Name of Card Set: Space: 1999
Characters and Elements: ATV Licensing Ltd.
Distribution: Donruss Co.
Year of Production: 1976
Pack Contents: 5 cards, gum stick
Details:
The year is 1999, mankind has established a research facility on the Moon called Moonbase Alpha. They've also established a gigantic nuclear waste dump on the dark side of the Moon. Due to the effects of some unknown, magnetic, moon radiation, the nuclear garbage catastrophically explodes, knocking the Moon out of Earth orbit and launching it into deep space. Oops.
The British produced TV show ran for two, 12-episode seasons. At the time, its production costs were the highest of any television show. The story arch of each season was not unlike other sci-fi shows like Lost In Space and Star Trek; those trapped on the Moon and Moonbase Alpha traveled through space encountering weird phenomena and strange aliens.
We are Moonbase Alpha.
There were 66 cards in the set. The cards are portrait and landscape oriented and feature scenes from the television show. On the back of each card is a full color image "puzzle" piece that can be combined with the other cards to make a complete, poster-size image. There are other non-English sets as well, with different (and better) graphics and different (more interesting) scenes.
Let's take a look at some more cards.
I say we put the horseshoe pit right here.
That's it, we need a new dishwasher!
This is my smile.
Based on the selection of cards shown here, this doesn't appear to be the most exciting card set. It probably isn't. Yet this set may still appeal to sci-fi aficionados and hardcore card collectors.
Name of Card Set: Toxic Crusaders
Production Company: Troma, Inc.
Distribution Company: The Topps Company, Inc.
Year of Production: 1991
Pack Contents: 8 Cards, 1 Hologram Card
Details:
Toxic Crusaders: Hideously deformed creatures of super human strength. No, this entry is not about Al Gore and his friends. (Groan.) The 88 card Toxic Crusader set is based on the short-running cartoon of the same name. The cartoon was a spin-off of a series of comedy horror "Toxic Avenger" movies about a young, wimpy man who was transformed into a mutated monster following a tumble into a vat of toxic waste.
The monster, affectionately known as Toxie, became a crime fighting vigilante. The cartoon continued this theme, but Toxie and his friends focused their efforts on stopping environmental polluters, as was the trend with many cartoons and toy lines at the time (Captain Planet, TMNT, Trash Bag Bunch).
The set consists of portrait oriented cards featuring original artwork of the show's characters, and landscape oriented cards featuring scenes from the cartoon. The original card artwork is nice, if not extremely colorful; the cartoon's animation was done by the same team that animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Ah, Yvonne, the eye candy.
The backs of the portrait oriented cards appropriately feature a detailed bio of the character, and in a stroke of pure marketing genius, feature a picture of an actual Toxic Crusader action figure. Give yourselves a pat on the back, Troma marketing division.
The backs of the cartoon scene cards feature a small blurb explaining the captured scene as well as a few fun, cheesy Toxie's Tips and other little vinettes.
Overall, this set is a pretty typical Topps card set, if not slightly above average. However, I'm not a non-sport card expert; that's just my humble opinion. However, I feel justified in the opinion based on the original card art alone, even if it's not colorful enough for my tastes.
Unfortunately, I don't currently have a Hologram card other than the one on the box lid pictured above. I'll be sure to add a hi-res picture should one ever come into my possession.
Until next time!
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