Not this day, but just history.
An amazing court case from the early ‘60s!
Topps Chewing Gum Inc. v. Arnold, Schwinn & Co., 388 U.S. (1963)
Schwinn learned that Topps had usurped the name and likeness of one its most iconic creations, the Sting-Ray.
In 1962, Topps launched one of the most controversial trading card sets, Mars Attacks.
That same year, the Sting-Ray was already being whispered among various trade organizations as the next ‘big thing” .
It eventually debuted in mid-1963. The 56 card set that Topps proposed contained one image that depicted a boy being
vaporized by the Martians. What made it even more explosive was the depiction of Schwinn’s Sting-Ray both in art and name.
A Topps insider had leaked the image to Schwinn executives in early ’62, resulting in a cease and desist order.
The subsequent court case was eventually decided in favor of Schwinn. To this day, the court case has been sealed and it was
believed that the ill-fated “No. 56” card would be lost to history. No image had ever been released to the public.
Until now. Thanks to the intrepid work of Alan Jude Summa, the card that never was - “No. 56” has been found!