While the original intent was to “redo” the card, using the clearer photo, as I kept looking at the images, touched and untouched, I realized that I preferred the touched image!
As with my all-time favorite card, the 1976 Johnny Bench, I actually think the saturated, contrasted work Topps did made everything come together much stronger.
Take a look at what I’m talking about:
While the original image is excellent, there’s something about that saturated red, co-existing with the red on the card design. It really seems to make it all “one”.
Now, I realize I’m just talking about a baseball card, but to me the art involved, the little masterpiece that was this 1976 sports card, makes me appreciate the execution, whether by accident or not, so much more.
Topps really did have a great run from 1975 through 1979 in my opinion. Cards like those mentioned above, the 1977 Dave Kingman, Rusty Staub cards, the 1978 Reggie Jackson, and the 1979 Rod Carew and George Brett, were just such perfect cards (along with others I didn’t mention!).
Just amazing to look at them now, and to think (at least for me), how much less of an impact they would have had on me had they not been messed around with by the folks at Topps.
