2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Trading Cards
Product Review
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Product Review
Reviewed by Ryan Cracknell
Good: Clean base card design, one autograph and two costume cards pack a lot of value into boxes, no filler in autograph checklist
Bad: Basic inserts lack focus, two autographs from each signer on the same design is a little much
The Bottom Line: It'd be easy to give Cryptozoic a free pass just for landing the license to The Walking Dead and offering something fresh to the hobby. However their first set for the zombie-centric show truly is a great one, combining solid design elements, stunning photography and a value-laden box configuration that shouldn't leave anyone feeling shorted.
Card Design: 4.5/5.0
Simply put, the clean design of the base set is one of my favorite of the year. Most of the card fronts feature a high-quality horizontal photo with a blood-splattered yellow nameplate. Card backs go vertical, adding a second photo and a short block of text. The photos are sharp and capture the apocalyptic feel of the show.
Both the autograph and costume card designs stick with a similar feel. I particularly like the lines on the costume cards. Autographs are all on-card. My one beef with the autographs are that the portraits used aren't necessarily the strongest.
The basic inserts come across as reasons to use different technology rather than something focused. Part of this stems from the fact that they're not given a name. They're simply called inserts on the packs, even though they have very specific numbering. The first inserts showcase the show's zombies, often called walkers. They feature a gold foil title and gruesome zombie shot. The second series of inserts is a die-cut Behind the Scenes set. I love die-cut cards and some of the photos are hilarious, but I'm still scratching my head about why they're die-cut.
Checklist: 3.5/5.0
At 81-cards, the base set actually felt a little big for a show that had just six episodes. Some might also be a little disappointed by the overall lack of zombie action. All eight signers in the autograph set are part of the main ensemble, with no single-scene background actors. Some may not be happy that Rick and Lori Grimes (Andrew Lincoln and Sarah Wayne Callies) are missing from the autograph checklist, but that leaves some big-time signers for future sets. Cryptozoic had each sign two different cards, which leave me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it limits each card and helps the long-term collectibility. However, it also stretches things too thin. Perhaps for future sets, if Cryptozoic decides to stick with the same format, they could have multiple designs, similarly to what Rittenhouse has done with their James Bond sets. This will give collectors a chance to choose the one they prefer and add more variety.
Value: 4.0/5.0
It's tough to have a bad box of 2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead. With an autograph and two costume cards in every box, the hits should recoup a good chunk of the reasonable box price. Random sketch cards should put case breakers over the top. Falling one per case, sketches show a ton of effort and creativity. The treasure hunt is further fueled by an extremely small number of patch card redemptions. Cryptozoic also found the right balance of base cards per box. Collectors should expect a full set with only about a third of a second set in duplicates. This will make sure that there's not a massive flood extra sets floating around.
The Fun Factor: 4.5/5.0
For a company still in its infancy, Cryptozoic has done an impressive job of landing a major new license and coming up with a set to meet the high expectations. My quibbles about the set are largely very minor. Combining strong-looking cards and tremendous value, 2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead is one of the top entertainment card releases of the year.
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Product Details
When The Walking Dead first aired last fall, it instantly became one of cable TV's biggest hits. Centered around a small group of survivors fending off hungry zombies, The Walking Dead is a character-focused show that reaches above the shocking gore (although, let's face it, that's part of the draw too). Cryptozoic's first set of Walking Dead trading cards focuses on the show's abbreviated first season as well as elements of the comic. The release promises autographs and costume cards from key cast members as well as rare sketch cards.
Product Configuration: 24 packs per box, five cards per pack
Price Point: Mid-End Entertainment Card
Target Audience: Walking Dead Fans, Entertainment Card Collectors, Autograph Collectors, Comic Collectors, TV Memorabilia Collectors, Sketch Card Collectors, Zombie Lovers
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Trading Cards Box Break
- One Autograph
- Two Memorabilia Cards
- 120 Total Cards
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Set Checklist
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Trading Cards Checklist
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Set Checklist
81-card set recaps the show's first season.
2 Rick Grimes
3 Lori Grimes
4 Carl Grimes
5 Shane Walsh
6 Andrea
7 Dale
8 Glenn
9 Frustrated Lawman
10 Dedicated Lawmen
11 Fateful Decision
12 Rude Awakening
13 What Happened?
14 Dont Open!
15 Carnage!
16 Finally Home
17 Friendly Survivors
18 Batter Up!
19 Morgan, Protective Father
20 Friendly Advice
21 Scrounging for Weapons
22 Back in Uniform
23 Out of Gas
24 God Forgive Us
25 No Gas Required
26 Unfettered Lawman
27 Welcome to Atlanta
28 Not a Good Sign
29 Rookie Mistake
30 Glenn to the Rescue
31 Narrow Escape!
32 Trapped!
33 Drastic Measures
34 Disguised as Walkers
35 Diversion
36 Someones at the Door
37 Stranded
38 Base Camp
39 Joyride
40 Reunited
41 Thats My Deer!
43 Nothings Killed Him Yet
44 Plan of Attack
45 Done Talking
46 Clear a Path
47 Merles Gone
48 WTF?!?
49 Follow the Corpses
50 Get the Guns
51 Dont Bring the Geeks
52 We Need Glenn
53 Wheres the Van?
54 The Calm
55 Invasion
56 Happy Birthday
57 Protect the Camp!
58 Close Call
59 If Youre Out There
60 Cracks in the Friendship
61 Laying Amy to Rest
62 Green Eyed Monster
63 United Front
64 Vulnerable
65 Is It Safe?
66 Keep Moving
67 This Is Hope
68 Sanctuary
69 Enhanced Internal View!
70 Out of Juice
71 I Thought Thered Be More Time
72 The Last Hope
73 Were Out of Here
74 Well Enough Alone
75 Were All Done Now
76 His Motivation
77 An Open Door
78 Secrets
79 Andrea Loses Hope
80 Make a Run For It
81 We Choose Hope
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Autograph Checklist
A2 Jon Bernthal
A5 Steven Yeun
A6 Steven Yeun
A7 Chandler Riggs
A8 Chandler Riggs
A9 Emma Bell
A10 Emma Bell
A12 Lennie James
A13 Michael Rooker
A14 Michael Rooker
A15 IronE Singleton
A16 IronE Singleton
A17 Norman Reedus
A18 Norman Reedus
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Wardrobe Costume Card Checklist
M2 Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes
M3 Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes
M4 Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes
M5 Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh
M6 Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh
M7 Steven Yeun as Glenn
M8 Laurie Holden as Andrea
M9 Emma Bell as Amy
M11 Norman Reedus as Daryl
M12 Military Walker
M13 Greg Nicotero as the Deer Eating Zombie
M14 Walker
M15 Walker
M16 Walker
M17 Walker
M18 Rick's First Kill
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Sketch Card Checklist
Jim Seeber
David Day
Ingrid Hardy
Heather Cromwell
Chris Henderson
John Haun
Tim Shay
Edward Cherniga
Chad Haverland
Chris Hoffman
Gabby Untermayerova
Chris Thorne
Daniel Gorman
Lak Lim
Rich Molinelli
Gary Kezele
George Deep
Vince Sunico
Patrick Hamill
Bianca Thompson
Brian Kong
Bob Stevlic
Scott Rorie
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Behind the Scenes Checklist
C02
C03
C04
C05
C07
C08
C09
2011 Cryptozoic The Walking Dead Walkers Checklist
W02
W03
W04
W05
W07
W08
W09
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