by With its successful Project 2020 in the books, Topps is moving to an even more ambitious set — Project70, in which 51 artists will each create 20 cards of their own player and design choice, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Topps’s first baseball cards.
But as the initial offerings, unveiled today, suggest, artists are not limited to that time frame in selecting players. In the first threesome of cards, the immortal Babe Ruth is pictured in his Yankees home pinstripes (interlocking NY added for effect) in artist DJ Skee‘s interpretation.
There should be plenty of N.Y. representation in the set, which will continue throughout 2021. The creators selected to participate comprise a diverse group that includes the likes of rap musician Snoop Dogg, graffiti artist Futura, pop artist Ron English, jeweler Ben Baller, painter Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins, comic and album artist Alex Pardee, sneaker artist The Shoe Surgeon, designer Sophia Chang and many more. Nineteen of the 20 artists from Project 2020, including Baller, Chang, Gregory Siff, Fucci, Mister Cartoon and others return for Project70.
“Project70 is one of our most ambitious sets ever, celebrating 70 years of Topps baseball cards in a contemporary way,” said Jeff Heckman, Global Director of Ecommerce. “Giving these creators the freedom to select the players and designs they want to interpret as they see fit means we will have very different cards from these uniquely and diversely talented individuals.
“We can’t wait to see what their fertile minds will produce, and we know that collectors and baseball fans share that anticipation,” Heckman added.
See the full list of artists and more here.
