New Releases

Echoes of the Bunnyman

Card manufacturer Cliff Hopkins is pulling some new rabbits from his hat with the release of amusing sets like The Art of Kevin Seconds, The Art of Kepi Ghoulie, and Horrorible [sic] Ugly Monsters, with art by Bob-X and friends. But what about that crazy.

By Sep 26,2014  0

Card manufacturer Cliff Hopkins is pulling some new rabbits from his hat with the release of amusing sets like The Art of Kevin Seconds, The Art of Kepi Ghoulie, and Horrorible [sic] Ugly Monsters, with art by Bob-X and friends. But what about that crazy name for his company, MHopOnHop? Where did it come from? What does it mean? Said owner, Cliff Hopkins, “I’ve never publicly told the story of how the name of the company originated. I just say that it’s nonsensical (Seussical almost) & leave it at that. I will say that this confusing name has been both a blessing and a curse. When I started using our Rabbit ‘mascot’ (along with my original company name logo) back in 2007 it helped identify us more than any UserId or company name ever did. Now we’re mostly identified as ‘that Rabbit guy,’ which is cool. I like that.”

MHopOnHop logo

Many collectors first became aware of mHopOnHop through Hopkins eBay presence, a venue where he sells wares produced by others. Now Hopkins has expanded by manufacturing his own cards. “I think every dedicated non-sport card dealer secretly wants to produce their own cards, Hopkins admitted. “We have a front row seat to all the best products out there and have the luxury of seeing all the hits & misses all companies go through. You start saying “what if…” a lot. For me personally, I always gave something free with paid orders as a little “Thank You” to my customers, but getting manufacturers to provide me with the amount of promo cards I needed was getting harder & harder so I starting printing my own “Thank You” & “Featured Artist” cards to give away. I’ve done that for many years now & continue to do it today. It was definitely a gateway for me, and the response has always been great. Well, not always: One time I was told that my mascot Rabbit was “too scary looking!” The idea of putting out a full-on original content set was definitely next on my list. I have so many ideas and am fortunate to have a lot of talented friends willing to take a chance with me.”

Today, Hopkins continues to stress the importance of promo cards. “I do see the importance in a lot of aspects. I love that if you’re scrappy enough, you can add content to your collection virtually for ‘free’ so there’s no excuse not to get into this hobby. Also, the nearly lost art of ‘trading’ thrives with promo collectors and that makes me happy. I miss those days! I have no problem with people selling their promo cards either (I know some people do). Let’s face it: dealers and sellers have an enormous list of expenses to go through at every turn. I know how much it can help if they can sell something they got for free. We have a dedicated group of folks who are actively collecting our promo cards and I think that’s great. Would I like them all to also actively support the actual releases? Of course! But sometimes that’s not what they ‘collect’ and I have to respect that. So far, all responses we’ve gotten have been good.”

Err…What Up Wit Dat, Doc?

As much as Hopkins values promos, no preview set has been planned for his latest release, The Art of Kepi Ghoulie. “I think a Preview Set should serve a real purpose and that purpose should be to gauge the interest in the product you are planning,” Hopkins affirmed. “That’s why we did a Preview Set for Horrorible Ugly Monsters. It’s a gamble making those cards and while I have faith in them, the public has to show their support in order for me to move ahead with the full release [in 2015]. A 45-card set is a big investment to make. For The Kepi cards, no preview set was really necessary. One third of the entire run has been pre-sold already and will be available through a well-known retail shop for Punk Rock art & merchandise. Kepi’s fans are clamoring for their sets already! This will have no problem selling to those markets. I just want the non-sport hobby to be aware of it and to love it as much as we all do already. If the set sells well to your readers and non-sport fans, then I know it would have been a success.”

The Art of Kepi Ghoulie base card

The Art of Kepi Ghoulie base card

Preview sets are not the only way Hopkins entices potential customers. Check his website (MHopOnHop.com) for offers on exclusive Internet bundles, exclusive signed promo cards for multiple set purchases of Horrorible cards, and limited sale of complete MHopOnHop Promo sets.

The next thing available down the rabbit hole will be more Kepi Ghoulie in a charity card set featuring all Bigfoot art drawn by multiple artists. Sales will benefit the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton, Ca. Also coming: The Art of Dan Allen. Allen is a songwriter and lead singer for the UK band, Ducking Punches.

One thing you’re not likely to find at the Hopkins website: customers that are hopping mad. How could they be after viewing all these fun and funny cards and sets?

For more information on mHopOnHop’s products, see the article, Rabbit Stew, in the current Oct/Nov issue of Non-Sport Update magazine. And be sure to view our gallery of images from MHopOnHop’s upcoming sets below.

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