Hobby Musings: Cryptozoic Brings Christmas Story to Trading Cards – The 1983 film A Christmas Story remains one of the most beloved and iconic holiday films over 40 years after its original release. Full of memorable scenes and quotable lines, the film has continued to resonate in part due to its marathon broadcasting on Christmas Eve and Christmas. The film is about to be exposed in a different way thanks to Cryptozoic’s decision to create a card product. I had the chance to catch up with Product Manager, Carl Braun, and VP of Product Development & Marketing, Shahriar Fouladi, to find out more about the release.
KS: The original Christmas Story movie is over 40 years old. Why did you decide to make a product about the movie now?
SF: That’s exactly why! It’s been 40 years and fans around the world still love the movie. People have grown up with A Christmas Story and have such strong nostalgia for it. Many households put it on weekly or even daily during the holiday season, growing the fan base even more every year.
KS: What was the reaction from the actors when they found out you were doing these cards?
CB: When we began contacting the actors, Scott Schwartz, who actually plays Flick, not Schwartz in the movie, let us know that he and the other kids from the film are all friends to this day! A few days later, he let us know they were all excited and eager to participate.
KS: For collectors planning to chase this, what are some of the highlights they can expect to find?
CB: Beyond the Single and Dual Autograph Cards, this set will also feature hand-drawn Sketch Cards and 1-of-1 Brilliance Cards, which are extra special foil cards. We also have created three Chase Sets highlighting the famous quotes from the movie, a nine-card puzzle of the triple dog dare, and Ornament cards, which allow the collector to punch out items seen in the movie—the leg lamp for example—and hang them on their Christmas tree.
KS: The product features both single-signed and dual-autograph cards. How did you decide on the autograph checklist?
CB: We wanted to highlight the boys from the film, including the bullies, and include some of the supporting cast as well. As a rule, we don’t announce signers until contracts are done and cards are in process of being signed, but we are confident that the list is going to make fans happy.
KS: Some of the movie’s principal actors, including Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon, have unfortunately passed on. Was there any thought about including cut autographs for them?
SF: There was some thought put into that, especially since some of those roles were iconic. However, generally, we like to stick to on-card autographs and we are planning to do the same here.
KS: I haven’t seen this anywhere in the advertising, but I was wondering if there was any chance we’d see relic cards featuring memorabilia from the movie.
CB: Our first thought was, let’s get the pink bunny suit, or the rhinestone cowboy outfit Ralphie wears when daydreaming of saving his family from Black Bart and his gang. Peter Billingsley owns both of these pieces, and we did reach out, but there’s an understandably high premium associated with them. When we inquired about other wardrobe from the film, we were informed that most of what is seen in the movie was rented and returned.
KS: What would you say was the most challenging part in putting the product together?
CB: The most challenging part of putting this set together was working through what wouldn’t be a part of the set. For example, the 72-card Base Set means that the movie must be cut down to 72 moments. Not the easiest task to accomplish.
KS: Cryptozoic has done a lot of card products around popular movies/franchises before. How are you expecting this one to perform once it’s released?
SF: We hope it performs really well! Our starting point for each set is always that we are fans ourselves. We feel like if we create a product we’d want as fans, other fans will follow. When development began, we were all reciting our favorite quotes, laughing about favorite scenes, and describing our connections to the film. We think people all around the world have similarly positive associations with the movie and will want the set.
KS: Aside from the 1983 film, there have been other movies in the franchise, including a sequel with many of the original actors a few years ago. Will this product be a one-off, or is there a possibility we could see a sequel product around Christmas Story in the future?
CB: As of right now, we don’t have a set planned for the sequel, but if the fans are interested, they can and should let us know.
KS: When can collectors expect to see this hit the market?
SF: We’re planning for a mid to late November release to coincide with the film’s release date of November 18, 1983, and the holiday shopping season of course.
KS: Aside from the Christmas Story product, what else does Cryptozoic have planned for card products in the near future?
SF: We have lots of products on the way! Adventure Time Playpaks arrive later this summer. CZPlus: Dark Nights: Metal and What We Do in the Shadows trading card products are being finished up and are both looking incredible. We have partnered on a super cool Conan the Barbarian set. Last, but not least, there is a new brand of trading card product we’re releasing later this year, and it’s based on Batman: Hush. We haven’t mentioned that set publicly until now, so this is the first official tease!
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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