Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Steve Minty about Anubis and Osiris Playing Cards

Artist Steve Minty brings us a new look to an old but rich era, the Anubis and Osiris Playing Cards draw their inspiration from ancient Egypt. The bold decks combine a striking design with classic elements from Egyptian culture.

For those of you who may not know Steve very well, he was traditionally educated in the illustration and design field. He's also done branding and design for major sport stars and celebrities but that was a stepping stone and a steady income at the time. His goal, like many artists and designers was to work for himself one day and so he took that leap of faith to pursue his dream. He's lived abroad and has had the opportunity to experience cultures that many don’t have the opportunity to and he's drawn on all of those experiences to cultivate his sensibilities.

The journey is long, full of bumps and pits but nonetheless it is a very fulfilling journey and I can’t wait to see where it continues to take me!

This is Steve's 3rd project and Anubis and Osiris are currently Live on Kickstarter, and I'm happy to also add the project has already fully funded. The project has some great stretch goals and surprises in store between now and it's closing day. As with any project, it involves a ton of work and dedication, and we're thrilled Steve was nice enough to take a bit of time out of his schedule to talk about his current project.

Did the experience with your previous projects give you a better vision of how to approach the Anubis & Osiris decks?
I believe that I learn best through challenges and failures. In my previous projects I faced some complications and speed bumps with printer issues, shipping and etc and have grown immensely from them. My Muertos campaign allowed me to learn how to handle a large volume of orders under immense pressure. My Olympia campaign taught me the value of having a backup system after my files were wiped due to a hard drive malfunction and the importance of packaging. There’s still a lot more for me to learn but I'm confident that I'm even more prepared this time around.

Do you have a routine when coming up with a design concept?

I’m not sure if I would call it a routine but I always approach a concept by being myself. I ask myself what I like, what catches my eye and I work from there. I’m peculiar in that if I don’t like what I am doing, I simply don’t do it. I trust my sensibilities enough to incorporate it into the concept and it seems to have worked so far.

What was the inspiration and motivation behind the concept of Anubis & Osiris?
I was immediately drawn to Egyptian design during social studies class when I was a young lad. Something about the decadent and bold nature of that culture held my awe. I knew there was a huge craze with the Egyptian Revival but I hardly see it anymore. The decadent ornateness fell away in favor of modern sleek lines and my motivation was to bring back some of that luxury and blend it with my design sensibilities.

With a project so cemented in a rich culture, did you do any kind of research for this project?

Absolutely. I believe in order to offer something of quality, preparation is needed and but more importantly, a comprehension of what I want to tap into. Doing that requires a large pool of data and knowledge so I've been to the library, read up using the Internet when convenient, visiting museums and other sources. That the research I have done allows for me to bring out the essence of the whole theme through my art. I’ve done it with all of my designs and I will continue to do so in the future.

Most designers get very excited about an idea, what excites you about the Anubis & Osiris Decks?

That’s a good question. I’m excited about whether or not people share my tastes but I suppose the thing that I am most excited about is that I want to prove that good design doesn’t have to be a lot of white space, gridded and entirely too clean. Establishing my presence doesn’t hurt either.

Was it challenging to maintain some of the “Standard” deck features with the design style of the Anubis & Osiris deck?

It is, but at the same time, it’s fun to have some design challenges. 

There are certain aspects to deck design that I feel are necessary in order to call it a set of “playing cards.” By incorporating these standard features, I get a better sense of accomplishment when I get a deck I am comfortable with releasing to the public. I could have easily disregarded these features but as a newcomer, one of my goals is to stay true to the medium of playing cards to the point of fully understanding the medium.

Could you tell us about the two variations available for this project?

Originally, the decks were two colorways of the same deck called the Scarab Deck. Unfortunately, I found out weeks before release that another Scarabs Deck was released on kickstarter and that sent me into a panic mode.I reached out to my supporters to help me find a new name for the decks and it was then that I decided that I would differentiate the decks more than just colors. I discarded the original back design and redesigned it so it would be different for both decks. Not just that, I differentiated the Ace of Spades and vastly improved the original jokers. This was done partly with my supporters in mind as I figured they would become bored with just a simple color swap. Perhaps one day I’ll release the originals from the Scarab decks, but in the meantime, please enjoy the Anubis and Osiris deck!

We want to thank Steve Minty for his time and insight into his current project. As mentioned, the project is currently funding on Kickstarter, so go check out some of the deck details and pledge for a deck or two. Pledge tiers start at $15.00. 

If you would like to keep up to date with Steve's projects you can follow him on Facebook, and visit his website if your interested in picking up his previous products, Muerots and Olympia.