MONSTERS is an old school trading cards collection that brings back the spirit of trading cards collections from the 80s, with a vintage style and classic artwork. We talked with artist Pablo “Obelix Hell Art” about his work on these cards and other monstrous stuff.

LITTLE MONSTER: “Monsters” is a very mysterious trading cards collection, Is it hard to find information about it, could you explain us what is it about?

Pablo: This collection was created to pay tribute to the monsters trading cards collections that appeared around the late 70s and the 80s.

LITTLE MONSTER: What kind of monsters can we find in this collection?

Pablo: The collection has five groups of monsters: diabolical killers, creatures & mutants, demons, Freaks and aliens.

LITTLE MONSTER: You have created all the monsters of the collection. What does a monster need to be good?

Pablo: A good monster must be shocking and it has to creep into your head?

LITTLE MONSTER: What’s the one you are most proud of?

Pablo: There are a few: nº 65 “LA MUJER CARROÑERA”, (she eats dead rats and has a hideous smell), nº 18 “PARASITO” (it sticks to your head and eats your brain), or nº 13 “EL CREEPER” (a flying creature that eats homeless people).

LITTLE MONSTER: The collection includes a section about Spanish horror legends, could you tell us who they are?

Pablo: So far, you can find cards of Jess Franco and Dr. Jiménez del Oso.

LITTLE MONSTER: Did you collect trading cards in your childhood? What’s your favorite collection?

Pablo: Of course, I collect everything that has a monster face or looks creepy since I was a kid. My favorite collections were “Historia-Ficción” and “Otros Mundos”.

LITTLE MONSTER: Do you remember any really hard to find card?

Pablo: Sure, I remember “El Carroñero”, “El Tigorr”… these were really hard to find cards and if you got them, you would become the most popular kid in your neighborhood.

LITTLE MONSTER: Old collections used to have a few truly shocking monsters. Do you remember anyone that scared you?

Pablo: Yeah, a lot of them stay in my memory and still haunt my dreams. For example, “El Descarnado”.

LITTLE MONSTER: There were also less known collections that came with bubble gums or other things… Did you like any of them?

Pablo: I loved the monsters temporary tattoos that came with some bubble gums. As Kids we used to put them on our arms, but I can’t remember the name of the collection neither the bubble gums.

LITTLE MONSTER: What’s the scariest monster that you have ever seen in a movie? And the cheesiest one?

Pablo: Probably, the monster from the movie “Alien”. For me, it’s the scariest monster I have seen on a movie. There are a lot of cheesy monsters, for example, the gorilla with a fishbowl on his head as a space helmet from the movie “Robot Monster”, haha, Though despite its ridiculousness, I find it charming.

LITTLE MONSTER: What’s the urban legend that scared you the most when you were little?

Pablo: El hombre del saco, el Coco, el Mumo… All these urban legends scared me when I was little.

LITTLE MONSTER: What’s your favorite place to go trading cards?

Pablo: When I was little, the best place was the school entrance. Today, my favorite place for trading cards is the facebook page: “Monsters, cambio de cromos monstruosos”.