Here's What We Know About Ellusionist So Far...

Yesterday, we were notified by some of our followers on social media that the Ellusionist website (ellusionist.com) has been taken down and their Facebook and Instagram accounts have been deleted. Many have taken to social media and public forums to speculate if this is another marketing stunt, a rebranding, or shutting down. Here's what we know so far:

1. Founder Brad Christian sent an email (older distribution) list with a very cryptic message without mentioning the website or social media accounts:

Brad here,

I just wanted to send you a quick email. This is all I'm comfortable saying for now.

20 years ago, to this day, I locked myself in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco and was furiously working on Ellusionist's launch after service. I was a waiter at the time.

I'd taken a bank loan and some private investment, risking it all to make my dream a reality. v Over the last 20 years, there's been incredible highs and incredible lows - but it was all worth it.

It's Friday, so I don't want to take up too much of your time, I just wanted to say a quick thank you as I take a trip down memory lane. Your support over the last 2 decades has meant the world to me.

Sincerely, thank you

Brad Christian
Founder of Ellusionist.com

2. Many customers of Ellusionist have shared concerns on Reddit and social media platforms about not being able to download the digital content they've purchased over the years and no notification was given. However, Ellusionist Magic Stream is still active and accessible.

3. On Ellusionist youtube account, a new video titled 'an important announcement' was uploaded and due to premiere on November 2nd. This is probably the only way we are going to find out what's happening at Ellusionist.

4. Coincidence? Long time Ellusionist collaborator/employee Lloyd Barnes has joined Murphys Magic 2 days before the Ellusionist website is taken down. Related or not? The timing is certainly curious.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Murphy's Magic (@murphysmagic) on Oct 28, 2020 at 9:10am PDT

5. We have been following Ellusionist employee Geraint Clarke's Medium for a few years and today, he's published a cryptic post about 'The Forfeit of Control and Learning to let go'. Again, the timing of the post seemed curious and eludes to rift or confrontation.

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Stockholm17's Black17 Playing Cards Released

Stockholm17 has just announced the release of Black17 Playing Cards, just in time for Halloween! This is the 5th version of the No.17 series, counting V1 Cardlauncher edition (2014) by MPC, V2 Bicycle branded, and V3 No.17 in white (2015) by USPCC, V4 No.17 Le Chat Rouge by EPCC (2015-2016). 

Fans of Stockholm17 will notice a blend of Lorenzo Gaggiotti's previous variants in both cards and tuck box. The deck features the beautiful ornate card back in a deep red colorway on a black background. 

The number cards come with custom pips layout that is centered and brought in on the card frame. The Ace of Spades is custom and the court design has been slightly revised and enhanced. Finally, the jokers will seem familiar as they are from Le Chat Rouge. 

The deck is housed in a stunning tuck box in black with red metallic foil, embossed and inner foiled graphics with a chevron pattern. 

Only 1,200 will be printed by the USPCC on classic stock in the first run. Note that this deck is not a limited edition and it might be reprinted in case of demand.

Available NOW on stockholm17.com

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Kardify Top 12: Halloween 2020 Edition

It's that time of the year! We have painstakingly compiled the best playing cards for All Hallows' Eve just for you. Behold! The 2020's Kardify Top 12: Decks for Halloween! This year with enough monsters, bones, ghosts, skulls, quirky characters, and pirates to keep your spine tingling through the night. If you have one that we haven't discovered. Do feel free to share.

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

Little Deck of Horrors

From Ellusionist, the Little Deck of Horrors is a celebration of the nostalgically scary 'Ghost Train' with faces haunted by ghouls, goblins, and ghosts. This whimsical deck features evil characters from the yesteryears in bright neon colors with a retro graphic design. If you are looking for a cool monster-themed deck for your magic routine or a nostalgic deck for game nights, Little Deck of Horrors will definitely do the job.

Trick or Treat

The Trick or Treat deck is a fully custom hand-illustrated deck featuring a monochromatic design and a nostalgic feel. Ghouls, Goblins, Werewolfs, Zombies, Skeletons, Pumpkins, and more...! Designed by Jackson Robinson, these spooky characters are completely updated with color palette and design elements to fit the theme. Definitely, a fun-filled deck brimming with artistry and ingenuity for All Hallows' Eve.

October 2020 Edition

Fulton's October Playing Cards is a frightfully fun and whimsical deck featuring the illustrated artwork of Steven Noble. Packaged inside a rich purple tuck 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.

Black Widow

A fully custom deck created and designed by Justin Froyd and J Gonzo. Black Widow Playing Cards is a unique deck to showcase all the traits of a spider, from the spider web to the hourglass shape of the deadly black widow spiders. The courts are custom yet familiar with the spider web design incorporated into their garments. The darker tone of the deck gives it a terrifying feel!

Bicycle Monsters

A fully custom Bicycle-branded playing cards inspired by the classic monsters from stories and myths, created in a fun style that will appeal to all ages! Each set of courts represents a different type of monster, from the Water Dwellers to the Undead, Shape Shifters, and creatures not of this world. The retro feel of the deck adds to the deck charm. Definitely a great deck to use for Halloween.

Campy Creatures

The Campy Creature Deadluxe Playing Cards are designed by Keymaster Games featuring twelve unique hand illustrations of notorious B-movie horror monsters including The Blob, The Invisible Man, The Man-Eating Plant, The Swamp Creature, and many more.

Modern Idols

Modern Idols is an eye-catching deck, based on the beliefs of the modern age. Designed by the Italian designer Giovanni Meroni, Idols are freely inspired by the TV Series: American Gods - the story about new Idols that replaced the Old Gods. Modern Idols decks incorporate Giovanni's recognizable artwork, vibrant color palettes with a new mythology.

Fear

Designed by Alex Pandrea, the FEAR deck was created for his favorite season and time of year! The deck sports a vibrant orange card back and features a simplistic tuck design with the caption "The Only Thing We Have To Fear, Is Fear Itself" on the front, and "...And Spiders" on the back. 

Haunted 8's

If you’re not already in the spirit of Halloween, then this spooky deck is certain to get you in the mood. Ghouls, Goblins, Headless horsemen, Zombies, Scarecrows, Pumpkins, and more...! A fun-filled deck brimming with artistry and ingenuity for All Hallows' Eve by Kings Wild. The theme, colors, spooky characters, and design elements that make up Haunted 8s came together perfectly!

Into the Wierd

Into the Wierd Playing Cards are inspired by Art of Play's fascination with the strange and unusual. Designed in collaboration with Jenny Gebhardt this fully custom deck features an exciting and strangely odd story. The face cards tell a story about curiosity and a journey full of ambient adventures. Each of the four suits shows a section of the story. It unfolds itself starting with the Ace following the ranks upwards.

Ghoul Guys

Ghoul Guys Playing Cards is a monster-themed deck uniquely illustrated by 11-Year Old Elijah Hayles featuring unique ghouls on every card! Vibrant, imaginative, and fun!

Maidens

From Joker and the Thief, Maidens Playing Cards is a fully custom deck inspired by Dia de Los Muertos. On the outside, the lavish tuck box features an incredible dyed creme colored paper stock, letterpressed, and adorned with beautiful foil accents inside and out! Inside, the face cards tell a story through the use of symbolism and meticulously illustrated throughout. The back design is eerie yet eye-catching! The consistent design of the face and backs beautifully tie the enchanting theme of the deck together.

The selection expressed in this top12 is solely those of the author. 

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Avocardo Playing Cards Sold Out in 30 Minutes!

Organic Playing Cards released the Avo-Card-O Playing Cards yesterday and they were sold out in less than 30 minutes!

For this release, the Avocados comes with two FUN custom tuck boxes, sold in pairs. One box has a seed and the other doesn’t, making it look like you are opening up a real avocado. 

The deck sports an orange colorway and they definitely look very well with the fall season. The face cards and courts are pretty much standard with updated color palette and slight customization with all of the courts doing something with avocados.

The deck comes with custom Ace of Spades, Jokers, a duplicate 9 of spades, and a gimmick card for all of your magic needs! 

Limited run of 3000 decks (1500 pairs). Kudos to the Organic Playing Card, who have constantly push the boundaries of fun cardistry playing cards and experience. 

Article originally published on cardistrybeast.com.

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Mako Silversurfer Playing Cards Released!

Crafted for cardistry, Mako Silversurfer is produced by Gemini Playing Card Co. featuring an eye-pleasing black back/silver colorway with yellow accents.

The deck comes with recolored standard faces to match the color palette of the deck. The face cards are printed with silver metallic ink.

Mako is housed inside a unique black/gray colorway tuck case with yellow accents. Limited edition of 3000 decks

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co and available now from geminidecks.com for an early bird price of $9.95 for the next 24 hours. Also, order 6 or more decks and get 1 FREE Mako Silversurfer deck during the promotional period.

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Leaves (Autumn Edition) Playing Cards Dutch Card House Company

Earlier this year, the Dutch Card House Company (DCHC) launched the first edition of the Leaves Playing Cards on Kickstarter. With the help of 370 backers, the team managed to support the Adopt Rainforest Foundation and adopt 650m² of rainforest in Costa Rica with the successful funding of the Green leaves Spring Edition.

The Leaves Autumn Edition is seeking funds on Kickstarter, and the DCHC team is once again raising even more awareness about responsible playing card printing and expand the adopted rainforest. In terms of design, the traditional-looking layout of the card backs is reminiscent of autumn, complete with its falling leaves and cozy feel. 

The court cards maintain their traditional designs but with an updated color scheme to make it fit in better with the overall autumn theme of the deck. Together, this perfect for card games, magic routines, and cardistry!

Two identical jokers have been included on the deck. One of them features a special 3 of hearts card reveal!

The striking tuck box compliments the cards it holds inside. The leaves ornament runs from the front to the back of the box and can create a display with 3 boxes. Also, there will be NO plastic cello wrap in order to prevent the use of single-use plastics. So instead, DCHC will close the tuck of the Standard Edition with a custom-designed seal and a custom numbered seal for the Collector's Edition.

Available now on Kickstarter for $13 and printed by the United States Playing Card Company using vegetable-based inks, each card is printed on sustainable forest paper and finished with starch-based laminating.

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Check Out These Two Releases by House of Playing Cards

House of Playing Cards has added TWO decks to their online store last week. Check out the new releases by Alex Pandrea in conjunction with his birthday this year! 

1. Fear Deck 2020

Designed by Alex Pandrea, the FEAR deck was created for his favorite season and time of year! The deck sports a vibrant orange card back and features a simplistic tuck design with the caption "The Only Thing We Have To Fear, Is Fear Itself" on the front, and "...And Spiders" on the back. Each deck is individually numbered from 1-1000. According to the product page, a percentage of the proceeds will go to the American Humane Society. 

Printed by The United States Playing Cards Company on Bicycle Premium Stock with Air-Cushion Finish. Available for $13 on houseofplayingcards.com. 

 

2. #MYNOC: Metal

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 001- Metal is the FIRST deck in the series. 

The deck sport a metal texture tuck box and card back. Like previous NOCs, 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 $15 on houseofplayingcards.com.

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Deck View: Luminosity Playing Cards

Norse. Conflict. Mythology.

One of the decks nominated for Joker Plus 52's Diamond Award, Luminosity Playing Cards is inspired by Norse Mythology depicting the age-old conflict between good and evil and features fully custom artwork by Jody Eklund and a story written by Ricky Cassford. The deck is functional showcase unique characters with their own story. The face cards include Silver Metallic ink accents which give it a touch of elegance. Copper Metallic Ink is used for the background design elements of the face cards, pips, and indices.

Encased in a unique tuck case printed on matte grey card stock adorned with elegant copper hot foil stamping and embossed. Printed by the USPCC.

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Fontaine X Dabs MYLA Drops Today!

The highly anticipated Fontaine X Dabs MYLA will be released today. The vibrant artwork by Australian husband-and-wife visual artists employs a shared design language that dictates subject matter, positioning, color theory, and perspective. DABS MYLA enhances their works with immersive environments that enhance the sense of whimsy and grandeur contained inside paintings, mixed media, and sculpture. 

The design philosophy is reflected beautifully on the Collab deck. The deck sports a vibrant tuck box design featuring surreal flower bed. The psychedelic design is also incorporated in the one-way card back along with the iconic 'f'.

The face cards feature colorful court cards, custom aces, diptych jokers, and number cards. This is probably the most custom Fontaine to-date. Perfect for BOTH cardists and collectors.

The Fontaine x @dabsmyla collection deck drops today (Friday, October 23rd) on the NTWRK app (iOS and Android).

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Check Out the FIRST Kings Wild Threads Shirt and Deck Combo!

Kings Wild fans are in for a big surprise with a brand new shirt and deck combo. The FIRST Kings Wild Threads Shirt and Deck will be released at 12PM ET today for KW Short Subscribers and at 5PM ET for the general public on kingswildproject.com. 

The shirt features the Kings Wild logo in a scarlet colorway. The same shirt pattern is reflected on the back design of the deck. The face cards are pretty much standard Kings Wild and the courts are recolored to match the overall look and feel of the deck. The deck is printed by MPC and packaged in a cool tuck case with a die-cut shirt to display the card back design within. Brilliant! 

The shirts are $52 and the decks are $25. However, Jackson mentions in his weekly update... if you purchase the shirt and the deck together, a discount will be added to your order during checkout that will reduce the price of the deck to $15. It's similar to a bundle, except there will not be a bundle product, you have to add both items to your cart from their individual product pages.

You'll also receive free domestic US shipping if you buy both items because you will reach the free shipping threshold of $50 on kingswildproject.com. Don't miss out!

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Parama Playing Cards on Kickstarter

Produced by Parama Playing Cards and designed by Khanh, Parama Playing Cards is a custom deck crafted for everyday use. The deck was conceptualized a year ago with the idea of reflecting tradition in a deck. According to the Kickstarter project page,

A deck of cards with references to our country because, even if small, Italy is a great country capable of facing difficulties head-on and we also love it for this.

 

The history of Italy is the set of numerous local and city events and a reflection of the universal history of its capital, Rome, the first seat of the Empire, and then of the Papacy. It is a fundamental part of Western, European, and Mediterranean cultures.

This is reflected in the 4 winds of the ancient nautical maps.

N - North - Septentrio (Latin), Aparctias (Greek)
E - Euro - Eurus (Latin), Apeliotes (Greek)
S - Austro - Auster (Latin), Notos (Greek)
W - Favonio - Favonius (Latin), Zephyrus (Greek) 

The eye-catching back design includes beautiful architectural elements in Italic style. Besides the Ace of Spades and the Jokers, the face cards are pretty much standard but recolored to fit the theme and color palette of the deck.

The deck is packaged in a beautiful white tuck box and littered with stunning copper foil. The deck will be printed by the USPCC. Pledge starts at $15 on Kickstarter.

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