Steve Rude — Card Tricks
Upper Deck, Marvel VS. System TCG: Web of Spiderman,
Card #162 — Surrounded, 2004
Concluding a multi-part look at Spider-Man vs. Mysterio in honor of Spider-Man: Far From Home landing on digital streaming platforms this week.
Some of the most tantalizing art ever created for Marvel and DC characters is hiding in plain sight — on trading cards… and trading card games.
In fact, the Upper Deck Vs. TCG System, started in 2004, and lasting in its original incarnation through 2009, is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of original artworks by some of the industry’s leading talents.
Except for a handful of the key art pieces, which includes illustrations by Alex Ross and Drew Struzan, all the TCG images were printed at postage stamp size only. (Some, like this one, were cropped ruthlessly to fit the printed image area.)
Sigh.
Steve “The Dude” Rude illustrated number of cards in the various VS series, and this one, featuring Spider-man vs. multiple Mysterios, is a favorite.
Steve’s clean and dynamic superhero rendering typically feels like a fascinating cross between Jack Kirby and Joe Schuster — with storytelling influences from Alex Toth , and yet here, he channels some John Romita for good measure.
Most trading card is created at a relatively small size, but fortunately this Rude original is drawn on traditional comic board, with the live image area just slightly smaller than most standard modern art.
Just enough room for all those Mysterios.
