Card Art...The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[jingram058]

Now, for some examples of what I consider to be less-than-beautiful card art. Some of these are held in VERY high esteem, but they are to me nevertheless less than flattering depictions of the subject. Some of these are nothing less than cartoonish. These are the cards I consider to be among "The Bad" and "The Ugly". Yes, some of these I actually possess despite my criticisms of the artwork, but others, such as 1952 and 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle, are simply beyond my means. I cannot help but wonder what it is about these cards that would drive someone to shell out the kind of money they sell regularly for. You could by a 1968 hemi Dodge Charger in mint condition for what the 52 Mantle goes for. The Payne-Walsh double folder is another example. What was the artist thinking here? The Walsh depiction is just nuts. Remember the old Puppet Master films? He looks like that guy with the big shoulders and tiny head. And what's going on with Roy Campanella? I guess he had a large head, but that tiny hat looks borderline ridiculous: