A new and fresh deck breaks into the scenario of the cards: BICYCLE LADYBUG. This creation is the result of the collaboration between Will Roya (PlayingCardsDecks.com) with the artist Artur Rajch. The ladybug is undoubtedly one of the most endearing insects, always related to color and childhood. This time, the charming bug has been the inspiration for some amusing cards full of polka dots. The customization is complete in each and every one of the cards in which, obviously, red and…
Nordic mythology and artistic talent come together in the latest creation of Jody Eklund (Black Ink Playing Cards): LUMINOSITY. With this deck, Jody completely changes his usual retro-engraved style based on more recent stories to create an allegorical fantasy world inspired by Nordic mythological characters who play their roles in an epic story of struggles between good and evil masterfully narrated by Ricky Cassford. The joining together of fantastic literature and beautiful illustrations produces a unique, completely customized deck, in which…
Sometimes I receive questions from my readers about stocks and finishes used to print playing cards. Although a thorough analysis of this topic would require a much longer article, it is possible to learn important aspects by observing the features of new releases. A good example is the new release by Di Fatta Magic: BICYCLE SUPREME LINE deck. Its appearance is that of a standard Bicycle rider back deck, with the traditional tuck case in red and blue colors. However…
This is one of those occasions when Max Playing Cards recovers the essence of its creation many years ago. The passion for playing cards collection finds a special sense in those decks that have been created by the pure pleasure to create, outside of the market and the satisfaction of a growing and worrying escalation of speculation to which many (and almost always the “most important” ones) creators have ended up succumbing. There are people in the world whose talent…
While we are faced with an explosion of new designs of all kinds, it is always enriching to learn a little more about the origin of playing cards through reproductions of old decks that have marked an era. Besides working tirelessly to spread designs from illustrators around the world through his own production, Will Roya has also committed to the playing card history. After the Bicycle Faro edition based on the designs of a s.XIX deck, he now offers us…
Last year, a passionate group of young creators called Nomads Playing Cards launched a deck inspired by constellations and astrology. Although the project ended unfunded, they did not rule out it but decided to do it even stronger. Now, they present the first deck of the series: LUNAR AND ZODIAC: YEAR OF THE PIG. This series takes as reference the relationship between the nomads of Xiongnu in ancient Mongolia and the well-known Chinese lunar calendar represented by 12 animals. In this…
The representation of Iustitia, the Roman goddess heiress of the Greek Dice, has traditionally been linked to a woman holding a scale in one hand to symbolize the balance between truth and justice and a sword in the other hand to show the strength of its application. From the 15th century, a blindfold was added to the iconography to indicate that the justice must be impartial. With this inspiration, the artist John Cho and Passione Cards Team have created the EQUALITY…
The fusion between the retro aesthetic of the Victorian era and science fiction technology based on steam energy resulted in the literary genre of steampunk that has served as inspiration for many playing card designs. Today I bring you a new deck full of fantasy inspired by this movement: ARISTO STEAMPUNK. The first thing that stands out the observation of these cards is the careful setting and the detailed illustrations that decorate it. Taking as a reference the machinery and…
Precious stones have traditionally been associated with magical properties and are also part of many tales and legends. SVI Group produces decks full of historical inspiration and adventure and this time they offer us the first of a series of decks called Crown Jewels inspired by the gems: SAPPHIRE ROYAL BLUE. The campaign offers two different decks that share illustrations on faces with different color schemes and backs. The court cards have been completely customized based on the traditional scheme…
Some years ago, Make Playing Cards became an absolute reference in the cards manufacturing thanks to a hard creation work in which new technologies and a differentiating service have marked important milestones. Among all their creations, the Impressions Series stands out, and two new editions arrive now: IMPRESSIONS RISING SUN and AOZORA. These new editions make use of the already popular high gloss technology used by MPC that gives the cards an incredible bright embossing. Inspired by the traditional…