My first 2026 post (but not my first 2026 purchase). So just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone. Now on with the show.

Ragman was created in 1976 by writer Robert Kanigher and legendary artist Joe Kubert. But just because the character was created by comics royalty, that doesn’t mean I’m some huge Ragman fan. So why buy this? Especially when I’ve already admitted that I was pretty much done with Hembeck sketch cards. Well, if any of you know (or have met) a rabid Hembeck card collector, you probably have some idea of how addictive these damn things are. But I think the most appealing aspect of them is that they really have become a very familiar, affordable, and practical, niche in our hobby. Even those who might argue that spending a couple of hundred bucks on a 2-inch by 3-inch drawing seems a tad excessive. For many, that prospect still seems a lot more comfortable than spending thousands and thousands of dollars on larger pieces. And when you can get the same amount of joy from spending a hundred bucks (usually less) as spending several thousand, well who wouldn’t take that action? So yeah, when it comes to Hembeck sketch cards, I can say that I'm done. But honestly, are we ever REALLY done?

Which brings us back to Ragman. Not much to say about this that you can’t get by just looking at it. For the most part, you never really get cheated with Fred. Granted, every once in a while, you see a card that is relatively simple or seemingly sparse. But usually the drawings are rather involved. Still, when I saw this one, it just seemed to me that he really went to town on it. I mean, it’s easily the most work he’s done among all the cards I have (even my 3-character card) and most of what I’ve seen for sale. Maybe he’s a big Ragman or Kubert fan, I don’t know. Maybe he just had a lot of fun with it or just got carried away, I don’t know. Whatever it was, I think we can all recognize that there is just a little extra effort involved with this one. Now this isn’t to say that you’re not getting your money’s worth with pieces that are a less involved. But if you’re a collector and a fan, you always appreciate that something extra. Which is really the only reason I bought this. I honestly could care less that it’s a Ragman piece (no disrespect to Bob & Joe). Anyway, yeah, just a fantastic job by Fred on this one. Probably my personal favorite so far.

My thanks to Fred. And if you’re reading this, thanks for stopping by.

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