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Mars Attacks: 50th Anniversary Collection
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mars Attacks, this comprehensive book is the first-ever compilation of the infamous science-fiction trading card series produced by Topps in 1962. Edgy, subversive, and darkly comedic, this over-the-top series depicting a Martian invasion of Earth has a loyal following and continues to win new generations of fans. For the first time, this book brings together high-quality reproductions of the entire original series, as well as the hard-to-find sequel from 1994, rare and never-before-seen sketches, concept art, and test market materials. Also included are an introduction by series co-creator Len Brown and an afterword by Zina Saunders, daughter of the original artist, providing an insider’s behind-the-scenes view of the bizarre and compelling world of Mars Attacks.
Includes four Mars Attacks trading cards.
Includes four Mars Attacks trading cards.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
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May 2, 2022
Mars Attacks details the card series by Topps of the same name from 1962 and later iterations of the property.
I had this on my wish list for years and my in-laws finally gave it to me for Easter.
This is a pretty sweet book. All 55 cards of the original series are reproduced, front and back. It's crazy that these cards were drawn on a 5 x 7 piece of art board and painted directly on top of the pencils at that size. It's a nice touch that the dust jacket is made of the same wax paper they used to put around the cards. Some later versions of the cards are also shown, as well as covers of the Mars Attack! comics Topps put out in the 1990s.
There's not a lot else to say other than I wish this was a coffee table book to better showcase the art.
I had this on my wish list for years and my in-laws finally gave it to me for Easter.
This is a pretty sweet book. All 55 cards of the original series are reproduced, front and back. It's crazy that these cards were drawn on a 5 x 7 piece of art board and painted directly on top of the pencils at that size. It's a nice touch that the dust jacket is made of the same wax paper they used to put around the cards. Some later versions of the cards are also shown, as well as covers of the Mars Attack! comics Topps put out in the 1990s.
There's not a lot else to say other than I wish this was a coffee table book to better showcase the art.
January 11, 2013
(Wherein I alienate every other Timothy Burton fan on the planet . . .)
Yes, my favorite Tim Burton movie, and I mean my FAVORITE, is, indeed, the much maligned Mars Attacks. No, it's not his funniest movie, nor his most emotionally moving movie, but Mars Attacks holds for me that certain je ne sais quoi that just pushes it past the rest in my eyes.
For some time, I've lusted after the original cards, but at over $1,000/set for the original card, they are definitely out-of-reach for my skinny little pocketbook.
So I was pleased to see that Topps, with Abram's ComicArts, had come out with a 50th Anniversary Collection that included reproductions of all 50 cards (from the original transparencies, no less). No only that, but Len Brown, co-creator of the Mars Attacks cards, and Zina Saunders, whose father, Norm Saunders, colored the original artwork, have each provided a brief historical introduction on the genesis of Mars Attacks and a reminiscence of Norm Saunders, respectively. Furthermore, the book reproduces cards that were introduced as a sort of addendum to the originals decades after the original set of 55, as well as the 32 card subset "Visions: New and Original". Top this off with several other pieces of art from various and sundry independent projects, including two promo cards for the Midwest Non-Sport Trading Card Show and Philly Non-Sports Card Show, and the set is complete, right?
Well, not quite. We are also treated to many of the original sketches, as well as a set of more-or-less censored cards that Topps contemplated releasing when the public outcry over the graphic nature of the originals died down. They never did release them.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the 4 bonus trading cards wrapped in cellophane at the back of the book. Mine will remain, for the foreseeable future, unopened.
Now, this could have been just another art-catalog containing relevant historical notes (the references to 50's monster movies and the unspoken implications about cold-war national angst are intriguing in and of themselves) and cute remembrances. At first, I thought that this is what I bought - and I'm fine with that. Like I said, I'm an unapologetic fanboy, so I knew I'd received my money's worth.
Then I looked a little more carefully. Maybe "looked" isn't the word. I felt something different. Not some soft emotional moving of the heart. Not the force. No, something physically felt different.
Then it dawned on me: The dust cover is made out of the same material used to wrap up collectors' cards with a stick of already-stale-in-the-package bubblegum, the gum that turned into a powdered avalanche once you bit into it, only saved from dessication by the saliva that coursed out from under your tongue. Ah, the memories! Yum, yum, bubblegum!
So I wondered what every self-respecting book lover wonders once they've played with the dust jacket: "What's under the hood?" I carefully removed the front of the dust cover and found, printed on the hardbound cover, you guessed it, a rectangular piece of thatdetestable delectable sugar slab. Then I flipped to the back cover and found, printed on the back, that same piece of gum shattered into 7 mummified pieces, just the way it always seemed to come out of the wrapper. I would have given extra credit if they could have somehow scented the book with that bubblegum odor, but despite that, I say: "Nostalgia Score = Perfect!"
Yes, my favorite Tim Burton movie, and I mean my FAVORITE, is, indeed, the much maligned Mars Attacks. No, it's not his funniest movie, nor his most emotionally moving movie, but Mars Attacks holds for me that certain je ne sais quoi that just pushes it past the rest in my eyes.
For some time, I've lusted after the original cards, but at over $1,000/set for the original card, they are definitely out-of-reach for my skinny little pocketbook.
So I was pleased to see that Topps, with Abram's ComicArts, had come out with a 50th Anniversary Collection that included reproductions of all 50 cards (from the original transparencies, no less). No only that, but Len Brown, co-creator of the Mars Attacks cards, and Zina Saunders, whose father, Norm Saunders, colored the original artwork, have each provided a brief historical introduction on the genesis of Mars Attacks and a reminiscence of Norm Saunders, respectively. Furthermore, the book reproduces cards that were introduced as a sort of addendum to the originals decades after the original set of 55, as well as the 32 card subset "Visions: New and Original". Top this off with several other pieces of art from various and sundry independent projects, including two promo cards for the Midwest Non-Sport Trading Card Show and Philly Non-Sports Card Show, and the set is complete, right?
Well, not quite. We are also treated to many of the original sketches, as well as a set of more-or-less censored cards that Topps contemplated releasing when the public outcry over the graphic nature of the originals died down. They never did release them.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the 4 bonus trading cards wrapped in cellophane at the back of the book. Mine will remain, for the foreseeable future, unopened.
Now, this could have been just another art-catalog containing relevant historical notes (the references to 50's monster movies and the unspoken implications about cold-war national angst are intriguing in and of themselves) and cute remembrances. At first, I thought that this is what I bought - and I'm fine with that. Like I said, I'm an unapologetic fanboy, so I knew I'd received my money's worth.
Then I looked a little more carefully. Maybe "looked" isn't the word. I felt something different. Not some soft emotional moving of the heart. Not the force. No, something physically felt different.
Then it dawned on me: The dust cover is made out of the same material used to wrap up collectors' cards with a stick of already-stale-in-the-package bubblegum, the gum that turned into a powdered avalanche once you bit into it, only saved from dessication by the saliva that coursed out from under your tongue. Ah, the memories! Yum, yum, bubblegum!
So I wondered what every self-respecting book lover wonders once they've played with the dust jacket: "What's under the hood?" I carefully removed the front of the dust cover and found, printed on the hardbound cover, you guessed it, a rectangular piece of that
October 31, 2012
My 61 year old brother's Halloween treat. It is awesome! He had all the cards as a kid. I like the size, and the color images are well done. They even include 4 cards at the end of the book for you. I am lucky to have a couple real cards myself.
May 13, 2018
The Topps Company is best known for their annual sports trading cards which they have produced since 1938. But they have always maintained other lines ranging from current events to historical themes to novelties. They had dabbled in science fiction before when in the early 1960's they decided it was time to do a series loosely based on H.G. Well's War of the Worlds. Their initial title for the series was Attack from Space, but they wisely scrapped that for the more headline worthy Mars Attacks. They went into production with the highly regarded pulp illustrator Wally Wood as artist, but they felt his designs were too restrained for what they wanted. They brought in Bob Powell who had illustrated their Civil War series. He gave them what they wanted, lurid scenes of mass destruction balanced against more intimate human/alien encounters. He modeled his Martians on the giant-brained creature from the Joseph Newman film This Island Earth, and he set them about alternately bombarding the great centers of human population and hunting down survivors in devastated suburbs and the blasted countryside.
Management at Topps became concerned as soon as they saw early samples of the final artwork. Too violent and too sexy was their judgment. Hemlines came down and necklines rose. Aliens and the giant insects they created could die as horribly as the artists wanted, but humans transformed into flaming skeletons were a problem. The breaking point came in a scene where an alien -- the heartless, inhuman bastard -- blasted a boy's dog with his heat ray. The dog absolutely could not be shown as a flaming skeleton. For some reason repainting Rover with a full coat of fur, albeit flaming fur, passed muster.
Management was right to be worried. As soon as the first pack of five cards hit the news stands, complaints began coming in. The whole thing was too violent for kids and too suggestive for the general public. The artists began painting out some of the blood in the not yet released packs, but a call from a district attorney in Connecticut brought production to a halt. The series would be prosecuted as unfit for children. Artists experimented with toning the whole thing down, a process that largely involved replacing female victims with men. This made for inadvertently bizarre images, since the new drawings did not receive new titles. " A Prize Captive" depicted an alien abducting what looks to be a teenage boy. The man stolen from his bed in "The Beast and the Beauty" could be that same boy's father. What does this say about Martian sexual proclivities? But these cards never went into production, nor did the series ever see national distribution.
Instead it became legendary. The cards have always been on the collector's market, but Tim Burton's not very good film from 1996 gave rise to a new level of interest. A copy of card number one, "The Invasion Begins," sold in auction for $80,000. Topp's had sold off the original artwork in the 1970's for what I am sure at the time seemed like a good amount of money. Currently on E-Bay, a prototype of the unused Attack from Space packaging has been marked down to a mere $188,000. A set of cards -- missing 39 cards! -- is $11,000.
This book presents a brief history of the cards, facsimiles of the original 55 along with the storyline, some original drawings, and more current artwork created for recent spinoffs. It is a worthy 50th anniversary celebration. I especially like Card 13, "Watching from Mars." Martians kick back with red martinis and watch the destruction of the U.S. capitol on a large-screen TV. Pitchers of that red martini mixture show up later in a 1990's image of a Martian/human wet t-shirt contest. Where is that Connecticut D.A. when you need him?
Management at Topps became concerned as soon as they saw early samples of the final artwork. Too violent and too sexy was their judgment. Hemlines came down and necklines rose. Aliens and the giant insects they created could die as horribly as the artists wanted, but humans transformed into flaming skeletons were a problem. The breaking point came in a scene where an alien -- the heartless, inhuman bastard -- blasted a boy's dog with his heat ray. The dog absolutely could not be shown as a flaming skeleton. For some reason repainting Rover with a full coat of fur, albeit flaming fur, passed muster.
Management was right to be worried. As soon as the first pack of five cards hit the news stands, complaints began coming in. The whole thing was too violent for kids and too suggestive for the general public. The artists began painting out some of the blood in the not yet released packs, but a call from a district attorney in Connecticut brought production to a halt. The series would be prosecuted as unfit for children. Artists experimented with toning the whole thing down, a process that largely involved replacing female victims with men. This made for inadvertently bizarre images, since the new drawings did not receive new titles. " A Prize Captive" depicted an alien abducting what looks to be a teenage boy. The man stolen from his bed in "The Beast and the Beauty" could be that same boy's father. What does this say about Martian sexual proclivities? But these cards never went into production, nor did the series ever see national distribution.
Instead it became legendary. The cards have always been on the collector's market, but Tim Burton's not very good film from 1996 gave rise to a new level of interest. A copy of card number one, "The Invasion Begins," sold in auction for $80,000. Topp's had sold off the original artwork in the 1970's for what I am sure at the time seemed like a good amount of money. Currently on E-Bay, a prototype of the unused Attack from Space packaging has been marked down to a mere $188,000. A set of cards -- missing 39 cards! -- is $11,000.
This book presents a brief history of the cards, facsimiles of the original 55 along with the storyline, some original drawings, and more current artwork created for recent spinoffs. It is a worthy 50th anniversary celebration. I especially like Card 13, "Watching from Mars." Martians kick back with red martinis and watch the destruction of the U.S. capitol on a large-screen TV. Pitchers of that red martini mixture show up later in a 1990's image of a Martian/human wet t-shirt contest. Where is that Connecticut D.A. when you need him?
June 13, 2015
Ein unglaublicher Schatz, dieses Büchlein - wo soll ich anfangen?
Vieleicht beim Äußerlichen. Der stilechte Schutzumschlag ist aus dem Wachspapier gemacht, in dem eingewickelt vor gut 5 Jahrzehnten (ab 1962, um genau zu sein) die ersten 55 Trading Cards und die Kaugummis in die Läden kamen. Weil Topps fürchtete, dass trotz einiger Selbstbeschränkungen die Serie zu explizit sein könne, wurde sie vorsichtshalber unter der Vertriebsbezeichung Bubbles Inc. vertrieben.
Inhaltlich bietet die 50th Anniversary Collection fast alles, was der kindlich-begeisterte Aficionado sich wünschen kann (OK, die original Kaugummis fehlen, aber die sind wohl verzichtbar).
Nach einer interessanten kurzen Einleitung von Len Brown wird zunächst das komplette erste Kartenset (The Classic 55) abgedruckt, pro Karte eine Doppelseite: rechts der Text der Kartenrückseite, links das jeweilige Bild von Bob Powell (Layout) und Norm Saunders (Artist) mit Anmerkungen darunter.
Daran schließt sich die 1994er Serie an, die neben dem Reprint der ersten Serie 11 neue Karten von Herb Trimpe und Earl Norem im klassischen Stil bietet. Vorder- und Rückseite dieser Karten teilen sich je eine Buchseite. Hinzu kommen 35 "modernere" Motive von unterschiedlichen Künstlern. Ein "Behind the Scenes" und ein Nachwort runden diese Sammlung ab. Soweit zum Inhalt.
Zur Qualität: Die Hardcoverausgabe ist ordentlich gebunden und knackig-scharf gedruckt. Die knalligen Farben und die sensationellen Motive springen sofort ins Auge, so, wie es sein soll.
Aber macht das Betrachten & Lesen der Karten heute noch Spaß?
Auf jeden Fall!
Die Karten erzählen in Wort und Bild die Story von der Invasion der Erde durch die scheinbar unbezwingbaren Marsianer, eine Pop-Version von "War of the Worlds". Dabei wird kein Klischee der Pulps und der SF-Romane und Filme der 50er Jahre ausgelassen.
Zugleich regt auch jede einzelne Karte für sich allein genommen die Fantasie an und ist rückblickend eine Reise mit der Zeitmaschine in die erste Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Grausam-grell und fantastisch kommen diese Snapshots vom Epos der Eroberung der Erde durch Außerirdische daher: Damsels in Distress und heldenhafte Soldaten, Hitze- und Eisstrahler, Schrumpfkanonen, feindliche Rieseninsekte, UFOs und natürlich allen voran die grausamen Marsianer - - - sooo gut!
Ein unbezahlbares Vergnügen für alle, die noch einmal aufgerissnen Munds zum Kind (der 60er) werden wollen.
Vieleicht beim Äußerlichen. Der stilechte Schutzumschlag ist aus dem Wachspapier gemacht, in dem eingewickelt vor gut 5 Jahrzehnten (ab 1962, um genau zu sein) die ersten 55 Trading Cards und die Kaugummis in die Läden kamen. Weil Topps fürchtete, dass trotz einiger Selbstbeschränkungen die Serie zu explizit sein könne, wurde sie vorsichtshalber unter der Vertriebsbezeichung Bubbles Inc. vertrieben.
Inhaltlich bietet die 50th Anniversary Collection fast alles, was der kindlich-begeisterte Aficionado sich wünschen kann (OK, die original Kaugummis fehlen, aber die sind wohl verzichtbar).
Nach einer interessanten kurzen Einleitung von Len Brown wird zunächst das komplette erste Kartenset (The Classic 55) abgedruckt, pro Karte eine Doppelseite: rechts der Text der Kartenrückseite, links das jeweilige Bild von Bob Powell (Layout) und Norm Saunders (Artist) mit Anmerkungen darunter.
Daran schließt sich die 1994er Serie an, die neben dem Reprint der ersten Serie 11 neue Karten von Herb Trimpe und Earl Norem im klassischen Stil bietet. Vorder- und Rückseite dieser Karten teilen sich je eine Buchseite. Hinzu kommen 35 "modernere" Motive von unterschiedlichen Künstlern. Ein "Behind the Scenes" und ein Nachwort runden diese Sammlung ab. Soweit zum Inhalt.
Zur Qualität: Die Hardcoverausgabe ist ordentlich gebunden und knackig-scharf gedruckt. Die knalligen Farben und die sensationellen Motive springen sofort ins Auge, so, wie es sein soll.
Aber macht das Betrachten & Lesen der Karten heute noch Spaß?
Auf jeden Fall!
Die Karten erzählen in Wort und Bild die Story von der Invasion der Erde durch die scheinbar unbezwingbaren Marsianer, eine Pop-Version von "War of the Worlds". Dabei wird kein Klischee der Pulps und der SF-Romane und Filme der 50er Jahre ausgelassen.
Zugleich regt auch jede einzelne Karte für sich allein genommen die Fantasie an und ist rückblickend eine Reise mit der Zeitmaschine in die erste Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Grausam-grell und fantastisch kommen diese Snapshots vom Epos der Eroberung der Erde durch Außerirdische daher: Damsels in Distress und heldenhafte Soldaten, Hitze- und Eisstrahler, Schrumpfkanonen, feindliche Rieseninsekte, UFOs und natürlich allen voran die grausamen Marsianer - - - sooo gut!
Ein unbezahlbares Vergnügen für alle, die noch einmal aufgerissnen Munds zum Kind (der 60er) werden wollen.
September 12, 2013
An excellent overview of the Mars Attacks trading card line. This book talks about the story behind the cards, the artwork, the copywriting, the sales, and of course, the controversy. It's hard to believe that these trading cards triggered a national outcry!
An excellent book for anyone in commercial art, especially if trading cards are your thing!
An excellent book for anyone in commercial art, especially if trading cards are your thing!
March 9, 2014
A fantastic presentation of the gorgeously ghoulish 1960's card set from Topps! Every page is filled with lurid images of leering demonic aliens, blood crazed giant insects, and the victims that fall prey to the invaders' capricious and violent whims! Highly recommended for both fans of the card series and lovers of the macabre!!!
September 19, 2016
These cards were kind of graphic, but HIGHLY prized when I was in grade school. One Mars Attack card could easily get you 3 or 4 of the "newer" cards + a candy bar! Ah...the grade school economic exchange rate...what lessons we did learn!
May 10, 2018
This is fun. Every fanboy should have one!
If you enjoyed the wacky Tim Burton film, "Mars Attacks!," this book will reveal its origins in the Topps brand bubble gum cards of the early 1960's. The cards told the story of a Martian invasion of Earth and Earth's counter-attack. Apparently, the cards enjoyed only a brief and limited circulation. Some adults were horrified by the cards, because they explicitly showed the Martians destroying cities and engaging in general mayhem.
The Martian images on the cards were inspired by Wallace Wood's cover for an issue of "Weird Science." WS was an E.C. comic book published in the early 1950's. Topps hired Norman Saunders, a prolific pulp magazine illustrator, to produce the final, hand-painted images for the bubble gum cards.
The design of the book is especially nice. The dust jacket feels exactly like a waxy old bubble gum wrapper!
If you enjoyed the wacky Tim Burton film, "Mars Attacks!," this book will reveal its origins in the Topps brand bubble gum cards of the early 1960's. The cards told the story of a Martian invasion of Earth and Earth's counter-attack. Apparently, the cards enjoyed only a brief and limited circulation. Some adults were horrified by the cards, because they explicitly showed the Martians destroying cities and engaging in general mayhem.
The Martian images on the cards were inspired by Wallace Wood's cover for an issue of "Weird Science." WS was an E.C. comic book published in the early 1950's. Topps hired Norman Saunders, a prolific pulp magazine illustrator, to produce the final, hand-painted images for the bubble gum cards.
The design of the book is especially nice. The dust jacket feels exactly like a waxy old bubble gum wrapper!
December 10, 2020
I can’t believe these cards were ever sold. They’re awesome though. I absolutely love the art style and the story behind the creation of them is interesting too.
July 14, 2017
A cultural history of the famous ( and infamous) trading card series released ( some would say escaped) during the spring of 1962. I was 10 at the time, and I and my friends were obsessed with these things - bidding wars and actual fights on The playground, advances of allowances, you name it. The cards were unlike anything we had ever seen- violent, gory, graphic in their depiction of the horrors committed by the invading Martians - and we just ate them up.
Adults at the time, however, were not so enamored of them. The cards were decried and condemned as being immoral, negative influences on our young, impressionable minds. Teachers confiscated them, parents destroyed them, local retailers refused to sell them. The cards went through one series; disappeared, and were never reissued again. Those of us who were able to put together complete sets counted ourselves lucky, until those sets mysteriously disappeared later, usually after a thorough cleaning of one's room by one's mother. ( At least that's what happened to mine.)
In 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of the series, the Topps Company published this commemorative book. In it are an introduction that covers the genesis of the series, including the artists, superb reproductions of all 55 of the original cards, front and back, a discussion of the revival of the series in 1994 and the Tim Burton Film, reproductions of the new series of cards, previously unseen artwork and sketches, and 4 new original images, each on card stock, as collector's items. The dust jacket reproduces the look of the original card wrapper, and the only thing missing is a stick of gum.
My only quibble is that I wish there were more - a deeper analysis of the impact these things had, or some discussion of why they have lasted in memory and significance. I also wish the format had been larger. These are just quibbles, however; reading through this small volume was a wonderful trip back to when I was 10. What's wrong with that?
Adults at the time, however, were not so enamored of them. The cards were decried and condemned as being immoral, negative influences on our young, impressionable minds. Teachers confiscated them, parents destroyed them, local retailers refused to sell them. The cards went through one series; disappeared, and were never reissued again. Those of us who were able to put together complete sets counted ourselves lucky, until those sets mysteriously disappeared later, usually after a thorough cleaning of one's room by one's mother. ( At least that's what happened to mine.)
In 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of the series, the Topps Company published this commemorative book. In it are an introduction that covers the genesis of the series, including the artists, superb reproductions of all 55 of the original cards, front and back, a discussion of the revival of the series in 1994 and the Tim Burton Film, reproductions of the new series of cards, previously unseen artwork and sketches, and 4 new original images, each on card stock, as collector's items. The dust jacket reproduces the look of the original card wrapper, and the only thing missing is a stick of gum.
My only quibble is that I wish there were more - a deeper analysis of the impact these things had, or some discussion of why they have lasted in memory and significance. I also wish the format had been larger. These are just quibbles, however; reading through this small volume was a wonderful trip back to when I was 10. What's wrong with that?
November 26, 2023
Mars Attacks is an absolutely fantastic, utterly fabulous pop-culture artifact. The dust-jacket reproduces, and is made of the same waxy paper as, the wrappers of the bubblegum trading card packs. In the pages of the book the original trading cards are reproduced in high quality, front and back, so that a reader can admire the lurid artwork in loving detail and read the pulpy text telling the story of these invaders from Mars. There are reproductions of more recent cards and artworks of the invading Mars Attacks Martians, concept art, and text describing the conception and creation of this iconic trading-card series. If you love Mars Attacks this book contains pretty much everything you could ever want, including a pack of "4 Bonus Trading Cards" (which I did not dare open) attached to the inside back cover.
January 8, 2013
This is an art book that reprints the original trading cards along with those that came afterward along with short notes by Len Brown about the genesis of the cards. There's a very nice afterward by Zina Saunders the daughter of painter Norm Saunders.
It's an art-book. The prose is sparse, but there's certainly some interesting stuff here. What's really amazing is the cultural impact the set had given the limited distribution of the set. Well worth a read and a lovely book at which to look.
It's an art-book. The prose is sparse, but there's certainly some interesting stuff here. What's really amazing is the cultural impact the set had given the limited distribution of the set. Well worth a read and a lovely book at which to look.
May 24, 2015
Really a lot of fun. Reprints of all the cards in the series with essays by those involved with original production. A nice selection of concept art and stuff from the subsequent reboots. I loved the the dust jacket was made of the wax paper like was used on the original 5 cent packs. The hard cover even had a pictures of slabs of petrified gum, one of them shattered. The series fell victim to cultural McCarthyism because of its over the top violent imagery. Later spawned a series of comic books, novels, and the Tim Burton film.
October 9, 2012
An awesome little book which chronicles Topps' infamous "Mars Attacks" bubble gum card set. It is packaged like a pack of the cards, with similar paper for the jacket, and a stick of gum imprinted on the front of the hardcover. The cards themselves, kind of a hybrid of "War of the Worlds" and "This Island Earth," are reproduced in beautiful color. A great collector's item.
October 22, 2012
The book is what it is: a reproduction of the set of 50 original Mars attacks cards. Nothing earth-shattering revealed in the intro (in fact, annoyingly, a lot of the same information was re-used as captions throughout the book). Still, it's a beautifully little book about gory, brain-exposed aliens burning and pillaging earth. What more could you want?
September 30, 2017
Excellent book
A fantastic book that brought back a lot of memories. As a kid, I was only able to get a few packs before the store couldn't get them any more. It's great to see the entire set, as well as the reissue cards and the story behind each one. I highly recommend Mars Attacks!
A fantastic book that brought back a lot of memories. As a kid, I was only able to get a few packs before the store couldn't get them any more. It's great to see the entire set, as well as the reissue cards and the story behind each one. I highly recommend Mars Attacks!
April 12, 2014
Good fun.
November 28, 2012
I was trying to collect all the cards in the 50th anniversary reissue, but this is cheaper.
March 28, 2013
While this isn't necessarily a "read" I do love the trading cards and memorabilia of Mars Attacks!
January 2, 2022
Awesome history of a Boomer icon. When I was 8 years old I received 3 packs of this Topps Gum in my Trick-Or-Treat bag. After my parents split up, a lot of things went missing, but I always remembered this outrageous card set. At a Barnes & Noble bookstore near me, this book was on the sale table so I bought it and brought it home with me and I've been boring my 4 adult children with it ever since. I also enjoyed the Jack Nicholsen film. "Can't we all just get along?" Hilarious. Well put-together book and detailed. Recommended for children of all ages.
October 20, 2024
Reminds me of, “The Faculty,” movie😭
March 16, 2013
Fun and informative overview of the history and legacy of Topps' Mars Attacks cards from 1962 and a worthy reminder of the contributions to pop art by master workhorse Norm Saunders who painted the cards over Bob Powell's sketches and whose daughter provides a touching tribute/Afterword.
Len Brown, who co-created the cards and worked with Topps till 2000 produced some of their more famous cards over the years, including Star Wars, Garbage Pail Kids, and more. In comics, Brown is best known as the scriptor of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.Agents with Wally Wood, who apparently was brought in for concept art on Mars Attacks before Powell.
If you love exploring the niches of pop culture's history, you should check this out. A short read filled mostly with excellent re-productions of the original cards as well as additions to the line made in the early 90s.
Len Brown, who co-created the cards and worked with Topps till 2000 produced some of their more famous cards over the years, including Star Wars, Garbage Pail Kids, and more. In comics, Brown is best known as the scriptor of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.Agents with Wally Wood, who apparently was brought in for concept art on Mars Attacks before Powell.
If you love exploring the niches of pop culture's history, you should check this out. A short read filled mostly with excellent re-productions of the original cards as well as additions to the line made in the early 90s.
January 8, 2013
While this is more of a collector's, coffee table book, reading the short story behind the design was interesting. More interesting was actually reading the series narrative through the original 55 cards released in 1962. I was surprised at the graphic nature of the story as Martians destroyed many of the world's iconic structures and the gory details of the murder of many humans. I can see why the cards were not widely distributed after the initial public reaction.
If you are into Mars Attacks (the Tim Burton movie), collectible cards or just 60's pop culture, this is worth the investment. As a side benefit, you get all of the 55 original cards reproduced on the pages of the book.
I liked it.
If you are into Mars Attacks (the Tim Burton movie), collectible cards or just 60's pop culture, this is worth the investment. As a side benefit, you get all of the 55 original cards reproduced on the pages of the book.
I liked it.
May 31, 2013
This is a neat little hard cover book, with a sleeve made of the same paper the wrappers were. It comes with some bonus cards too, but I didn't open them. The reproductions of the cards were great, using the original transparencies. Some of the artwork is much better than others. I didn't much care for the "homage" art at the end. It seemed like they were just stretching things out.
Much of the blurbs that accompany each card repeated information from the introductory chapter. Maybe they didn't need to annotate each entry.
All in all a fun book and a must have for fans of the original card series. Interesting tidbit on why the first card is a series is always the rarest. People often stored their cards sequentially, making the first one most exposed to and easily damaged.
Much of the blurbs that accompany each card repeated information from the introductory chapter. Maybe they didn't need to annotate each entry.
All in all a fun book and a must have for fans of the original card series. Interesting tidbit on why the first card is a series is always the rarest. People often stored their cards sequentially, making the first one most exposed to and easily damaged.
June 21, 2017
I had no idea that the very fun Tim Burton movie "Mars Attacks" was based on trading cards by the same name in 1962. Each card in the series is included along with a description of how it came about and how sometimes the drawing had to be redone so as not to appear to violent or sexual. For example a dog got killed and zapped by a martian rag gun and they had to paint over the dog skeleton with fur to make it less 'violent'. The cards are very amusing and takes you back to a different time when boys would run to the 5 and dime store and buy comics and trading cards to read vs playing video games. The cards were made at a time when the cinema was rocking with great science fiction and horror movies. Very colorful book.
February 11, 2013
Great little book! It gave the back story on the "Mars Attacks!" cards from the early sixties. And it presented all the cards, both front and back, in all their glory! These cards were subversive, gory, scary, action packed, everything a kid from 1962 really wanted! No wonder parents groups, schools, the moral majority, raised such a ruckus and shut them down. If you love science fiction from the 50s and 60s, if you love pop culture, do yourself a favor and check this book out. The artwork is awesome and it will take you back to being a kid and enjoying stuff your parents don't want you to like.
April 30, 2014
A loving look at the infamous trading card series. Topps has done several of these books and the production values are generally excellent. The use of the same waxy stock that the cards were originally packaged in for the dust jacket is a nice touch, as is the image under the jacket on the cover itself. I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it though. The front and back images of all the cards were obtained from the best available sources, and there are tons of extras including original rough sketches. I'm hard-pressed to think of anything Mars Attacks-related that isn't covered in this handsome little book. Recommended!
January 9, 2017
This is an art book, not an actual story. Don't get confused and then order it. It is so well put together graphically it's insane. Not only is the art amazing (as it should be) but design-wise the book is just so pleasant to go through. The outside dustcover is made out of the same wax paper that old bubblegum used to be packaged in. Underneath the dust cover is a beautiful graphic photograph of a stick of gum from one of the packages. The inside cover is a full double page painting from one of the cards. Each page spread displays very simply and pleasantly the front and back of each card, with some info underneath of it. Very well made.
February 13, 2017
One of the coolest books I've ever seen. The care that went into its design is astounding. The material the dust jacket is made out of is the same kind of material that made up the gum-wrappers that housed old fashioned trading cards. Underneath the dust jacket is a picture of a piece of gum and the back cover features that piece of gum broken into shards!
The book features all of the original Mars Attacks cards as well as concept art, previously unpublished art, an extended series from the 90s, and artwork from the comic books, plus plenty of factoids and a great introduction and afterword by people involved with the original series. Great stuff.
The book features all of the original Mars Attacks cards as well as concept art, previously unpublished art, an extended series from the 90s, and artwork from the comic books, plus plenty of factoids and a great introduction and afterword by people involved with the original series. Great stuff.
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