CornPop: The Lifeguard, the Razor, and the Truce

Every once in a while I come across a story that is just too strange not to turn into a card.

The story of CornPop is definitely one of those.

In the summer of 1962, a young Joe Biden was working as a lifeguard at a public swimming pool in Wilmington, Delaware. According to the story Biden later told, one of the local troublemakers, a man known as CornPop, had been causing problems at the pool.

Eventually, CornPop decided to ignore the pool's rules and made a dramatic entrance into the water.

Biden blew his whistle and told him that diving wasn't allowed.

That's when things got interesting.

According to Biden's telling of the story, CornPop pulled out a razor and basically let the young lifeguard know that he wasn't going to be pushed around.

Instead of backing down, Biden stood his ground and tried to talk him into a truce.

And somehow, that's what happened.

CornPop apparently respected the fact that the young lifeguard wasn't intimidated. The confrontation ended with a handshake and, according to the story, a certain amount of mutual respect.

Now, there has been plenty of debate over the years about exactly what happened and how accurately the story has been remembered. Some of the details have been questioned, and the story has taken on a life of its own.

But that's actually part of what makes it such an interesting piece of modern folklore.

It's a story about a teenage lifeguard, a local gang leader, a swimming pool, a razor, and an unexpected truce.

It sounds more like something from a movie than something that supposedly happened at a public swimming pool in 1962.

That's one of the things I enjoy about making these cards. History isn't always kings, queens, battles, and famous speeches.

Sometimes it's just a strange story that somebody remembers decades later.

And sometimes those stories are just too good not to put on a card.

This is one of those cards.

If you'd like to take a closer look, you can click on either image above to see the card in my eBay store.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Grace O'Malley

For the ninth card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, we're heading to Ireland to meet one of the most fascinating women of the 16th century.

Grace O'Malley, also known as Gráinne Mhaol, became a legendary figure along the western coast of Ireland—a skilled sailor, clan leader, trader, and warrior who wasn't particularly interested in letting the fact that she was a woman stand in her way.

Born around 1530, Grace grew up in a powerful Irish family and learned the ways of the sea from an early age. She eventually commanded her own ships and became an important leader along the coast of western Ireland.

Her life was about much more than simply being a pirate, though that's certainly the part of her story that has made her famous.

Grace was a trader, a political strategist, a clan leader, and a mother. She navigated a dangerous political landscape while dealing with the growing power of the English crown in Ireland.

She was also not afraid to negotiate when negotiation served her better than fighting.

One of the most famous moments of her life came in 1593, when she traveled to England and met with Queen Elizabeth I.

Think about that for a moment.

A woman who had spent much of her life commanding ships and operating along the Irish coast found herself sitting across from the Queen of England, negotiating over the release of family members and other political matters.

It's a pretty incredible story.

There's also a famous story that Grace refused to bow to Elizabeth because she did not recognize Elizabeth as her queen. Whether every detail of that encounter is accurate is difficult to know, but the meeting itself really did happen—and it has become one of the most memorable stories associated with Grace O'Malley.

What I like about Grace's story is that she doesn't fit neatly into one category. Calling her a pirate doesn't really tell the whole story. She was operating in a world where trade, politics, family alliances, and warfare were all closely connected.

She simply learned how to play that game—and she played it extremely well.

That's exactly the kind of person I want to include in this series. Not necessarily someone who was perfect or traditionally heroic, but someone who lived an extraordinary life and left behind a story that people are still talking about centuries later.

Grace O'Malley certainly qualifies.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #9 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series.

We've now traveled from ancient Alexandria to the American West, Greece, China, Egypt, Camelot, the early Christian world, and now the coast of Ireland.

I'm having a lot of fun finding these stories and turning them into cards.

And there's still plenty more to come.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Sun Wukong

For the eighth card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, we're heading back to China—but this time we're leaving history behind and jumping into one of the greatest pieces of mythology ever written.

This one is all about Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Sun Wukong is the legendary hero of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. And calling him a troublemaker would be putting it mildly.

Born from a magical stone, Sun Wukong becomes incredibly powerful through his study of Taoist arts. He gains extraordinary strength, learns to transform himself into different forms, and eventually becomes immortal.

He's also incredibly difficult to control.

Sun Wukong challenges the authority of heaven, battles gods and demons, and generally causes enough trouble to earn himself a serious reputation. But that's also what makes him such an interesting character.

He's not simply a hero who follows the rules.

He's a rebel, a trickster, a warrior, and eventually a hero whose journey becomes a quest for enlightenment.

And then there's his famous weapon—the Ruyi Jingu Bang, or magical staff. The staff can change size and weight at Sun Wukong's command, making it an almost ridiculous weapon in the hands of someone who is already ridiculously powerful.

What I like about Sun Wukong is that he isn't a perfect hero. In fact, early in his story he's pretty much the opposite. He's arrogant, impulsive, mischievous, and constantly testing the limits of everyone around him.

But that's part of the journey.

Over time, his adventures with his companions help transform him from a rebellious troublemaker into a figure associated with courage, loyalty, wisdom, and enlightenment.

That's a pretty good character arc.

For this card, I wanted to capture the more powerful and legendary side of Sun Wukong. The artwork is meant to show the Monkey King as a larger-than-life figure—part warrior, part trickster, and completely at home in a world of gods, demons, and magic.

Sun Wukong has been part of Chinese culture for centuries and has influenced countless stories, movies, television shows, video games, and other characters around the world.

It's easy to see why.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #8 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series.

We've covered scholars, sharpshooters, goddesses, emperors, pharaohs, wizards, and now the Monkey King.

I'm having a lot of fun seeing where this series takes me next.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Mary Magdalene

For the seventh card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, I'm taking a look at one of the most well-known and, in many ways, misunderstood women in history: Mary Magdalene.

Her story has been told, interpreted, and sometimes distorted for nearly two thousand years. But when you go back to the earliest Christian accounts, an incredibly important figure begins to emerge.

Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus's followers and is described in the Gospels as being present at some of the most important moments of his final days.

She witnessed the crucifixion when many of the other disciples had fled. According to the Gospel accounts, she was also among the first people to discover the empty tomb following Jesus's death.

Even more importantly, the Gospel of John describes Mary as the person who encountered the risen Jesus and then went to tell the disciples what she had seen.

That is an extraordinary role.

She became the messenger who carried the news of the resurrection to the other disciples, which is why she has sometimes been called "the apostle to the apostles."

For centuries, however, Mary Magdalene was often portrayed very differently. A tradition developed in Western Christianity that associated her with a repentant prostitute, even though the Bible itself never identifies her that way.

That misconception became so influential that it shaped how Mary was portrayed in art and popular culture for centuries.

Today, Mary Magdalene is increasingly recognized for what the earliest accounts actually show: a devoted follower, witness, and important figure in the early Christian story.

That's one of the reasons I wanted to include her in this series. Sometimes the most interesting stories aren't the ones we think we already know.

With this card, I wanted to capture Mary as a strong and devoted woman standing at the center of one of the most important stories in history. The light and movement in the artwork are meant to suggest both the tragedy of the crucifixion and the hope associated with the resurrection.

Whether you approach her story from a religious perspective or simply as a historical subject, Mary Magdalene is a fascinating figure who has had an enormous influence on Western history and culture.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #7 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series.

So far we've traveled from ancient Alexandria, to the American West, Greek mythology, imperial China, ancient Egypt, Arthurian legend, and now the early Christian world.

I'm enjoying the fact that this series gives me an excuse to explore people and stories from so many different periods and cultures.

And there are plenty more to come.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Merlin

For the sixth card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, we're heading into one of the most famous legends of all time—the world of King Arthur and Camelot.

And you can't really tell the story of Arthurian legend without Merlin.

Merlin has been portrayed in countless ways over the centuries, but he's almost always the mysterious figure behind the scenes—the wise wizard who seems to know more than everyone else in the room.

In the legends, Merlin serves as King Arthur's mentor and advisor, helping guide Arthur toward his destiny and playing an important role in the story of Camelot.

And of course, Merlin isn't exactly your ordinary advisor.

He's associated with prophecy, magic, shapeshifting, and a whole collection of supernatural abilities. Depending on which version of the legend you're reading, his origins can be just as mysterious as his powers.

That's probably part of the reason the character has remained so popular for so long.

There's something about the idea of a mysterious old wizard who seems to know how everything is going to turn out—even when everyone else is still trying to figure it out.

For this card, I wanted Merlin to look like someone who had spent a very long time studying things that ordinary people probably shouldn't know too much about.

The staff, the hat, the long beard and the weathered face are all familiar elements, but I wanted the overall image to have a little more energy and mystery to it.

That's one of the fun parts of working on this series. With historical figures, there's at least some record of who they were. With legendary characters like Merlin, there's a lot more room for imagination.

Whether Merlin was ever based on a real person is another interesting question. The character appears to have developed from several different traditions and legendary figures over time, eventually becoming the Merlin we recognize today.

Either way, he's become one of the most recognizable wizards in popular culture.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #6 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series.

We've gone from Hypatia to Annie Oakley, Artemis, Wu Zetian, Hatshepsut, and now Merlin. History, mythology, and legend are all fair game in this series.

And there's still a lot more to come.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Hatshepsut

For the fifth card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, we're going back even further in history—more than 3,400 years—to ancient Egypt.

This time, the subject is Hatshepsut, one of the most successful female rulers of the ancient world.

Hatshepsut became pharaoh of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty and ruled during a period of prosperity and relative peace. What makes her story particularly fascinating is that she didn't simply serve as a temporary ruler while waiting for a male heir to take over. She presented herself as pharaoh and ruled with the full authority of the position.

She was a remarkably capable administrator and seems to have understood that a strong Egypt wasn't built solely through warfare. During her reign, trade and commerce flourished, including a famous expedition to the Land of Punt that brought back valuable goods such as gold, incense, and exotic plants.

Hatshepsut was also a tremendous builder.

Her reign produced some of ancient Egypt's most impressive monuments, including her magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. Her building projects helped leave behind a physical reminder of her reign that has survived for thousands of years.

One of the things I find most interesting about Hatshepsut is the way she presented herself. Egyptian art sometimes depicted her wearing the traditional clothing and symbols of a male pharaoh, including the ceremonial false beard.

She understood that becoming pharaoh wasn't just about holding power. It was also about being recognized as the legitimate ruler of Egypt.

That's one of the things I'm enjoying about this series. The more people I look into, the more I realize how many incredible stories have been left behind by history.

Hatshepsut isn't remembered because she conquered half the ancient world. She's remembered because she built, traded, governed, and found a way to succeed in a world where the rules were very much written for men.

And thousands of years later, we're still talking about her.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #5 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series. So far we've traveled from ancient Alexandria, to the American West, to Greek mythology, imperial China, and now ancient Egypt.

I'm having a lot of fun putting these together, and there are plenty more stories to tell.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Wu Zetian

For the fourth card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, I'm heading to ancient China to tell the story of one of the most remarkable women ever to hold political power.

Wu Zetian is one of those historical figures whose story almost sounds too incredible to be true.

Born in 624 CE, Wu Zetian eventually became the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor in her own right. She rose from a relatively modest background to become one of the most powerful people in China.

Her path to the throne was anything but ordinary. She entered the imperial court as a young woman and eventually maneuvered her way through the complicated world of palace politics, first becoming empress and later taking control of the government herself.

In 690 CE, she declared herself emperor and established the Zhou Dynasty.

Her reign was controversial, and she was certainly not universally loved. But there's no denying that she was an extraordinarily capable and determined ruler.

Wu Zetian strengthened the imperial government, expanded the use of examinations and other methods of selecting officials, and promoted talented people based more on ability than simply on family connections. Her reign also saw important developments in culture, religion, and the arts.

What I find fascinating about Wu Zetian is the sheer determination it took to get where she did. In a world where political power was overwhelmingly controlled by men, she didn't simply find a place within the existing system. She took control of it.

That's one of the things I'm enjoying about this series. Every person has a different story, and some of those stories are much more complicated than the short version we usually hear.

Wu Zetian certainly wasn't a perfect person, and her legacy remains controversial. But she was intelligent, ambitious, politically skilled, and determined enough to accomplish something no other woman in the history of imperial China had done.

That's a pretty remarkable story.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #4 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series. So far we've gone from ancient Alexandria, to the American West, to Greek mythology, and now to imperial China.

And there are plenty more stories to tell.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Artemis

For the third card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, I'm stepping away from historical figures and into mythology.

This time, we're going back to ancient Greece and one of the most powerful and fascinating goddesses of the ancient world: Artemis.

Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, and wild animals. She was also associated with the moon and was known as an independent and fiercely protective figure.

The daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, Artemis was said to roam the forests with her band of nymphs, hunting and protecting the creatures of the wild.

One of the things I find interesting about Artemis is how different she is from many of the other figures in Greek mythology. She wasn't looking for a throne or a husband. She was fiercely independent and lived by her own rules.

She was also seen as a protector of women and children, which adds another dimension to her character. Artemis could be a huntress and a protector at the same time—powerful, independent, and not someone you wanted to cross.

That's one of the things I'm enjoying about this series. I can move between actual historical figures and legendary characters from mythology while exploring what made each of them memorable.

With Artemis, I wanted the artwork to capture that connection with the wilderness. She's not standing in a palace or surrounded by other gods. She's out in the forest, where she belongs.

Artemis seemed like a perfect addition to the series.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #3 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series. Hypatia and Annie Oakley started us off, and now we're getting into mythology.

There are a lot more stories to tell.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Annie Oakley

Some people become legends because of the things they accomplished. Others become legends because they managed to completely break the expectations of their time.

Annie Oakley was definitely both.

She's the second card in my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series, a collection I'm creating around people from history and legendary figures whose stories I think are worth remembering.

Born Phoebe Ann Mosey in 1860, Annie Oakley grew up in difficult circumstances and learned to shoot at a young age. Her skill with a rifle eventually became much more than a way to help support her family. It became the foundation of an incredible career.

As a star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West, Annie Oakley became one of the most famous sharpshooters in the world. Her performances amazed audiences with feats of precision that helped turn her into an international celebrity.

What I find especially interesting about Annie is that she wasn't simply a great shot. She became a symbol of what women could accomplish at a time when the opportunities available to them were often extremely limited.

She performed for royalty, traveled extensively, competed against male shooters, and became one of the most recognizable women of the American West.

Her nickname, "Little Sure Shot," certainly seems appropriate.

That's one of the things I enjoy about making this series. There are so many fascinating people from history whose stories are sometimes reduced to a few sentences in a textbook, even though their actual lives were anything but ordinary.

I'm trying to capture a little bit of that story in each card, along with artwork that fits the character and the time period.

Annie Oakley seemed like a natural choice for the series. She was talented, determined, and managed to become a legend on her own terms.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the card, click on either image in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

This is #2 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series. There are plenty more to come.

I'm having a lot of fun putting these together, and I'm looking forward to sharing the next one.

— Copper State Cards

Legendary Heroes of History & Myth: Hypatia of Alexandria

I've always been fascinated by the people from history who managed to leave a lasting impression long after they were gone. Some are famous because of battles or political power, while others made their mark simply through what they knew and what they were willing to question.

That was the idea behind my Legendary Heroes of History & Myth card series.

The first card in the series is Hypatia of Alexandria.

Hypatia lived in Alexandria in the late 4th and early 5th centuries and was known as a philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer. At a time when opportunities for women to become respected scholars were extremely limited, Hypatia became one of the most respected intellectual figures in Alexandria.

What I find particularly interesting about Hypatia is that her legacy isn't really about wealth, power, or conquest. It's about knowledge and the pursuit of understanding.

She taught philosophy and mathematics and was known for her intelligence, eloquence, and willingness to encourage rational inquiry. Her life also took place during a period of tremendous political and religious change in Alexandria, eventually ending in a tragic death.

Despite that, the story of Hypatia survived.

And that's really what this series is about.

There are countless people throughout history whose stories are worth remembering—not necessarily because they were perfect, but because something about their lives, accomplishments, struggles, or ideas continues to resonate hundreds or even thousands of years later.

For the cards in this series, I'm trying to combine a little bit of history with artwork that captures the feeling of the person being portrayed. I wanted these to look like something that could have come from an old collection of legendary figures, while still giving each character a modern interpretation.

Hypatia seemed like the perfect person to start with.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the Hypatia card, click on either of the images in this post. I've linked the images directly to the eBay listing.

And this is just #1 in the Legendary Heroes of History & Myth series. There are plenty more historical figures and legendary characters I'd like to bring to life.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

— Copper State Cards