When I look back at the more popular aspects of Star Wars merchandising, I think about Kenner action figures and Topps trading cards. Both items were among the earliest collectibles available after A New Hope was released in theaters in 1977. If you weren’t able to collect all of Topps’ offerings over the years or if you’ve had to part with your collection, you can reacquire them in book form thanks to Abrams ComicArts. They’ve already released a tome with Topps’ original series of trading cards, Star Wars: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One, and now there’s a new hardcover on the way. Star Wars Galaxy: The Original Topps Trading Card Series features cards released in the early ’90s, and we have an exclusive look at some of the books’ interiors.

The cover for Star Wars Galaxy: The Original Topps Trading Card Series.

These cards are pulled from a collection put on shelves ten years after Return of the Jedi. These mark a return for Topps, as it was their first trading cards released since 1983. They went all out for the occasion and recruited artists such as Walter Simonson, William Stout, Brian Stelfreeze, Drew Struzan, and more to illustrate the cards. The different styles meant interesting visual reinterpretations of Star Wars characters.

Brian Stelfreeze employed techniques used by Flemish masters (replacing oils with acrylics) to create this compelling portrait of Princess Leia.

Star Wars Galaxy: The Original Topps Trading Card Series encompasses work done by over 170 artists. Jump to the gallery below to see more card excerpts from the book. Did you ever own any of these cards?

The hardcover collection will be on shelves on Tuesday, March 15. Are you planning on picking it up? Let me know in the comments.

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IMAGES: Abrams ComicArts