News: Theory11 Teases UNIONS Playing Cards

The cool wizards at theory11 teased a few images of their upcoming release, UNIONS on their Instagram account. So far they've teased the gorgeous Ace of Spades, the King of Spades and the Queen of Hearts.

Long live the king. UNIONS. #theory11

A photo posted by theory11 (@theory11) on Oct 29, 2015 at 9:43am PDT

Her Royal Highness. UNIONS. #theory11

A photo posted by theory11 (@theory11) on Oct 30, 2015 at 10:37am PDT

From what we know, the deck is designed by Jay Fletcher - who also designed the stunning Rarebit Playing Cards. Here are some images that were teased by Jay Fletcher on his Instagram account, including what we assume to be the card back, King of Hearts and King of Clubs. Note that shown in images are taken a few months ago and may differ from actual product.

Been plugging away on something special...

A photo posted by Jay Fletcher (@jpegfletcher) on Apr 20, 2015 at 1:42pm PDT

A photo posted by Jay Fletcher (@jpegfletcher) on Aug 19, 2015 at 6:45am PDT

Slowly but surely. I'll actually finish this project one day...

A photo posted by Jay Fletcher (@jpegfletcher) on Jul 30, 2015 at 8:07am PDT

Collections: Prohibition - Disparos by Ellusionist

The Disparos Tequila deck takes it's inspiration from the Mexican Old West, with a rustic look and feel, this is in my opinion one of the nicer decks in the set.

The tuck, while presented in a vertical fashion is not a sideways tuck, it opens in the standard manner, but does have some nice subtle embossing on the front of the tucks name as well as the floral design on the back of the box, both adding a nice "Feel" to the rustic look. The tuck also has a red seal featuring a few skulls printed in black to pop just a bit.

The cards themselves have a worn look that is pulled off by a nice tattered edge look as well as the sketchy design and color palette. The back design is mirrored, but the slightest of miscut and it does become a subtle one way back because of the random "Border" design element. The courts continue with the "Sketched" look and depict various Mexican inspired characters, they are a one way design with the cards "Name" printed across the bottom in a bit of a banner design, but retain the corner pips. The spot card pips have that "Just Drawn" look that works well with the deck and the custom Ace of Spades has a nice skeletal design. The Jokers, much like many in the set, aren't specifically designated as such, but Disparos "Jokers" feature two lower-centered bottle design with the shot glass shown full in one, and empty in the other.

The Disapros deck works its theme and concept really well, as I mentioned, one of the better overall decks in the set. The distressed, rustic look and feel works really well with the contrasting earth tones. I also like that they adjusted the usual marketing elements on either end of the tuck to fit the decks look and theme seamlessly. As with the entire Prohibition set, the deck has a very nice, familiar handling to it that will please USPC fans. Something a little different than the norm, presented well and would add some flavor to your Friday night poker game.

Check in over the next few weeks as we work through the entire Prohibition set, one deck at a time.

PROHIBITION

Absinthe
Disparos Tequila
Rebellion Run
Moonshine
White Wolf
52 Proof




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 Anthony's (Sparkz) collection and work please visit his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.

Top 12: Playing Card Decks for Halloween 2015

With Halloween just a few days away, we've compiled the best playing cards for All Hallows' Eve just for you. Behold! The Kardify Top 12: Halloween 2015 Edition, with enough ghosts, pirates, killer jokers, villians and skulls to keep your spine tingling through the night.

Difficulty scale from easy (1) to difficult (5). If you have one that we haven't discovered. Do feel free to share.

12. Sleepy Hollow

Over a year in the making, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow Playing Cards were conceived by playing card designer Derek McKee and masterfully illustrated in France by J.C. Desevre. This incredibly intricate and detailed deck of playing cards depicts artwork and characters from the popular Sleepy Hollow legend including Ichabod Crane & the Headless Horseman.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $10

11. The Evil Deck

Captivated by villains and his love for drawing creatures, Giovanni Meroni decided to embark on a playing card project to create a fun, colorful and dynamic theme for a deck. After illustrating all 54 creatures by hand, the Evil deck is born. The deck features fully custom face cards, embossed tuck coated with UV supergloss, interior printed and neatly packaged with a custom seal. Definitely a fun deck for All Hallows' Eve.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $14.95

10. October Second Edition

Fulton's October Playing Cards is a frightfully fun and whimsically deck featuring the illustrated artwork of Steven Noble. Packaged inside the box you will find one tricked out deck of playing cards. Everything from the back design, ace of spades, jokers, and court cards were customized. The deck features a superior dark-charcoal and black box, while also incorporating an asymmetric design that proudly features the back illustration of the cards within.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $10

 9. Revelation

Revelation is an extraordinary deck of playing cards inspired by medieval cathedrals and their gothic style. This meticulously hand-illustrated deck features gothic details, symbolic carvings and stained glass ornamentations from the stunning Nidaros cathedral in Norway. Fully custom, the Revelation tuck box, jokers, Ace of Spades and the eye-catching backs features artwork inspired by the beautiful stained glass of the cathedral while the illustrated skeleton courts pays homage to the silent skeletons of Norwegian royalty still resting in Nidaros’ catacombs. A strangely beautiful, simple and visually stunning theme.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $10

8. Requiem

Requiem Playing Cards is a stunning deck masterfully crafted by Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17. This unique deck is 100% custom and features darkness & pain as a theme. The illustrations for the Courts, Jokers and Aces are very dark. The suits are made out of broken Hearts, Clubs with thorns, cracked Diamonds and dry leaves as Spades. Pips are unique and the gold metallic ink on this blood red deck gives it a touch of elegance.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $20

7. Neverland

Here's a delightful deck! Designed by Nat Iwata, Neverland is a beautifully illustrated deck of playing cards based on J. M. Barrie's timeless classic Peter and Wendy. The deck is Bicycle branded and features fully custom courts, aces, pips jokers and rich full card backs.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $10

6. Steampunk Bandits

From the guys at Gambler's Warehouse, Steampunk Bandits is a beautiful designed deck based on contemporary artists’ depictions of the bandits themselves, oft portrayed as skeletons. Not just for fans of Steampunk, this exquisite deck features unique art for all four suits of court cards, incredible colours and beautifully embossed tuck.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $15

5. Venexiana Dark

Dark Venexiana Playing Cards is the follow-up to the original Venexiana deck. Designed by Lotrek of Half Moon Playing Cards, the story continues the journey to the dark heart of 18th century Venice. Venexiana Dark features a series of obscure and marginal characters who complete the picture of this haunting city from thieves, assassins, prostitutes to wicked noblemen and masters of deception.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $15

4. No. 17 (Bicycle Branded) Playing Card 

No.17 is a stylish deck of playing cards designed by Lorenzo Gaggiotti. This will be his second deck on our Halloween list. There is no specific theme in this deck, it´s quite eclectic. The deck is 100% custom and features a Bicycle branded tuck with subtle embossing,  the now familiar Jester on the front and a stunning back that carries a beautiful line work!

Difficulty: 1
Price: $20

3. Midnight Calaveras

Designed by Chris Ovdiyenko of Dead On Paper, the Midnight Calaveras playing cards are inspired by and pays homage to Jose Posada, a famous Mexican printmaker who worked at the time of the Mexican Revolution. All artwork is hand drawn and features metallic printing on the cards, foils and embossing on the tuck.

Difficulty: 1
Price: $16

2. Dia de los Muertos

Dia de Los Muertos Playing Cards is a Bicycle-branded deck inspired by the art and traditions of the Day of the Dead; it honors both death and the cycle of life. Created by the team at Edgy Brothers, this beautifully illustrated deck pays homage to the spiritual and cultural event: full of color, detail and character.

Difficulty: 2
Price: $28

1. Joker and the Thief Playing Cards

A truly impressive deck! The design invites attention while striking a balance between style and functionality. The back design is not only intricately beautiful but aesthetically and sentimentally appealing. The themes and connotation from back design continue throughout, you may even start to see a story forming as you look through them!

Difficulty: 1
Price: $15

The selection expressed in this top12 are solely those of the author. Images for Sleepy Hollow from whisperingimps.com, October Second Edition from dananddave.com, Steampunk Bandits from gamblerswarehouse.com, Midnight Calaveras from deadonpaper.com, Revelation, No17 and Joker & the Thief by Anthony Ingrassia. Evil deck, Requiem, Venexiana Dark and Dia de los Muertos by Ivan Choe.

First Look: Honeybee by Penguin Magic

Honeybee is a collaboration between Penguin Magic and Randy Butterfield (Midnight Cards). The concept was the idea of Kevin Reylek from Penguin Magic, who had a vision of a Honeycomb, borderless back design giving homage to the classic Bee-Style playing cards. 

After some discussion and direction between Kevin and Randy, the golden honey colored honeycomb came to be. Honeybee is a modern take on the Bee design with many nods to the traditional diamond backs, but with a modern twist to the presentation.

The First Edition of the Honeybee's will be a print run of only 2500 decks, printed by the United States Playing Card Co. on Bee Stock and Premium Magic Finish. The deck will also be Traditionally Cut and consist of Custom Ace of Spades, Jokers and a custom color scheme to the court cards. As mentioned, the deck was designed by Randy Butterfield of Midnight Cards and being offered by Penguin Magic.

Honeybee is available to the public at Penguin Magic's web site. $7.95 for single decks and a Special Brick offer if you ordet 12 decks before midnight on launch day.

Crowdfunding this Week: 10/25

Welcome to Crowdfunding this Week, where we select some of the best playing card projects on the various crowdfunding platforms this week. Two projects for you to check out this week:

Bicycle Gentleman Playing Cards [First Look]

Art-Deco inspired custom playing cards from Blackout Brother. Decks to be foiled and embossed with inner tuck design.

Kickstarter project by: Gambler's Warehouse
Current Status:  178% Funded
Pledge Amount: $14 for single deck
Ends: November 10th, 2015

Mighty Heroic Mini Playing Cards

Customized limited edition poker deck. Inspired by your favorite heroes. Printed by MPC.

Kickstarter project by: TwoGeeksGaming
Current Status: 95% Funded
Pledge Amount: $12 for single deck
Ends: November 5th, 2015

Deck View: The Bicycle1800 Vintage (Red Edition) Playing Cards

Grungy. Worn. Vintage.

The Bicycle1800 Vintage Series are ripped from history- ancient, worn and cracked. From the design team at Ellusionist,  the artwork on each card was delicately hand-crafted. No detail was left untouched.

The tuck features the same distressed look as each of the cards in the deck. The pips, aces and courts are somewhat standard with a faded, vintage color palette. The "damaged" pattern adds uniqueness to the deck, yet does not overwhelm the eye with too much.

Don't let the look of the playing cards fool you, the deck handles beautifully! Available in red and blue, the Bicycle1800 Vintage Series are printed by the United States Playing Card Co on thick casino grade stock.

Available now from JP Games.

News: Theory11 Releases Green Monarchs

Just in time for the holiday season, Theory11 released the Green Monarchs today. The latest edition of the popular luxury deck, the Green Monarchs feature brilliant gold foil on an embossed, forest green tuck case. Absolutely breathtaking! 

The Green Monarch tuck is uniquely composed of two layers - it is the most durable tuck case Theory11 has ever made. Monarch playing cards are made in the USA on FSC-certified paper derived from sustainable forests. The cards themselves are printed with vegetable-based inks. Now available on theory11.com! 


Images from theory11.com

Collections: Prohibition - Moonshine by Ellusionist

We’re half way through Ellusionists Prohibition Series which brings us to the Moonshine deck. This is probably my least favorite of the six decks, while probably being the cornerstone of the Box Set. It’s inspired by the illegal corn liquor that kept many businesses running during the prohibition era.

The most appealing part of the deck has got to be the tuck box, while not over the top in bling factor; it’s a really nice design representing the theme very well. The subtle embossing and “Rustic” overall look really work well on the tuck along with the attention to detail on the side panels which a bit of “Moonshine” sales pitch “Guaranteed to cure all that ails you”. The back design represented on the tuck back with two mirrored images of Moonshine “Jugs” ties the whole thing together really well.

The Jokers consist of two “Image” cards, neither labeled as “Jokers”. One is of the Moonshine logo, and the other depicting a vintage car depicting Moonshine “Runners’ I would assume. The Ace of Spades has a rustic look to it, with a stark white banner draped across it reading “Moonshine”
The court cards are mirrored character representing apparently famous “Moonshiners”, they’re done in a stark white, using a “Rustic” sketch design and split by a mug shot plaque. While the courts work in the sense that they connect with the rest of the deck and theme, I’m not a huge fan of them. The back design pulls from “Classic” Rider Back principles of the double mirrored circles, the design holds true to the overall look and has a nice look to it.

My biggest gripe would be that the deck seems a bit muddy in its color choice, I think if the card base color were closer to that of the tuck box it would have brightened it up a bit while keeping with the look and feel of the deck. 

I’ll put this one in the “Personal Opinion” category, there is nothing tragically wrong with the deck and it represents its concept very well. If you’re a completionist, you’ll need to pick it up because as I mentioned, it seems to be the cornerstone of the sets inspiration, if not, take a good look and decide for yourself. 

Check in over the next few weeks as we work through the entire Prohibition set, one deck at a time.

PROHIBITION

Absinthe
Disparos Tequila
Rebellion Run
Moonshine
White Wolf
52 Proof

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 Anthony's (Sparkz) collection and work please visit his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.

First Look: GENTLEMAN Playing Cards by Gambler's Warehouse

[Update] GENTLEMAN Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Here's another stunning deck from the Gambler's Warehouse-Blackout Brother collaboration. Following the success of Blackout Kingdom, Steampunk Bandits and SPIRIT playing cards, Blackout Brother takes a modern approach to his typical design by bringing you a fresh take on the Art-Deco concept.

Produce by Gambler's Warehouse and printed by the famous USPCC, Gentleman Playing Cards brings you back to the influential visual art design style of the roaring 1920's, the 30's and 40's. Fully custom, this exquisite deck will be avaialable in two versions, both featuring foil and embossing on the tuck as well as an inner tuck box design.

[Update] GENTLEMAN Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Gentleman Playing Cards will be available from Kickstarter on Wednesday, 21 October 2015. Don't miss out!

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Matt Pettifer and Jared Allen of Triple Vision Playing Cards

Created by the team at One Widow Playing Cards, Triple Vision is a custom deck of playing cards currently funding on Kickstarter. The unique design was inspired by classic 3D comics and the occasional 3D promotions on the sides of old-school cereal boxes. Both of which requires the classic anaglyphic (red/blue) 3D glasses, which is included when you pledge for a deck.

Fully custom, this deck features 3D illustrated custom Faces, Courts, Aces and Jokers. The 3D illustrations will look great with\without 3D glasses. Also, the eye-catching 2-colour back design accentuate card flourishes and will appeal to cardists!
.
We had the opportunity to chat with Matt Pettifer and Jared Allen about the Triple Vision Playing Cards project, it's inspiration & design process and the future of One Widow Playing Cards.

For those of us who don't know, tell us a little about yourself and One Widow Playing Cards?
Matt: Well, for a start one widow consists of two people, myself and my buddy Jared. I grew up with a fascination for playing cards as a kid. My family would regularly spend Christmas with the Grandparents which would always include games of cards in the evening and the occasional magic show from my Grandpa. My favourite moments were when he'd take me to one side, away from everyone else, and secretly show me gambling tricks he'd picked up in the army - ìAnyone want to play find the queen for $20?î. Jumping ahead a few years, I became a graphic designer by trade and, as my love for playing cards had never waned, I started one widow. Re-designing playing cards - Duh! It was clearly meant to be.

Jared: I have always been a tech guy, started programming when I was 15 you could always find me in front of a Nintendo or PC. From there I have always liked working on games and that brought me to the world of online poker and other card games. That is really the start of my interest in playing cards and when I met Matt and got to team up on one widow. It has been a great chance to dive deeper into the world of playing cards, the designs, cardistry and the talented people that make up the community.

Can you describe the Triple Vision Playing Cards and why you're passionate about it?
The Triple Vision deck was born from growing up with a love for 3D comics and the 3D promotions you'd occasionally get on the sides of cereal boxes - both of which you'd need the classic anaglyphic (red/blue) 3D glasses. These childhood memories inspired us to design a set of playing cards that not only had a unique look for people who wanted to perform with something a little different (like cardists and magicians for example). But, also had an edge that would appeal to collectors.

This is your first playing card project on Kickstarter. Why Kickstarter?
Back when we designed and produced our previous three decks, Kickstarter was just emerging as a new way to reach the playing card community. Seeing it grow over the last few years and the number of really unique designs and strong support from the backers just makes it such an amazing environment for the playing card community. It's such a strong and passionate digital space that's been created by designers and collectors alike. To go anywhere else just seems crazy.

By funding triple vision playing cards on kickstarter we hope to grow our audience and engage with the community in a way that just wasn't possible before. We love getting input and comments about our designs and look to incorporate the depth of knowledge that exists in the community. In the end, we want to make great playing cards that are unique and stand out.

Walk us through the process you took to design Triple Vision. How did you approach this project and get to this finished product?
Once we were certain we were going all in there were two things that had to be checked off the list. 1. Could we pull it off? And 2. How would they look? So, we didn't mess around and went at these simultaneously. We knew already that this wasn't a project to half-ass.

Whilst we were researching 3D comics and 3D illustration styles, we were also studying them. How they were constructed was of great interest because it wasn't just about what actually worked technically, it was also about what looked the best too.

We ended up bouncing back and forth between two designs - one that was comic book inspired, the other a geometric take on classic playing cards. Rather than duke it out or flip a coin to pick a winner we decided to do both. That being said, we thought our 'comic-book-esque' design would be the right deck to launch our kickstarter campaign. It's hard to explain why, it just felt right. And our second design Well, you'll just have to wait and see as we'll be sharing that soon.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
We struck gold when we created a post about a comic we'd come across called "Madman In Your Face 3D Special". Christian LeBlanc, the man responsible for all the 3D artwork conversions in this comic, dropped us a line after seeing it. We couldn't believe our luck. He was awesome and shared so much with us.

What's next for One Widow Playing Cards? Are you planning to release more playing card decks in the future?
Absolutely. We have some ideas we're playing around with right now and will be definitely be launching new deck in 2016.

Finally, what are your favourite playing card decks?
We really like the Virtuoso decks and the recent Joker and the Thief deck, the level of detail and the overall design makes a great deck. Also the decks from Jackson Robinson have a special place in our collection.

Thank you for your time guys! At the time of writing, the project is only 49% funded with only 21 days to go. If want to support Triple Vision Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here. 


Pledge starts from $12 and Triple Vision Playing Cards will be printed by the famous USPCC. Add-ons such as uncut sheets, T-Shirts and signed posters are available.

Card Gear: CHOICE(s)

Card Gear is our monthly feature dedicated to discovering new inventory, setup and accessories used everyday by card designers, cardists, magicians and collectors. The concept originated from the popular social media site, Instagram: #passthepockets. Whenever one of these hashtags come up on the social news feed, there's always something new to discover, no matter who that person is.

This month, we have the everyday gears of @benkolozsi, designer of CHOICE Playing Cards. CHOICE playing cards are a contemporary deck inspired by the history and hand-drawn playing cards of the past. This deck has been designed with simplicity in mind and is one of our sponsor for the International Cardistry Open this year. Here are Ben's gear:

+ CHOICE (Red Edition) Playing Cards
+ CHOICE Notepad
+ CHOICE Wallet
+ CHOICE Aluminium Practice Deck
+ Schon Design Brass pen
+ Key-Bar/Chaves collaboration keychain
+ Custom Card Wallet with clover by Mike Armstrong
+ Dan and Dave Porper Card clip

What’s yours? If you would like your card gears to be featured on Kardify, contact us.

Crowdfunding this Week: 10/18

Welcome to Crowdfunding this Week, where we select some of the best playing card projects on the various crowdfunding platforms this week. We have three projects for you to check out:

Triple Vision Playing Cards [First Look]

Playing cards with a retro 3D design for cardists, magicians and card collectors.

Kickstarter project by: One Widow Playing Cards
Current Status:  15% Funded
Pledge Amount: $12 for single deck
Ends: November 16th, 2015

Royal House Playing Cards

A USPCC produced, Edgy Brothers designed, limited edition deck of custom playing cards inspired by historic Royal Houses of Europe.

StartNext project by: Edgy Brothers
Current Status: 43% Funded
Pledge Amount: $11 for single deck
Ends: November 15th, 2015

PAGAN Otherworlds

The LE Blue Pagan deck on this project will share the same courts as the original deck, but with a new joker.

Kickstarter project by: Uusi
Current Status: 122% Funded
Pledge Amount: $40 for a tarot-playing card combo
Ends: November 17th, 2015

Usagi Playing Cards: Classic Dots

A modern deck of high-quality playing cards.

Kickstarter project by: Julian Stiber
Current Status: 21% Funded
Pledge Amount: $13 for single deck
Ends: November 12th, 2015

Deck View: Evil Deck

Creatures. Fun. Evil.

Before the stunning Delirium and the runaway sucesss Omnia, there was the Evil Deck. A fun, colourful deck designed by Giovanni Meroni for the DDDC. This humble deck catapulted Giovanni to the spotlight by winning the inagural contest.

Captivated by villians and his love for drawing creatures, Giovanni decided to embark on a playing card project to create a fun and dynamic theme for a deck. After illustrating all 54 creatures by hand, the Evil deck is born.

For the design, each suits have sub-themes: the Clubs represents Nature, Hearts are Passion, Diamonds are Violence and Spades represents Magic. The tuck box is beautifully embossed, coated with UV supergloss giving it a glossy finish, interior printed and neatly packaged with a custom seal.

Printed by Expert Playing Card Co. with Master Finish. The Evil deck is available from thirdway.it and perfect for Halloween!