7 Questions with Thomas Neal and Jackson Ridd of the Pinky Count Crimson Playing Cards

Where do we begin with this unique deck of playing cards? Firstly, the Pinky Count Crimson Playing Cards are designed by Steven Dance for Pinky Count, a small group of magicians in Los Angeles and New York who love to perform and create original magic. The group wanted to create a unique deck of cards that represented their personalities and magical style.

Secondly, the deck has been masterfully crafted- all of the court cards have been reworked to emphasize Pinky Count in their own way. Even the jokers and card backs have been given the Pinky Count treatment.

We reached out to the guys at Pinky Count and had a chance to talk to Thomas Neal and Jackson Ridd about the design background & idea behind the deck and the support they've been getting from the playing card community.

For those of us who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and Pinky Count? 
Pinky Count is a collective of artists, united to create experiences of magic in a variety of mediums.

Can you describe the Pinky Count Crimson Playing Cards and what motivated you to create your own deck of cards? 
Thomas: We have always wanted our own deck of cards for Pinky Count. We felt that this design ended up being a bold statement of our personality as a group.
Jackson: We wanted to create a unifying tool for international card users and our bi-coastal Pinky Count artists.

Walk us through the process you took to design the deck. How did you approach this project and get to this finished product? 
Thomas: We started by throwing some ideas around that felt a lot like generic decks on the market. There is a really strong minimalist craze right now. Personally we like that aesthetic but we really wanted this first deck to stand out. That’s when we reached out to our friend Steven Dance. We think he came up with something that really walks the line between fun and elegant. Plus I think a giant pinky is fun, it takes a certain personality to rock this deck!
Jackson: Step One- Receive information from Thomas. Step Two- Give information to Thomas. Step Three- Repeat.
Thomas: What he said ^

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck? 
Jackson: The sipping queens
Thomas: Definitely the sipping queens

From the project page, what are a few of your favorite reward levels and why? 
Thomas: I have this strange obsession with uncut sheets of cards, so when the first person ordered that I freaked out. This week we’re actually adding two awesome rewards: our buddy Mike Armstrong will be making custom leather card cases with the PC logo. His work is incredible, you should see his steampunk hats on instagram (@artrixleatherandfineart).

Also, Jamie D. Grant has also agreed to make his legendary “Anything is Possible” bottles with the finished decks, which I am extremely excited about. Check those out on instagram (@jamie_d_grant). The amount of work and detail that goes into making those blows my mind.
Jackson: My favorite reward level is the Pinky Count Jam, because, in my opinion, it’s the most valuable reward for an artist interested in magic.

We first noticed the Pinky Count on your Instagram page. What do you think of the playing card community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far? 
Jackson: Absolutely amazed at the feedback and support from the community of card users out there. Really humbled and honored to be a part of such a vibrant and positive group of humanity!
Thomas: The card lovers and magicians on Instagram are amazing! There is some amazing talent on there and it’s such a positive environment. I don’t want to jinx it but I feel as though trolls haven’t found Instagram yet, it’s all good vibes and encouragement.

Finally, what are your favourite playing card decks? 
Thomas: The original Arrco’s baby! Sometimes I hate Miles for turning me on to them. I am savoring my last packs as they slowly dwindle away. Also, I have a really unhealthy addiction to the Dan and Dave v4s.
Jackson: Unprinted, blank face, blank back cards. Or, the gourmet version: the Madison Blanks.

Thank you for your time guys! At the time of writing, the project is only 31% funded with only 25 days to go. If you want to support Pinky Count Crimson Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here!


Pledge starts from $12 and the deck will be printed by the famous USPCC. Add-on such as the uncut sheet is available.