Steven Universe is moving form the screen to the card – trading cards! Cartoon Network and Cryptozoic announced on Wednesday that the first set is hitting stores very soon on June 19. The GLAAD Media and Peabody Award-winning cartoon was a hit show for kids and adults alike, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. The story follows Steven on his magic adventures as he learns about himself and the people around him. Steven Universe focuses thematically on love, family and acceptance and is the first Cartoon Network series to be created solely by a woman. Its fandom is loving, devoted, and likely psyched about this announcement.
The first wave of Steven Universe trading cards covers a lot of ground. The 72 card base set depicts the show’s first five seasons and that’s not the mention the four Chase sets and autograph and hand-sketched cards, drawn by series creator Rebecca Sugar and signed by herself along with voice actors Zach Callison (Steven Universe), Estelle (Garnet), Michaela Dietz (Amethyst), Deedee Magno Hall (Pearl), Kate Micucci (Sadie Miller), and Charlyne Yi (Ruby).
As for the Chase sets, Cryptozic has big plans. The first, “Crystal Gem Friends” features characters of the same name and adds descriptors and imagery. Next, “Fusions” depicts each of the show’s gem fusion characters and there’s even a “Greatest Hits” set with cover art for the show’s most popular jams. Lastly, the “Totally Fabricated Bubbled Gems” set is a Cryptozoic classic. The line branches from the company’s “Totally Fabricated” line and brings elements from Steven Universe to trading cards.
The people at Cryptozic are just as ready for the retail launch as you are. ustin Porras, Assistant Product Manager of Trading Cards at Cryptozoic said “the team at Cryptozoic is, it’s safe to say, a bit obsessed with Steven Universe, so we jumped at the opportunity to create these trading cards. We know this may be the first introduction to the world of trading cards for many Steven Universe fans, so we’ve worked really hard to put together a set that is true to the show’s aesthetic and features lots of familiar names like creator Rebecca Sugar, plus others from the cast. We think Steven Universe fans will be really pleased and, who knows, some of them may even turn into trading card collectors!”