Leaf Revived By Razor (Sort Of)

Credit heads-up to Beckett.

Today at the National, Razor Entertainment head Brian Gray announced that he was bringing back the Leaf brand, which had been last controlled by Playoff/Donruss/Panini.

According to the newly launched Leaf website, Razor is not becoming Leaf. They're still separate companies. They just happen to be run by the same person (Gray) and several of Razor's previously announced sets have been "acquired" by Leaf to be re-branded. All the jargon is sort of confusing, but it boils down to this:

Razor was set to release Razor MMA in the not-too-distant future. Now it'll be released as Leaf MMA.

Also announced was that Leaf has a two-year agreement with Muhammad Ali Enterprises to create sets based on the legendary boxer and pop culture icon. Collectors can expect the first set either late this early or in early 2011.

A Date with the True 90s Diamond King

I was certain last season was going to be Ken Griffey Jr's last. I also wanted oh so badly to make a short hop across the Juan de Fuca Strait and see him play while visiting my family back home in Victoria last summer. In both instances, it wasn't meant to be. Thankfully. Now I'm calling destiny.

The wheels are in motion for some big changes at the Trader Crack's household this summer. For making a trip to Safeco to see the Mariners, this should make it a much easier undertaking. With that in mind, I hopped online this afternoon and got me a couple of baseball tickets - October 3, the season finale between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics. Although I suspect the Mariners will be in the post-season, I also suspect this is going to be the regular season finale of the 90s generation's biggest icon.

Sure, others might have bigger career numbers and some of the most prestigious all-time records, nobody else captured the friendly spirit of baseball like Griffey when he was truly The Kid. I could get all long and winded about how that came to be and eventually pass, but that will come later in the season when it's more appropriate. Right now, I'm stoked to have a chance to be on hand for a special moment. And if it turns out Griffey's gas tank is ready for more, well, I'm sure I'll be able to accommodate that in 2011. But more on that later too when things are firmed up.

1995 Donruss Diamond Kings DK-27. Ken Griffey Jr.

Random Pack Breaks: 1992 Bowman Baseball Jumbo

I still recall going into a card shop in early 1993 and seeing two boxes sitting on the counter, both offering $1 packs: 1992 Bowman Baseball and 1992 Triple Play Baseball. Still feeling that 1991 Bowman Baseball was bad (I'm actually a big fan of the checklist now), I went for the fire-red borders of the kid-friendly Donruss product. A couple months later 1992 Bowman would catch the hobby fire and go-on to be a late-blooming classic of the excess-era.

Fast-forward 17 years and I finally get to bust my pack of 1992 Bowman Baseball. It was a little more than the dollar back then, but on-par with most modern sets. And it was a jumbo pack as well. Let's look for some early-90s fashions.

350. Mike Bordick
282. Greg Perschke
536. Billy Spiers
358. Jason Bere (I'm wondering if the picture on the back is Bere as his alternate dimension zombie self.)

 23. Paul Quantrill, eh!

677. Gregg Olson
451. Johnny "HR" Ruffin "Stuff"

 488. Dave Henderson
221. Alan Newman
267. Paul O'Neill
187. Bruce Hurst
666. Bob Walk (Is he throwing the ball or a fist?)

 

649. Pete Castellano "Foil"
623. Ryan Klesko "Foil"

550. Danny Tartabull
285. Keith Miller
352. David Wells
108. Henry Rodriguez
480. Doc Gooden
681. Willie Randolph blowing a bubble

160. Deion Sanders
239. Victor Cole
469. Steve Sax

No Mike Piazza, no Manny Ramirez, no Chipper Jones' jean shorts, no Cliff "Air Jordan" Floyd, but still a fun pack to bust. The Quantrill will go into my Canadians box and the rest will be set aside while I ponder building a set. I already have a number of the pricier cards somewhere so a starter set would likely be a cheap way to get a long way through at a fraction of the cost.

1992 Bowman Baseball benefits from a clean design that is dominated by white. The combination of an extensive rookie card checklist and the unique team-specific stats grid made Bowman a unique brand back in the early 90s. It was simply structured and a fun set I looked forward to building for a while. Then it became a brand that was gimmicked all to hell. Topps had a good opportunity to rebrand it with their Minor League license but rather it appears to be the same old stuff with USA Baseball replacing the World Baseball Classic cards from last year.

So here's to nostalgia, a modern classic set and a fun albeit uneventful pack break.

Sets I Want to See: The Expendables

Sylvester Stallone
Bruce Willis
Jet Li
Dolph Lundgren
Jason Statham
Arnold Freakin' Schwarzenegger
Mickey Rourke

As far as legitimate action heroes from the past 25 years go, these guys are the who's who of cheesy guy flicks where things blow up real good. There's also Stone Cold Steve Austin, Randy Couture and Eric Roberts. All that's missing is Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme. Well, the list above are attempting to make the cheesy action flick cool again with The Expendables. The trailer debuted online today and quite honestly, I was expecting more. Note to Sylvester Stallone: we want to see you kick people, not listen to you babble constantly.

That being said, I so want a card set just for the autograph possibilities. From that list, only a couple already have autographs. Schwarzenegger appeared in Batman and Robin Widescreen from SkyBox, Terminator 3 from Comic Images and on a pseudo-cut Conan the Barbarian card that used cut-up Batman and Robin cards. Fleer  convinced Stone Cold to sign in their Wrestlemania set back in 2001. Randy Couture's currently in Upper Deck Prominent Cuts and has also signed for Donruss Americana and Topps Allen and Ginter. Finally, there's Julia Roberts' brother Eric, who was in Upper Deck Spectrum and Donruss Americana.

Tonight I had a little fun and came up with some mock-ups for a possible set. Enjoy! The Expendables is in theatres this August and I'm guessing it'll be on DVD and Blu-ray a couple weeks later.

Complete Upper Deck Prominent Cuts Checklist

Upper Deck Prominent Cuts Checklist (Google Docs)

If you've been browsing autographs on eBay this week you've probably noticed tons of cut signatures from Upper Deck's new Prominent Cuts set. Thanks to Upper Deck for forwarding on the checklist to me, which is massive. As in nearly 900 cut signature subjects.

The set is pricey, running about $200 per box. Add to that the largely hit-and-miss cut signature subjects, one of which is guaranteed in a box, and it's a risk I'm not sure I'd consider. While there is a lot of big hits on the checklist, some of the names among the cut signatures are really horrible. Take Bai Ling for example. Her Donruss Americana autograph (which includes her picture) can be found for around $10. And that's the hit in a $200 box? I hear the banjo tuning up in the background to a familiar chorus. I've also got huge issues with cut signatures on cards of folks who are still very much alive. Bai Ling fits that category as well.

After browsing through the set, Prominent Cuts is a confused product. The eclectic base set checklist of politicians, actors and athletes, and plentiful movie costume cards give it a definite Donruss Americana feel. The gazillion cut signatures inserted at reasonable rates compares to Razor's cut signature products. The MMA toss-ins are another Donruss Americana nod, as well as a spin on Topps' UFC products. Does that mean Prominent Cuts' personality is made up from the shadows of others?

At any rate, if you're looking for the checklist, I've put it into a Google Docs spreadsheet and organized it in a way that's useful for me. I'm not super familiar with spreadsheet creation so I'm coming at it from an angle that's aimed at finding things in an organized fashion, hence the multiple sheets to keep the various aspects separate.

Please comment if you find checklists like this useful (even if Prominent Cuts isn't your thing). I've been preparing some on my own using pre-existing sheets that I have a tough time navigating through. If it's helpful I'd be happy to share what I've got and maybe be a little more motivated to put together others in the future.

Random Pack Breaks - Oscar Hangover Edition: TRON

Editor's note: If you're under the age of 18 or don't want to see swearing, stop reading the moment you encounter a Voltron reference. Cuss words lit within.

Congratulations to Jeff Bridges for his well-deserved Career Achievement Best Actor win. The ladies and Jesse James might have shed a tear for Sandra Bullock, but it was The Dude who was really keeping it real.

But let's get something straight - screw The Dude. Did the Dude, as Sally so eloquently put it, ever get his mug on a bubblegum (ie trading) card? Nope. Did the Dude ever ride a light cycle? Nope. Did the Dude ever wear some neon glow-in-the-dark leotard that paved the way for the Avatar motion-capture effects. Triple-dog nope.

With that, let's celebrate the Oscar glory of Clu with a Random Pack Break of Donruss' TRON. Whilst I do, I'm going to play a drinking game. Every time I spot The Dude on a card, I'll down a White Russian in his honor. Yes, card blogging has led to pack-busting drinking games.

Here's what awaits:

Eight cards, one sticker and some tips on how to kick some joystick ass. It's a good thing I'm getting an authentic sticker as opposed to a fake one in this authentic pack of TRON trading cards. Why did Upper Deck have to settle so soon? This might have made for a solid defence somehow. Then history would have labeled it as the TRON Defence.

Ahhhh, key art sticker. I'll send it to anyone who promises to use it as a template for their next tattoo. I'll even foot the postage.

The standings so far:Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

 Cool angle of a light cycle.

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

More light cycles. And a grid. Makes me want to do some math.

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

Hey look, they made a trading card of my first set of Space Lego.

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

I wonder if this card was done by the same guy who scribbled my monkey sketch card from Indiana Jones Heritage.

Seriously, are there any people in this set or just cheesy special effects?

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

Space Lego make-out session. Gross.

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

Could it be? A Light Cycle Threesome! Goodness me, I'm stymied as to why this set exists. Obviously the Dude is torturing me for saying his name in vain. Why else would I have to endure this torture. The Dude tests.

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

I wonder if Voltron is a tribute to TRON? Random thought brought to you by a lack of humans on trading cards.

The standings so far:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0

I'm not one to swear very often (it adds to the affect for when I do), but WHAT THE FUCK?! Bipped by a fucking card of fucking some geo-fucking-metric nightmare. This is what I get for slacking off in Grade 12 math. I don't know what a rhombus is but I know fucking Tron should lurk somewhere within my pack of TRON cards. Grrrrr. Where's dayf's FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU guy when you need him?

The final tally:
Dudes: 0
White Russians: 0
Space Lego-Inspired Bips: 1

Being stone-cold sober right now makes the pain even worse.

Dude, you are now officially the man. You've got nothing on TRON, at least until IMAX TRON 2 comes out. You are the official incarnation of Jeff Bridges that all must follow. Abide.

[Editor's closing thoughts: This site is not anti-Dude, anti-Big Lebowski or anti- anything Jeff Bridges. I love Jeff Bridges. Heck, I have the DVD of The Door in the Floor. Calling out the Dude was meant to draw attention to the fact that movie TRON is pretty great, too. Just not the cards.]

Oscar Predictions Are in the (Autographed) Cards

The red carpet is open and some gold statues are apparently being handed out in a little while. Looking at the list of nominees, there's not much out there from this year's lot in the way of autograph cards. Still, there's a few.

And the nominees are:

Best Actor

The odds-on-favorite in this category is Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart. Honestly, I wasn't a big fan, however The Dude was great (isn't he always), as was his co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal (nominated for Supporting Actress). Bridges signed for 2008's Iron Man set from Rittenhouse Archives. It was the toughest autograph to find in the set and is quite costly, despite the unflattering bald head that doesn't look right on the normally shaggy actor. An autograph went today on eBay for a touch under $250, which was $100 more than the previous copy went for a couple weeks ago. Clearly, there's an Oscar bump happening here. Should Bridges pull off the expected, I suspect the card will settle back into the $200-range, which is what it was originally selling for when the set first came out.

Complete Iron Man Autograph Gallery 

The only other nominee in this category to have a certified autograph is George Clooney for Up in the Air. The Facts of Life-alum is well-respected for making films that are usually both entertaining and intelligent. His turn as Batman in Batman and Robin was neither. Even still, his tallboy autograph from Skybox's set based on the film is one of many highlights in a remarkable checklist that also includes Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. eBay currently has one Clooney Batman and Robin autograph listed. The price: $1,125. The prices from this set have always been through the roof and because the card pops up so infrequently and is already high, I'd say that if Clooney pulls the upset, the values will still stay the same.

Complete Batman and Robin Autograph Gallery

Best Supporting Actor

Autographs are even more sparse in this category. Veteran Christopher Plummer (The Last Station) is the only nominee to have a certified signature card, but even if you saw it you likely wouldn't recognize him.  That's because the card highlights his role as a Klingon general in Star Trek VI. The card is from Rittenhouse Archives' Star Trek Movies in Motion set, released in 2008. Expect to pay $40-50 for the card online. And don't look for a spike because Plummer has no chance of winning here and The Last Station will be even more forgotten than it already is in a couple of weeks.

Complete Star Trek Movies in Motion Autograph Gallery

Best Director

This is the only other major category that has nominees with autograph cards, both of whom are the biggest names nominated. First up is some guy named James Cameron for some movie called Avatar. Cameron's made a couple of other movies too: Titanic, The Terminator and it's wittily titled sequel Terminator 2. His lone autograph is from none of these, but rather a short-lived TV show called Dark Angel, which is most notable for launching the tabloid career of one Jessica Alba. Alba's autograph might be prettier to look at, but in the spirit of the post, here's the nominee:

Complete Dark Angel Autograph Gallery

The second nominee in this category is Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds. A personal favourite of mine, his signature has appeared in two of Donruss' Americana sets: Americana II and Celebrity Cuts.

Donruss Americana Gallery Index

Hosting the show tonight are Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Martin had an autograph a few years ago for his role in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Pick up the card for the legend's signature, not for the attractiveness of the card.

Looney Tunes: Back in Action Autograph Gallery

For the sake of predicting and prognosticating, here's my picks for tonights show in the Acting, Directing and Best Picture races.

Best Picture:

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9”
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

My choice: The Hurt Locker
Will win: Avatar 

Best Director 

“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

My choice: Kathryn Bigelow
Will win: Bigelow

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”  

My choice: Jeremy Renner (yeah, I like The Hurt Lock a lot and I don't think Bridges deserves it this year as it feels like rewarding his career rather than a slightly better-than-average film)
Will win: Jeff Bridges


Best Actress

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” 


My choice: Carey Mulligan
Will win: Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” 

My choice: Christoph Waltz
Will win: Waltz

Best Supporting Actress

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” 

My choice: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Will win: Gyllenhaal provides the biggest upset of the night.

I Didn't Win the Super Bowl, But I'm Still Heading to Disneyland

I'm heading out of town in a couple of hours and won't be back until Wednesday (although I may find myself online on occasion). First off it's a couple of days of professional obligation and development at my region's annual teacher's convention. I'll be wishing this guy a happy 84th birthday as he's speaking at a session. Why to a group of teachers? I'm not sure.

Then it's off to Disneyland for 3.5 days with my wife, young children and mom. I'm super excited, not so much to return but to take my kids there for the first time. Better still is the fact they don't know they're going. They think we're heading to Grandma's house on the plane, not to meet Grandma here:

I hope to get the moment where they get the epiphany of where they're headed on video. I also heard that the planned relaunch of Michael Jackson's Captain EO might just be taking place this weekend. 

So if you actually notice a lack of posts, that's why.

I'll return with something on the craptacular Upper Deck variants. Maybe. Posada's got a purple fence. How enticing. Like eating a piece of stale, whole wheat bread. Without butter. Or jam.

Prospecting Gone Wrong: Grant Desme

Normally it's an injury or simple lack of elite-level skill that causes a prospect to leave baseball. As of today you can add a new reason: priesthood. Grant Desme, a 23-year-old prospect in the Oakland A's system has retired to join the ranks of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict approves.

The A's second-round pick in the 2007 draft, Desme was the only 30-30 player in the Minors last year, racking up 31 homers and 40 stolen bases for Kane County and Stockton. Desme also struck out 148 times.

Desme has appeared in a handful of Minor League sets (including autographs):2007 TriStar Prospects Plus, 2008 Just Autographs, 2008 TriStar PROjections and, most recently, 2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition. I wouldn't be surprised if Desme gets a bit of a following due to the move, but anyone holding out on him becoming a star are bound to be disappointed.

Although not a Catholic myself, I've always admired athletes for sticking to what they believe in, Muhammad Ali being the biggest example. Would Jose Canseco fit in this category too, in some twisted way?

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.

Gallery: 1982 Donruss Diamond Kings

Nothing much to say. It's been a busy bit. Enjoy some beautiful cards in this inagural set of Diamond Kings: