUT SET PAYING TRIBUTE TO WINNING JOCKEYS. I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THIS CARD EVEN IF I HAD NEVER SEEN A CARD OF THE STUFF, THAT SMILE ON CALVIN'S FACE IS TOO GREAT. YOU GET TO SMILE LIKE THAT WHEN YOU WIN THREE KENTUCKY DERBIES INCLUDING A SUPER LONG SHOT

2015 MAGIC: THE GATHERING FATE REFORGED SCROLL OF THE MASTERS 

CATEGORY - RARE

MAYBE THE MOST BORING MAGIC: THE GATHERING CARD I'VE BOUGHT IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS BUT IT'S A RARE AND IT'S GOT A LITTLE HOLOGRAM ON IT. MAYBE ALL THOSE MONSTERS AND WITCHES I COLLECT WOULD ENJOY SOME NEW BOOKS

1993 TOPPS GREG MADDUX ROGER CLEMENS ALL-STARS

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

PRETTY SURE THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME I'VE BOUGHT THIS CARD. I'LL FUCKIN DO IT AGAIN, SEE IF I DON'T

UP NEXT: WE DIAL THINGS WAAAAY BACK, MANY OF YOU MIGHT FIND IT BORING OR EVEN DISTASTEFUL

Sketch Card #15 - Gorgeous George

I am in very real danger of getting three months behind on these sketch cards so I'll be going full speed ahead with them this week. This one was drawn so long ago I don't even know what Napkin Doon sent me to warrant a return package with sketch within. Probably stickers from the time period involved. I do know that it was immediately obvious what kind of sketch card I would need to create for Napkin.

Here's a prototype 2012 Allen & Ginter card of George Will. Napkin Doon is on a crusade to get a George Will card in A&G so I obliged him. The front is loosely based on the N31 World's Dudes set, because George is a total Dude. I was still afraid of color at this point for anything other than cartoons, so George remained monochrome graphite. I haven't been paying that much attention, but I haven't seen any 2012 A&G previews yet. If they have already popped up and I missed them because ponies please let me know as I'd like to check them out. Napkin seemed pleased by my sketch card and is at this moment chasing an old lady down an alley demanding that she look at his awesome card of George Will.

Mr. Doon doesn't know just how close George came to being transmogrified into a pony. Behold the sketch page what I practiced upon before I drew the real shebang:

There's the beta version of George along with a ponified Will that just didn't quite look right to me for some reason. Young Republican Pony, yes. George Will Pony, not quite. So I gave up and did an A&G Will card instead and filled up the rest of the sketch page with the national symbol of Finland and Frankenstein's creature and his Bride apparently retiring from the monster rat race and opening up a pig farm. I'm not entirely sure what the juxtaposition of these things on the same sketch page is supposed to signify, but I'm sure future historians will figure it out in good time.

Can anyone figure out why I gave George card number 77? I tried to make the back as authentic as the front, even with my terrible handwriting. The thing with handwriting is, it's basically just drawing little symbols (letters) that symbolize other things. And the thing with drawing is, as long as you focus and take your time you can draw most anything you want with practice. And the thing with me is, I'm lazy and I don't care about lettering so my writing looks like the barn floor after the chickens threw a rave.  To save your eyes from the strain, I've typed out the text on the back below.

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pulitzler Prize Winner

--77--

GEORGE F. WILL

~*~

Journalist, author and lifelong baseball fan, George Will has never gotten his picture on a bubblegum card. As Lucy Van Pelt famously said: "how can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on bubble-gum cards?" Blogger Napkin Doon is attempting to rectify this travesty by campaigning to get George Will in 2012 Allen & Ginter. Dayf from Cardboard Junkie has no faith in Topps to listen to its customers, so this 1/1 sketch card was created. George Will can now be called Great. Besides, Lucy's a Bitch. 

DC 11/18/11

Speaking of that beeyotch Lucy Van Pelt, here's that football cartoon I found in the Peanuts book I posted on Super Bowl Sunday.

This raises an interesting question however... DID Charlie Brown actually get to kick a football? Or is that just a generic neighborhood kid? Think of the implications! The entire world mourning Charlie Brown's complete inability to ever kick a football thanks to Lucy, and Charlie actually kicked the ball regularly on his Pop Warner team. Seriously, this could ruin Charlie Brown as badly as a World Series Championship would ruin the Red Sox. Everyone would hate them if they actually won one! Imagine if they won two?? Thank goodness the Cubs never have to worry about that. There's not a zig-zag on the uniform so to protect my fragile world-view, I'm gonna say that's Shermy kicking the ball. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Could be

It could be your breath, Frank...

Then again it could also be this:

Monster: "Get ready to die! I'm going to rip you to pieces. I kill any guy who looks like me!"
Man: "Do I look like you?"
Monster: "Yes."
Man: "Then go right ahead."

Dude, at least you don't look like Joe Torre.
Oh, and obligatory Madeline Kahn:



Woof.

This is the 1973 set, not the 1959 set. Here's galleries to both sets: 1959, 1973.

Oh, that's enough Joe Torre abuse. He deserved it after that asinine plan of his to ban beer in the clubhouse.

Separated at Birth?

And from my favorite fun Halloween film...

"Johnny, why did you kill poor Mr. Spinalzo?

"He said I looked like Joe Torre!"

(context for the confused)

I mustache you a question

The pinnacle of cardboard bliss: a miscut Monster card with a wax stain! Screw Saw and all that gory bullshit, nothing beats Frankenstein beating up on the Wolfman. Ok, maybe King Kong vs. Godzilla. But that's it.

You're Frankensteins. Of course your mother has a mustache. She got it from her father.

Speaking of mustaches...

Monster: "What should I do when I get run down?Doctor: "Take down the car's license number."

Monsters sure have good health insurance, don't they?!

This is the 1973 set, not the 1959 set. Here's galleries to both sets: 1959, 1973.

Boo!

WOOOOOO FRANKENSTEIN!

That's right Frankie, you walk out on that golddigger! You're free as a bird, baby! Ain't nobody gonna tie down the Stein!

In related news this:

Trick or Treat!

You know Who has been at it again. He's already tricked people, the cad! What horrors will the Vincent Price of the blogging world have for yours truly? You shall find out tomorrow morning once I've built up the nerve to open the package. Till then, enjoy this unexpectedly philosophical musing from the back of a 1961 Leaf Spook Stories card:



You know, now that I come to think of it, I don't believe in people...