"Fright Flicks" Trading Cards Post #2

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Some more of the cards in the "Fright Flicks" series from the '80's for your enjoyment, posted in random order since I don't have the whole set.

"Fright Flicks" Trading Cards Post #1

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Oh, yes... the 80's did happen, as improbable as they sound now. And some of the most memorable horror films came out during that decade, to prove that it happened, and that it wasn't just a bad national dream. This set of cards, "Fright Flicks" was made by Topps and featured scenes from select scary movies of the period:

Alien and Aliens
An American Werewolf In London
Day Of The Dead
Fright Night
Ghostbusters
Nightmare on Elm Street 1, 2 and 3
Poltergeist 1 and 2
Predator
Pumpkin Head
The Fly
Vengence: The Demon

On the back of each card the movie was identified and there was a short spooky event that left for you to decide if it ever took place. In answer to the question "did it happen?" the stock answer is: No. Sorry to disappoint you.

Now, I don't have the complete set, only a few packs as a matter of fact. But, I thought it might be nice to post what I do have for you to enjoy, and groan over the corny captions. I'll be bringing more in subsequent posts, and, I might add, in no particular order; with a few of my own captions, which are probably about as corny as the originals.

Card #2

Everyone knew that Linda couldn't keep her big trap shut.

The back of Card #2:

Card #6:

Steve had to admit that acupuncture helped his headaches.

Card #6 back:

Card #9:

I'm just about to vomit on my lunch... care to join me for a slurp?

Card #9 back:


Card #33:

Oh my God... I've chipped a nail!

Card #33 back:

Card #36:



Card #36 back:

Card #44:

Card #44 back:

More to come!

Dinosaurs Attack: Day Thirty-Three

And, here we are at the last entry on "My Monster Memories" of our thirty-three day retrospective on the little-known 1998 card set "Dinosaurs Attack" by Topps. I hope you've enjoyed seeing them in large-size scans, something not done anywhere else on the web (so far) that I'm aware of. We wrap up the look at the Eclipse graphic novel with this two-page article about the card series...

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And below is the two-page title and credits. A number of artists contributed, as you can see from the names listed. This under-appreciated card set and comic can be had pretty cheaply online, if you want to own them for yourself. And as mentioned, I have some duplicates in case you need to complete a set; email me and let me know what numbers you need and we'll talk about it!

As with all posts on this topic, all of the copyrights are owned by Topps Cards and/or Eclipse Comics.

Dinosaurs Attack: Day Thirty-Two

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"I just knew this would happen to me someday!"

And, here we are with the last two bonus cards from the graphic novel, as card C, painted by fan-fave Earl Norem, depicts a scenario that many air travelers fear; midflight ejection by an attacking Pteranodon the size and disposition of Rodan.

Below, card D, a humorous (till it happens to you) scene that shows a light-on-his-feet dinosaur absconding with an infant, much to the horror of his babysitter and pals. I think they can safely rule out the mother asking them to watch the baby again.

Below, as we look at the last of the Earl Norem paintings done for the graphic novel adaptation, we see the final panel of the attack on the bridge, and begin another short but violent vignette.

In an homage to the famous scene from "Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," the next page shows a heroic policemen wolfed down by a dinosaur irritated by his ineffective gunfire.

And below we get a Pterodactyl's-eye view of the nation's capitol as the flying terrors gather for a feast, on the last page of this issue. Too bad that the other books in the series were never published. I would love to see the artwork that might have been done for them but never released.

One of the preview panels from the back of the book gives us a glimpse at the promised fun which never materialized. Wouldn't you like to see an animated film, even direct-to-DVD, released that adapted the story in the Earl Norem-style artwork? Dream on, Fred....

Next: the final entry from the graphic novel, an article that reveals some facts about the art.

Dinosaurs Attack: Day Thirty-One

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"Hey," I can hear you exclaim as you sit in front of your screen today. "What's this? I thought you already ran all of the cards. What gives?" Well, my friend, you are right, I did finish posting the entire "Dinosaurs Attack!" set, but these are bonus cards printed on the back cover of the graphic novel that I've been spotlighting for the last few days. There are four total, and you may notice that the first one is a "preview" card for a sequel story! I put the word "preview" in quotations because there was never meant to be another series of cards as far as I know, but they thought it would be fun to tease the readers with what might have been.

The rest of the bonus cards fit within the existing story, and it's kind of a shame they didn't make it into the set, as they are quite memorable. But then, a bonus is something good that's extra, and these fit the bill!

The rest of today's post consists of three more pages from the comic, painted by Earl Norem. Every panel is a joy to view in close-up detail.

More chaos and carnage to come on the morrow!

Dinosaurs Attack: Day Twenty-Nine

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The synopsis /checklist card #55 completes the entire run of "Dinosaurs Attack!" and I hope you have enjoyed the up-close look at the artwork for this under-rated and mostly unknown set. (For collectors I do have some duplicates if you need some to complete your set; just email me and we'll talk about it.)

I know; pretty boring stuff so far, huh? You came here for your dinosaur gore fix and all you got was a checklist. But wait, that's not all! As you might have noticed, I've been adding bonus images all along from the 1991 graphic novel that adapted the storyline and expanded upon it. Sadly, due to low sales I suppose, further issues were not forthcoming. For some reason which few can explain, the cards just never caught on as hoped. The graphic novel used several artists, with select pages by one of the major card artists on the set, the venerable Earl Norem. Norem's art stands out as the best, and are painted like his card art. Below are three awesome pages for you to enjoy, with more coming in following days. In the scene, a carefree teen, drinking and driving, pays for his recklessness and wasteful dissipation by getting instantly aged to death as he passes through an arriving time-shifting dinosaur.

Next: Like A Bridge Over Troubled Waters...