December 13, 2024:
1995-96 Fleer #133 Brian Shaw
This is some freaky stuff.
The existential crisis Fleer was going through in 1995 has been well documented, and its basketball set was no different. A variety of motifs were used in this set, some of them being the supersaturated color switch filter close-up used as background as seen above. Brian Shaw was unfortunate enough to have been depicted as if by some sort of alien x-ray. It's kind of an off-putting picture, to be honest.
This card makes me think of the ways unsettling imagery placed within an otherwise benign medium can provoke a strong visceral response from a viewer. I'm thinking of the infamous Large Marge jump scare from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Another instance that comes to mind is how that one lady gets turned into a cyborg with all the metal sticking to her face in Superman III. That's something I can remember scaring me as a kid. I'm sure there are other examples of "freaky inside normal, " and you're welcome to share your examples in the comments.
Those eyes.
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