HALLOWEEN 2024: Five Random Nightmare on Elm St. Trading Cards!
There’s this great little retro diner called the St. Francis Fountain located in San Francisco’s mission district (Try the Cilantro Chicken Soup, the best in the city). It’s like walking into another era with the decor primarily unchanged from what it must have looked like in the 50’s: Hat and coat racks attached to each booth and there’s an adorable little candy counter featuring vintage and sealed trading card packs (along with individual cards that can all be bought for dirt cheap). Well wouldn’t you know it, on a random recent misty afternoon outing we went in for lunch and they had a ton of Nightmare on Elm St. cards to wade through and I of course couldn’t help myself.
Let’s have a look at the only five singles I could find featuring Freddy himself (And yes, I love that three of them just so happened to come from part 2 and are in sequence!).
Card #5: A Nightmare on Elm St. (1984)
Pebbles hit Tina’s window with a “klink!” The faint call of her name grows louder and louder. The curiosity’s killing her (wait ‘till she gets a load ‘o him). She leaves Nancy. Rod and Glen inside - they’re practically getting 40 winks - and follows the noises into a service alley. Creeping toward her is the exact same man from her first nightmare. The light glints off his finger-blades. As he drags them against the cinder block, Tina runs for her life.
Card #38: A Nightmare on Elm St. 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
In the abandoned power plant, Lisa searches through the eerie maze of rusty steam pipes. She accidentally touches one: it gives her a blistering sting. She climbs a crusty metal stairway to a catwalk. Freddy is there. “Had your chance,” he taunts raising his talons. “Die now!” He slashes at her, but misses. Lisa ducks and runs back toward the stairway. “Come to me, Lisa.” Freddy calls. “I’m waiting for you.” Run for your life, Lisa - or you’ll be Freddy’s forever!
Card #39: A Nightmare on Elm St. 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
The power plant is going crazy. Small fires break out on the catwalk where Lisa holds a wounded, weakened Freddy in her arms. She tries to coax Jess out from inside Freddy’s body. “He’s losing his grip, you can get out.” she says. With a terrible scream, Freddy pushes her away. “He’ll die with me!” Freddy garbles to helpless Lisa. Machinery begins to pound, the paint smokes and bubbles from the heat. Could this finally be it for Freddy? Or will his burnt flesh withstand some more cooking?
Card #40: A Nightmare on Elm St. 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
It’s always hard for Freddy to admit when he’s beaten. Here, with Jesse’s body trapped inside him, the “burnt wonder” faces a little too much heat. For one short moment, we see something very unfamiliar - fear in Freddy Krueger’s eyes. The fire engulfs him, Lisa watches as Freddy’s flesh begins to melt. Then, as quickly as they began, the flames die. From the smoldering debris, what looks to be Freddy’s singed black body creeps toward her. But it’s not Freddy - It’s Jesse, and he’s alive!
Card #65: A Nightmare on Elm St. 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Where does Freddy go for a vacation? Anywhere he wants! Freddy never needs to take a break from stealing souls because he really enjoys his work. And there’s nothing wrong with mixing a little business with pleasure. This time Freddy finds an island paradise in Kristin’s dream, so being the fashionable dude that he is, he whips out a pair of shades.
Now on to some frightening fun with Freddy in the sun!
