Deck View: Jurassic Park Playing Cards

Retro. Movie. Dinosaur.

Jurassic Park Playing Cards is a collaboration between Ellusionist, Universal Studios and the Jurassic Park franchise. The deck is inspired by the original Jurassic Park movie back in the 90s and sports a retro look and feel. It looks like it has been left in the long-abandoned park and savaged by 25 years of tropical storms.

On the outside, the old school Jurassic Park emblem brings back memories! The tuck features a textured feel and you will immediately notice the die-cut claw mark of the ferocious raptor, adding an element of danger and surprise to the deck. Inside, the deck is crawling with familiar imagery every fan will know and love.! From the Dino DNA to a full-grown triceratops, the residents of the park have been let to loose to roam throughout the deck.

Printed by Cartamundi on their famous B9 finish, this deck will sure to be a conversation starter. Available for $10 at Ellusionist.

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Cardistry: Jaspas Deck Favourite Day Edition Playing Cards

When New Deck Order (NDO) released the first Jaspas Deck Favourite Day Editions as an April Fool's joke. Even without any teaser or images, the deck was sold out! Yesterday, NDO introduced the second Jaspas Deck Favourite Day Edition... and like the first, no images of the deck. According to NDO's Instagram post, the deck features a new printer, new stock, new finish, and a new concept. For this limited pre-release, only 150-decks are available to the USA and SINGAPORE due to the Covid-19, shipping to other countries will be severely delayed.

Available from thenewdeckorder.com for $18.

This story first appeared on cardistrybeast.com and is republished with permission.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NDO (@thenewdeckorder) on May 21, 2020 at 9:29am PDT

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5 Things You Did Not Know About Dark Kingdom Playing Cards

Inspired by old engravings and fairy tales about mysterious magic castles with dragons and strange creatures that inhabit them, designer E.Zhade (Instagram: @zhade_evgenia) together with 52 Wonders have created Dark Kingdom Playing Cards. Currently funding on Kickstarter, the dark design alludes to mystery and power with a fascinating backstory. According to the campaign page,

Legend foretells of a foolish king who lost his kingdom to a cunning and evil wizard who was fond of the night and plunged the kingdom into darkness. The people began to spread rumors about this kingdom and other royals wanted to see it for themselves. The magic of the night attracted curious travelers from all ends of the Earth, but once they had seen the magic and beauty of the kingdom they found themselves unable to leave. The mysterious nature of the darkness and the shining stars captivated those who saw it… and they stayed there forever.

Fully custom, the deck features intricate card backs, beautifully illustrated court cards, and a unique Ace of Spades. All face cards have been framed with an ornate border. Here are 5 things you did not know about Dark Kingdom Playing Cards:

1. Number Cards
The design of the number cards is inspired by the 1937 Russian deck "Paleh", which was created by the artist Bazhenov specifically for the world exhibition in Paris. This deck occupies an honorable place in the history of playing cards. Each card is enclosed in a beautiful frame

2. Ace of Clubs 
Gorynych - personifies evil in folk tales and wreaths of Slavs. In different legends, the description of the dragon changes within tales, which is why it is difficult to make an accurate portrait of this character. Generally, the Gorynych is portrayed as a speaking dragon-like creature, with three heads, with a tail and copper claws, which can breathe fire, while releasing smoke from its ears.

3. Jack of Hearts & Queen of Hearts
These are paired cards in the deck, each bares the word “enchanted” on their ribbons, linking them together and symbolizing the love and affection between the two.

4. The Process
Every card was meticulously hand-drawn. The whole process took an exceptionally long time. Each character has its own character and personifies with the word written on their ribbons.

5. Dark Kingdom Custom Guitar
Jim Longley (TC Custom Design) teamed up with Zhade Art to create a guitar design for a beautiful electric guitar. The images were based on the design elements of the back, tuck, suits, and jokers.

Dark Kingdom Playing Card will be printed by Cartamundi on True Linen B9 Slimline paper stock. Available now on Kickstarter and pledge starts at $20 for a single deck.

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Rise Playing Cards Available NOW for Pre-Order!

Rise Magic’s channel is one of our favorite cardistry and magic channel on YouTube. Headed by Grant and Chandler Henry, the channel offers high-quality magic and cardistry content for the community. Tutorials, performances, deck reviews and vlogs... the guys have been uploading to the channel consistently every week since January 2017.

So when we heard that Rise Magic will be launching their inaugural deck for pre-order, we were ecstatic! As such, we are beyond thrilled to feature a preview of the upcoming deck.

Designing and producing our own deck of playing cards has always been a dream for Rise Magic. Chandler told Kardify,

Over the past 3 years, we seriously may have come up with over 50 different designs. It's something we've always taken seriously. We were obsessed with making something unique but classic at the same time.

The goal is to make sure the deck looked beautiful just holding it or in-motion. The geometric framework of the design leads to fluid-like movement and visuals while flourishing.

When it's just in your hands, you can really appreciate the intricate details of the beautiful artwork. Chandler continued,

If I am being honest, we definitely felt pressure to make a great deck. Our YouTube community has been asking for a deck for forever. Three years and 200+ YouTube videos later, it's finally here... and really feel like we knocked this one out of the park. We couldn't be more proud of the end product.

Price starts at $12.50 on rise-magic.com/store. Don't miss out!

Deal of the Week: 50% OFF King Slayers Playing Cards

Ellusionist has just dropped the price of the King Slayers by 50% after selling out the Hot Coral King Slayers. The remaining King Slayer decks feature a minimalist design in 5 different colorways- white, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and red.

The weapon of choice- the sword of the suicide king is showcased on the front of the tuck. The same sword is prominently featured throughout, from the custom mirrored card backs, jokers to the bold Ace of Spades.

The number and court cards are standard but enhanced to match the overall color palette of the respective colorway. The clean minimal look, custom artwork, dynamic color palette, and printed on Luxury Pressed E7 stock by Cartamundi, making it suitable for both cardistry and/or magic. For $5, this is a no-brainer. This discount is only available for the next 24 hours on ellusionist.com!

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Kickstarter: 7 Questions Deryn Le of Fresh Cuts Playing Cards

From the creative mind of Deryn Le, the man behind Noodlers playing cards comes, comes a barber shop/hair stylist-themed deck, Fresh Cuts Playing Cards. Vintage barbershop typeface logo, barber pole, hair stylists and barbers are all packed in this fully custom deck.

The deck was born from a thought of trying to give his personal barber a gift and now turned into an homage to those who keep us looking our best. According to Deryn on the campaign page,

I went to my barber to get a haircut some time ago. During this session, he asked me about the card collecting addiction I have. I explained to him that I'm a magician, which lead to collecting playing cards. He also asked about my I'mPossible Bottles. As I sat there getting my hair cut, I rummaged through my brain on which deck I could bottle for him to display on his station. Nothing came to mind.

Deryn has always loved the vintage look of classic barbershop logos and their storefront. The letter styling with all the embellishments and ornamentation was always beautiful to him. This is what he wanted to capture within Fresh Cuts playing cards.

To find out more about this delightful deck, we had a quick chat with Deryn about his design background, inspiration, and design process behind Fresh Cuts.

For those of us who don’t know, can you tell us about yourself and what is your design background?

I'm Vietnamese, born and raised in the US. I started practicing magic when I was 11.. which was 29 years ago 😳. My design background started in '97 when my friend gave me a copy of Photoshop. I've been messing with it ever since. In 2007, I became Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Casino's first resident magician with help from my agent. In the same year, Daniel Madison contacted me to create an ambigram for his DVD, "Dangerous" and then again for his PDF "Madness."

Can you describe Fresh Cuts Playing Cards and why you’re passionate about it?

My wife and I started brainstorming about Fresh Cuts even before Noodlers. But we knew we wanted to take our time because it was more of a tribute deck for everyone that's in that field.

Walk us through the process you took to design the deck. How did you come out with the idea and how did you get to this finished product?

Fresh Cuts came out of necessity. I craft impossible bottles and when I custom a deck as a gift, I like to use a deck reflects the profession or passion of the person I'm giving it to. I wanted to give one to my barber but I couldn't find anything hair related other than a few mustache decks. Those just weren't what I was looking for. The main thing we wanted to capture was the old, vintage feel of classic hair salons and barbershops. Also, after some thought, I decided to commission a great artist to draw the courts in the likeness of some close friends. I can paint and draw, I just thought her style better fit this particular deck. Her name is Gaby (Instagram: @doodle_traffic). She's fantastic! We knew it had to have a barber pole.. it just HAD to. Kiana, my wife, who is the Queen of Hearts on the deck, had the idea of adding tools coming out the top and bottom of the barber pole. Adding embellishments really tied it all together.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?

Deciding to have my friends as the courts! It was a hard decision on who to use because I didn't want anyone to feel left out. Unfortunately, we have a male-dominated demographic and I didn't want to put any men on the queens, which is why 2 of the queens are fictional characters. But simply having them on the courts wasn't enough. I wanted all of us to be hairstylists. Also the courts nod back to standard courts in the way they face and which hand is holding what.

We first noticed Fresh Cuts Playing Cards on Instagram. What do you think of the community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting?

I've gotten a lot of great feedback for the Fresh Cuts. I know not all cards are for everyone so I don't expect everyone to invest in them and that's fine. I just hope to those that do want to invest in them, I did a good enough job to earn their business.

Noodlers, Fresh Cuts… What’s next? Can we expect more deck designs in the future?

ABSOLUTELY! I'm currently helping a couple of friends with their decks. Both are retro are completely different. I've also been wanting to design a deck that uses standard courts. What better way than to do a casino-style deck? For me, those will be next and I plan on using foil on the backs to make them pop. I think I came up with the perfect name for the fictional casino I have in my head. Also, I'm going to do something I personally haven't seen done before in a deck. It's a small change, but something that needs to be done for my casino deck. You'll see!

Finally, what are your favorite playing cards? 

My favorite everyday decks, the ones I constantly shuffle, cut and dribble are Hydrogen and Oxygen by Nick Nisco.

My favorite working decks are Tally-Ho circle or fan backs. As a magician, spectators already assume we use trick decks so why even bother using a deck they've never seen before.

My favorite collectible decks are Thirdway Industries & Kings Wild Project.

Thank you for your time Deryn! If you like what you've read here and want to support Fresh Cuts Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter Here! 

Three different editions of Fresh Cuts will be available during the campaign, Standard, Vintage, and Gilded. Standard Edition sports a full-color tuck with vibrant reds and blues, while the Vintage Edition will be an aged version of the Standard edition. The Gilded Edition comes with a black and blue tuck and the cards inside will be the Vintage edition but will have blue holographic gilding.

The decks will be printed by United States Playing Card Company on Premium Stock with Linen Finish and Traditional Cut.  Pledge starts at $12 on Kickstarter.

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Kickstarter: Warrior Playing Cards by RJ

Warrior Playing Cards is a unique deck of playing cards currently funding on Kickstarter by Romy RJ. The deck is simplistic with beautiful artwork of the moth prominently featured on the card backs, Ace of Clubs, Jokers, and tuck case.

According to the campaign page,

... The moth is relentless in the pursuance of its love: light. There is no length the moth will not go to in order to reach that which it desires. This is the part of the story which begs our admiration, one must wonder at the level of perseverance the moth exhibits. Identical to the inevitability of the way in which darkness envelopes light, so too is the moth’s unrelenting race to its own demise.

Herein lies the lesson we ought to learn, be cautious of the things we seek with blind determination. For in attaining our utmost desires, we may find our reality turn to dust, as quickly as a moth caught up in its beloved flame: and in the moment when we think we have it all, in the split second when the moth and light are one, darkness will be all that it will ever know.

The intricate design of the Moth works effectively on this deck. The black/white colorway along with the simplicity of the deck makes the design stand-out!

The court cards are standard but personalized by Daniel Schneider to give it a more modern look. Also, the red pips have been updated with a deep red colorway and a subtle black outline.

For the performing magician, the deck comes with a double-backer, duplicate 4 of Clubs and Jokers With card reveal (Four of Clubs & Nine of Clubs).

The deck is printed by Cartamundi on B9 SlimLine Linen Finish Stock. Pledge starts at 20€ on Kickstarter. The project is currently 3400€ away from reaching the stretch goal for the Midnight (Black) Edition and with 9 days to go. Pledge and make the deck a reality!

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Eternal Reign Playing Cards, Only 2 More Days on Kickstarter

Another intriguing deck being crowdfunded by Riffle Shuffle on Kickstarter. Eternal Reign Playing Cards are designed by Dhamas Adhitya and drops you right in the middle of a medieval kingdom, which is held under the eternal reign of four royal families, one for each suit.

Fully custom with beautiful artwork, the intricate card backs feature a central axis formed by a symmetrical drawing of two swords, driving right through the top of a skull. A golden sun shines from behind this image and seems to illuminate the four crowned lions standing on their back legs, as often depicted in medieval art. They hold a golden scroll, reading “Eternal Reign”. The pattern is balanced by four circles, one in each corner, showing the king’s hand holding the goblet.

The court cards represent four different kingdoms, divided by different suits. While the red suits - hearts and diamonds - depict living kings and queens, clubs and diamonds in black show the two underworld kingdoms reigned by the royalty’s spooky counterparts.

However, living or dead, they are all beautifully clothed in attire that equally fancy as it is ready for battle. According to the campaign page, there are many clever details are hidden on each card for the backer to discover.

The number cards have a classic sleek appearance with a couple of tweaks. While the numbers are written in an elegant swirling font, the images of the suits display small imperfections, giving them an appearance of being imprinted with a medieval stamp on parchment paper.

Ace of Spade flows around a large golden trident, stretching to the top of the spade with an ancient scroll unfolded across the picture. The design of the Aces gives an illusion that it is stamped on the surface, the fresh ink leaking slightly onto its surroundings. The ornate design consists of swirling wave-like ornaments forming the shape of a spade.

The Jokers might be the most symbolic cards of the whole deck. They are made up of two Jokers mirroring each other, both wearing masks over their faces. The top Joker, dressed in red, represents the kingdom of the living. The bottom Joker, wearing an icy blue dress and a clown hat might seem just the same on the first glance, but upon closer inspection, the mask hides a deadly smile of a skull.

The intricate deck comes in two versions, one of them takes you on a quest to the Ruby Empire, and the other one straight to the Sapphire Kingdom, the kingdom of the dead. These opposing forces are reflected right on the top of the decks. The king of the Ruby Empire and the skeleton ruler of the Sapphire kingdom will gaze at each other if you placing the tuck side-by-side as if challenging each other to an epic battle.

A wonderful tapestry of ornamental motives stretches across the whole surface of the premium tuck box. The filigree is accentuated by Gold Foil and Red/Blue Foil, on burgundy (Saphire Edition) or navy-blue (Ruby Edition) background with embossed details and stunning interior print!

Eternal Reign Playing Cards will be printed by Taiwan Playing Card Co (TWPCC) with their latest softer paper stock named the Luxury Stock. The thickness of the Luxury Stock will be very similar to the Bee Crush stock from USPCC. Ruby Empire and Sapphire Kingdom will be limited to 2000 decks each with Numbered Seals.

Available now for the next 2 days on Kickstarter. Pledge start at $14.

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Deck View: Abandoned Room Playing Cards

Magic. Ivy. Long-Forgotten.

Abandoned Room Playing Cards are designed by Rick Davidson for the world-renowned magician, Dynamo. This intriguing deck has been created for Dynamo's Abandoned Room show, an "underground speakeasy” for magic in London, UK.

The deck sports a stunning gold and green foil with detailed ornamentation on the tuck. The inspiration for the design of the Abandoned deck is strongly influenced by the location for the Abandoned Room show, a unique high-end hotel that features a multi-story wall of ivy. The mirrored card back design features ivy and a forgotten wrought iron door, setting the mood for a long-forgotten abandoned room. With the obvious focus of the deck being magic, the courts are standard design but redrawn and carefully refined. The face cards have been updated with attention paid to the clarity of the pips and numbers. The deck is definitely familiar yet superior in terms of design and playability.

Printed by Cartamundi on their B9 stock. The deck was made available at the Abandoned Room and online. The deck is currently sold out.

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Sponsored Post: First Look at Wolfram V3 Playing Cards

NOW on Kickstarter, Wolfram V3 Playing Cards is the follow-up to the popular Wolfram Collection Set released in 2018 and 2019 by TCC Playing Cards Co. The decks are not only elegant by functional as well.

The Wolfram series is a process of innovation, continuous improvement, and persistence. According to TCC Playing Cards,

Wolfram is not only a brand of playing cards but also a brand that intents to solve the problems in performance. We pay great attention to consumers, use scenarios, and related technologies. So, what problem will the product solve this time?

The Wolfram V3 “Wouge et Noir” is derived from “Rouge et Noir”, the first product of Wolfram’s newly created “W series”. The deck sports a red/black colorway and designed with a minimalist style. The face cards are standard but the suits have been redesigned and the color palette updated to match the black and white borders of the card backs, maintaining familiarity for magic routines.

The deck is kept in a unique and innovative eye-catching tuck case. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it is also extremely functional. The revolutionary tuck case will be a conversation starter in your collection.

Also available during the campaign is an exquisite collector's box set. The luxury gift box will be made with high-grade paper. Also included is a Revolutionary Card Case made out of hand-quality leather. They will be made by craftsmen, who have more than 7 years’ experience and often make high-end leather bags for Calvin Klein Premium and Samantha.

Available now on Kickstarter!

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Buy a Zebra King Slayers Playing Cards and WIN a REAL Zebra on Ellusionist.com

This week, Ellusionist officially released the Zebra King Slayers on their site. The deck was originally available as 'Early Access' (if you took the red pill choice) last year as a follow-up to the minimalist King Slayers series.

The eye-catching deck features the famous contrasting black and white stripes of the Zebra on the tuck and the card backs. With the exception of the Ace of Spades and Jokers, the face cards are standard but enhanced with the Zebra stripes on each of the pips consistent with the theme of the deck.

Like the original King Slayers, the tuck showcase the weapon of choice- the sword of the suicide king. The same sword is prominently featured throughout, from the custom mirrored card backs, jokers to the bold Ace of Spades. The number and court cards are standard but enhanced to match the overall color palette of the respective colorway.

The cards are printed on Luxury Pressed E7 Stock by Cartamundi cards. Only 5,000 decks printed. Also, to commemorate this release, Ellusionist is giving ONE lucky buyer the chance to WIN a REAL Zebra.



At random, one lucky buyer will win the 'keys' and adoption pack to a one WWF adoption pack, paid for, in full by Ellusionist. This means we'll adopt a Zebra for you, on your behalf and they'll be yours. With the adoption pack, you'll receive a plush Zebra toy and details about how your adoption has helped your Zebra in their natural habitat. Cool prize!

Available NOW from Ellusionist for $10.

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