Review Fix Exclusive: Topps Talks ‘The Walking Dead’ Card Trader App

May 13, 2016 Patrick Hickey Jr. Books & Comics, Technology, TV 0

Review Fix chats with Jeremy Strauser, General Manager of Topps Digital and Ian Hundiak, Senior App Producer for Topps Digital about the new Walking Dead: Card Trader digital app, breaking down its creation and why it belongs on your phone if you’re a real fan of the show.

The Walking Dead: Card Trader digital app is now available for free on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Android devices in the App Store and Google Play Store. 
 
Review Fix: How did this agreement come to be?

Jeremy Strauser: Frankly it started because I was a big fan of the show and there were other fans on our digital team at Topps.  After Star Wars: Card Trader launched and was received well, we brainstormed other potential properties that would work well on our platform.  As we looked into The Walking Dead as a property, the ratings and following were amazing.  Then we happened to get lucky, as Ira Friedman, our VP of licensing and one of Topps’ longest serving employees had a good relationship with the licensing agents for the show and we had an impromptu meeting at our booth at Comic Con.  We explained digital cards and what we would like to do and the deal was done shortly after.  We are super excited to be working with AMC on this great property.
 
Review Fix: What do you think makes this card series special?

Ian Hundiak: This is the first ever officially licensed set of digital Walking Dead trading cards. They are also the most up to date TWD trading cards as the previous physical set only covered up through Season 4.  

Strauser: Would add that the fan base for The Walking Dead is extremely digitally connected, so the product makes great sense for them, and additionally these are the first cards for Fear The Walking Dead anywhere.
 
Review Fix: How are the digital cards unique?

Strauser: Digital cards to me are the modern evolution of the classic trading card.  I can now carry my entire collection in my pocket (on my phone) and always have a chance at collecting something unique and new.  The platform lets us put things out very quickly and respond to fan feedback, which we are looking forward to doing with The Walking Dead.
 
Review Fix: What’s the difference between the digital and print cards?

Hundiak: Digital cards have several features exclusive to the medium, such as the option to trade globally 24/7, and to combine cards in exchange for other cards.
 
Review Fix: What’s next?

Hundiak: Fear The Walking Dead cards are coming VERY soon.

Strauser: New content every day, including special rare insert cards that will push the boundaries of card design and pay honor to this great TV show.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14267 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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