Captain Scarlet - Cards Inc. (UK)

Cards Inc. has produced a new trading card set dedicated to Gerry Anderson's classic Captain Scarlet television series. Collectors who enjoyed Cards Inc's first series of trading cards, this being the Thunderbirds collection released last year, are unlikely to be disappointed with this latest offering.

The 72 basic cards offer much variety, with subsets dedicated to plot synopsis, character profiles and the vehicles used by Scarlet's Spectrum organisation. Three Voice of the Mysterons cards, highlighting Mysteron quotes, are also spread across the set. The series is packed with images from the television programme and many of the card backs feature more than one picture.

Additional insert cards are six SIG embossed cards depicting individual Spectrum members alongside the organisation's logo (1:9 packs), two autograph cards signed by Francis Matthews (the voice of Captain Scarlet) and Jeremy Wilkin (the voice of Captain Ochre) respectively (1:72 packs), and Sketchings cards featuring original hand-drawn Captain Scarlet artwork. Only 500 of these have been created. Three special case topper cards, packed at a rate of one per case, have also been produced. The basic set's checklist, card 72, is useful in that it does not only list regular cards. Inserts, case cards, promos and preview sets are also featured.

The Captain Scarlet series is being sold in five card packs, which should retail for around 99p each. Display boxes are made up of 36 packs. In our box, we found two complete basic sets and four of the six SIG embossed cards. A Captain Scarlet binder in which to store the collection is available through Cards Inc., priced £19.99. Features such as autograph and sketch cards, together with a low pack price, mean that this series is likely to prove popular with both mature and younger collectors.

>> This article was added to Card Zine in spring 2002.