Behind the Design of 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary
When Topps announced SpongeBob SquarePants would return to trading cards for the first time since 2009, fans expected something colorful, fun, and totally unique. With the 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary, collectors get a set that reimagines Bikini Bottom in shimmering Chrome refractors.
The 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary delivers full-bleed art cards, parallels like Flower/Cloud, nostalgic Easter eggs, and inserts including Gross Out — all designed with Nickelodeon/Paramount Global in partnership with Topps Art Director Ryan Lee—a collector’s mix of humor, nostalgia, and premium Chrome shine.
Designing SpongeBob in Chrome
From the beginning, Lee knew that designing this product meant approaching SpongeBob in a way that differed from other licenses. The playful, absurd energy of the Nickelodeon classic demanded a storytelling focus that went beyond character portraits. “The design process isn’t necessarily new, but the story we have to tell is uniquely SpongeBob,” Lee explained. “Many of the hard-hitting, nostalgic moments in the show require the use of the entire scene with background, so we made sure we weren’t keeping anything from all the fans. We’re passionate SpongeBob fans, so we want to deliver the best experience to people just like us.”
That philosophy guided the entire set. While Chrome is usually about sleek lines and premium polish, the SpongeBob world asked for something different. Sometimes the card design elevated the chase inserts with extra shine and flair, while other times it let a scene breathe on its own. As Lee put it, “There was a time and place to elevate our premium chase inserts, and a time and place to let the scene or character do all the talking. I’d like to say that the entire product elevates the SpongeBob universe and presents it in a way that our consumers have never seen before.”
Of course, translating SpongeBob’s chaos into Chrome wasn’t without challenges. But the show itself provided plenty of inspiration. Lee recalled, “For one episode, SpongeBob goes to the future and enters a world of ‘chrome’ — so they made it easy for us!” It was a perfect creative alignment: SpongeBob’s own chrome-filled vision of the future set the tone for how the set could marry Nickelodeon humor with Topps’ premium finish.
The Weird World of SpongeBob
Once the big-picture design language was established, the fun began in creating inserts that would resonate with fans. Lee’s personal favorite leaned into SpongeBob’s weirder side. “My favorite insert in 2025 Topps SpongeBob Chrome has to be Gross Out,” he said. “The still scenes from SpongeBob SquarePants have the greatest, grossest details, and they vividly live in my memory.” Those exaggerated expressions and over-the-top visuals, burned into fans’ minds from childhood, found new life under Chrome refractors.
Other fun designs include the FlowerCloud parallel, which took inspiration directly from the sky pattern fans know so well. “Uniquely distinct to the SpongeBob universe are its flower clouds — fans recognize it, and we were able to make a great pattern for it,” Lee noted.
Then there were the Easter eggs designed to surprise even longtime fans. Among them is a card that recreates SpongeBob’s boating license — an offbeat collectible with cult-like status among fans. “For the lucky consumers that pull it, being able to hold onto SpongeBob’s boating license may be the coolest thing ever,” Lee said with a grin.
New Partnerships
The project also marked a milestone for Lee personally, as it was his first time working with Nickelodeon/Paramount Global. “As my first time partnering with Paramount Global/Nickelodeon on a license, I was beyond excited to unlock their potential,” he said. “It is very easy to work with them, and they were very accommodating to how Topps wanted to build a product around their franchise. It gets me excited to think where this relationship will go in the future.”
At the end of the day, the 25th Anniversary set was designed not just as a collector’s product, but as a love letter to SpongeBob’s legacy. “We are passionate SpongeBob fans, so we tried to build in all of the most nostalgic moments into this product,” Lee reflected. “For our collectors out there, we think they’ll find that scene that is special to them, whether it’s included in the Base set, or broken out to a special insert, or even an Autograph card.”
With Topps Chrome SpongeBob 25th Anniversary, Lee and his team struck the perfect balance: a set that honors SpongeBob’s weird, wonderful world while elevating it through the premium lens of Chrome. The result is a product that feels both wildly nostalgic and refreshingly new — just like SpongeBob himself.
SpongeBob Collector FAQs
- What is included in 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary?
- Collectors can expect base cards, refractor parallels, quirky inserts like Gross Out, and surprise Easter egg cards such as SpongeBob’s boating license.
- What makes 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary unique?
- Unlike typical Chrome releases, the set emphasizes full-scene storytelling and Nickelodeon humor, making it both premium and playful.
- Who designed the 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary cards?
- Topps Art Director Ryan Lee and his team ensured the cards balanced SpongeBob’s humor with Chrome’s premium finish.
- Are there parallels in the 2025 Topps Chrome SpongeBob 25th Anniversary set?
- Yes. The set features parallels, such as the FlowerCloud design, inspired by SpongeBob’s iconic animated skies.
- Does 2025 Topps Chrome® SpongeBob 25th Anniversary include autographs?
- A horizontal orientation option debuts in 2025, giving designers more room for dynamic group scenes and wide action moments.
- When was the last Topps SpongeBob card set before this?
- The last official SpongeBob trading cards were released in 2009, making this the first return in over 15 years.
Key Facts
- First Topps SpongeBob trading card release since 2009.
- Chrome treatment celebrates SpongeBob’s 25th Anniversary.
- Inserts include Gross Out.
- Designed by Topps Art Director Ryan Lee and his team.
- Partnership with Nickelodeon/Paramount Global.
