Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Justin Froyd of the Black Widow - Playing Cards

Back in September of 2014 Justin Froyd was busy working on his 1st successful Kickstarter campaign Coat of Arms, a colorful vibrant custom deck based on the imagery and style you would find on many Coat of Arms of that period.

Justin is now returning for his sophomore project in the custom card arena, this time with Black Widow. Little has been said about the deck in the community or by Justin himself, so we were grateful for the opportunity and the time Justin was nice enough to give us on his latest project.

With the success of your 1st Kickstarter project, Coat of Arms, what lessons did you bring to this project?

My Coat of Arms project was a wonderful and exciting learning experience. I learned so much.  One specific lesson I learned a lot about is developing business relationships.  There have been so many people that have been so nice and have taught me a great deal about creating a successful project.  Many of these business relationships have become friendships and  I thank everyone that has helped me though this process.

Your new project, Black Widow, seems to be quite different than your 1st, what inspired the concept?

I have always thought that spider webs are amazing.  The design and strength of spider webs are mind blowing.  Something so light and thin to be so strong and intricate.  I thought it would be cool to bring all the traits of a spider to a playing card project.  Growing up in Arizona I have encounter black widow spiders on more than one occasion. Once I see the distinct red hour glass shape I usually ran for the hills. My black widow spider themed deck shows design, strength and uniqueness.

What aspects of this project excite you the most and why?

The aspects of the project that excite me the most of this project is red foil on the back of the card of the Black Deck.  This premium feature will really make the red hour glass on the back of the Black Deck really pop.  Also the Black and Red tuck boxes will have embossed and foil features along with a printed pattern on the inside of the tuck boxes.

Do you have a “Creative Process” and does it change from design to design, what was it for Black Widow?

I constantly think and brainstorm ideas that I can incorporate into a cool playing card theme.  I keep a list of my ideas and I then choose one of the ideas that I think Gonzo (Artist/Illustrator) and I can make really cool.  Then I meet with Gonzo and show him my sketches and we talk about the direction of the project. After that the card images begin to be developed.

Was Black Widow geared towards a specific type of playing card aficionado? 

I really wanted to provide a deck of cards for everyone to enjoy.  There were a few aspects I wanted to focus on.  I like to play poker so I always want to have two different colored decks for the home games.  I also wanted to provide a "standard" court card feel but have Gonzo work his magic by making everything original and custom art.  I wanted the "standard" court cards to have our flare to them.  Also, I wanted to have an amazing back design for all my flourishing, cardistry and magician supporters.

Can backers expect any bonuses or surprises during this campaign?

Absolutely! One of the cool bonuses is the Black Deck has red foil on the back of the cards and the red deck as a stretch goal to have white foil on the back of the cards.  Another bonus I am excited about is a unique playing card case that will be available.  This is a cigar style box with a magnetic clasp.  There is a single and double case option. The cases are all hand made.  

Lastly, could you share your opinions of the continuing growth in crowdfunded playing card projects? 

The growth has been amazing! As a collector of playing cards I have been able to both offer and purchase unique decks through crowdfunding.  There are many talented people creating some really cool projects.  As a creator, the growth in crowdfunded playing card projects has really increased the competition and pushes me to provide a great product.  I strive to make an amazing product that people will add to their own collection.

We want to thank Justin for his time and wish him the best of luck with his new campaign! 

Update: Launching on Kickstarter Wednesday, June 17 at 11:30am in MST, Don't miss out!

You can follow Justin on his company Facebook page, Jamm Pakd Cards and keep up to date with his current and future projects as well as new information on Black Widow.