Topps Star Wars Galaxy Series 4 Trading Cards by Toy Break / October Toys

The Toybreak-crew featuring George and Ayleen Gaspar of October Toys and Neil Winn opening a box of Star Wars Galaxy Series 4 trading cards by Topps. All three of them also participated in illustrating the Die Cut Artist Sketch Cards [SW-Interviews-tagged]. CLICK THRU for a wee Q&A about their involvement :)


TOYSREVIL: Do share with us who of October Toys were involved in the Star Wars Galaxy 4 Die-Cut sketch cards?

NEIL WINN: I’m a special effects artist and designer working in Hollywood. I’ve worked on movies like Hellboy 2 and most recently Land of the Lost. You can check out my work at NeilWinn.com and/or myspace.com/neilwinn

GEORGE GASPAR: I’m the guy with the beard on Toy Break. I’ve also been known to put 2,222 toothpicks in my beard (youtube.com/idlechimp).

AYLEEN GASPAR: I am the business/tech side of October Toys and the girl on Toy Break. I’ve been a lifelong toy collector and of course, Star Wars fan. I’m still stoked that I was able to participate in this little piece of Star Wars history!


[Neil's Star Wars Drawings]
TOYSREVIL: WHAT was the inspiration behind your sketches? What was the concept you had wanted to portray?

GEORGE GASPAR: Star Wars.

AYLEEN GASPAR: I didn’t really go for anything stylized, just straight up Star Wars. I stuck to the original trilogy, the only real Star Wars movies :) After reading the instructions from Topps, it seemed like there wasn’t a lot of room to play with design. However, after seeing other artists cards, I kind of wish I could do mine over with a little more flair.

NEIL WINN: What they said.

TOYSREVIL: What was the medium you folks used? And how long did they take? Are you happy with the result?

NEIL WINN: Pencil and Tria markers. It took me about three sittings to complete my 100 cards. I’m not especially happy with the results, I wish I had had more time.

GEORGE GASPAR: Mostly pencil with a couple of Neil’s Tria markers. I don’t really know how long it took and I’m happy with most of the cards.

AYLEEN GASPAR: I kept it simple with a no. 2 pencil. Total time to do the hundred cards was around nine or ten hours. A bulk of that time was in one sitting when Neil, George, and I sat down together to draw and put on the original trilogy in the background for inspiration. I’m reasonably happy with most of my cards. In retrospect, there are always sketches you would want to redo, but overall, I liked the finished products.


[George's Star Wars Drawings]
TOYSREVIL: Any favourite card in the series you've each created? Or piece of artwork?

NEIL WINN: I think my favorite cards were the Jabba series that I did. They were the first ones that I did and I spent the most time on them.

GEORGE GASPAR: I really like my Leia bikini one, but I had the most fun drawing Jawas. Turns out I really like drawing Jawas. I don’t normally do 2D work, so this was a new experience for me.

AYLEEN GASPAR: I’m not much of a sketch artist, but I’m rather partial to my AT-AT feet. I had the most fun drawing Death Stars, though. I had no idea I loved drawing Death Stars!


[Ayleen's Star Wars Drawings]
TOYSREVIL: What is the Best (or Favourite) and Worst memory of Star Wars each of you have?

NEIL WINN: My worst memory is when Darth Vader broke into my house and killed my dog for no apparent reason at all. He was a good dog. He didn’t do anything to anybody. My favorite memory is the time when Han Solo let me fly the Millenium Falcon for like five seconds. Best five seconds of my life.

AYLEEN GASPAR: My favorite memory is going to see Return of the Jedi at the theater while tightly grasping my new plush Ewok. Everyone was asking my parents where we got it and I was so proud to be the only kid in the theater with my Ewok. My worst Star Wars memory is Episode 1.

GEORGE GASPAR: My favorite memory was opening my first AT-AT when I was but a wee child. My worst memory was losing my mail away Jedi Luke down a chimney hole in my neighbors attic. I still miss him and he’s still down there.

TOYSREVIL: If you could be a Star Wars character (from the 6 movies) - who will you be, and why?

NEIL WINN: I would be a Rancor because it’s the coolest monster in Star Wars. Or the Wompa. They’re equally cool.

GEORGE GASPAR: I would be Boba Fett because he has the coolest armor (although he went out like a bitch).

AYLEEN GASPAR: I would like to think maybe slave Leia, but I don’t think I could pull that off, so I would be an Ewok because as most people know, I’m obsessed with Ewoks. They’re cute, furry, and loveable.

[All October Toys' Star wars trading-card art can be found online here]