Kickstarter: 3 Questions with Kevin Kim of Hak Playing Cards

Hak playing cards is an elegant deck that explores the designs, traditions, and architecture of the golden age of Korean history. Designed by New York-based graphic designer and photographer, Kevin Kim, the deck is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter. On his design background, Kevin told Kardify,

I’ve always had an interest in magic, cardistry, and playing cards, so when I realized I could design cards myself I jumped at the opportunity. This is my third Kickstarter campaign with two successful campaigns under my belt (Shard Playing Cards, Naabi Playing Cards). The ‘K' in Studio K stands for the K in my initials, and also my Korean heritage. Just as K-Pop spreads Korean culture in pop music, I hope Studio K Cards can spread Korean culture to those in the magic, playing cards, and cardistry scene!

Hak playing cards feature fully custom artwork, from the mirrored back design incorporating two cranes and eight japsang with Irworobongdo, to the striking Aces and the court cards designed with attention to detail for historical accuracy and recognizability.

Earlier this week, we had a quick chat with Kevin about the inspiration behind Hak Playing Cards, support from the community, and his favorite flourish and deck. 

 
What is your inspiration behind the Hak Playing Cards? How did you guys come up with the idea?
We came up with the idea for Hak playing cards from the royal palaces in Seoul, South Korea. Our main inspiration was the crane (pronounced 'Hak' in Korean) and the architecture of Gyeongbokgung, a palace during the Joseon Dynasty. We took details from royal architecture including rooftops, wall panels, and a folding screen placed behind the king’s throne. We used traditional outfits from the royal and ruling class of the time for the courts. We tried to show as many aspects of this unique period in Korean history as possible, so check on the Kickstarter campaign for more details! 

We first noticed the deck on Instagram. What do you think of the playing card community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far?
The support from the Instagram community has been amazing, it’s been great to see all the feedback we’ve been getting as well. We hope to take all the advice from our backers and supporters to create designs everyone has had a say in. Creating Kickstarter campaigns is definitely a collaborative effort, and it wouldn’t be possible without the help of the playing card community!



Finally, what are your favorite card flourish and playing card decks?
My favorite deck has to be the King Arthur deck by Riffle Shuffle, and Monarchs by Theory 11. Both are such beautiful and iconic decks! We hope to be able to collaborate with them on a deck one day. It’d be an amazing day for me and the team! My favorite flourish has to be the sybil cut. It’s one of the first flourishes/shuffles I’ve learned, and I’m still trying to get it down! 

If you liked what you read here and would like to support Hak Playing Cards, head to Kickstarter here! At the time of writing, the project is 98%! Pledge starts at $15 and the deck will be printed by the United States Playing Card Company.

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