Behind the Design of 2024 Bowman Mega Box
Need a bigger selection of the future today? No problem. 2024 Bowman Baseball Mega Box from Topps has you covered. Picking up from 2024 Bowman, the Mega Box features distinctive, complex geometric patterns and a dozen Refractor parallels spotlighting the next generation of Baseball’s greats. The box also features the unique inserts Prospect Power Up, Rookie of the Year Favorites and Image Variations, each with their own sequential parallels.
We caught up with Topps Art Director Adam Schwartz, who worked on the cards along with the art team and designer Wade Ryan, to discuss Bowman Mega Box’s features and how he hopes collectors will experience the cards.
Nostalgia’s Influence
Every year, Schwartz circles Bowman Baseball Mega Box on the calendar. Not only does the product highlight rising talent and present a number of them with their first card, Bowman also presents a consistent test to designers. The product has to honor its lineage, but still feel fresh and consistent with the young talent that the cards promote.
For Bowman Baseball Mega Box, some retro style is a must. Especially with the Rookie of the Year Favorites inserts, Schwartz and team reached back to the past. “It’s always fun to try to come up with something that looks old, but isn’t. That’s always a fun challenge for us,” said Schwartz.
Inspiration for these old school designs are always top of mind. A few years ago, Schwartz found a box of 1990s era cards at a flea market and relished tearing into them. They gave him some ideas. “I always like to look back at old cards and steal a piece or two from an old design to put on a new design,” he said.
“The styling is so different from what we do today – these more modern looking cards. The effects are totally different,” Schwartz continued. “There’s no effects really, just color. There’s no glows or shadows or layering.”
You’ll find elements of the past in the Rookie of the Year Favorites. There’s a prominent on the color bar and big, slanted letters. It’s easy to see the 1990s influence in the card’s clean lines and design.
Powering Up
For the Prospect Power Up insert, Schwartz tried to get more complicated. The challenge was not to lose the player in the intricate design elements. “I always tell the designers I work with that the player is the main thing and everything else comes after. You have to see the player, then the background, then the title and whatever the other elements are,” Schwartz said.
Of course, he didn’t let his interests in clarity keep him from having fun with the inserts. They’re riddled with easter eggs. “I put little details here and there. I have the foul ball on the baseline and the triple up the baseline and the home run up the ramp. The more you look at it the more you’ll see,” Schwartz said. The Prospect Power Up cards also highlight team colors.
Part of the reason that Schwartz likes to emphasize team colors is to keep the ripping experience as captivating as possible. “I always try to introduce as many variables as I can: Team logos, team colors, variable backgrounds at times and color shifts,” he said. The net result is to keep collectors on their feet as the cards never seem drab and repetitive. One of his great concerns is that the cards will feel indistinct and boring, but by having so many variables, he can keep the experience intriguing.
Tear into the Bowman Mega Box and find out for yourself.
