Charlie Chaplin: Chasing a Tramp

When I think about the current movies and shows that make me laugh the most, it's often either heartwarming gross-out fare like The Hangover and Old School or things anchored in reality and nostalgia such Ferris Bueller's Day Off and TV's Freaks and Geeks. While they offer a good chuckle and some reminiscing for the good ole' days when life seemed to be a little simpler and more confusing, it's not very often that today's comedy offers us a lot of commentary on the world around us. Reflection, but not trying to look further. For example, I can relate to aspects of The Hangover, like seeing bits and pieces of friends and aquaintances in many of the characters. And while there`s some exploration of the dynamics of relationships - yes, even in all the genital jokes and Mike Tyson solos - it didn`t exactly make me think any deeper about my own relationships afterward. But comedy wasn`t always like this.

You may have heard of a guy named Charlie Chaplin. There was a time when he ruled the film world. He wasn`t just an icon like Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but rather he was also the artist behind the camera. Chaplin brought together comedy and commentary so well that he was forced into exile outside of the United States for being a potential Red threat.

Chaplin`s movies today can be enjoyed on several levels. If you just want to kick back and laugh at the slapstick humor, you can. But there`s also a lot of depth to what`s going on. Chaplin wasn`t just an entertainer but a thinker as well. And by using film as his canvas, he was able to reach millions with his messages in a funny and entertaining way.

Despite his lasting appeal, Chaplin has remained somewhat elusive in the hobby. There were several cigarette cards and similar items produced during his reign as king of the entertainment world, including a spot in the 1926 W512 set that mixed stars with athletes including Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. The cards were produced in strips, although many were cut.


Here are a few other Chaplin cards from the 1920s:

In this era of cut signatures and entire sets dedicated to pop culture, Chaplin has largely escaped the spotlight. He has two cut signature cards. The first was in 2004 Topps Tribute HOF where he appeared in the Signature Cuts Personalities insert set. Chaplin also had an autograph inserted into 2009 Donruss Americana. Both were limited to one copy.

More affordable is this card:

It`s also from 2009 Donruss Americana. It`s from the Movie Posters insert set, which includes classic artwork on the front. Here`s a shot of the back:

Yup, that`d be a piece of his clothing. Although not from a movie costume, it`s still cool to have a piece of a genuine legend. At 500 copies, it`s not too terribly tough to come by, nor is it overly expensive. I picked up this one, in which it would have been the hit of a $35 pack, for less than half that. Chaplin has two other memorabilia cards in the same set, one of which is a dual card featuring a piece of Claudette Colbert`s clothing.

The Passion of the Rambo

For all the hype and lineups that came with Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ a few years back, I personally thought it was a nasty little film (even discarding the suckling demon). I think I got the point of what Mel was trying to do, but was the slow motion whipping really necessary?

I was recently reminded of the movie whilst opening an old-school pack of Topps Rambo cards, which are based on First Blood: Part II.

Seriously, what's with all the crucifixion poses? Nearly half of the cards in the pack feature John Rambo in the pose that's spawned many a paintings. And that's not all the torture.

And while the violence may be done, the Jesus parallels in the pack don't end there.

Here we have John Rambo the savior pulling someone out of harm's way.

If you think I'm already stretching the parallels, they end here. The three final cards that are pretty insignificant save for Sylvester Stallone's grimace that makes him look like he's ready to prove that real men can cry. And if you don't like it, he's got the grenade launcher thing on every card to make you believe.

If nothing else, this pack should be a reminder to all those who complain about violence in movies today. John Rambo had bubble gum cards (and a cheesy cartoon to boot).

Updates and Such

A couple of quick notes and tidbits:

• I created a new banner yesterday. I was kind of tired of the old one and started playing with Photoshop. It's not perfect but I like the concept. My take is that traditional card collecting is changing. I now totally rely on the Internet to not only get my cards, locate the things I'm looking for but to also connect with others. You can also look at how quickly information is passed down now through blogs and other sites. Just today I saw several "news-y" stories posted on multiple sites, yet it'll probably be a month or two before they're in print. It's no slight against the presses but it's all about perspective and change. For anyone with the know-how and ability, here's another innovation I'd love to have access to: an online database connected to my iPod. Basically you'd search a card or set, get the pricing, images and whatnot while in a shop or at a show. Or maybe I'd want to browse through the cards I'm missing. Be the evolution.
• Goose Joak Originals. I've got a bunch of Mariners I'll be unveiling in the coming days. I have to say I'm having tons of fun putting the M's together. All of my contributions will be added to the Slideshow on the sidebar.
  
• Spring Break. I've got a week off of school and I'm taking it as a break. I'll probably head in one day this week to get my office organized and do a little planning to get my classes in order for the final push of the year, but it's relaxation time - I hope. It should also give me a chance to post more frequently.
  
• Trades. If you've shot me an email about a trade I'll be getting back to you tomorrow afternoon after some Lego building with my daughter.
• Sidebar. I've gone and updated a few things on the sidebar. The MLB Trade Rumors widget is for me to check. The ladies have the gossip columns, I've got my trade rumors. I also added a bunch of blogs to the news feed. If I'm missing yours, please let me know and I'll add it ASAP. Between my RSS reader and the various sources I read, I know I'm missing some. 

That's all for now. If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you.

Is a Set a Set Without the Set?

I received a promotional email from hockey card manufacturer In the Game a week or two ago hyping their upcoming Superlative "set". Actually they'd been sending the hype in separate emails for a week before that, each with a reason to buy the set (Beckett posted each of these as they were sent). However it wasn't until reason seven that Superlative caught my attention:

"Reason #7: Seven Cards per Pack-- All Inserts, No Base Cards"

It has finally happened. There's a set without a set. This frightens me to no end. Call me a dated purist, but it's the base cards that make this hobby great. Sure, I like sparkly inserts and there's base cards that are nicer than a lot of low-end inserts, but there's still a component of building the set. Even super-duper high-end brands like Exquisite give you a token base set alongside all of the sweet inserts. But this is simply taking it too far. In In the Game's own words, they offered seven reasons to collect Superlative hockey. How can you collect when there's nothing to collect. There's things to chase, but in my books without the set you can't collect it.

Taking a page out of In the Game's book, I present to you seven reasons not to collect Superlative hockey.

1. There's no set.
2. It's not licensed by the NHL so you get players in uniforms but no logos.
3. Over $400 per pack.
4. Although nice, there's no new concepts (I don't consider "all inserts" to be an innovation).
5. It sets a horrible precedent for the hobby.
6. Lack of an advance checklist. Sure the website offers up some choice names, but who else is going to be lurking in packs.
7. There's no set!


Looking at the pictures on Superlative's product page, there's some nice cards. And with the success of Exquisite, Sterling and the like, there's an audience out there for such a set. But are they collectors?