Blood & Brine Playing Cards, Final Week on Kickstarter

Now on Kickstarter, Blood & Brine Playing Cards plunges into a world where the tides run red with the blood of fallen sailors and the sea never forgets a debt. Illustrated by Jody Eklund, this dark nautical release tells the story of a legendary pirate crew who dared to steal enchanted gold from the sirens. Their reward was not riches, but a curse. Condemned for their greed, they now sail as half-men, half-shadow- suspended between life and death, forever bound to the ocean’s grasp.

At the heart of the series is The Widow’s Wake, a custom deck steeped in maritime folklore and gothic atmosphere. Every element of the deck reflects its narrative foundation, from the hand-illustrated courts to the ornate finishes that feel like treasure hauled from the ocean floor. This is not simply a pirate-themed deck... it’s a fully realized world rendered in ink, foil, and texture.

The project expands the Blood & Brine universe through multiple editions tailored to collectors and card enthusiasts:

The Widow’s Wake Classic Edition features 100% custom and hand-drawn. The courts depict cursed pirates, sirens, and figures from the Blood & Brine saga, while the pips and indices are carefully styled to match the deck’s dark maritime tone. The cards are housed in a deep blue tuck case accented with rich embossing and foil, designed to evoke a relic guarded by the sea itself.

The Widow’s Wake Limited Edition elevates the presentation with cold-foil detailing on both sides of every card, allowing the artwork to shimmer like moonlight on open water. The tuck case is heavily embossed and foiled, transforming it into a display-worthy artifact. A custom-designed seal completes the package, underscoring its exclusivity and collector appeal.

At the top of the line sits the Widow’s Wake Gold Gilded Edition, the most luxurious offering in the cursed fleet. Each deck features gold-gilded edges that flash like freshly plundered coin during fans and spreads. Inside are 56 fully custom, hand-illustrated cards showcasing the saga’s most iconic characters. The tuck box is richly finished with foil and deep embossing, sealed with a custom stamp that marks it as a true collector’s piece. This edition is positioned as the rarest treasure of the release.

The back design centers on a corrupted compass rose that never points home, surrounded by coiled sea serpents and ornate filigree inspired by antique nautical charts. Deep blues, blood-dark accents, and gold detailing give the symmetrical, fully reversible design the feel of a relic dredged from the depths — elegant in motion, yet quietly menacing.

Every card in Widow’s Wake is custom illustrated, from the courts to the smallest pip details. Nothing is standard or borrowed; each flourish is designed to feel like part of a larger legend. The deck is printed on durable, traditional playing card stock with a smooth air-cushion–style finish, offering a familiar snap and flexibility suited for shuffling, flourishing, gameplay, and long-term handling.

Printed by WJPC, pledge starts at $17 on Kickstarter.

Fulton's Chinatown V2 (15th Anniversary Edition) Playing Cards

Created to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Fulton’s Playing Cards, and fittingly, the enduring legacy of Chinatown... Fulton’s Chinatown V2 returns completely reimagined and elevated in every detail.

This new edition is adorned in foil, inside and out. Every surface has been thoughtfully considered to deliver maximum visual impact. The artwork, meticulously illustrated by Ethan Kowaleski, showcases the legendary dual dragons intertwined among intricate, flowing patterns that define the unmistakable aesthetic of Fulton’s Chinatown. The result is bold, ceremonial, and unapologetically opulent.

The card backs feature rich colors enhanced with radiant Cold Gold Foil, creating flashes of light with every shuffle and flourish. The interplay between ink and foil gives the dragons a dimensional presence—alive in motion, commanding in stillness.

The tuck box is foil stamped on premium paper, amplifying both texture and brilliance. The metallic detailing wraps the exterior in luminous gold while interior foil elements complete the experience, making the unboxing feel like unveiling a treasured artifact.

Printed in China on Premium Cardistry Thin Stock and available for $20.88 from Fulton's Playing Cards.

Mosaic Mantis Playing Cards, Final Week on Kickstarter

Nature meets geometry in Mosaic Mantis Playing Cards, a vibrant, fully custom deck that celebrates the intricate beauty of real mantis species through hand-drawn mosaic art. Created by Improv Playing Cards in collaboration with KTrickstery (Instagram @KTrickstery), this release is designed with both cardists and collectors firmly in mind.

Every element of the deck has been customized—from the card backs and faces to the suits, pips, courts, Jokers, and tuck box. True to Improv’s artistic philosophy, all artwork is entirely hand-drawn, with a firm commitment to never using AI in the creative process.

The concept originated with artist Eva of Improv Playing Cards, who sought to reinterpret the organic complexity of mantises through structured polygonal forms. The “mosaic” treatment distills each insect’s distinctive silhouette and anatomy into bold geometric fragments, brought to life with joyful, high-contrast color palettes. The result is a deck that feels both natural and modern—precise yet expressive.

Each suit highlights a different real-world species. Hearts feature the elegant Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus), Diamonds showcase the striking Conehead Mantis (Empusa pennata), Spades are inspired by the Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), and Clubs present the Green Praying Mantis (Sphodromantis gastrica). The Jokers continue the thematic exploration, tying the biological inspiration together in the same mosaic-driven visual language.

The card backs are engineered with cardistry in mind, including differing right and left fan patterns that create dynamic visuals during spreads and flourishes. Combined with the vibrant geometric artwork, fans burst into layered, kaleidoscopic displays that emphasize motion and symmetry.

As part of the Kickstarter campaign, Improv is celebrating community support with an exclusive giveaway: two demo decks of Mosaic Mantis—signed by artist Eva—will be awarded once the project is funded. Each deck ordered counts as an entry, making early support even more rewarding.

The initial print run is with WJPC on their premium card stock. However, a stretch goal aims to upgrade production to USPCC, widely regarded for its world-class handling and finish.

Pledge starts at $13 now on Kickstarter. 

Suits of Life: Illustrated Playing Cards

Suits of Life: Illustrated Playing Cards is a fully illustrated 54-card art deck created by German illustrator Stefan Große Halbuer, also known as Plastic Pen. Designed as both a functional poker deck and a pocket-sized art collection, this Kickstarter project brings together four personal themes: Love, Nostalgia, Food, and Nature... each expressed through a complete suit of hand-drawn, story-driven illustrations.

Every card in Suits of Life is individually illustrated, with each image presenting a small narrative twist. Built on a consistent isometric grid, the artwork across all four suits connects visually, giving the deck a cohesive gallery-like feel when spread out. The result is a playable deck that doubles as a compact collection of 54 miniature art prints.

The project marks Halbuer’s return to fully illustrated playing cards more than a decade after his first custom deck, Geistreiz. Work on Suits of Life began in 2024 and was developed over two years between client commissions, culminating in a completed set of 54 hand-crafted designs plus a double-back card.

Each suit reflects a theme that has shaped the artist’s life:

• Clubs – Pixel Pleasures explores tech and gaming nostalgia. Inspired by growing up in the 1990s, the suit references early consoles, classic handheld systems, and LAN party culture. It serves as a love letter to retro gaming and digital beginnings, blending playful detail with personal memory.
  
  
• Hearts – Magical Love interprets love and relationships through a darker, fantasy-infused lens. While romance anchors the suit, the court cards in particular unfold a subtle, slightly tragic narrative. The imagery balances emotion and mystery, giving the traditional suit of Hearts a more cinematic tone.
  
  
• Diamonds – Tasty Treats celebrates indulgence and comfort. From chocolate and lemonade to craft beer and pizza, this suit embraces life’s guilty pleasures. Bright, playful compositions highlight food as both joy and ritual, contrasting with the more introspective tone of other suits.
  
  
• Spades – Campfire Tales turns toward the outdoors. Lakes, mountains, campfires, and quiet natural moments define this suit, reflecting the calm and creative reset that nature provides. The imagery leans into atmosphere and serenity while maintaining the deck’s structured isometric style.

All pips and indices have been custom-designed specifically for Suits of Life by Jakob Fangmeier, ensuring the deck maintains a unified aesthetic from courts to number cards.

The deck is printed by WJPC on 310gsm German black core stock with a linen texture and butter varnish finish. Pledge starts at $21 on Kickstarter.