Beckett Sports Card Monthly‘s Bryan Hornbeck and Andrew Tolentino tear into two boxes of 2012 Marvel Beginnings II by Upper Deck. Watch to see two grown men nerd out over the Marvel Universe. Oh, and the cards are awesome, too.

Join Beckett Media’s Bryan Hornbeck and Andrew Tolentino as they rip into a box of 2012 Upper Deck Avengers Assemble cards in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out …

By Andrew Tolentino |  BSCM Editor

Having been on shelves for a full week now, Upper Deck’s The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War comic card set has had ample time to speak for itself. A unique endeavor that challenges the notion of how a comic book should be read, it’s the kind of product that’s bound to cause buzz in the Marvel Universe and beyond.

As a followup to last week’s preview and yesterday’s Box Busters video, we turned the mic to Upper Deck’s Marvel product manager Bubby Johanson for a Q&A on the comic book(s) told by way of trading cards. After the jump,  Johanson gives the lowdown on hit counts, free binders, production challenges, and what other superheroes (cough, Spiderman) might be found in future releases along these lines.

You’re the Marvel product manager for Upper Deck, which is a pretty intriguing position to say the least. How’d you get the gig? Are you a longtime Marvel enthusiast?

Yeah, it started out when I was younger, working and managing in comic stores. I actually started at Upper Deck on the sports side. I made the transition about a year and a half ago.

What’s it like working on the non-sport side of a predominantly sports-oriented company?

It’s a challenge because sometimes when everybody is talking about the games I have to say, “Well I’m going over to go get my new comic book.” It’s a different mentality. But it’s great because everybody here wants to know about Marvel and what they’re doing because it’s so high profile with movies coming out. It’s constant questions and engaging people in what I’m doing.

Do you have a favorite character from the Marvel Universe?

Oh yeah, Iceman, of course. My call sign on AOL back in the day was “BJIceman.”

He was my favorite Marvel action figure.

Heck yes. I’ve got that one in my cube.

Cards and superheroes haven’t always been mutually exclusive, but this product is a totally different endeavor. How did the idea get dreamt up?

A group of us get together on a regular basis to come up with new ideas. We were looking at the landscape of non-sport cards in general and it’s pretty stale. It’s pretty much the same across the board —  a standard formula. So we tried to find a way to be innovative and what we wanted to do was try to see if we could merge both the card collector and the comic collector in the same kind of venue … and this product came up.

We didn’t really have a particular story line, but we wanted to get a comic book in card form to see if people would enjoy collecting things that way.

While there is a sketch card presence, “standard formula” chase items like autographs seem scarce here. Is that a challenge?

Oh, it’s definitely a challenge. When you’re talking with card shops, they’re asking “where’s my hit? Where’s my one box hit? Where’s my sketch card?” People are focusing on those hits, but we’re trying to get people to focus on the cards, the story, the art, the original storyline.

Marvel has created a story for us, for the fans and so we’re trying to deflect the focus from the hits because that’s not what this product is about — it’s the story and the nostalgia. But it is a challenge. Because it’s so different, people are excited, yet apprehensive about it.

Marvel has backed this more than any other product we’ve put out in recent history, though. They’ve been promoting this on their website and they’re going to give away our promo packs at Comic-Con.

Was this an easy sell proposing this concept to Marvel?

Actually, yes. Their artists, their writers love things like this. Talking to Sean McKeever, the writer who authored all the story lines — he loved the challenge of it because he was able to go back to a classic storyline, dissect it to find what pieces were missing and figure out how to make turn it into a nine-card panel format for a page-by-page read.

It was more of a difficult sell for card shops, because of the hit factor.

How is the product being received by comic enthusiasts?

We really couldn’t give out any pre-production samples in enough time for a focus group. In talking with card shops, some have had the same apprehension about hits. When it comes to comic shops, they love the idea, but they don’t know whether or not they can sell it to people.

But  with the Avengers being so hot right now and with the Skree-Skrull Wars being one of the top-selling stories of all time — we’re really hoping that it works because we have a lot of plans for this in the future. If we can get some feedback from people, we can find out what needs to be tweaked to make it more compelling on a box level or a pack level.

I’m showing my geekdom, but the X-Men have had some encounters with the Kree empire. Are there any plans to incorporate those characters in this concept?

When we first started this idea, we had 10 different story lines we wanted to approach, but based on the timing we chose this one. We have a bunch of ideas of what we want to try — X-Men, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk are all characters that we want to get into.

The Avengers have the ‘it’ factor right now.

Yeah, when we first announced the release of this product, there were some people speculating that this was going to tie into the movie —  pretty cool that with something as little as a blurb about an Avengers-related Upper Deck release, and all the sudden people are speculating — “oh is this related to the movie? Are they giving out spoilers?” That kind of momentum is awesome.

Aside from getting the entire main story, what is the most appealing part of the box break?

Well, with one box, you’re probably going to get around 40 percent of the side stories. We also have variant cards in there. Paul Renaud actually did a variant, which very cool and rare to get. We’re also doing plate cards for the entire storyline.

Even though the sketch cards are also very rare, they’re probably some of the best ones that I’ve seen as far as theme goes. Artists love the story, so they take elements and run with them. One artist Franklin B. Washington, actually did the Kree-Skrull War storyline through 45 cards … We found out that if you’re more specific with what kind of theme you want, they seem to step it up.

Tell me about the promo binders.

It’s a standard binder with artwork from the card box on the front and back, complete with enough pages to assemble all the storylines. I’d like to get more out there for us. I’m not a big fan of making people buy them, which is why we’re doing the promotional giveaways.

What storyline or superhero group from the Marvel Universe would you like to see next in production?

That’s an interesting one. I’m a big X-Men fan, so I’d love to see them. But I think, the most compelling one would be a Spiderman storyline.

Is that something in the works?

It may or may not be [laughter]. We have a pool of ideas of what we want to do. If this does well, the next one will be even better because we’ll know what we need to improve upon.

Any idea what Stan Lee thinks about this idea?

No idea, unfortunately. I’d love to see what he thinks about it.

Join Beckett Media’s Andrew Tolentino and Bryan Hornbeck as they rip into a box of 2011 The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War trading cards from Upper Deck in this latest episode of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out …

(Still) MEGA-HUGE, IMPORTANT thing to know of the week

• It’s still July, which means that it’s still customer appreciation week on Beckett.com.

This week in sports movies

• Coming soon: ‘Money Ball’ and its memorabilia

First looks and sneak peeks of the week

• 2011 TRISTAR Obak Baseball
• Johnny Bench is the first Topps Prime 9 player
• Panini preview: 2011 Crown Royale Football

This week in lawsuits, new hobby figureheads and more

• Blowout Cards’ parent company sues Upper Deck over distribution policy
• Topps names Michael Bramlage as Vice President of Digital

This week in weird memorabilia

• Yankees car mats with re-purposed Clubhouse carpet, because why the heck not?
• A cardboard tribute to Brian Wilson’s beard, also because why the heck not?

This week in comics and cardboard colliding

• Upper Deck partners with Marvel to make an Avengers comic book … on trading cards

Box Busters and other videos

• 2010-11 Panini Gold Standard Basketball
• Ripping Retail: 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball
• Ripping Retail: An Oldschool box break
• Collector Box Busters: Two Allen & Ginter boxes at the local card shop
• 2010-11 Panini Season Update Basketball

Auction action

• Everybody needs a pair of Mark Teixeira-signed shoes (Starting at $179.99)
• How much did that 2008-09 UD Black Michael Jordan trophy patch auto go for? (Hint: more than $4,000)
• UD Black  Bryant/Johnson/Abdul-Jabbar/ Bynum Quad patch Auto (Current bid: $393.46)

This week in National Sports Collectors Convention news

• Topps readies Heritage rookie redemptions for the NSCC
• TRISTAR to bring “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and other TNA stars to The National
• Obak is back at The National
• Upper Deck unveils autographs, redemptions and other show sizzlers
• Panini presents a plethora of penmanship prizes

Just for fun

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://www.beckett.com/news/2011/07/weekly-highlights-july-18-july-22/feed/ 0 http://www.beckett.com/news/2011/07/upper-deck-the-avengers-kree-skull-war-set-hits-stores-today/ http://www.beckett.com/news/2011/07/upper-deck-the-avengers-kree-skull-war-set-hits-stores-today/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:32:28 +0000 tolentinotown http://www.beckett.com/news/?p=33926

By Andrew Tolentino | BSCM Editor

Riding the wave of recently released (and soon to release) Marvel blockbusters,  Upper Deck is causing a collision between comic books and trading cards.

Another byproduct of Upper Deck’s partnership with Marvel Entertainment, “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War” set hits hobby stores today. Under normal circumstances, this kind of release could be summed up with a tidy list of per-pack odds and box hits — but this one tells another tale.

In fact, the experimental endeavor spins a whole new Marvel story altogether … card, by card. Departing from hit quantities and checklist finds, the set offers a new experience in comic consumption.

In a phone interview (coming soon, in full) Upper Deck’s Marvel Product Manager Bubby Johanson explained, “We tried to find a way to be innovative and what we wanted to do was try to see if we could merge both the card collector and the comic collector in the same kind of venue.” Thus far, the merger has already made a splash, causing speculation and excitement in the greater superhero hemisphere.

With a classic storyline re-imagined by Marvel writer Sean McKeever, the product is a comic book composed of cards. Much like a traditional comic, the story reads left to right, top to bottom, front to back, page to page. In this case though, each page of  “Sacrifice” — the primary story — consists of nine cards with story components on both sides of the card (90 cards assembled in order for the 20-page adventure).

But wait, there’s more.

In excess of “Sacrifice,” the set also offers an opportunity to assemble four more side stories:

• “The Debt” – An eight-page saga featuring Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch
• “The Fall” – A six-page plot focusing on S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury
• “Power” - A four-pager showcasing the exploits of Super-Skrull
• “Soldiers’ Honor” - A four-pager with Captain America

Each 24-pack box of “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War” should yield the cards needed to complete the main story (headlined by Avengers Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and Vision). Packs consist of nine cards in the following formula:

• 4 ”Sacrifice” (main story) cards
• 2-3 character cards
• 1-2 side story cards
• 1 cover card

Since the set’s function as a comic book follows conventional card binder standards (three rows for three cards), Upper Deck is offering a practical promotion. The first 1,000 collectors to fill out included box-topper forms will receive a free “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War” binder.

Stay tuned to Beckett.com for more images and a forthcoming Q&A with Johanson about the hobby hybrid.

By Andrew Tolentino | Football Editor | Commentary

Image courtesy of Shopcowboys.com

In a recent Dallascowboys.com report, America’s team announced a partnership with Marvel Entertainment — one that should add some depth to the 2011 roster.

“We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to energize our fans, and what better way to combine our brand with some of the all-time great Super Heroes that everyone has grown up with,” noted Cowboys Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Jerry Jones Jr.

In alliance with the Marvel Universe, the Cowboys are currently selling merchandise — namely t-shirts — featuring easily befitting Captain America, and will enlist the powers of other fictional forces in future releases. Iron Man and Spider-Man are obvious picks for the secondary, and the Incredible Hulk should carry the line, but there are still some questions about Romo’s eventual replacement at quarterback.

As for how this news could impact the hobby, assumptions are speculative at best. While Upper Deck has an existing partnership with Stan Lee’s living legacy, it lacks in NFL licensing. Much to many a crossover collector’s chagrin (mine, in particular), no football card manufacturers have announced any related developments.

And they sure haven’t made mention of anything like, oh, I don’t know,  Jason Witten as Wolverine inserts — hint, hint.

By Andrew Tolentino | BSCM Editor

While the summer blockbuster isn’t scheduled to premiere until July 22, Captain America: The First Avenger — on cardboard — arrived this week at comic book stores and other superhero-conscious retailers.

Propelled by a partnership with Marvel Entertainment LLC. — one that most recently brought us both THOR and Marvel Beginnings sets — Upper Deck revealed the bells and whistles in its latest debut. “Just like we did with our THOR movie trading card set from earlier this year, this effort will include memorabilia directly from the costumes featured in the movie, and autographs from some of the actors in the movie,” explained Upper Deck’s vice president of marketing, Jason Masherah.

Click here to view the embedded video.

According to the manufacturer, the base set will be comprised of 86 “movie plot” cards, 12 character cards and one “movie poster header” card. Also included are autographed inserts from actors Kenneth Choi (as “Jim Morita), Stanley Tucci (as “Dr. Erskine”), Toby Jones (as “Arnim Zola) and Neal McDonough (as “Dum Dum Dugan”).

Headlined by the film’s main characters, memorabilia inclusions arguably offer more premium appeal. Collectors can expect to pull costume pieces from both “Steve Rogers” and “Captain America,” “Peggy Carter,”  “The Red Skull” and other key players at a rate of one in 48 packs. Upper Deck will also debut six insignia patch cards — showcasing Red Skull’s Hydra Army Patch — among other iconic emblems from the film.

For the hardcore comic book crowd, the set also features sketch cards from a variety of artists including Charles Hall, Katie Cook, Eric Ninaltowski, Jonboy Meyers and Jim Cheung.

The latest hero-movie-based brand from Upper Deck comes seven cards per pack and 24 packs per box. Stay tuned to Beckett.com for more images and other marvelous media as it becomes available.