Cardistry: First Look at December Boy's ZDV2 Deck

In 2019, the team at December Boys released a game-changing deck that took card visuals to a whole new level. In 2021, the team will be launching their second deck, ZDV2 on Kickstarter on the 1st of January! This time, the new version is heavily inspired by the 80s and vaporwave aesthetic, aimed for a nostalgic yet retro-futuristic look. 

The deck was developed through a contest with over 150 designs submitted from artists across the world. From the prototype we received, the face cards are pretty much standard with the exception of the Aces. 

The courts have been updated to match the retro-theme of the deck with color eye-catching color gradients on the garments and pips. Like the OF deck, the deck comes with 4 green double-backed cards. 

By using a video-editing process called Chroma Keying these additional cards allow for completely unique look of the cards while in motion via post-editing. 

The sideway Tuck Box features the familiar VHS cover popular in the 80's. We are told that the campaign might feature up to 10 additional perks. Don't miss out!

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Here's What We Know About Skymember Presents' New Deck, The Origin

Have a look at this EPIC deck of playing card by Skymember Presents. “The Origin” is designed based on a monumental (Genesis) and implanted the “secret story” of playing cards. Here's what we know so far:

1. The Kickstarter campaign is scheduled to be launch on 1st Jan 21 for 40 days.

2. There are two version available: Collector and Special Edition. Both matches and harmonizes perfectly with the Olympians Playing Cards.

3. The tuck case is probably the world’s FIRST embedded 3D multi-layered laser cut frame.

4. The Origin is gilded with top-of-the-line technology which is usually reserved for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel. It won’t tarnish over time and will continue to fan effortlessly.

Wow! Defintely a deck for worthy of your collection.

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Cinematography and photographed courtesy of Skymember Presents (Instagram: @skymember_series) and talented director Herman H. (Instagram: @coffeelicker)

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TWO New Releases by House of Playing Cards

 

House of Playing Cards has added TWO decks to their online store this week. Check out the new releases by Alex Pandrea: 

1. X-Deck V2

Alex Pandrea has released the popular X deck in white/black colorway. This is the SECOND stylized version of the X decks. The OG X deck was initially released for Pandrea's Birthday back in 2017 in a "sample" 100 deck run. The X Deck is now Alex's go-to-deck for all magic performances. Simple enough to fit his minimal style, yet stylized enough to give it a vibe.

The deck sports a white colorway with NEW duct tape like X designs on the card backs. The face cards are standard Arrco to give the deck a vintage feel and at the same time maintains familiarity for magic routines and performances. Also, a "Moving X" Gaff Card included and a duplicate Queen of Hearts in every deck for your magic routines. 

  

Printed by The United States Playing Cards Company on Bicycle Premium Stock with Air-Cushion Finish. Available for $10 on houseofplayingcards.com. 

  

2. #MYNOC 2: Leather

The MYNOC Project was launched at Cardistry Con 2019 in Portland. The idea was to create your own NOC deck using HOPC's MYNOC Stickers and submit your photos with the hashtag #mynoc. MYNOC 002- Leather is the second deck in the series. 

The deck sport a leather texture tuck box and card back. Like previous release, the face cards are pretty much standard but recolored to fit the color palette of the deck. Printed by The United States Playing Cards Company on Classic Stock with Air-Cushion Finish. Available for $10 on houseofplayingcards.com.

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Kardify's Deck of the Year 2020

Our annual Top12 has finally wrapped up, celebrating the past year in the playing card industry and looking ahead to the year to come. Even with the uncertainty this year, there were plenty of cool, incredible decks to keep the community engaged and involved. The biggest recognition this year is our inaugural 'Deck of the Year', and a dozen decks competed for it... see our Top12 article for the full list.

It was ultimately Kings Wild's Legal Tender Holographic deck that took home the top prize. 

Legal Tender is the culmination of some of Kings Wild's most breathtaking artwork combined with the industry-leading advancements in printing technology and production, inspired by artist Jackson Robinson's love of currency art and banknote engraving.

The deck strikes a balance between classic banknote engraving and the modern sleekness of high tech banknote manufacturing. Every aspect of this deck was thoughtfully planned and no detail was overlooked. 

From the subtle background images of the Statue of Liberties' torch to the Declaration of Independence, every aspect amplifies the truly beautiful artwork of the deck that has been present on the US currency for many years but is presented in an incredibly new and creative way. 

Congratulations to Jackson Robinson and Expert Playing Cards Co. for a beautifully crafted deck!

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On Kickstarter: Fractured Playing Cards

Fractured Playing Cards is a modern and sleek deck crafted for magicians, cardists, and collectors currently funding on Kickstarter.

The concept of the deck came from the idea that designer Jason Wong received a long time ago. According to Jason,

Trust is like a piece of paper; once it is crumpled, no matter how hard you try to flatten it out, those creases and folds remain. I also recognized the fragility of relationships and therefore combined the two aspects to create the design.

 

Incorporating that idea into the core design, Jason wanted to focus on the functionality and aesthetics of the cards. The small red triangles on the top and bottom of the cards are designed specifically for aerial tricks and the pirouette so that when the cards are spun, a vibrant red streak will surround the exterior of the cards.

The face cards are based on the traditional looks of playing cards. From the court cards to the jokers, all 56 cards are designed by Jason and Designer Hannah Ma.

The card backs sports a thin modern with a simplistic design and modern look, consistent with the overall look and feel of the deck.

Fractured will be printed on USPCC card stock, traditionally cut, with an Air-Cushion Finish. Pledge start at $8 on Kickstarter.

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Deck View: 20/20 (Standard Edition) Playing Cards

Unique. Vibrant. Test.

To wrap-up a truly unique and challenging year, we will feature Jackson Robinson's 20/20 deck on our final Deck View of 2020. 20/20 Playing Cards is a truly unique deck of playing cards inspired by the simple and graphic design of a traditional eye test chart. The 20/20 deck was the first KW Shorts Subscription deck of 2020. 

The standard deck comes in a striking white tuck case with holographic foiling. Inside, the face cards feature a fun lineup of quirky Court cards, full of vibrant color and life. The card backs are inspired the traditional eye test chart and come with an easy-to-read marking system. 

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. on Bee Casino Stock with Embossed Finish.

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Cardistry: XQ Forty-Nine Deck by Magic Encarta

Produced by Magic Encarta and designed by award-winning Digital-Artist Thorsten Schmitt, the colorful XQ forty-nine deck is a celebration of cardistry and its creativity. The colorful card backs allow for countless different variations, which will make your cardistry flourish look fresh and unique every time. On the mesmerizing design, Thorsten told Kardify,

A regular poker deck can create 2 patterns in a fan. On the back 1 fan pattern and 1 reverse fan pattern. A regular cardistry deck can create 4 patterns in a fan. With the card backs, 1 fan and 1 reverse fan and on the front 1 fan and 1 reverse fan. The XQ forty-nine deck can create over 7 undecillion 363 decillion 615 nonillion 666 octillion different color patterns and that is only 1 side of the deck. It is a huuuuuuge difference. It is a new approach, never done before!

Beautiful fans, stunning spreads, and all kinds of flourishes, packet cuts, cardistry moves come to life with vibrant display with the XQ forty-nine deck, which will change one's perception on cardistry. The XQ forty-nine deck comes with 1 artwork card, 1 Phenakistoscope-Card, 2 Autostereogram Cards.

Here something cool you can do with the phenakistoscope card. The card uses the persistence of motion principle to create an illusion of motion. Although this principle had been recognized by the Greek mathematician Euclid and later in experiments by Newton, it was not until 1829 that this principle became firmly established by Joseph Plateau.

In order to see the animation on the card you need:

- the Phenakistoscope card of the XQ forty-nine deck

- a spinning movement of the card, for example use the card spin flourish

- a mobilephone to film. View the rotating card through a cameraphone

  or any other camera with a digital display shooting at 30FPS and watch the card spring to life.

- bright light. The brighter the light, the clearer the animation will appear.

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A very well thought out deck with lots of cool features to experiment. Printed in the United States Playing Card Company. Printed on Crushed Stock. Air Cushion Finish. Available on magicencarta.com for $16.

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Season’s Greetings 2020

 

What a long, strange, and challenging year it has been. But we have playing cards. Both the industry and community continue to grow amidst the global pandemic. Fantastic new designs, new collabs, new printing technologies, and new packaging ideas! 

Once again, we at Kardify would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the friendship and support you have given us. Also, we are thankful to our  AWESOME Patrons and the many sponsors, advertisers, who share their enthusiasm and vision with us. Also, to the producers, designers, and artists, who took their time for interviews, sharing their talent and vision. 

Thank you!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :) Here's hoping 2021 will bring less disruption.

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Top 12 Playing Cards of 2020

What an uncertain year it has been! However, one thing is certain: we are incredibly fortunate to be part of such an inspired community of artists, designers, cardists, magicians, and collectors! Even with the pandemic, we have had a huge selection of decks released and delivered this year. 

We've compiled our favorite decks for 2020 right here. This will be the third of four articles counting down to our Deck of the Year reveal next week.

Top 5 Cardistry Decks

Top 5 Collector Playing Cards

Top 12 Playing Cards of 2020

Deck of the Year 2020

If you think we've missed your favorite deck, let us know in the comment section below. Note that the selection expressed in this top 5 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

United

From Cartamundi, the United decks were made to celebrate the acquisition of USPCC earlier this year. These decks are never to be sold and were only given away to the lucky attendees of Cartamundi and USPCC's House of Cardistry event in NYC.

Modern Idols

Modern Idols is a brand new series of playing cards by Thirdway Industries, based on the beliefs of the modern age. Designed by the Italian designer Giovanni Meroni the decks are inspired by the TV Series about American Gods - The story is about the new Idols that replaced the Old Gods. Inside, the artwork is fully custom with unique court cards, different color schemes for each suits, and eye-catching neon ink card backs.

Legal Tender 

From Kings Wild, Legal Tender is a beautifully crafted deck and strikes a balance between classic banknote engraving and the modern sleekness of high tech banknote manufacturing. Inside, the court cards feature many iconic American figures that are featured on current American currency: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. Legal Tender is the culmination of some of Jackson Robinson's most breathtaking artwork combined with the industry-leading advancements in printing technology and production.

Card College

Ark Playing Cards' Card College Limited Edition is a stunning deck based on Robert Giobbi's Card College. This exclusive playing card set design reflects the classic, elegance, and legacy of Robert's work. The tuck box comes with an elegant pop-up surprise that sets this deck apart. Inside, the face cards are standard with the exception of the custom Ace and Jokers. Metallic ink is used on the face and the card backs to give it a touch of luxury and elegance.

Crypt

Image by Richard Arturo (Instagram: @richardarturo47)

CRYPT Playing Cards by Lotrek of Oath playing Cards is the third installment of Oath's mystery decks. Bought sight unseen, no pictures of this deck have been released to keep all its secrets hidden like - a crypt. 

Meadowlark

By Meadowlark Pharmacy, the Meadowlark playing cards feature fully custom artwork by Russell Gray. The overall design of the deck has a retro yet modern feel throughout. From the mirrored card backs to the court cards, Ace of Spade, and cute Jokers. The deck is packaged in an eye-catching tuck box, copper foil, embossed, and capped with a beautiful seal. Everything ties together very well!

Star Wars 

Star Wars Playing Card is an officially licensed deck produced by Theory11 in collaboration with LucasFilm and designed by Mattson Creative Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards and card backs with details that will sure to delight fans. The deck is packaged shiny foil and embossed tuck box feature either Rebel Alliance imagery. A must-have for any Star Wars fan! 

Robin Hood

Meticulously designed by Jackson Robinson, the unique artistic style achieved with the Robin Hood playing cards took heavy inspiration from the Bayeux Tapestry - a French tapestry from around 1066. Every stitch is hand-drawn to create this incredible display. The beautifully crafted court cards feature characters from the legend. The deck is kept in a striking tuck case designed to resemble an ancient book, including life-like features to resemble canvas and leather design-work, a book spine, frayed paper edges, and finished with realistic wear-n-tear details. 

52 Plus Joker 2020 Club Deck

The 52 Plus Joker club 2020 deck is designed UUSI. The deck is fully custom features original hand-drawn artwork by Peter using just 2 colors, black and red. The deck comes with a bold Ace of Spades, custom jokers, old-style suit symbols, and traditional courts inspired from full figure courts popular before the 1900s. The deck does have a vintage look and feel but with a modern simplistic touch.

Trident

Trident Playing Cards by Kevin Yu is an incredible looking deck featuring an eye-catching tuck concept designed with magnetic opening and closing system. When the box is spread out, one will notice that each piece is lined by a stunning Foil line, which traces the weapon-shaped cutouts. The card backs feature a mesmerizing silver and copper metallic ink with highly saturated colored lines that outline the image of the Poseidon’s trident. The courts are represented by legendary heroes from a different historical period, from Athena, to Alexander the Great and Hector from Homer’s epos Iliad.

Fontaine x Babylon

The Babylon Fontaines generated quite a buzz within the community when Zach dropped the SPOTLIGHT video on youtube. The deck features a minimal white tuck box design and a white card back featuring the iconic 'f' in black and thin black borders. When using a UV torchlight, the deck is 'activated' with the Babylon brand logo revealed on the white spaces of the tuck AND card backs! Genius! 

Beowulf

A last-minute addition to the list. Beowulf playing cards inspired by the longest epic poem with the characters represented on the face cards in unique carving-styled artwork by Jackson Robinson. The deck is kept in a tuck case designed to resemble an ancient book, including life-like features to resemble canvas and leather design-work, and finished with realistic wear-n-tear details. 

Honorable mention:  Royal Verge by Dealt Playing Cards, Kodiak by Black Ink Playing Cards, Postage Paid by Kings Wild Project, Black17 by Stockholm17,  Aurum Deus by Encarded, Charmers by Kellar O'Neil, Stratosphere by Legends Playing Card Co, Tough Luck by Native Tongue Studio and Doc's Playing Card Co., Mono Hexa by Luke Wadey Design, Rose Gold Gatorbacks by David Blaine and Fontaine x DabsmyLA.

Note that the selection expressed in this top 12 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

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McCarran Silver Cherries Now Available!

Now in sleek McCarran Silver, the captivating Cherry Casino Playing Cards combines modern minimal design and elements of retro casino-styled decks. 

The deck is designed by Sam Devins in partnership with Pure Imagination Project features clean lines, monochromatic look of the Cherry Casino McCarran Silver Playing Cards is incredibly modern and classy.



Like all the other previous Cherry Casino the deck is incredibly sleek and aesthetically pleasing. The tuck box is not only stylish but eye-catching! The minimalist backs feature the iconic white swoosh and twin cherries design. The metallic ink on the tuck and card backs gives it an elegant touch! 

With the exception of the jokers and the Ace of Spades, the face cards are standard and the courts have been recolored. The deck also includes 2 specially printed gaff cards. Printed by U.S. Playing Card Company.

Available NOW from your favorite Murphys Magic retailers.

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Now on Patreon! Kardify Magazine Issue 43

Available NOW... Issue #43 of Kardify Magazine is on Patreon in both EPUB and PDF format! Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-November to mid-December. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don't forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contribution, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bringing new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page. If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:

+  Deck the Halls:  Designed by Jackson Robinson, a deck that looks like a sweater featuring embroi-dery artwork on the face cards and gold foil backs! 

+ NOC Luxury Collection: Check out the first collaboration between Alex Pandrea and Riffle Shuffle, the most luxurious NOC ever made! 

+  Shuckers: Organic Playing Cards’ fun and vibrant new deck of cards inspired by Corn that was sold out in under 4 hours! 

+ Blue Jay: Check out the second installment in Meadowlark’s custom playing card series designed in collaboration with Elettra Deganello. 

+  Queen Bee: A surprising move by Ellusionist releasing their new deck, Queen Bee: Luxury Playing Cards on Kickstarter earlier this month. 

+ 007:  Theory11 released the latest collab deck inspired by the legendary film series encapsulated in gold foil and embossed accents tuck box. Check it out!  

+ Art of Play Mystery Decks: Just in time for Christmas... Art of Play’s NEW Mystery Decks! This time, each Mystery Deck is wrapped in a luxurious Egyptian-themed print and sealed with a wax stamp.  

+ Game Over: Find out more about Gemini Decks new deck that looks like a popular handheld console from the 90s. The 8-bit graphical style has quite a bit of charm!  

… and more! 60 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Deck View: Gatorbacks (Rose Gold Edition) Playing Cards

Intricate. First. Attention.

The Rose Gold Gatorbacks is an alluring deck featuring Metallic Rose Gold ink. The eye-catching deck is the first from USPCC with Rose Gold Foil, the first with Metallic Rose Gold ink, and the first tucks crafted from premium 'Leather' stock. The contrasting Rose gold foiling beside black foil blazes with rich, fiery tones, as multi-level sculpted embossing offers intricate textures. Stunning!

The Rose Gold Gatorbacks are designed by long time Blaine collaborator Mark Stutzman. A truly beautiful and functional deck of playing cards! The court cards and a new joker design command attention with metallic trim, complimenting card backs designed with reflective MetalLuxe ink. The deck also features a custom Ace of Spades depicting an alligator rising out of the water in an attempt to catch a bird.

Produced by the USPCC on thin crush cards printed on premium stock handle brilliantly and provide subtle artistic features.

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Top 5 Collector Playing Cards of 2020

What an uncertain year it has been! However, one thing is certain: we are incredibly fortunate to be part of such an inspired community of artists, designers, cardists, magicians, and collectors! Even with the pandemic, we have had a huge selection of decks released and delivered this year. 

We've compiled our favorite decks for 2020 right here. This will be the second of four articles counting down to our Deck of the Year reveal next week.

Top 5 Cardistry Decks

Top 5 Collector Playing Cards

Top 12 Playing Cards of 2020

Deck of the Year 2020

If you think we've missed your favorite deck, let us know in the comment section below. Note that the selection expressed in this top 5 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

United

From Cartamundi, the United decks were made to celebrate the acquisition of USPCC earlier this year. These decks are never to be sold and were only given away to the lucky attendees of Cartamundi and USPCC's House of Cardistry event in NYC.

Legal Tender 

From Kings Wild, Legal Tender is a beautifully crafted deck and strikes a balance between classic banknote engraving and the modern sleekness of high tech banknote manufacturing. Inside, the court cards feature many iconic American figures that are featured on current American currency: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. Legal Tender is the culmination of some of Jackson Robinson's most breathtaking artwork combined with the industry-leading advancements in printing technology and production.

Crypt

Image by Richard Arturo (Instagram: @richardarturo47)

CRYPT Playing Cards by Lotrek of Oath playing Cards is the third installment of Oath's mystery decks. Bought sight unseen, no pictures of this deck has been released to keep all its secrets hidden like - a crypt.

Star Wars 

Star Wars Plying Card is an officially licensed deck produced by Theory11 in collaboration with LucasFilm and designed by Mattson Creative Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards and card backs with details that will sure to delight fans. The deck is packaged shiny foil and embossed tuck boxe feature either Rebel Alliance imagery. A must-have for any Star Wars fan!

Trident

Trident Playing Cards by Kevin Yu is an incredible looking deck featuring an eye-catching tuck concept designed with magnetic opening and closing system. When the box is spread out, one will notice that each piece is lined by a stunning Foil line, which traces the weapon-shaped cutouts. The card backs feature a mesmerizing silver and copper metallic ink with highly saturated colored lines outline the image of the Poseidon’s trident. The courts are represented by legendary heroes from a different historical period, from Athena, to Alexander the Great and Hector from Homer’s epos Iliad.

Note that the selection expressed in this top 5 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.
 

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