Topps online added a third offering for Star Wars this week with the Mandalorian Season 3 weekly releases. Each week there will be a set of 5 cards, sequentially numbered, which will feature some highlights of the episode. With 8 episodes in season 3, there will be 8 weekly sets totaling 40 cards. The style is very much in line with the past two season sets as well as Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Book of Boba Fett. Only the anime inspired Visions had all their sets released at once, ala Netflix. Of late the releases have offered numbered variants 49/10 and 1/1. The nice thing about the variants are that they are in addition to the base card, rather than a replacement. So you could end up with a 6 card package, instead of the usual 5. The weekly sets, like all of the Topps online releases are up for a single week. The Mandalorian sets should drop on Wednesdays and be about a week off of the show release.
The Throwback Thursday cards are continuing their 1984 inspired design. Like the Living Set and the Mandalorian weekly sets, this is a one week only offering and are sequentially numbered. This week’s release featured Jar Jar, Han Solo, and Jabba. Each week the middle card also has a variant image ‘short print’ and like the Mando ones, will come as an extra card. The first 12 cards of the set were in the style of the 1952 Topps MLB set, where cards 13-24 will feature the ‘84 design, with 2 images on the front and the home planet vertically placed on the card’s left side. The cardstock is a thick 18pt, and its back talks a little bit about the character.
The Living Set continues is push towards 400 with 2 new cards - this time from Kris Penix, instead of the usual one each from him and Carlos Cabaleiro. I do believe this was an error to have both from one artist, since they had been matched releases for quite some time. Cards 393-394 were Captain Canady from the Last Jedi and the droid BNI-393 from the Clone Wars.
One the main podcast this week, episode #131, I spoke with authors John and Mary Jo Tenuto about their upcoming book: ‘The Winds that Shook the Stars',’ which is available on Amazon or pretty much wherever you buy your books. This book chronicles the making of the Star Wars radio dramas of the 80’s and 90’s for NPR which added a smidge of new content to A New Hope, Empire and Jedi that was not in the films. Those dramas were written by noted science fiction author Brian Daley, who you might recognize from his work on the early Han Solo trilogy, of what is now considered the Legends era of Star Wars books.
From the description: “A comprehensive history of the Star Wars audio dramas. An expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy, produced in 1981, 1983, and 1996 respectively, produced and broadcast by National Public Radio as part of NPR Playhouse. These radio serials were made with the full co-operation of George Lucas, who for one dollar each sold the rights to KUSC-FM, the public radio affiliate at his alma mater, the University of Southern California. Lucas also allowed the use of original sound effects and music from the films. A Wind To Shake The Stars explores the creative origins, production and legacy of this oft-forgotten chapter of Star Wars history.”
The book is out in July and the pre-order price is $27.95.
Also this week on the podcast insert series, the Breakfast Pack, Gregory Cass from Eye On Canon and I traded questions on Mandalorian Chapter 18, The Mines of Mandalore and Bad Batch: The Outpost. Hard to believe this little micro insert series has hit a whopping 50 shows.
Both the Mandalorian and Bad Batch have had sets in the Star Wars Card Trader app as well as a nice one for International Women’s Day. I am still on my weekly quest to do the Gilded chase, which involves collecting near daily releases of variant cards - this week with a Rebels theme - and then melding them on Saturday for a special card.
One more item of note: Card #35 of my Swag Pack series arrived from PrimoPrint, which means I am only one more away from completion and I can begin wrapping packs to give away at conventions I attend this year. You can follow the progress on Instagram @rebelbasecard and Twitter. I am working to be ready for the initial release for the C2E2 convention in Chicago the last week of March.
For a first post, this was quite more than I expected to write, but I appreciate any comments and feedback. See you on the socials!