(Gananoque – October 13, 2026) To pass him on the street you wouldn’t think he was anything but a meek, mild-mannered member of the local society. But like every superhero from Marvel comics, he carries with him a special power, a gift for art that puts a small-town man up there with the greats. David Day has been named the Rookie Sketch Artist of the Year by Topps for his debut in Garbage Pail Kids (GPK) trading cards 40^th Anniversary Sets.

Growing up in Escott as part of an artistic family, Day mastered his talents through diligence and hard work. His brothers were earning their stripes with Marvel Comics (Gene – Star Wars, Master of Kung Fu and Thor) and DC Comics (Danny – Batman and Swamp Thing) so it only made sense that David would be out there to prove what he could do.

“I have been a professional artist since 1982 working for Marvel Comics, Dungeon and Dragons, and Magic the Gathering, which has led me to doing sketch cards for various companies,” he said.

“There were 23 new artists to pick from this year,” said gpknews.com. “The 2025 Rookie Sketch Artist of the year is David Day. While he might be new to GPK, David has sketched for many different brands and companies over the years. He made his debut with the 40th anniversary set, and his sketch work for both pack inserted and artist returns was spectacular.”

It can take awhile to become an overnight sensation, but Day is happy for the recognition and proud of his work. Living in Gananoque since 1989, he is very popular with those who know and collect his work, having done many card shows, signings and conventions. In the past year he did three in Kingston, one in Cornwall, and another in Ottawa, all with great success. 

“Being a professional and working for so many big companies throughout his life this achievement is more about the honour from his editors and peers,” said Lori Jocko-Griffin, his fiancée. “He does a lot of private work, and many send things for him to autograph and add to their collections.”

The recognition has opened several new doors to him which he may or may not add to his existing list.

“I had worked for Topps before but on their major league baseball and their Star Wars series many years ago,” said Day. “I have worked on many other card sets for many other companies. The only reason I did this set was because my great-great nieces asked me to do the work on these.

“I sent in many, many samples and was accepted to do the work for this project. Topps cards have been producing GPK since 1986. I got to work on their 40^th anniversary set which won me the award as a rookie.”

In all, Topps nominated all of the 23 artists from around the world, all of whom did their first set of GPK sketch cards in fiscal year 2025. The competition was fierce, but in the end, you can only have one winner.

“It’s an honour to win Rookie Sketch Artist of the Year and to have the respect of my peers and fans,” he said. “I have been getting thousands of congratulatory emails and followers. I thank everyone – and yes, there will be more coming up.”