Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Star Wars: The Retro Baseball Card Set...

While searching Check Out My Cards for card ideas, I ran into this cool insert set from 1998 Topps. I thought it would look nice as a Star Wars card:

PRP Star Wars - #29 Hammerhead


According to Wookiepedia:

Ithorians were a mammalian herbivorous sentient species from the planet Ithor. They were commonly called "Hammerheads" by less sensitive beings because of their long, curving neck and T-shaped head. They found this nickname offensive.

Oops... Didn't mean to offend any Ithorians out there.

Ehhhh... Who cares. They are a bunch of drunks anyway. Seriously. I've only ever seen 'em in the cantina.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Gourmet Food Trucks... The Retro Card Set

Last weekend, my girlfriend and I went to the horsey racing thingy where the surf meets the turf at Del Mar. I don't bet on the ponies, but I enjoy watching them run fast. We usually go to the races at least once a year. It is only five miles away from our house, so it is pretty convenient. We usually go when there is a cool concert. Last year we saw Weezer. It was ridiculously crowded, and the sound system was horrible. So this year we decided to pass on any post-race concerts.

We probably would not have gone at all this year if it wasn't for this past Saturday's enticement:

We have watched the Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race religiously, and we both enjoy gourmet food, so this one was a no brainer. With more than 40 trucks from Southern California, there was plenty of great food to be had.

The concert area where they lined up the trucks was packed with people, but we were on a mission. After spotting the truck in the far corner, Kerri immediately got in the line for the Nom Nom Truck. The runners-up from the 1st season of the show, specialize in Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwiches.

The line was so long, so I had plenty of time to wander around and check out some of the other trucks. I was happy to spot the truck of local favorites Tabe BBQ. The line wasn't nearly as long as Nom Nom, so I joined the queue.

I wasn't all that hungry when I got in line, but by the time I got to the front (about 1/2 an hour later) I was a slobbering, starving mad-man. Kerri was going to get me a pork banh mi, so I knew that I didn't need a lot of food. The amazing food coming from the line in front of me made me lose all sense of reason. I ordered a little too much: Fries smothered in BBQ pork, melted cheese, savory sauce, and a tangy sour cream drizzle; A seafood taco in a fresh-grilled tortilla, lightly battered fish, fresh veg, and an amazing salsa; and to cleanse the palate... The beast they call the OMG Burrito.

I watched carefully as they prepared this monster burrito, and (since I know it could never be duplicated) will share their secrets here. The OMG starts with a flour tortilla large enough to swaddle a baby... baby ELEPHANT! They cover the entirety of the blanket (errr... tortilla) with shredded cheese and melt it on the grill. Once the cheese melts, they pile on a mountain of the meat of your choosing. I chose the Korean BBQ Beef (It was only so-so... SO tender, SO delicious!) On top of the meat they mound a heaping layer of french fries, and smother it with a generous soaking of the most amazing spicy-sweet sauce.

 (I found this pic on the internet... I was too busy eating mine to take a photo.)

I'm not sure what else they throw in this monster burrito, but after it is rolled up and wrapped in foil it weighs well over a pound. Ridiculous!

Okay. Enough of the food talk... On to the cards.

The founders of the Nom Nom truck are a couple of lovely, young ladies that met as undergrads at UCLA. If you watched the first season of The Great Food Truck Race, you know that their business savvy is as much a reason for their success as the delicious food. (They are also pretty darn adorable.)

PRP Food Trucks - #1 Nom Nom Misa

PRP Food Trucks - #2 Nom Nom Jenn

I am not sure how far I'll go with this set, but these two cards are a pretty good start. In researching the designs, I was introduced to the world of NASCAR cards. There are some pretty cool designs out there! If they threw burritos out of the cars, I could probably get into the sport a little more...

Oh, by the way, the pork bahn mi from Nom Nom was delicious!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

It Came From Outer Space...

I have wanted to make a cool card for Bill "The Spaceman" Lee for quite a while. I think this one is pretty cool:



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

I Like Contests...

Fun contest over at Cheap Card Collecting! Check it.

Monday, August 15, 2011

New Header...

What do you think?

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Trivia Winners...

Captain Canuck and Mark Aubrey both answered my trivia question correctly (and in rapid-fire succession,) so they both got custom cards of their choosing. You can see their requests in the previous post's comments. Here's what they got:

Canuck's 53 Topps-style Adam LaRoche


Mark's Junk Food Don Bollweg


As always, you can click on the cards to enlarge.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Trivia Time...

This question was in the San Diego Union Tribune sports page today:

On June 3, 1995, Montreal Expos pitcher Pedro Martinez retired the first 27 Padres he faced in a game that was tied 0-0 after nine innings. Who broke up Martinez's perfect game in the bottom of the 10th inning?

(First one to answer correctly in the comments section will win a custom (online) baseball card of their choosing.)

Unrelated Side Note: It was also mentioned a few pages later that Tony Gwynn was one hit short of hitting for the cycle (something my Padres have NEVER done) twenty two times...



Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Star Wars... The Retro Card Set

After setting up the Gallery, I realized that I had no cards from the '70s...

I fixed that:

PRP Star Wars - #26 Tusken Raider
I don't speak Tusken, so forgive the spelling.

PRP Star Wars - #27 Bothan
(I made this one as a memorial to all the Bothan spies that gave their lives to help find Mr. Brady's plans that he lost at the amusement park... Wait. I think I messed that up.)

PRP Star Wars - #28 Yoda
Okay... This card is based on one from 1981. Sue me! (Unless you are Kellogg's, Topps, George Lucas, Kenner, or anyone else whom might actually sue me.)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Star Wars: The Retro Card Gallery (Updated 12/21/11)

1887 Darth Vader 

1881 C-3PO

1934 Lando Calrissian

1953 Nute Gunray

1953 Darth Bane

1954 Darth Maul

1955 Han Solo

1959 Luke Skywalker

1960 Jedi Coaches

1962 Boba Fett Special

1965 Obi-Wan Kenobi

1970 Grand Moff Tarkin Booklet

1971 Greedo/Han Solo Tattoos

1972 Bothan Spy


1975 Tusken Raider


1978 Sebulba


1980 Rebels Team Card (Jar-Jar Variation)

1981 Darth Vader

1981 Yoda

1982 League Leaders

1983 Jabba the Hutt

1984 Rub Downs

1988 Conan Motti


1988 Wax Wrapper

1988 Bossk

1988 Gammorean

1988 Stormtrooper AS

 1988 Stormtrooper AS (Back w/ residual gum)

1988 Wicket

1988 Darth Maul TBTC

1988 Luke Skywalker

1989 Wedge Antilles


1993 R2-D2

1993 Boba Fett

1993 Leia Organa

1995 Admiral Ackbar

1996 Jango Fett

1997 Anakin Skywalker

1998 Chewbacca

1998 Hammerhead

1998 Senator Bail Organa

2000 J.T. Porkins (Battle Used Flightsuit)

2007 IG-88 (Motivator Chip Relic)

2010 Mos Eisley

2011 RX-24 (Star Tours Opening Day)