Everyone loves a good origin story. But when it comes to sketch cards, the exact history is murky and often debated. Between 1993 and 1997, a handful of pioneering sets experimented with the concept of inserting original artwork directly into trading card packs. Let’s examine how it developed over time.

For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, sketch cards are one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn, pieces of artwork on a small piece of card stock (usually 2.5″ x 3.5″ – though trading card companies later designed ‘oversize’ sketch cards). Sketch cards that are created directly by artists and not inserted into trading card packs may alternatively be known as ACEOs (Artist Cards, Editions and Originals), PSC (Personal Sketch Cards), or ATCs (Art Trading Cards).

So, who really invented the pack-inserted sketch card? While Fleer/SkyBox’s Marvel Creators Collection ‘98 is widely credited with establishing the one-sketch-card-per-box model, the groundwork was being laid several years earlier.

The Early Experiments (1993)

By 1990, Upper Deck had already popularized the concept of pack-inserted autographs. Then, in 1993, two companies claimed to include limited sketch cards:

• Defective Comics (by Active Marketing) featured Mark Voger’s art at a ratio of 1:4,320 packs; or 500 total sketch cards.
• Dark Dominion Zero Issue (by The River Group) supposedly inserted Steve Ditko sketches at a staggering 1:216,000 packs — only 10 cards in total.

The problem? According to Mark Voger (in June 2020), “… only two out of the 500 Defective Comics Sketch Cards have turned up within the Sketch Card-collecting community. While there are still thousands of unopened foil packs out there — I’m sitting on a couple hundred myself — I have no way of knowing whether Active inserted all 500 cards. But, by gum, I drew ’em.” Since 2020, a few more of these parody sketch cards have appeared on the secondary market, but they are still exceedingly rare.

No examples of the Steve Ditko sketch cards have ever surfaced. Most collectors assume the sketch cards were advertised but never actually produced; or they were taken by an employee. 

Later that year, however, SkyBox Simpsons Series 1 made a real impact. The set included redemption cards for original “Art DeBart” sketch cards, all drawn by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Because they were distributed by redemption, these sketch cards can not be found in sealed product, and took a while to end up in collector’s hands. Limited to just 400 copies, these cards remain highly sought after today as the first officially licensed sketch card.

Building Momentum (1994–1996)

In 1994, Bone by Jeff Smith (released by Comic Images) became the second licensed sketch card release. Only 100 original cards were created — all hand-drawn by Smith himself — making them a collector's gem.

Also in 1994, FPG released the Ken Kelly Collection 2, which included original sketch cards by the well-known fantasy artist. Unlike Bone or The Simpsons sets, however, these cards didn’t generate the same excitement among collectors. One key difference was how they were packaged: instead of being hidden in random card packs, each sketch card came in a small display frame, which was then sealed inside an envelope labeled “Ken Kelly original art card” in gold lettering. The back of the frame provided some background information about the card inside. It was advertised that 3,000 of these sketch cards were produced — though many collectors feel that number may be too high based on what’s actually available on the secondary market. 

Two years later, WildStorm released Groo, featuring just 50 sketch cards by legendary MAD Magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragonés. Though obscure, these cards are fiercely valued by fans of Aragonés' work.

The Turning Point (1997)

Sketch cards finally became more accessible with 1997’s Fleer Ultra Spider-Man (FUSM97). This set introduced the “Sketchagraph” — a nicknamed sketch card inserted at 1:288 packs (or roughly 1 per 12 boxes). These were actual, hand-drawn sketches by a roster of professional comic artists, and they established a new standard for quality and distribution. FUSM97 boxes can still appear on eBay today and sell for hundreds of dollars — a testament to the enduring interest in these early sketch card releases.

FUSM97 paved the way for Marvel Creators Collection ‘98, which went a step further by including one sketch card in every box. There were 16,000 individually numbered boxes, multiplying the overall supply of sketch cards. In addition to known comic creators, Fleer/Skybox contracted 3rd year students at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art to achieve their goal. This shift helped transform sketch cards from a novelty into a staple of modern trading card products.

Since 1998, more than 1,000 various sketch card sets have been released. For example, around 130 Marvel Comics related sets and 100 Star Wars sets have included sketch cards (as of 2025). It feels like we’re just seeing the beginning of something that’s here to stay in the trading card world.

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