Baseball card sketch artist is Hall of Fame worthy
When Topps releases its Series I, II, Update and Gallery baseball sets each year, Todd Aaron Smith feels like a kid at Christmas.
He’ll rip through pack after pack, but he isn’t searching for cards of his favorite players or team like what young collectors do. The 51-year-old is looking for cards with his name on it. The longtime artist does sketches for Topps and is one of the company’s featured drawers for four of its main baseball products.
Smith loves knowing kids are also tearing through packs and seeing his artwork.
“It’s really amazing to know those things are out there,” Smith said. “People are opening packs and finding my stuff. When I work on a set, I go out and buy a bunch of (packs) myself and sorting through the packs and trying to find them. I feel like I’m 8 years old again myself.
“I buy way more than I should.”
It’s a dream come true for Smith to take his passion for art and mix it with baseball to draw players for a living for the king of the card industry.
Smith has always been an avid baseball fan. Growing up in northeastern Ohio, Smith would frequently head to Municipal Stadium to catch a Cleveland Indians game. He draws
