We had a chance to talk with Andy Modlin, the man in charge of PR at Inkworks recently and asked him a few questions about what to expect from Buffy, the JLA and some other topics. Here are his comments and answers.

PCU: How did Inkworks get started?

Ex-Skybox executives started Inkworks in 1995. Their objective was to create a trading card company focused on entertainment properties. As collectors themselves, it was important to pay attention to what collectors wanted from a trading card company. As a result, Inkworks was the first in the industry to create a guarantee that each box that they produced would contain at least one complete undamaged base set. If there are any damaged cards or if the collector needs cards to complete the base set, all they need to do is contact Inkworks and we will fix the problem.

PCU: What were some of the early card sets Inkworks put out, and what was the earliest stuff you worked on?

Inkworks has created sets for many popular movies and television series. These have included TV's Coolest Classics, Small Soldiers, The Phantom, Spawn, Men in Black, Jurassic Park, and many others. Today's products include: Justice League, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Andromeda, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Smallville, Alias, Hellboy and many more.

PCU: Inkworks been incredibly successful as a card company in a tight marketplace for some time now. What do you think is the reason for this?

Inkworks thinks of the collector with every product we produce. We don't over-print products, we don't cut corners on quality and we do our best to ensure that collectors get the highest quality cards at a good value.

PCU: Did your previous experience in other fields help or hinder you when you came into Inkworks?

The Inkworks team comes from a variety of backgrounds and types of work experiences. These different perspectives all come together to give us the ability to look at problems and opportunities from many different angles.

PCU: What are some of the things that Inkworks offer collectors that they might not find elsewhere?

Inkworks creates consistently high quality products that are true to the subject. The people at Inkworks are collectors at heart and take that perspective when creating new products.

PCU: How's a typical card set created?

It's hard to describe any single card set as "typical" because we start from the subject matter. We also consider the people who are likely to collect a particular product. The way a card set is created for Justice League is very different from the way a card set is created for Alias because the subjects are very different and the collectors of these products are very different.

PCU: How much interplay, or give and take, on the card sets is there between you (Inkworks) and the original production company (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, Alias etc)?

There is a great deal of interaction between Inkworks and the production companies with whom we work. They, of course, approve all of the images, designs and cards that are created. However, that interaction goes well beyond a simple approval here or there. The creation of a trading card set is truly a team effort.

We were very pleased with how our Justice League set turned out and we hope to create more sets with this property in the future. Unfortunately, we do not have a Justice League set on the planned 2004 schedule at this time.

PCU: How has a web presence helped your company?

The web and electronic communication have made a lasting impact on Inkworks and the collecting community. Our web presence at www.inkworkscards.com and email have opened new channels of communication with our customers and our collectors. It used to take days or weeks for information to reach collectors. Now, collectors find out about Inkworks announcements and product changes within hours or even minutes.

PCU: What is next for Buffy, since season 7 was the last first run season?

The next two Buffy the Vampire Slayer products have already been scheduled: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Big Bads is an ultra-premium product that will be released in April 2004. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Women of Sunnydale will be released in August 2004.

PCU: What do you mean by ‘ultra-premium’? What should we be ready for, anything you can tell us about?

Our ultra-premium products are printed on various types of specialty card stock (including base cards). They are produced in limited quantities and generally sell out very quickly, sometimes even before the product is released. Some recent examples of these ultra-premium products are Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Connections, Charmed: The Power of Three, and Alias: Season Two. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Big Bads will be an incredible collection in which every card in the set looks and feels like a special bonus card.

PCU: Any chance of seeing some of more 'Cult Favorite' (Red Dwarf, Carry On, Avengers, Doctor Who, Thunderbirds etc) card sets?

Inkworks is always looking for licenses that we think will translate well into trading cards.

Thanks Andy. We always appreciate what Inkworks does and are happy to be working with them in our own small way.