Artoo-Detoo is left behind! - Star Wars series 1 card #15

First of 11 cards in this set to have 'Movie Facts' printed on the back of the card. A nice touch for the people fascinated by the movie.

What's Topps about this card?

1. First Movie Fact card...collect them all!

2. See the Jawa's run!

3. R2 is doing his David Blaine levitation trick

Luke checks out his new droid - Star Wars series 1 card #14

Luke continues to inspect the droids up for sale.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Don't buy that one Luke! R2 has sabotaged it's motivator (what ever that is)

2. Word has it that the Jawa's wouldn't have made very good used car salesmen.

3. Caption competition: Jawa to Luke "This droid is part of the Industrial Automaton R5 line. Don't believe what they tell you about their reliability...this fellow is top of the line".

A sale on droids! - Star Wars series 1 card #13

Another card that had a Story Summary on the back of the card...collect them all...and you get to know what the story is all about! Hurry, get them now!

What's Topps about this card?

1. The little droid with the red markings is R5-D4..read about him here http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/R5-D4

2. It's around this scene in the movie that R2-D2 deliberately sabotages R5's motivator, so that Luke's Uncle Owen would purchase R2 instead...the plan worked.

3. An action figure was made for the R5-D4 unit..can be seen here http://www.rebelscum.com/VINtR5d4.asp

The droids are reunited - Star Wars series 1 card#12

Some cool Star Wars scenery here on this card....you've got the Landspeeder, the crazy wooll eyhorned cow looking thing in the background, the round robot, R2 and C-3PO....

What's Topps about this card?

1. Did I mention the Landspeeder?...every young mans dream that...to own a Landspeeder..chicks love it!

2. Caption competition #1: R2 saying to C-3PO "twirp, tweet, twirp, tweet"

3. Caption competition #2: C-3PO saying back to R2 "I think you really like the round looking droid over there, you should just go as tell him...I think he's been looking at you for a few minutes now"

Artoo is imprisoned by the Jawas - Star Wars Series 1 card #11

The little Jawa's...I always felt sorry for them when the Storm Troopers torched a whole load of them.

What's Topps about this card?

1. They are mysterious...what is actually under that dark hood?

2. The front Jawa in this scene is saying to the others...."if we turn this droid upside down could use it as a waste paper basket.

3. Trivia...the Jawas were the centerpiece in one of the strangest copyright infringement cases involving Star Wars. In 1978, small hooded creatures with glowing eyes that Young called 'Roadeyes' began accompanying rocker Neil Young on stage during a concert tour, in a tour film, and on the cover of the album Rust Never Sleeps. The case was settled out of court.

Princess Leia-captured! - Star Wars Series 1 card #10

This is first card in the set to have a Story Summary on the back of the card. In their wisdom, Topps decided to put the Story Summaries in a random order, hence while this card is the first in the set to have a Summary on the reverse, the Story Summary is number 8 of 11.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Pivotal moment in the Star Wars story when Princess Leia is captured. If she hadn't been, then the whole gang wouldn't have come looking for her and start the whole war.

2. It's got a Story Summary on the back of the card, so it's sort of like 2 cards in one!

3. Evil as he is, Lord Vader really shouldn't be pointing his finger at a gentile.

Rebels defend their starship! - Star Wars series 1 card #9

Action card again...this time with a bit of action.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Those helmets for one on the rebels...look like an upside down potty.

2. The rebel second closest to the camera looks like he's aiming at the rebel standing up

3. Those white walls of the space craft must have been awfully hard to keep nice and clean.

Grand Moff Tarkin - Star Wars Series 1 card #8

Another old English stage hand...Peter Cushing played the role of Grand Moff Tarkin, Commander of the Death Star.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Real character name.....wait for it....Wilhuff Tarkin...doesn't exactly get your running for the hills does it.

2. Peter Cushing also auditioned for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

3. Trivia time...Cushing was presented with ill-fitting riding boots for the role and they pinched his feet so much that he was given permission by George Lucas to play the role wearing his slippers. The camera operators filmed him above the knees or standing behind the table of the conference room set...FACT!

The villainous Darth Vader - Star Wars series 1 card #7

The first action action card from the first series of Star Wars trading cards produced by Topps in 1977.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's action card?...even though there isn't much action going on.

2. Do villians really see themselves as villians?

3. The fellow on the doesn't half look like Greame Garden from the Goodies

Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi - Star Wars series 1 card #6

Character card for Obi-Wan Kenobi from the first series of Star Wars cards produced by Topps in 1977.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Hello....Academy Award winner right here...for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

2. He's possibly the only member of the Star Wars cast to have had an active fighting role in World War II.

3. Aware that the film studio disagreed with his refusal to cast big-name stars, George Lucas signed the veteran stage and screen actor to play Obi-Wan

Princess Leia Organa - Star Wars series 1 card #5

Princess Leia's character card, and the 5th card in the set.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's a character card...doesn't she look all demure?

2. Others to audition for the role of Princess Leai Organa include, Terri Nunn (one time lead singer of techno-pop band Berlin), Jodie Foster, Sissy Spacek and Cindy Williams (from the TV show 'Lavern and Shirley'

3. Fisher was apparently only given the role provided she lose 10 pounds...poor luv.

Space Pirate Han Solo - Star Wars series 1 card #4

Card #4 from the first series (blue) of Star Wars movie cards

Here we have Han Solo's character card. In Harrison Ford they couldn't have found a better man to play the role.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Is it pronounced Han or Haan? I always thought Haan sounds too pretentious.

2. At first Harrison Ford was not considered for the part of Han Solo, however Geoger Lucas used him to read through the lines with other auditioning actors.

3. Other actors to try out for the role include: Nick Nolte, Kurt Russell (he would have been ok), Christopher Walken (his eyes are too spooky) and even Billy Dee Williams (who went to play Lando Calrissian)

The little droid, Artoo-Detoo

Oh isn't it cute. R2 (as he is affectionately known) was the Gary Coleman, the Webster of the Star Wars films. Small and cute.

Here is his/her/it's character card from the first card set series.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's R2. Everyone loves R2

2. It's a character card.

3. It's hard to believe that they had someone sitting inside the droid suit. So really R2 is no more than a droid puppet.

See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo

Star Wars series One card set by Topps (1977) - card #2

Here we have card 2 of this set...introducing the best non human comedy duo known to man, and non-humans alike.

C-3PO and R2-D2. Note the phonetic spelling on the card of See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo..in case you get confused with C-3PO and R2-D2.

What's TOPPS about this card?

1. One can talk in 9 million different languages, the other can only speak in one, but everyone understands it anyway

2. They are the galactic version of Laurel and Hardy

3. If not for these 2 (robot and droid) the galaxy would be a very dark place

Luke Skywalker - Star Wars series 1 card #1

Card set - Star Wars series 1 by Topps in 1977 - card #1

Time to change it up again...so the next few posts will be from the first trading card set for the first Star Wars movie (later to be known as 'A New Hope').

Topps put out no less than 5 different sets for Star Wars, each came in a set of 66 cards with an additional 11 stickers.

Go here....

http://www.starwarscards.net/1977topps1.htm

...for more info on this set.

But onto this card.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's the first one in the set...you can start without the first one.

2. It's a character card...so it's not a scene from the movie

3. He's in dress-up...as a Storm Trooper no less. You'd have thought the first card in the pack would be Luke all done up in his flouncy shirt, with his light saber...but they saved that card for #57 in this set for some reason

CHASED...BY A BOULDER! - card #12

Card set - Raiders of the Lost Ark by Topps, 1981

The beginning to this movie only got better and better didn't it? I mean, first we had spooky caves, some booby traps, a golden idol, more booby traps...and now a giant boulder coming at Indy out of no where.

Now we all knew that he wasn't going to die, as it was only the beginning of the movie. But like every Batman episode, it was about him getting cut in half, it was more how he escaped. And in this scene we have one of Indy's best ever escapes.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's giant boulder!

2. Again (re: the previous post ), this scene was taken from an old Donald Duck comic featuring Scrooge McDuck.

3. Just imagine if Indy didn't make it...the film franchise wouldn't have happened....that heavens for fiction!




Card set - Raiders of the Lost Ark by Topps, 1981

The Collapsing Walls - card #11

Run Indy Run!

So he didn't get the weight of that sand bag just right...damn...

Now he'll have to run for his life...but that's what makes the scene so great right.

What's Topps about this card?

1. So much for respecting ancient monuments Indy...by removing the idol you've destroyed the temple

2. You can just make out Harrison Ford's bowing legged running style

3. They only have one take to make this scene work as the all the stage setting was destroyed

Removing the Idol - card #10

Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set by Topps

Here we have the famous scene where Indy swaps the golden idol with a bag of sand. Of course he had to disgard some sand to get the weight just right so as not to cause all manner of booby traps. But that didn't quite turn out the way it was meant to go.

What's Topps about this card?

1. One of the great scenes in film history

2. As mentioned in a previous post...this scene taken from a Donald Duck comic in the 1950's...so that's really Uncle Scrooge McDuck there

3. Of course, what happens next is the cue for the next great scene in film history

The Priceless Gold Idol - card #9

This is what it's all about...the golden idol.

Coming soon one of the most famous scenes in the action film history

What's Topps about this cards?

1. It is gold right...and it's an idol...it's a freaking golden idol man!

2. The idea for this and the surrounding scenes was taken from Donald Duck comics from the 1950's

3. You know what's coming next....it's the swap of no return

Victim of the Gods - card #8

Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set from 1981.

Truth be told, this was a pretty scary scene in the film...that dead guy just jumping out at you with a bit of nice studio editing.

If I hadn't just read the back of the card I would have never known that the dead guy was one of Indy's archeologist pals....either way, he's a dead now...

Keep going Indy! you're nearly at the treasure.

Temple of the Warriors - card #7

Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set from Topps, released in 1981.

This is card #7.

Bit of a waste card really...if you opened a pack and found this one you'd be saying to yourself..."WTF, no characters!, no Indy, no action!". But I guess they had to fill out the set with some fluff.

Needless to say, this would have to be one of less desirable cards in the pack...no doubt they made way too many of this one and there are double and triples galore.

Valley of Mystery - card #6

Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set released my Topps in 1981.

First of the action cards for this set...

There are not too many movie opening sequences that still draw an audience in...even after watching it 10 times or more.

Indy's loyal friend, Sallah - card #5

Many may not recognize that this is the same man who ended up playing Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

This is John Rhys Davies, portrayed on the character card for Sallah, Indy's trusted friend.

The story has it that Speilberg originally wanted Danny DeVito to play the role of Sallah, but scheduling conflicts dictated otherwise. It would have been strange seeing DeVito playing 'the best digger in Cairo' as he is way too small a man.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's Gimli! just 20 years younger

2. It's the last of the character cards

3. Bless him...he's wearing a flower in his suit lapel

Rene Belloq, Indy's Rival - card #4

Card #4 of the Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set from 1981.

Introducing the bad guy...Rene Belloq, played by British actor Paul Freeman.

Raiders was a springboard for Freeman in Hollywood and he continued playing villains both in Hollywood, and in his native Britain using his uncanny talent for foreign accents, which is evident in his portrayal of the South African born French archaeologist in this film.

What's Topps about this card?

1. One of only 4 character cards

2. It's Belloq...the man everyone loves to hate

3. ...again you've got to love the card back...Belloq is the dark side of Indy..unchecked by concepts of moral decency.

Beautiful, Spirited. Marion Ravenwood - card #3

Card #3 of the Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set.

The second character card, this time introduces the Marion Ravenwood character. Unlike other card sets, Topps didn't mention the actors name on the card, so unless you read the movie credits, Karen Allen's name might have passed you by.

Apart from Raiders and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, her only other film of note was the lead female role along side Jeff Bridges in Starman.

What's Topps about this card?

1. Marion is, and will always be a babe

2. She can drink 30 Russian sailors under the table

3. Remember the monkey on her shoulder...he tried to kill Indy!...bad monkey

Indiana Jones - Freelance Adventurer - card #2

Card #2 of the 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark movie card set produced by Topps.

This is the first of the 4 character cards...of course Indiana was always going to be first pick.

What's Topps about this card?

1. It's one of only 4 character cards in the set

2. Indy is freelance! A gun for hire.

3. According to the card back....he has inordinate resourcefulness. Strange choice of words that. Maybe it was a slow day at the factory.