Underground Artists Featured in Topps Sketch Cards

February 5, 2009

Topps now takes the artist sketch card concept to the next level in Star Wars Galaxy 4 series with all-new sketch cards by underground artists from the hip-and-urban world of designer toys. Topps has recruited several of these artists to put their own stamp on their first-ever set of die-cut sketch cards. Blanks in the shape of Darth Vader and stormtrooper helmets have been dispatched for customizing by such artists as Sket-One, Evil Design, MAD, Gargamel, Mishka, JK5, Onell Design, Suckadelic, Kaiju Big Battel, and many more.

"Toy-design-as-fine-art is one of the most exciting new art movements of the 21st century," Sucklord says. "It started as an underground thing and then exploded. Graffiti artists, fashion designers, street artists, graphic designers, and pop artists starting producing their own super-limited action figures. These toys can be off beat, edgy, and self-referential, yet they are very personal and expressive works of affordable art. Ten years ago this was a very small underground scene.Now these toys are selling at Christie's for thousands of dollars. It's not fully mainstream yet, but it's going there."

"Topps is the iconic American brand of trading cards for generations of fans across the globe," says contributing artist and sketch series co-curator, the Super Sucklord. "One of the things that make Topps such an enduring brand is their commitment to trying new things."

"All of these artists grew up collecting Topps cards," Sucklord says. "Most of them became artists because of Star Wars. It made them want to create and develop their own style. Whatever they come up with, it will for sure be a take on Star Wars we haven't seen before."