Airbrushing artistry: The Chisox challenge
 

To replicate the late-1970s Chicago White Sox uniforms, the Topps airbrushing crew had to not only recolor the caps and jerseys of players joining the Pale Hose. They also had to draw in those ridiculous collars. They actually did a pretty credible job on these 1978 cards, even creating faux shadows cast by the fabricated collars.

That reminds me, I've never understood why the Chicago Cubs have had so many "floating heads" team cards.

Right. The 1972 card is downright creepy because the disembodied heads are different sizes. Joe Pepitone's head is twice the size of Ernie Banks.

If there was a bad airbrushing Hall of Fame, Mr. Williams would surely be the centerpiece of it…

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I guess they went with a ratio as to how much each player thought of himself. :D

I never really understood the airbrushing. It seemed like it would have been easier to just take another picture of someone with a particular cap and just cut and paste. There was a Mike Paxton and a Greg Minton card (I think 1978?) where I think each of them had airbrushing all the way to the point of faces. Ugh!

The '71 Dick Williams is inexplicable. As for a player card, I think the '78 Gossage takes the cake. After all that work, Topps failed to remove what I believe are the Candlestick OF fence signs...

I think the '73 Bill Hands card takes the cake. Sorry no scan.

I had forgotten about the '73 Bill Hands card. Definitely one for the all-time airbrush list. He just died last week: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/218730...ll-hands-dies/