TOPPS UNEARTHS LOST RICHES
Jan 30, 2008
Unless you’ve been trapped inside a Mayan death trap or don’t get out much, you should be fully aware of the fact that on May 22nd of this year, Harrison Ford returns to the role that secured his place in the pantheon of genre icons — Indiana Jones — in the highly anticipated sequel, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!
And, much like they did well over 20 years ago with Raiders of the Lost Ark, Topps will once again bring us the action-packed trading card set based on the film. In addition, they’ll be whetting our appetites for all things Jonesian, with a special retrospective set.
PREVIEWS recently touched base with our friends at Topps to get the scoop on these upcoming card series…
PREVIEWS: Topps is releasing two Indiana Jones card sets in 2008. The first set is Indiana Jones Heritage shipping in February. What is the story behind this set?
Topps: We recognize that there is huge anticipation in the hobby community for the new movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So, as an appetizer before the film opens, we thought that fans might appreciate a look back at Indy’s legacy. The result is Indiana Jones Heritage which covers the first three movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade. This will be one of only a select few officially-licensed Indiana Jones products available at this early date.
PREVIEWS: Will these follow the same format as past Topps Heritage sets. Will they use old baseball designs (like WWE Heritage)?
Topps: They’ll be printed on good old-fashioned gray-back stock but the designs will be inspired by the Raiders and Temple of Doom Topps card designs from the ’80s. Except for some key scenes that would be conspicuous in their absence, the images are new and have never appeared on trading cards before. To round out the set, there’s an art subset which includes production paintings by Jim Steranko and classic Indy poster art.
PREVIEWS: Will the Indiana Jones Heritage packs include gum?
Topps: Of course! But now, the powder from the gum won’t mess up your cards, since they’re now wrapped in cellophane.
PREVIEWS: What are the Hobby Exclusive inserts?
Topps: The good news is that Indiana Jones Heritage has been designed, for all intents and purposes, to be a Hobby-exclusive product with only a small percentage shipping to specialty retailers — and no mass market. That said, only hobby boxes will include sketch cards and authentic autographs — at a rate of one autograph or sketch per box. Each hobby box will also include one of three box-topper cards featuring sneak peek images from the new movie!
PREVIEWS: Any update on signers for IJ Heritage?
Topps: Well, we’re pleased to announce that we just received Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg’s autographs, and they now join an already stellar list of talents including Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood), John Rhys-Davies (Sallah), Jonathan Ke Quan (Short Round) among others. Be sure to check out www.topps.com for the latest updates.
PREVIEWS: This all sounds very exciting — and this only the first of the two sets Topps is publishing before the new movie premieres. The second set is based on the new movie. When will the movie cards be released?
Topps: IndianaJones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Cards will ship to stores to be on-shelf May 1st. The movie opens Memorial Day weekend. These, of course, will use modern card technology with high-gloss UV-coating to present every single action-packed image at the highest quality possible.
PREVIEWS: Have you had access to visuals from the new film?
Topps: We can’t reveal anything specifically at this time, but yes, we have reviewed hundreds of photos, and we can tell you this will be a stunning set of cards.
PREVIEWS: Will hobby exclusive autographs and sketches also be a part of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Cards?
Topps: Yes, and we expect to have the same level of high-caliber talent signing for this set as we will for the Heritage set. Topps has a reputation for delivering top quality sketches and once fans see the sketch cards for IJ Heritage, we’re sure they’ll want to come back for more in the movie card set.
PREVIEWS: Will these also fall at a rate of one per box.
Topps: Each box of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Cards will contain one autograph or sketch card.
PREVIEWS: Sounds great, guys! Thanks for the info. We can’t wait to see these cards and, of course, the new Indy movie!
