Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Paul Ruccio of Jetsetter Playing Cards

Jetsetter Playing Cards ✈ are inspired by the airport signs that we all have driven by one day or another. Created by Paul Ruccio, who loved aviation and going to the airport to watch the airplanes takeoff and land. Those familiar airport signs have become a reminder of how much he still love aviation, watching airplanes, and traveling on airplanes.

This deck has been designed with simplicity in mind. The Ace of Spades and Jokers are custom while the standard Arrco® faces will be used to hold the traditional functionality of the cards.

We reached out to Paul and we had a chat about his design background, the inspiration behind the Jetsetter playing cards, the design evolution of the deck and Kickstarter.

Can you tell us about yourself and what is your design background?
It all started when I was working for Apple in there retail stores. With so many amazingly creative people around me, they really motivated me to tap into my creative side. I was able to learn an incredible amount of knowledge from all of my peers and the vast amount of resources online. Throughout the years, I've casually worked on a ton of personal projects... whether it was photography or design related. I'm finally happy I can work on a project that puts two of my favorite pastimes together.

This is your first playing card project on Kickstarter. Why Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is an amazing platform to put yourself out there, bring forward your project, and collaborate with backers. Especially playing cards. Within the last year and a half, the playing card community has evolved at such a rapid pace due to the incredible decks that have already appeared on Kickstarter. It just made sense to bring the Jetsetter Playing Cards to Kickstarter.

Can you describe the Jetsetter Playing Cards and why you’re passionate about it?
There are so many reasons why I am genuinely passionate about the Jetsetter Playing Cards. Passion is such a personal emotion. Ever since I was a little kid, aviation has been such a big part of my life. My parents always took me to air shows and airports to watch the planes. Even when I graduated college, my first job was working in private aviation. But one of the biggest things I'll always remember is that little green airport sign as we got close to the airport. It may sound cheesy to many... but even today, when I have to travel for work, seeing that green airport sign on my way to my flight takes me back to being a kid and being in awe seeing an airplane fly. Then there is the playing cards. Playing cards were always a great memory for me. You can pull out a deck of playing cards and have fun whether your with a group of people or even alone. You cannot go wrong when introducing a deck of playing cards in any situation.

How much time did you spend working on the deck and can you briefly go through the design evolution of one of your unique designs?
Over the past 15 months, I was working on the deck off and on. Either I worked on the deck very late at night or on the weekends. When I first got inspired to design a deck of playing cards, I started creating a ton of back designs based on the airport signs you'd see as you drove to the airport. Some designs seemed really cool, some just didn't make sense. One day, I started looking at my designs and got really discouraged. I felt like they were too simple. Then, a few months ago, I started feeling creative again and continued working on them. Eventually, I decided to show two of the designs to some close friends. They really loved the designs and the idea - and even encouraged to stay with the simplicity. It fit with the inspiration. I ended up deciding on one of the design and using it for the Jetsetter Playing Cards.

From the Jetsetter Playing Cards project page, what are a few of your favorite reward levels and why?
Both the Jetsetter and the First Class reward levels. I wanted to create reward levels that would place the Jetsetter Playing Cards in the hands of backers quicker. Not only would it get in the hands of backers quicker, but would assist me in planning the fulfillment of the rewards by spacing out shipments. Outside of those reward levels, I am honored to have Jamie D. Grant, Adam Kirby, and Ryan Edwards all part of my Kickstarter. All three of them have agreed to produce incredible rewards for the Jetsetter Playing Cards. I absolutely love all three of these rewards. The talent behind all three of them is unmeasurable.

What are your thoughts about the continuous strong growth of playing card projects on Kickstarter?
The current growth on Kickstarter is mindblowing. Not only the growth on Kickstarter, but the playing card community is growing right along with it. Playing cards have been a part of some many lives, it's great to see all these people add their own touch to such a classic pastime.

Finally, what are your favourite playing card decks?
A vintage American Airlines (USPCC) deck, David Blaine's White Lions Series A (Blue) deck, and Jackson Robinson's Federal 52 (Unbranded) deck.

Thank you for your time Paul and all the best! If you like what you’ve read here and want to support the Jetsetter Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here.

Jetsetter Playing Cards will be printed USPCC. Pledge starts from $12 and there are multiple add-ons available such as uncut sheets, Custom "Anything Is Possible" Bottle, Custom Skateboard Deck and Custom Card Clip.