CHEAP MAGIC FROM SECOND AND CHARLES

I DON'T PLAY THE MAGIC: THE GATHERING GAME BUT I DO LIKE COOL FANTASY ART AND I REALLY LIKE COLLECTING TRADING CARDS AND I REALLY REALLY LIKE DIME BOXES. TODAY I DIDN'T HAVE TO RUSH BACK TO WORK AFTER THE GYM BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO BLOW A LOT OF MONEY AT THE CARD SHOP SO I WENT TO SECOND AND CHARLES TO SCROUNGE AROUND IN THE FREE BINS

PROBLEM:

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME AND THE FREE BINS WERE REMOVED SO THEY COULD PUT UP SOME HOLIDAY AND CALENDAR DISPLAYS. NO FREE CRAP FOR ME. I WANDERED AROUND ANYWAY TO KILL SOME TIME AND NOTICED THAT THE 50 CARDS FOR FIVE DOLLAR BOXES FULL OF TRASHY LOOSE CARDS THEY HAVE NEXT TO THE OVERPRICED GAME CARD PACKS HAD SOME MAGIC CARDS IN THEM AMONG THE POKEMON AND YU-GI-OH. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHEAP MAGIC CARDS FOR SALE SINCE THE SHOP NEAR MY WORK CLOSED DOWN LIKE, I DUNNO, IT'S BEEN LIKE 6 YEARS NOW? LONG STORY SHORT, I SCROUNGED THROUGH THE CARDS AND FOUND SOME THAT PLEASED ME. HERE THEY ARE  

EDITOR'S NOTE: I HAVE USED SCANNED CARDS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON HERE BECAUSE THEY LOOK BETTER THAN PHONE CAMERA PHOTOS. THEY ALSO TAKE 10 TIMES AS LONG TO DO AND INVOLVE DRAGGING OUT AN OLD LAPTOP THAT BARELY WORKS ANYMORE. THIS IS A NOTE TO SAY I'M USING SHITTY PHONE PHOTOS OCCASIONALLY NOW BECAUSE IT'S EASIER AND MOAR EASY = MOARER POSTING

EVERY DIME BOX PURCHASE STARTS WITH THAT ONE CARD THAT MAKES YOUR EYES POP WHEN YOU SEE IT, RESULTING IN FRANTICALLY LOOKING THROUGH EVERY OTHER CARD IN THE BOX TRYING TO RE-LIVE THAT RUSH. THIS WAS THAT CARD IN THIS BOX. IT HIT THE TRIFECTA: 1) IS A RARE CARD (LOOK, THERE'S A HOLOGRAM!) 2) IT'S NOT COMPLETELY TRASHED (LIKE THAT WOULD STOP ME!) 3) IT'S A MOTHERFUCKING DRAGON

ONCE I SAW THIS CARD I KNEW I WOULD HAVE TO FIND 49 MORE

WHEN I STARTED COLLECTING THESE THINGS IN 1998 (FIVE YEARS TOO LATE!) THIS IS WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE. THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF OLD STYLE BORDER CARDS IN THE BOX AND I FELT DRAWN TO THIS SPOOKY SHADOW MONSTER.

GHOST KNIGHT. I VERY MUCH ENJOY THE PARANORMAL SHIT BUT THE REASON I PULLED THE TRIGGER ON THIS ONE IS BECAUSE OF THE SET LOGO. THAT'S THE LITTLE SYMBOL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BAR THAT SAYS CREATURE - SPIRIT. IN MY MISHMASH OF A HALF-ASSED M:TG COLLECTION I WOULD LIKE TO SOMEDAY HAVE AT LEAST ONE CARD FROM EVERY SET. I HAVE NO 2021 BAT LOGO SET CARDS BECAUSE I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A MAGIC CARD IN TWO YEARS. PLUS: BATS!!!

SKEERY DEMON POUNCING ON YOU. I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE NEW GAME MECHANICS AND BY NEW I MEAN 'FROM THIS CENTURY'. LOOKS LIKE THIS CRITTER IS 1/2 BLACK AND 1/2 RED TYPE? WHICH GIVES IT A GOLD BORDER? I DUNNO ABOUT ALL THAT IT'S A SCREAMY DEMON

SHIIIIINY. I LIKEY THE SHINY. THERE'S A WEIRD GHOST LAZER ON THIS CARD ALONG WITH A WEREWOLF CAMEO. IT'S GOT A WEREWOLF SET LOGO AS WELL! A LOT OF SETS NOWADAYS ARE FULL HOLOFOIL SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A BASE CARD OR AN INSERT, I JUST LIKE WEREWOLFS

WE'VE GOT A NICE LITTLE RUN OF CARDS HERE SO THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO EXPLAIN MY MAGIC: THE GATHERING COLLECTING TENDENCIES. MOST OF THE CARDS I REALLY LIKE FIT INTO FIVE MAIN CATEGORIES:

1) DRAGONS - I LIKE DRAGONS

2) COOL MONSTERS - THIS CAN BE ANYTHING FROM AN ELDRICH ABOMINATION TO A RUN OF THE MILL GOBLIN. IT'S 100% SUBJECTIVE AND A CARD I DEEM UNCOOL MIGHT BE COOL THE NEXT DAY OR VICE VERSA. THEY ARE ALL COOL THE MOMENT I BUY THEM HOWEVER

3) FUN ANIMALS - IF I SEE A CAT OR AN OWL ON A MAGIC CARD I USUALLY GRAB IT. I'M ALSO FOND OF BADASS BIRDS AND BIG MEAN CRITTERS

4) HORSIES - HORSIES!!!

5) THE CATEGORY THE PREVIOUS EIGHT CARDS BELONG TO WHICH IS BEST DESCRIBED AS "WHO IS SHE??"

I LIKE ARTWORK OF PRETTY GIRLS AND MAGIC HAS SHITLOADS OF CARDS FEATURING JUST THAT THING. PRETTY VAMPIRE GIRLS GET BONUS POINTS

GARGOYLES ARE COOL. SEE: CATEGORY #2. THIS IS AN UNCOMMON CARD AS WELL. YOU CAN TELL BY THE SET ICON WHICH IS SILVER

THE DEATHLESS HORSIE!!!! I'M JUST NOTICING NOW THAT THERE IS A NEW NEW BORDER DESIGN THAT IS SUBTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONES THAT REPLACED THE SHADOW MONSTER'S BORDER FROM BEFORE. THIS SHOULD TELL YOU HOW OUT OF THE LOOP I AM ON MAGIC CARDS, BUT THE FACT I AM GIDDY OVER A BUNCH OF TRASH COMMONS MIGHT HAVE TIPPED YOU OFF ALREADY

BATS ARE COOL AND THIS ARTWORK IS AMAZING. NOT SURE WHAT THE LITTLE SUN SYMBOL NEXT TO THE NAME IS THO, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE CARD BACK

OMG WHO IS SHE??? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS A STEALTH VAMPIRE CARD. HELL YEAH. ONLY PROBLEM IS I DON'T KNOW WHICH SIDE TO DISPLAY NOW. HONESTLY THE BAT SIDE KINDA LOOKS COOLER

I TOLD YOU I LIKED OWL CARDS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MONSTER WOULD KICK AN OWL THOUGH

THE ONLY THING BETTER THAN VAMPIRES ARE VAMPIRES INTO THE GOTHIEST SHIT IMAGINABLE. JUST LOOKIT THOSE HORNS. AND THAT CRAZY KLINGON SWORD. BRILLIANT

I DON'T HAVE TO ASK WHO THIS IS, IT IS OBVIOUSLY LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AS AN ADULT...

...WHO APPARENTLY JOINED THE OTHER SIDE. YOU GO, GIRL. GOBBLE UP THEM GRAMMAS

I DON'T THINK DRAKES ARE TECHNICALLY DRAGONS ACCORDING TO OFFCIAL D&D TAXONOMY BUT SCREW THAT, BIG SCARY DRAGGIE 

NEVER PISS OFF A FIRE ANGEL, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE A SWORD

BABBIE DRAGGIE!!!!! SQUEEE! SO CUTE

IF A CROCODILE IS BIG ENOUGH IT'S BASICALLY A DRAGON

HORSIE!!! WITH WINGS!!! i like horsies

ROBOT DRAGON!!! THIS ONE'S ALL SPARKY TOO, YOU CAN SNEAK IT INTO A GAME OF POKEMON AND USE IT AS AN ELECTRIC TYPE

I REALLY LIKE ARTWORK WITH THE SWIRLY GLOWY STUFF GOING ON. WIZARDS SPECIFICALLY HAVE A LOT OF THIS HAPPENING ON THEIR CARDS

YOU KNOW I LOVE THE SHINIES!!! IMAGINE IF THIS WAS A FOIL CARD, YOU'D HAVE SHINY ON SHINY

I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE FUNCTION OF TOKEN CARDS ARE OTHER THAN MAYBE BEING SOME EXTRA FILLER IN THE PACK. THEY MUST DO SOMETHING SINCE THEY HAVE THAT DAMAGE COUNTER ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. AT ANY RATE, THE TOKEN CARDS ARE USUALLY FULL ART CARDS AND THIS ONE IS OF A MAGICAL ELECTRIC SABER-TOOTH CAT THAT JUST TOOK A CHOMP OUT OF A DUDE. HELL YEAH

THE BACK OF THE TOKEN IS AN AD FOR A WEBSITE BUT I THINK THAT LITTLE EYEBALL DUDE DESERVES HIS OWN CARD

I WAS RUSHING THROUGH THE CARDS WHEN I PICKED THEM OUT SO I KNEW I WAS GOING TO GET A DUPLICATE EVENTUALLY. NOT MAD ABOUT HAVING AN EXTRA PONY

SKELEMAN WITH MOOSE HORNS. THE THING ABOUT BLACK BORDER CARDS IS THEY ARE USUALLY EITHER SUPER COOL OR REALLY GROSS.  A SKELETON DIVINING BONES IS DEFINITELY IN THE FORMER CATEGORY

ELVES WERE MY FAVORITE D&D TYPE WHEN I WAS A KID AND THERE ARE TONS OF 'EM RUNNING AROUND IN MAGIC THE GATHERING JUST ELVING ALL OVER THE PLACE

MORE VAMPIRE LADIES. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL VAMPIRE LADY CONTENT I SUGGEST THE MOVIES THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, TWINS OF EVIL AND VAMPIRE CIRCUS. LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU KNOW OF OTHER GOOD BITEY FILMS

YET ANOTHER VAMPIRE BUT THIS ONE IS SHINY AND ALSO A CLERIC SOMEHOW. VAMPIRES THAT CAN SHOOT MAGIC AT YOU SEEMS A LITTLE OP IF YOU ASK ME BUT MAYBE THEIR RELIGIOUS ICONS WEAKEN THEM 

A FLYING ANGEL SURROUNDED BY DOVES AT MAGIC HOUR, HOLY SHIT. THESE CARDS CAN HAVE SOME FRICKIN AMAZING ARTWORK AT TIMES. AND THIS IS A COMMON CARD TOO!

WHOOPS. A SECOND DUPLICATE. A PROBLEM I HAVE IS IF A CARD IS  COOL BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT BLOWS MY SOCKS OFF I'LL FORGET ABOUT IT AND BUY MULTIPLE COPIES. I DO THIS ALL THE TIME WHEN PICKING CARDS OFF MY WANTLIST FOR SETS AT CARD SHOWS. I'LL KNOW IMMEDIATELY THAT I ALREADY HAVE A MARK LEMKE CARD IN MY PILE. GILBERTO REYES, NOT SO MUCH

KITTY! EVIL ZOMBIE KITTY CAT IS STILL BABY. JUST PICK UP SOME BRAIN FLAVORED FRISKIES AND YOU'RE ALL SET 

SWINGING AROUND LIKE SPIDER-MAN USING WONDER WOMAN'S GLOWY LASSO IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DOPE-ASS ART MAKING IT ONTO A COMMON CARD. IF TOPPS WAS MAKING THESE THIS ART WOULD BE ON A SUPER SHORT PRINTED VARIATION THAT WOULD ONLY BE FOUND THREE DAYS AFTER RELEASE BY A MASSIVE GROUP BREAKER

SWIMMY DRAGGIE! 

SERRA ANGEL IS ONE OF THE OLD-OLD SCHOOL CARDS I REMEMBER FROM THE 90S. IT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE MORE ICONIC MAGIC CARDS OUT THERE

AAAAW YEAH THIS IS THE STUFF. CHOMP! ANOTHER COMMON CARD, THERE WERE ABOUT 30 OF THESE IN THE BOX AND I WANTED TO BUY IT EVERY TIME BUT I KNEW FOR A FACT I ALREADY HAD ONE IN MY PILE. I MIGHT GO BACK AND GET A WHOLE PAGE'S WORTH FOR THE NEXT COOL BINDER

THIS IS WHAT I MEANT BY TRASHED RARES WAY UP AT THE TOP OF THE POST. WATER DOES DASTARDLY THINGS TO CARDS, ESPECIALLY PLAYING CARDS. THAT'S FINE WITH ME BECAUSE I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT CONDITION, THIS IS A BAD ASS LOOKING SPHINX MAN, AND THE PAPER LOSS ISN'T ON THE ARTWORK ANYWAYS

I DID CATCH MYSELF TRYING TO BUY THIS CARD TWICE. WHO CAN BLAME ME. IT'S A FRIGGIN FIRE BREATHING SPACE MANTICORE. THIS COULD BE THE COVER OF AN EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER ALBUM

THERE ARE MORE FURRIES IN MAGIC: THE GATHERING THAN YOU WOULD INITIALLY EXPECT. THE LONGER I LOOK AT THIS PICTURE THE MORE CONCERNED I GET BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT THE ONESIE ON THE DUDE THE CATBOY IS STRADDLING APPEARS TO BE MADE OF THE SAME STUFF AS THE MANTICORE 

BIG GIRL! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. EVEN THE FLAVOR TEXT ON THE CARD IS LIKE WHO IS SHE

IF I WAS A DRAGON AND SOME JERK WAS TRYING TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO I'D SNAP TOO

GHOST DRAGON

OK DINOSAUR. THEY'RE JUST SUPER OLD DRAGON ANCESTORS. MAY BE WHY IT'S A GHOST

A GRIFFIN WITH AN OWL FACE IS ONE OF THE COOLEST DAMN THINGS I'VE SEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME AND THIS CARD IS A SHINY FOILY AS WELL

ANOTHER DAMAGED CARD BUT THIS ONE'S UNCOMMON AND THE ART IS OF A PURPLE BUG ELF SO WHO CARES ABOUT A LITTLE PAPER LOSS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH THAT ARMOR AND WEAPON, IT LOOKS LIKE SHE RAIDED THE CLOSET OF MIDNA FROM LEGEND OF ZELDA 

LAST CARD IN THE BUNCH IS ANOTHER RARE CARD WITH BITS MISSING OFF IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY DOCTOR STRANGE IS FIGHTING WITH SHOVEL KNIGHT BUT IT LOOKS COOL 

BETWEEN SCROUNGING THROUGH THE BOX AND WRITING UP THIS POST I'VE GOTTEN TWO OR THREE HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT SO FAR AND I HAVEN'T EVEN SORTED THE THINGS INTO MY BOX OF MAGIC STUFF YET. DIME BOXES REALLY PROVIDE A GOOD BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

 

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 10: ONI

 LAST CARD OF MY BLACK FRIDAY COMC BLASTER*. I HOPE ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO SPENT A LOT ON MONEY ON A HUGE PILE OF CARDS DURING THE SALE HAVE ACTUALLY GOTTEN YOUR CARDS BY NOW**. A LOT OF THE THINGS I WAS HUNTING FOR ON MY SPENDING SPREE WAS STUFF I WANTED BUT NEVER HAD, OR EVER EVEN FOUND BEFORE WHILE LOOKING FOR CARDS. THIS LAST CARD IS EXACTLY THAT. SOMETHING I HAD NEVER FOUND AT A CARD SHOW OR SHOP, THAT I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS EVEN IF I HAD, AND I STILL KNOW NOTHING ABOUT

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS AND I'M NOT GOING TO ACT LIKE I DO

I FIRST HEARD ABOUT MENKO CARDS MAYBE 15-20 YEARS AGO AND I WAS ALL 'HEY COOL, JAPANESE BASEBALL CARDS' BUT THAT'S NOT EXACTLY RIGHT AND I STILL DON'T KNOW JACK ABOUT THEM. THE WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE MAKES THEM SOUND LIKE THE GRANDFATHER OF POGS. BUT ALL I KNOW IS THEY ARE COOL AS HELL AND I WANTED ONE SO I SEARCHED FOR MENKO AND SET THE PAGE FOR 'LOWEST PRICE FIRST' AND FOUND A LOT OF NIFTY CARDS. NO BASEBALL IN THE CHEAPSKATE CARDS BUT LOTS OF COOL NON SPORTS STUFF. PICTURES FROM ANIME, SOME WRESTLING, KAIJU FILMS AND A LOT OF GENERAL ILLUSTRATIONS INCLUDING LOTS OF SAMURAI. THERE'S EVEN SOME SUPER MARIO BROTHERS MENKO FROM THE 80S BUT THOSE ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE  BASEBALL PLAYERS. THE SAMURAI ONES LOOKED COOL AND WERE CHEAP AND I SELECTED THIS ONE FOR TWO REASONS: BEAUTIFULLY MISCUT AND THE ONI IN THE BACKGROUND

ONI IS ANOTHER JAPANESE TERM I AM SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH BUT DON'T REALLY KNOW WELL ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH ANY SORT OF AUTHORITY. AS I UNDERSTAND IT THEY ARE SORT OF A DEMON OGRE THAT WILL KICK YOUR ASS AND GOBBLE YOU UP IF YOU MESS WITH THEM. THERE SEEM TO BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF ONI IN JAPANESE MEDIA AND THEY SHOW UP IN A LOT OF ANIME AND VIDEOGAMES. THIS INCLUDES ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANIME, URUSEI YATSURA, WHICH TURNS THE ONI INTO AN INVADING RACE OF SPACE ALIENS. THERE WERE ALSO URUSEI YATSURA MENKO ON COMC WHICH WERE VERY TEMPTING BUT ALSO SPENDY. I MIGHT HAVE PULLED THE TRIGGER FOR A MENKO OF LUM BUT ALAS, THE CHEAPEST ONE WAS OF HER LITTLE BROTHER. I'M HAPPY WITH MY CHOICE, I LOVE MONSTERS AND THIS MENACING ONI IS UNIQUE IN MY COLLECTION

THE BACKS ON MENKO ARE JUST AS FASCINATING AS THE FRONT. I REALLY DIG THE LO-FI DESIGN AND HOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT GAME ASPECTS ON THE CARD. THIS SET HAS A ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS GAME ON IT AND DIFFERENT NUMBER VALUES ON THE BOTTOM THAT I'M SURE CAN BE USED FOR SOMETHING. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE TEXT SAYS OR EVEN HOW TO LOOK IT UP BUT I'D GET A TATTOO OF IT, WHAT'S THE WORST IT COULD SAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH MY FIRST MENKO

THAT'S IT FOR BLACK FRIDAY 2020, TEN CARDS I'M QUITE HAPPY WITH. SPOILERS: MY TREASURE FROM BLACK FRIDAY 2021 IS EVEN BETTER AND I HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR 2022. ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS AND PLEASE DON'T STEAL MY CARDS WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING

*FOR 2020. 2021 IS COMING SOON AND I MIGHT BE BUYING 2022'S POSTS LIKE, RIGHT NOW

**SHIPPING TIMES HAVE GOTTEN BETTER SINCE 2020 BUT THIS STATEMENT STILL STANDS

TOP THIRTY CARDS FROM NIGHT OWL'S JUNK DUMP GIVEAWAY BOX - #30-21

 WARBLE GARBLE SLARBLE GOOPER

A FEW MONTHS AGO NIGHT OWL CARDS SENT OUT A BUNCH OF PACKAGES FILLED WITH CARDS TO A LUCKY FEW SO HE COULD GET THE DAMNED THINGS OUT OF HIS HOUSE. EVERYONE WINS AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL EXCEPT MAYBE GREG WHEN HE GOT THE POSTAGE BILL. I WAS THE RECIPIENT OF A BOX OF COOL STUFF AND I POSTED EVERY SINGLE CARD IN THE BOX ON TWITTER A WHILE BACK. HERE'S A LINK TO THE THREAD BUT I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT TWITTER WILL STILL BE ONLINE BY THE TIME I GET THIS POST COMPLETED. ALSO ELON IS STARTING TO ZAP THE ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE WHO MAKE FUN OF HIM SO ONCE HE SPIES MY LIKES I'M A GONER. I'M CardJunk@mastodon.social ON MASTODON WHEN THAT EVENTUALLY HAPPENS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SUCH THINGS

WHILE THE MICROBLOG PLATFORM GOT EVERY SINGLE CARD IN THE BOX, I AIN'T DOING THAT FOR THE MACROBLOG. 30 SCANS TAKES ME LIKE 40 MINUTES AS IT IS, NOT DOING ALMOST 300. IF YOU MUST SEE EVERY CARD, CLICK THE LINK AND GET TO SCROLLING. OR STAY HERE AND SEE THE BEST OF THE BEST

#30 - 1975 TOPPS FRANK TEPEDINO

STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH A 75 TOPPS BRAVES CARD. I REALLY REALLY LIKE THE COLORS ON THIS CARD, YOU WOULDN'T SEE PURPLE AND PINK USED THIS WAY AGAIN UNTIL THE EARLY 90S. AND THEN, BROTHER, IT WAS EVERYWHERE 

#29 - 1983 DRAKE'S CARL YASTRZEMSKI

DRAKE'S CAKE CARDS AND CARL YASTRZEMSKI WERE TWO THINGS I ABSOLUTELY ADORED IN THE 80S. FOURTEEN YEAR OLD ME WOULD HAVE GONE GAGA OVER THIS CARD. NOT SO MUCH ACTUAL DRAKE'S CAKES AS I DID NOT EVEN KNOW THEY EXISTED UNTIL MAYBE THE 90S. WE WERE A HOSTESS HOUSEHOLD

#28 - 1983 DONRUSS MAGNUM P.I.

ANOTHER THING I LOVED IN 1983, DONRUSS CARDS, COMBINED WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS COMPLETELY OFF MY RADAR AT THE TIME, NON-SPORTS CARDS. TO BE FAIR I MIGHT HAVE PASSED ON PACKS OF MAGNUM PI CARDS AT THE TIME ANYWAY, I WAS MORE OF AN A-TEAM GUY. THE FRONT IS NOT WHY THIS CARD IS ON THE LIST ANYWAY. IT'S THIS:

THREE QUARTER 'STACHE PUZZLE PIECE ACTION, AWWW YEAH

#27 - 1981 FLEER MANNY MOTA

PRETTY SURE I MADE THE AIRPLANE REFERENCE ON TWITTER ALREADY. WHO CARES, MANNY MOTA IS AWESOME AND 1981 FLEER IS AS WELL. CORNER BASEBALL IS ICONIC

# 26 - 2013 ALLEN & GINTER ABE VIGODA

I GOT A GIRL IN THE CASTLE AND ONE IN THE PAGODA

YOU KNOW I GOT RHYMES LIKE ABE VIGODA

#25 - 1991 PRO SET SUPERSTARS MUSICARDS MUDDY WATERS

I LOOKED UP WHO DESIGNED THIS POSTER BUT FORGOT IT ALREADY SO YOU'LL HAVE TO CHECK THE TWITTER THREAD IF YOU WANT TO KNOW. OLD TIMEY CONERT POSTERS ARE FANTASTIC AND I LOVE THE LETTERING ON THIS ONE

#24 - 2017 HERITAGE DOVYDAS NEVERUSKAS

I CAN'T CHANGE THE SIZE OF THIS IMAGE FOR SOME REASON AND THAT'S JUST OK. I'VE ALWAYS LIKED THE BURLAP DESIGN ON 1968 TOPPS, ALTHOUGH THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A POPULAR OPINION. WHITE FLUFFY CLOUDS ARE SOOTHING MY TORMENTED SOUL, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IN MY HEART THEY ARE PROBABLY GREENSCREENED IN THERE

#23 - 2010 ALLEN & GINTER JOHNNY DAMON SKETCHES

YAY! AN ALLEN & GINTER INSERT I ACTUALLY NEEDED. GINTER HAD A SKETCH CARD GIMMICK GOING FOR A LITTLE WHILE THERE BUT THEY QUICKLY ABANDONED IT FOR THE CURRENT '300 FULL SIZED INSERT CARDS OVER 7 SETS'  FORMAT THEY HAVE NOW

#22 - 2013 OPENING DAY ADAM JONES BALLPARK FUN

AS I'VE LOST THE ABILITY TO EVEN THINK ABOUT COMPLETING A NEW TOPPS FLAGSHIP SET, MY OPINIONS ON OPENING DAY HAVE EVOLVED. I STILL THINK IT'S A TRASH WASTE OF SPACE SET BUT THE INSERTS ARE DOPE. PIE IN THE FACE INSERT CARD IS MUCH MUCH BETTER THAN PIE IN THE FACE SUPER SHORT PRINTED UNANNOUNCED VARIATION

#21 - 2009 O-PEE-CHEE CHIPPER JONES BOX CARD

DAMN I MISS 2009 O-PEE-CHEE SO MUCH. THE BLASTERS WITH CUT OUT CARDS ON THE BACK WERE THE BEST. I BOUGHT AT LEAST TWO OF EACH BACK BUT ANOTHER CHIPPER WITH THE EXTRA MARGIN ON THE EDGES IS WELCOME

I HAVE VOWED TO DO LEANER, FASTER POSTS ON HERE FROM NOW ON SO THAT'S ENOUGH FOR TODAY. ENJOY THE CONTENT

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 9: CUTE & HORRIBLE

HAVEN'T DONE ONE OF THESE POSTS IN 15 MONTHS, LONG STORY SHORT: ON BLACK FRIDAY I TRY TO WASTE 20-30 BUCKS ON COMC SALES

HERE'S THE EARLIER ONES IF YOU WANT A REFRESHER: ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT

I GREW UP ON MAD MAGAZINE AND I AM A DEVOTED FAN OF MANY OF THE USUAL GANG OF IDIOTS. AL JAFFEE IS A NATIONAL TREASURE. HARVEY KURTZMAN HAS INFLUENCED SO MANY COMICS IT'S CRAZY. MORT DUCKER IS THE GREATEST CARICATURIST EVER. DON MARTIN, WILL ELDER, AL FELDSTEIN, ANTONIO PROHIAS, SERGIO ARAGONES, WALLY WOOD, BASIL WOLVERTON, PAUL COKER, DUCK EDWING, DICK DEBARTOLO, FRANK JACOBS, SAM VIVIANO, PAUL PETER PORGES, PETER KUPER, DREW FRIEDMAN, TOM RICHMOND AND ABOUT 800 OTHERS I CAN'T THINK OF RIGHT NOW. EVEN DAVE BERG TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LAME WHITE SUBURBAN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SQUISHY NEUROTIC LIBERALS.  THE GUY WHO AFFECTED ME THE MOST HOWEVER WAS JACK DAVIS. 

1959 TOPPS FUNNY VALENTINES

JACK DAVIS IS THE BEST AND THERE WILL BE NO DISSENT. HE DREW EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE FOR DECADES. COMICS, MAD MAGAZINE, ADVERTISEMENTS, MOVIE POSTERS, ALBUM COVERS, ALL KINDSA SHIT EVERYWHERE. ANY UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FAN HAS SEEN AT LEAST 800 DRAWINGS OF HAIRY DAWG THAT HE DID. TOPPS USED HIS SERVICES MULTIPLE TIMES IN ILLUSTRATIONS ON THE BACK OF 1962 BASEBALL CARDS, 1961 MAGIC RUB OFF INSERTS, AND MANY NON-SPORTS SETS LIKE YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING AND WACKY PLAKS. THE THING ABOUT JACK DAVIS IS THAT HE COULD DRAW ANYTHING AND YOU IMMEDIATELY KNEW IT WAS JACK DAVIS. CELEBRITY COVER FOR TIME MAGAZINE OR TV GUIDE? JACK. ALBUM COVER FOR JOHNNY CASH OR THE GUESS WHO? JACK. ADVERTISEMENT FOR SPALDING OR SLIM JIMS? JACK. WANT COMICS? HOW ABOUT A WESTERN OR HORROR OR WAR COMIC OR COMEDY OR MAYBE EVEN ONE A THOSE SUPERHERO BOOKS IF THAT'S YOUR THING. ALL JACK. EVERY DRAWING ALL UNIQUE BUT IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE AS JACK'S. WANT SOMETHING CUTE? HE COULD DRAW THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL YOU'VE EVER SEEN...

AND THEN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW IT UP WITH A MONSTROSITY LIKE THIS. JACK'S THE BEST, AND SO'S THIS SET. HUNKER DOWN YOU HAIRY CAVEMEN