ABOUT    CONTACT

I have a passion for trading cards and a passion for art. I also love the process of creating. The Art Hustle trading card series has been one of my most rewarding creative experiences.

I have to say right off that this project would not have been possible without the talented individuals who have contributed their time, images and artwork to the set. They chose the images that are featured on their profile cards and art cards, and they took the time to make the special signature and original art cards that take this set to another level. I really feel like their images, paired with the “stats” and interesting facts on the back of the cards, make The Art Hustle an experience that draws you into their worlds.

The idea to make this card set came to me when The Sucklord told me about his collaboration with SideKick Media to create a vintage-style trading card set complete with wax-paper wrappers. I thought how incredibly cool it would be if we could do a set featuring current artists as the personalities with corresponding cards featuring their vast variety of art. That idea would be taken a step further with the addition of original art to the packs as a “chase” experience for the collector.

The Art Hustle’s overall look and feel is inspired by what I consider to be the “Golden Age” of trading cards, the 1960’s through the 1980’s. Having grown up during the 1970’s and ‘80’s, I have a deep-seated nostalgia for the cards I was discovering during that time. For a trading card collector, those cards represented the people, places and things which I not only wanted to learn about and look at, but also collect. Whether they were sports, film or music- related, or humorous cards like Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages, the idea of buying packs of cards, unwrapping the wax-paper wrappers and unveiling the treasures within, was one of my earliest pleasures.

The key to The Art Hustle card set in my opinion

was to capture the vibe from that “Golden Age.” What those cards lacked in high-def printing and glossy finish, they made up for in texture and character. There was beauty in the mis-cut and the un-centered, in the muted colors and slight variations of printing quality. By the early 1990’s trading cards had become slick affairs, with snow white paper and sharp photography. The Art Hustle Series 1 set would be printed the old-fashioned way, using a four color press with etched printing plates, on chipboard paper complete with all the hickeys. Likewise, the design would be understated and low key, letting the artists’ images make the statement.

I feel this moment in time is extremely rich and alive with art that is cultivated from the enormous pop-culture influences of the past forty years. The artists themselves are equally as fascinating and diverse.

My Cardhacks partner, Ashley, and I are so honored to have the amazing rosters of individuals participating in The Art Hustle. They have afforded us an exciting opportunity to offer this unique platform for people to experience art and art collecting. We also want to thank SideKick Media for partnering with us in the manufacturing process to make it all happen.

We hope you enjoy The Art Hustle.

The Art Hustle is a boutique trading card series featuring Contemporary Artists & Art. Uniquely presented on trading cards, this curated series is very much a collaborative effort with the participating artists.

The Art Hustle exhibits an international group currently working in a variety of disciplines including street art, toy art, kaiju, illustration, painting, sculpture, aerosol art, tattoo art, digital art, film, photography and more.

Included in the classic wax packs are Artist Profile Cards and Art Cards; all with interesting facts on the backs that you don’t want to miss. Artist-customized cards have been randomly inserted into packs, so you have the chance to pull an actual original piece of artwork. Signature Cards and Special Inserts have also been included; All contributing to a unique art-discovery experience.     

The Art Hustle is a new frontier in Art and Trading Cards, and a hell of a lot of fun.

Some imagery/language may not be suitable for children.

In Each Box

A complete base card set including:

36 Wax Packs

Artist Profile Cards

Art Cards

Interesting Facts

2 Original Art/Sketch Cards

10 Signature Cards

Special Inserts Vary based on Series

A Trading Card

Project

Quick Facts

The Origins

of The Art Hustle ®

Written by Simeon Lipman, Creator of The Art Hustle

Discover more about

The Art Hustle Trading Cards

View short videos highlighting the cards from Series 1 and Series 2 participating artists.