Card Number 133: Topps Kids, 1992; #53
Topps Kids was one of those ranges that lasted exactly one season, and was Topps's response to kids being priced out of the baseball card hobby as cards evolved. The range didn't fare particularly well, which is really unfortunate because I think they are great!
The cards are illustrated by commercial illustrator David Coulson, who did quite a bit of work for Topps. There's a short but meaty interview with him about this range on The Baseball Card Blog, and a gallery of his work on his website. I like the team-mates on the bench behind Tony, including the bat-boy tossing a baseball up and down at the end of the bench and the manager on the phone. The crowd look more excited than most of the real-life background crowd members you see on baseball cards.
I really like the cartoon of Tony on the back, with his multiple crowns. (He still only had four when this card was produced.)
The bat and ball characters in the 'Fun Box' are delightful too. My wife really liked them when I showed her this card. I think every baseball cardback should have a 'Fun Box'. Sport is meant to be fun. Baseball cards are meant to be fun. We need more fun. Every cardback stats box should look like this as well. Show me a better one.
If the cartoon style looks familiar, then that might be because you've seen David's work on other Topps products. He drew all the cartoons that graced the cardbacks of the 2006 Topps flagship set, for example. His work has also appeared in Bazooka basketball and football series.
There are two card sets I have a mind to collect next once I have completed my 1987 Topps set and this is one of them. Just because they are fun!
Total: 133/394
Awesome card from a very under-appreciated product. In fact the only Topps Project 2020 cards I'm even semi-interested in are the ones that remind me of Topps Kids.
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