Deck View: Love is a Smoke Playing Cards

Produced by the Italian group of designers know as Passione, Love is Smoke the Christmas Edition was printed in Italy and only has a print run of a 100 decks. The artwork is very stylized and the theme very European. But the creativity behind the deck is apparent.

This poker sized deck is 100% custom, from courts to pips and has a beautiful thematic card back that ties into the subject matter in a very artistic and appealing way.

Love is Smoke is scheduled for a re-release with a completely new back design and other upgrades. The designers and artists at Passione have a lot of talent and I can't wait to see what comes from them in the future.

You can find our more details about Passione from our Kardify Q&A HERE.

Kickstarter: Whispering Imps Limited Edition Gamesters Playing Cards

The Limited Edition Gamesters are the ultra-luxury version of the recently funded Standard Edition Gamesters, incorporating a revolutionary technique of stamping Gold & Silver foils directly on to the backs of each playing card, a milestone set by the Expert Playing Card Co.

The Limited Edition Gamesters will be available in two versions, Black & Gold Edition and Red & Silver Edition. Both are limited to only 1000 decks each.

The back design for the Limited Edition Gamesters will be available in two colors, “Imp Red” & “Classic Black,” with the branded “WI” Logo stamped in foil directly on to each playing card in either Gold or Silver foil, centred at each end of the card. Both editions will be offered together in this project.

The face cards incorporates the same innovative design used in the Standard Editions allowing right and left handed players to peek at their hand from any corner.

The Ace of Spades has been meticulously designed and is inspired by many of the classic designs from the New York Consolidated Card Company that were printed in the late 1800’s.

Finally, the tuck box is manufactured from ultra-premium, un-coated, heavy-duty, white paper stock. The Gold Edition tuck will feature a glossy black & gold foil finish, black inks and deep precision embossing. The Silver Edition tuck will feature a glossy black & silver foil finish, red inks and deep precision embossing. The white decorative elements on the front of the tuck box will be embossed through the inked artwork creating a beautiful effect and adding depth to the box.

Pledge starts from $40 for a set and will be available for the next 4 days only. Don't miss out!

At the Table: 7 Question with Lance T. Miller

Its been some time since Lance T. Miller has been "Visible" in the community. The man who brought us the Actuators and Gargoyle decks was assumed to have taken a break from playing cards and designing by many, but the fact of the matter is that Lance has been very busy and involved in the playing card community, just not in his usual way. He's taken a behind the scenes roll in many projects as well as being involved in events like the 1st Annual International Cardistry Open.

I'm sure I'm not alone in being pleasantly surprised when Lance Miller's name attached itself to the Murphy's Magic "At the Table" deck, commemorating Murphy's At the Table On Line lecture series.

So it goes without saying that this new development got me very curious to find out what else Lance has been up to that we may not know about and what's around the corner for him. One quick message and in true Lance T. Miller form he was more than happy to accommodate us with a little of his time to catch up a bit.

Enjoy

You've been a bit "out of the spotlight" in the community for some time, what have you been up to?
I've been working behind the scenes, with some of the best designers and artists, consulting and developing new and exciting projects that the community is sure to love. I also got to work hand in hand with Kardify to bring about the International Cardistry Open. I've collaborated, planned, and executed more than 5 deck projects (yet to release). I've also been studying fiercely. Everything from illustration technique to graphic design, to Spanish language and even a bit of computer programming. I've been way more active in the card scene than a lot of people realize and even if I'm not in the spotlight, I'm always there.

I think many people were pleasantly surprised to find out your involvement with Murphy's Magic "At the Table" deck, could you share how that came to be?
Jason Brumbalow and I have been talking about collaborating for a long time. Last year, we sat down and dreamed up some ideas and went to work. It's been an amazing experience and I'm thankful I get to work with such amazing people.

While the deck is inspired by the Murphy's Magic feature by the same name, what inspired the concept and design?
We wanted to harken back to a simpler era and capture some of the feel of classic casino decks. Workers, ones that could be used readily to perform magic but would also be classy enough to sit down and enjoy some poker. It needed to fit Murphy's aesthetic goals for the At the Table lecture series and have a sleek professional appeal. A clean diamond back pattern utilizing the logo in a typographic pattern and a slight fade on the edges was just the ticket!

The "At the Table" deck is a bit of a departure from the style we're used to seeing, do you find yourself pushing your talent in new directions?
I'm being challenged constantly to push my talent in crazy ways. I'm learning new ways of concepting projects and creating art, design techniques that will blow your mind, and mostly I'm learning to trust my instinct. All of which is really helping to create some really cool projects.

With the success of the Actuators and Gargoyle decks, and now the At the Table deck, has your creative process changed of evolved over time?
It certainly has! I used to sit and fret over whether the community would accept me if I changed a style or tried something different. So I'd almost always find myself creating the same way or getting upset that it didn't feel as full as one of my previous decks art-wise. Now I know that's part of the process and typically avoid the steps of trying to make things too complicated or feeling like I have to make my art a certain way.

What concepts and designs have you enjoyed from the playing card industry as of late?
Shout out to Jason there. The Run decks are magnificent! I remember seeing a little bit of the concept art for it early on and then when they launched, I was floored!

Can we expect any other surprises in the near future from Lance Miller?
Most definitely! I've learned that keeping a few tricks in my hat is exactly what every good magician and designer should do.

We want to thank Lance for his time and are truly excited to see what's next for him in the industry, one thing is for certain, whatever Lance produces is sure to be unique. Keep up to date on what's gong on in Lance's creative mind by following him on Facebook as well as his cardistry page at  Lance Miller's Cardistry and of course on his main site lancemillerdecks.com

Infographic: Playing Cards Projects on Kickstarter 2014

What an incredible year it has been! We've seen some amazing playing cards over the past few months and if you have been following our popular analytics series, you will know that the numbers for 2014 have been nothing short of amazing!

The #infographics below is a supplementary to our monthly Kickstarter tracking reports. With data provided to us from Kickspy, we've compiled information from hundreds of projects into this easy to understand graphic.

For the latest playing cards news, interviews and exclusive analytics,  follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Kickstarter: Jetsetter Playing Cards Relaunch

Paul Ruccio launched Jetsetter Playing Cards earlier this year, and unfortunately the project did not reach the funding goal. After reworking the deck and selecting a new printer, Jetsetter Playing Cards is now available on Kickstarter.

For the relaunch, the funding goal has been lowered to $6,500 USD. Right away, you’ll notice the deck has taken more of a classy and elegant approach compared to the initial launch. The back design has changed to showcase the preferred traditional diagonal pattern of airplane icons giving the deck a classy and casino-inspired look.

The tuck box will feature a matte or semi-matte finish stock along with UV Spot varnish on the airplane icon. This will really make the plane stand out and simulate the look and feel of an airplane body.

The court cards have been recolored to match the overall theme and feel of the deck. Spades and Clubs will be green, black, and yellow. Diamonds and Hearts will be a deeper red, black, and yellow.

Jetsetter Playing Cards will be printed by Legends Playing Card Company (LPCC). Additional rewards are available including uncut sheets, custom Kirigami cards, custom skateboard deck wall displays, custom leather card clips, and custom “Anything Is Possible” bottles. Pledges start at $8 USD. Don't miss out!

Deck View: Civil War (Union Blue) Playing Cards

This beautiful deck set is inspired by one of the greatest events in American history: the American Civil War. The Bicycle Civil War playing cards deck is a collaboration between Kings Wild Project and USPCC. This playing card deck features a fully custom, beautifully illustrated court set portraying many of the great leaders of the Civil War era.

The Spades and Clubs suit feature important players of the Union while the Hearts and Diamonds feature great Confederacy figures. The backs have intricate scroll work inspired by U.S. currency designs. The Bicycle branded decks are made in the USA and feature the patented Air-cushion finish.

Available in both Confederate Red and Union Blue from JP Games.

CONTEST: WIN a Hand Signed HIVE Deck!!

In honor of the release of the highly anticipated Hive 2 by Brendan Hong and Kings Wild Project, we're going to be giving away 6 RARE hand signed decks from the creator of the deck, Brendan Hong!

I know the word "Rare" is overused these days, but these are truly RARE! You don't see many of these around because Brendan doesn't sign many. We were honored with receiving 6 to give away to some lucky backers of the Hive 2 campaign. We have 3 of the Red Edition and 3 of the Blue Edition to give away, the Red is signed in Gold paint pen, while the Blue in Silver.

The Hive deck on it's own is a must have, add Brendan's signature to the deck and now you truly have something special to add to your collection.

CONTEST RULES:

- Winners will be selected at random
- You must be a backer of the project
- You can only win once
- The deck color you receive will be random
- Winners will have their autographed deck delivered with their Hive 2 Rewards

Drawings will take place 6 times throughout the course of the campaign, with the final drawing on February 16th, 2015.

To be entered into the random drawing all you need to do is be a backer of the Hive 2. The project funded in less than a day, but decks are still available on the Kings Wild Funded platform, back the project for the chance to win a very special hand signed deck.

HIVE II

Left: Limited Edition / Right: Standard Edition

Hive II decks start at $8.00 per deck with various combo packages still available.  

Drawings will be held on the following dates and winners will be posted and notified.

January 28th - January 31st - February 4th - February 7th - February 11th - February 16th

Kardify would like to thank Brendan for his generosity and giving us the opportunity to share such a great and unique item with our readers and Hive Backers!

So go pick up your Hive 2 deck and be Entered to WIN!!

WINNERS:
January 28th: Steven Ciociola
January 31st: Garyl Hester
February 4th: Yaroslav Krushko
February 7th: Robert Bosch
February 11th: Ben Schroeder
February 16th: George Sikes

**Cancelling a pledge after winning a signed deck will result in a forfeit of said prize. 

Kickstarter: SPIRIT Playing Cards

[UPDATE] SPIRIT Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

After a successful 2014, the team at Gambler's Warehouse (GW) continues to impress with their upcoming crowd-funded deck, SPIRIT Playing Cards. Thanks to GW, here's an exclusive first look at this elegant deck by the designer known as Blackout Brother.

Front-facing court characters bid assertive stares that balance cleverly with intricate crowns and banners.

Classically spirited, garnished with church keys and crosses, these beautiful decks reflect GW’s elegant side.

Printed by the USPCC on their famous Bicycle card stock with air cushion embossed finish, SPIRIT will be available in two themes—silver-trimmed blue (Bicycle branded) and gold-trimmed white (unbranded). Other features includes:

+ Gold Foiled
+ Embossed
+ Special Tuck Box Paper
+ Custom Courts & Pips
+ Inside Tuck Design
+ Metallic Inks on card backs

Also, there will be a limited run of 100 authentic Gold/Silver Gilded Edges of each SPIRIT theme deck. The deck is scheduled to launch on Kickstarter in the coming week. Pledge starts from a cool $6 (plus shipping) for an unbranded deck and there will be early bird pledge tiers available.

To keep up to date on SPIRIT Playing Cards, follow Gambler's Warehouse on their Facebook page.

Collections: Empire by Lee McKenzie

Empire by Kings and Crooks which is headed up by Lee McKenzie was a breakout deck on Kickstarter. Everything about it was just inspiring. It had a strong design with bold imagery and every single card element was touched and customized. This deck really reflects the designer, Lee is an amazing designer with passion and some very inspired visions.

The bold dark red and gold color pallet lent itself very well to the feel of the deck and the striking and strong Ace of Spades, Jokers and Court cards just rounded off this deck. The custom pips and "Side Band" design also brought a unique feel to the deck when handled, shuffles and fanned.

The tuck box and back design played the perfect set up for the deck inside. Highly recommended, but be warned, Empire is very hard to find and will command a premium price, if you can find them at all.

Kickstarter: Memento Playing Cards Relaunch

[Update] Memento Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter. 

Memento Playing Cards is inspired by the history of playing card design. Each card in a playing card deck has evolved and gone through many changes over the centuries. This intriguing deck addresses these changes by going back to basics and using prominent works of art as templates.

Valerio Aversa launched the original Memento Project at the end of May 2014, unfortunately this unique deck didn’t quite reach its funding goal. Valerio spent the last 6 months enhancing the deck and project, and the good news is... he will be relaunching very soon!

For the relaunch, the funding goal has been lowered to $10k and like the first project, will feature both the Shadow edition deck and the Light Edition deck as a stretched goal.

We had a quick chat with Valerio about lessons he learned from the first launch.

Every single time I think about the first time I launched the project I feel like it was done too much in a hurry, I was so excited to see my deck online that I skipped a few fundamental steps:

1. Marketing has to be done before the project and not only during the campaign.

2. The printing company, this time I gave myself more time to think and contact various printers. I ended up with Lawrence Sullivan of Legends Playing Card Company (LPCC).  He is a professional, he always respond to my emails within hours and it is quite important when there are hundreds of emails. He gave me all the technical support I needed to verify and make this deck better than can I possibly imagine.

3. Indirectly related to the second point. LPCC has decided to open a Kickstarter account to work with artists from all over the world, this includes me. Before that, I found myself struggling to find a way to put my deck on Kickstarter. I guess this is a wonderful opportunity for me and for every one in the position a year ago! The deck has seen a lot of design modifications but for those ones you can see the images of the new deck and make your own conclusions.

We want to wish Valerio the best of luck on a successful campaign. Memento will relaunch within the week. Pledge starts from $15 and free world wide shipping is included!

Follow Memento Playing Cards on Facebook for updates or Kardify's Facebook page for links and information on all things playing cards.

Deck View: Rarebit Playing Cards Copper Edition

Vintage. Elegant. Restaurant.

Inspired by a vintage, speakeasy restaurant called The Rarebit in Charleston, South Carolina, In 2013, the original Rarebit Playing Cards became an instant collector's item upon release at theory11 and it was sold out in 16 hours! Amazing!

The new Rarebit Copper Edition features copper metallic ink on the card backs and faces, all custom court cards, and elegant, simple design by Jay Fletcher.

Available at JP Games.

Kings Wild Funded: 7 Questions with Brendan Hong on the Hive 2

[Update] The Hive 2 is now LIVE on Kings Wild Funded!

In 2014 we were introduced to Canadian Illustrator Brendan Hong. His original Hive deck was released to the playing card community to stellar reviews in design and concept. Now, the highly anticipated follow up, Hive 2 will be releasing on Saturday January 17 at 12PM Central on the Kings Wild Funding Platform.

The intricacy and design of the original Hive deck has been surpassed in my opinion, the back design is more detailed than ever and the color pallet is just beautiful. Brendan's unique design style returns in this, once again, completely custom package. The homage to the Bee decks continues, the whimsical Jokers return and the Hive has never looked better.

With the projects launch just around the corner we are honored to be able to share a few images of the upcoming release and can't thank Brendan enough for taking some time out of his schedule to talk with us about a few things, mostly of course, the Hive 2 project.

You’re a relatively new designer in the industry, can you tell us a bit about your artistic background?
 I've been drawing since I've been a kid and I went that very traditional route of going through art and design university to get to where I am. It's not for everyone, but it was quite beneficial to me to meet a lot of different designers and artist. Being in that creative environment is very energizing and I do miss that part of it though I will admit that I didn't miss that projects and projects and deadline after deadline for when everything is due. From there, I've been a freelancer every since working on whatever jobs come my way. It's been interesting being able to create my own projects recently. To briefly sidetrack, I think one of my proudest moments of the original Hive decks were giving some to my professors. These were people that use to bust me down hard when I didn't work hard enough or when my ideas were lack lustre. So when they were amazed by the work and congratulated me on a job well done, that was something special.

You have a very unique artistic style, what inspired your "Look"?
The funny thing about having a "look" is that I use to spend forever when I was younger trying to develop it: to have my own "style". Trying to take this bits and pieces of what I liked that other artist and designers did to create my own look kind of like trying to create your own wardrobe and fashion statement from all over. It worked and it didn't. I think the key moment for me was one of my professors in my thesis year. He was explaining to us, that as artist and designers how we draw is really our unique "language"; this is the way we speak to the world and talk about our ideas. From there it's taken me awhile to get to where I am. So the way I draw is the way I want to visually talk to the world and others. Part of that is that I enjoy shapes and trying to break down objects and items into shapes and the flow of the objects or the lines involved in it.

Hive 2 Standard Edition

The Hive and now Hive 2 both drew inspiration from Bee decks, why the "homage" to the classic playing cards?
I think almost everyone grew up playing with a deck of cards. I've got a ton of fond memories of just playing card games with cousins and family member. Having a lot of friends from around the world now, it's interesting to see which deck they grew up with and how special that deck is. Growing up in Canada, the really good decks were the classic Bicycle Riderback and the Bee deck. There was always something about the Bee Ace of Spade that spoke to me. It's got this beautiful design that feels timeless. So when I decided a deck, I wanted to pay homage to something that was part of my childhood as well as pay homage to other great designs out there in European decks. It's a call back and a thank you to what's come before me as I try to step forward.

What kind of challenges did designing the Hive 2 present when trying to be its own deck, yet connected to the original?
The challenge is just not making another copy of the first deck. I think it would have been very easy to continue with things and ended up with a version 1.1 kind of deck, which I realized and knew that I didn't want to do. I wanted Hive 2 to be part of the same series as the first, but yet still be fresh and unique, to stand on its own. Part of all this was a challenge to myself to keep creating new things I could be proud of. Part of how I did that rendering the artwork different where as the first deck was my styles with a textured cutout look to it, I kept things, this time around, more graphic and a bit flat. Another part that helped was in between the two decks, I grew as an artist and designer so I could take the new stuff I learned and put it into Hive 2. My "look" helps serves as the connection between the two deck. It's an odd balance act of trying to be new, but not too different as to not fit in with the series any more.

Do you have a creative process when working on a design or concept?
I'm very traditional and old school in how I work. I just take pencil and paper and just draw and draw and draw before I even take my roughs into the computer. Eventually, something comes together or I stop and look at what I've done to see what works. It's a great free flowing process though sometimes it's a bit hard as I'm pressed for time and need to get it done. There's honestly a lot of freedom with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. It has this unlimited possibility that anything can come out and it's all just waiting to be drawn. If I'm just sketching, then I let my mind go and draw whatever it wants to dry. If I'm working on a project, I try to surround my nearby area with sketches or finalized artwork of what I'm doing to help set the mood. I use to have images on my computer too that I pull up, but I try to shy away from that for free of subconsciously copying what's there. But mostly, I try to have fun. I figure if that I'm my first viewer and critic that I need to make myself happy with that I've done, too.

Hive 2 Limited Edition

Your also a collector of playing cards, what type of designs do you find appealing?
I think I've got a varied collection, but mostly I try to collect what I enjoy and like, and less for the value of a deck. What would be the point of buying a 400$ deck that I didn't even like? Kickstarter has been amazing for the customized card world and I've got some amazing decks from there: Pagan by Uusi, Deco by Paul Carpenter, Whispering Imps by Chris Chelko (illustrated by Mark Stutzman), the Heretic decks by Lorenzo and of course the Kings Wild decks. Very beautiful art decks that still very usable. Sometimes I also like to collect little odd and quirky decks like the Bicycle Robocycle, Bicycle Brosmind and Bicycle Street Art deck. There's a certain whimsy in them that's a lot of fun. And then of course there are the classic and staple decks from the bigger companies such as the Sentinel, Madison Dealers and the Smoke & Mirrors. Equally, I enjoy a lot of the Conjuring Arts Research Center decks as they always try to do something interesting with playing cards such as unique finishes or having foil on mass production decks, which still being usable.

As a designer and a collector, what do you have any thoughts on the current state of the industry?
 I think we're in very interesting times for the playing card world. Crowdfunding is great is that it allows a lot of creators to be able to create their decks and their own vision as often times, creating something for a company means you have to adhere to their vision instead. As well, it's been fun to see all the technology and development with playing cards that Expert Playing Card Company is trying to create. I think it's a great time to be a designer and I look forward to a lot of interesting decks that will surely come out.

We want to thank Brendan for his time and insight into his latest release, we also wish him the best of luck on a successful campaign. Keep an eye on the Kings Wild Project Facebook page for links to the project as well as the Kardify Facebook page for links and information.

The Hive 2 is now available on Kings Wild Funded!

[post_ad]

Kickstarter: Wiretap: Gag Order Playing Cards

Recently launched on Kickstarter, Wiretap: Gag Order is the successor to the NSA-themed Wiretap deck. The theme of Gag Order revolves around cyberpunk espionage. Set in the year 2261, governmental pervasion of intelligence law has deepened to the point of creating a totalitarian society, and voices are starting to speak out against the heavy-handed gathering tactics.

Expertly illustrated by Dave Boyd, the deck is inspired by the recent NSA scandals, Blade Runner, and cyberpunk media including Battle Angel Alita and the Matrix. The deck remains true to its espionage roots explored by the first Wiretap deck, but distinguishes itself from its predecessor through story setting and artwork changes.

No longer do the cards sport bright reds and blues adorned with NSA whisteblowers; Gag Order cards present muted tones and nameless spies working under either resistance or government efforts.

Court cards feature new borders, the back is a broken dual-actuator HDD, and the "cameras" in the pips of the original deck now have closed lenses to symbolise civilian efforts to jam government transmissions.

Though recognizable faces like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are gone, the government intelligence agencies of the NSA, FBI, DIA, and CIA remain.

Gag Order was an absolute blast to draw, and I hope you'll enjoy slinging some spy tech at your next poker night!

Before Dave decided to go with Legends, Gag Order was intended to be a Bicycle branded deck.

Pledge starts from $9 and Wiretap: Gag Order Playing Cards will be printed by LPCC on their highest quality stock with 'Diamond Finish'. Add-ons such as uncut sheet and a 11x17" poster are also available.

Don't miss out and get immersed in the gritty cyberpunk world!

Collections: Legends Version 1

"Lawrence Sullivan, a Holland-born magician with 23 years of sleights and flourishes up his sleeve, took it upon himself to raise the bar on playing card deck standards. With input from William Kalush, director of the Conjuring Arts Research Center, the smallest details of an individual card were redesigned from the ground up."

Simply amazing cards, as a novice in magic and cardistry it struck me as impressive that "I" could tell the difference everyone was talking about. The intricate "Dragon" back design is just incredibly detailed and eye catching. The somewhat standard faces help keep the look of the deck familiar for working professional. The handling of the deck is were most will be impressed, they are just very smooth and easy to work with. Just beautifully designed and full of amazing secrets to discover, if you've hesitated on trying the Legends I would highly recommend giving them a shot, you won't be disappointed.

Available in 3 colors: Red, Blue and Teal Green. Becoming harder to find in the market place, but well worth the small premium when you do.

The Collection segment is produced by Anthony Ingrassia of Kardify. No part of this article, images or video can be reproduced without written permission from the author and Kardify.com. To see more of  Sparkz- Anthony's collection please visit anthonysparkz.blogspot.com 

Analytics: Kickstarter December 2014

With the increased interest in crowd-funded playing card projects particularly on Kickstarter, we are publishing a monthly tracking report as part of our popular Analytics series. The goal is to give an analytical insight into the month-on-month performance of projects and how these numbers are tracking cumulatively year-to-date.

What an incredible year it has been! We've seen some amazing playing cards over the past few months, but one thing remained constant, the numbers for 2014 continue to surpass 2013. The chart below describes how 2014 is tracking against the numbers from 2013 as benchmark.

Playing Card Projects 

The number of unsuccessful projects increased 4% to 19% this month while the percentage of successful projects ended at 45% for December.

Here is what December looks like in numbers:

Majority of the projects were launched in mid-December, just before the holiday season. Chart below:

Here's a look at how projects performed over the month. Generally, the percentage of successful projects increased while the number of unsuccessful projects remained below 20%. Meanwhile, the number of cancelled projects dropped significantly to 5%.

Funding

A total of $407k was raised by all projects in December, down $148k from last month.

Here is a look at the top 5 most funded playing cards:

With little surprise, returning project creators Encarded, Crooked Kings and Kings Wild top the monthly most funded chart. The top 5 successful projects contributed 66% to the overall funding of all successful projects for the month.

The average 2014 funding goal of successful project has ended at $9.8k, just slightly above 2013's number of $9.6k.

Backers 

This month, approximately 9.8k backers were recorded across all projects. The average pledge per backer for successful projects increased slightly to $41.53.

Line chart below is a month-on-month comparison for 2014 with the 2013 curve used as benchmark. As expected, slightly higher than the previous month but significantly below last year's average over the same period.

Top 5 funded Projects by backer numbers below:

Launched Projects 

Here are the top 10 most funded projects launched in December:

It is time to bid farewell to 2014 and look forward to the new year! 2015 will most likely be another exciting but challenging year. The number of new playing card projects will continue to increase but as we can see towards the back-end of 2014, the average $/backer has decreased. This could limit profitability of projects and potential growth.

Should be an interesting year!



Data provider: