Collections: No.17 by Stockholm 17

It’s always a good sign when a designer’s work can be recognized without his name on it. You know the look, the style and it just clicks into place. There are a few designers in the playing card industry that can accomplish that, and Lorenzo Gaggiotti is now one of them. Lorenzo and his recently created Stockholm 17 brand have become solid, recognizable names and images in the playing card community. So yes, hard work and attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed for too long.

About the time Stockholm 17 was being born, Lorenzo worked on a project for Card Launcher, the deck was simply called No. 17 and was to be used for promotions and marketing for the crowd funding site. Only 530 of these “Promotional” decks were produced. The deck is very much a Lorenzo deck, but I do remember seeing it for the 1st time and feeling like it was a bit incomplete, not a terrible thing, Lorenzo’s sketch work is amazing on its own, but it was missing the refined touches I was used to seeing with Lorenzo’s earlier work.  Needless to say, when Lorenzo announced that he would be releasing a second version of No.17, with a “Revised” look, many, myself included, we’re pretty excited.

So 3 base version of the No.17 deck have immerged… to date. They all bring something a bit different to the brand, each with its own feature so to speak. We have the Version 1, and 2, Version 2 consisting of a Branded and Unbranded tuck design. Let’s start with theV1.

The No.17 v1 was produced by MPC on their Linen Finish. The back design is beautifully ornate and shows Lorenzo’s style and detail very well, the face cards feature smaller pips that are centered and brought in on the card frame. The court design is easily recognized as Lorenzo’s work, each personality is well designed and thought out, they all go well together in look and concept. Here is where the v1 seems incomplete to me. The courts look more like a “Final Sketch” than finished product. Again, this is my opinion; it just didn’t seem to fit Lorenzo’s usual presentation. That being said, they still look great. The deck is in a glossy white tuck box with two holographic “Safety” seals, one at each end. I’m not going to go into this too much, but my simple comment to the seals is, overkill.
The back of the tuck reflects the card back and the front features a Jester sitting over a Spade which reads “No. 17”. The deck also features a custom Ace of Spades and Jokers, all three cards advertise Card Launcher on them, and you will also find another small ad on the back design at either end of the center “Flower” design.  Keeping in mind the intention of the V1 deck I have to give it some props, as a promotion you can’t really go wrong with a talented designer and a limited print run…the designer carrying most of the appeal. Version 1’s aren’t impossible to find and will have a heavier price tag than a normal deck, but if you’re a collector and more so a fan of Lorenzo’s work, it’s a deck worth pursuing at the right price.

After waiting very impatiently, the No. 17’s version 2 came along. Offered in a Branded and Unbranded tuck, both decks drew heavy similarities to the V1. The Branded version has a very similar tuck to the v1, but offers a more “Complete” look. Bicycle branded with subtle embossing give the tuck a nice look and feel, the tuck also features a “Tax Stamp” style seal, the now familiar Jester on the front and a slightly redesigned back that carries heavier line work and a new color palette.

The face cards remain true to the V1 layout and design, while all 4 Aces received a major redesign, making them all stand out. The key Ace of Spades has a beautiful ornate look that matches up with other Aces very well and also includes an image of a black cat draped across the top of the Spade. The Jokers mirror the V1’s minus the ad copy and feature Lorenzo’s Jester once again. The court cards are amazing, from a “Sketch” to finished product, the wardrobe is more complete and detailed and the subtle color palette makes some of the detail stand out really well in comparison to the V1’s courts. The back design uses a red color palette, heavier lines on some of the elements, but a mirror of the V1 none the less.

The Unbranded V2 cards have the same faces and courts as the Branded version, but the back design returns to the color palette used on the V1’s. The tuck for the unbranded version is subtle, but striking. Featuring some nice embossing on a soft white tuck and vibrant Red foil accents make the beautifully detailed “No. 17” just pop off the front of the tuck case.  The V2’s does also have a subtle addition to the back design in the form of a “17” at either end of the card back.

No.17 is a beautiful piece of work by Stockholm 17 and all three decks come together nicely as a set, the 1st offering some collectability and the latter offering what, in my opinion, a more complete vision of what the deck was supposed to originally look like. Lorenzo does amazing work, and if you’re a longtime fan or just seeing his decks for the 1st time, No. 17, in any of its incarnations, would make a nice addition to any collection.

Visit Stockholm 17 on their website and you can also follow them on Facebook so you can keep up to date on new projects and release dates. 

First Look: Gemini Playing Cards by Stockholm17

[Update] Gemini Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Two years in the making, Gemini is a fascinating deck of playing cards designed by Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17, creator of stunning playing card decks such as Requiem, Heretic, No.17 and Le Chat Rouge. The Gemini Playing Cards has been meticulously crafted to give it a classic medieval feel.

The deck features aces that are depicted as axes and the royals of the court cards interact with their own pip, becoming part of the illustration. The number pips are bold, big and they take a lot of space. Lorenzo used an unconventional index (horizontal layout instead of vertical) for Gemini because he likes to push the boundaries and bend the unwritten rules of playing cards design.

The striking tuck box design is a collaboration between Lorenzo and Calligraffiti ambassador Karl O'brien from UK (Instagram: @85Kobe). This beautiful calligraphic text has been handcrafted by Karl and it looks like an ancient manuscript.

On the design process, Lorenzo said,

Gemini has been a long project that took 2 years of discontinued development; from the first concept sketch done in August 2014 (below) to what was unveiled in April 2015 when the style, the color palette, and the layout were set.

 The name Gemini is based on the peculiarity of the court cards. Lorenzo explained,

At first glance the royals of each court card look perfectly symmetrical, but they are not. I depicted them as twins (Gemini in latin), so you will be spotting differences when you look at the details. Those who followed Heretic Playing Cards, will remember this feature in the 58th card of the deck: the smiling-crying Queen of Hearts. I thought that the Gemini zodiac sign would fit this idea, so it gets a bit astrological in its design. The archetype of Gemini is fascinating and intriguing.

Like his previous projects, Lorenzo will have a few special items designed exclusively for Gemini, which will be unveiled at the right time. The campaign will start with a goal set for 2 decks: Gemini Terra and Gemini Ignis (fire in latin). Also, there is an awesome add-on that Lorenzo was able to show it in its real beauty: a poker card guard (or card protector) shaped like Gemini symbol in black nickel, with plated vines.

For the stretched goal, Lorenzo have the Gemini Noctis and when it will is unlocked new rewards and items will be unveiled! Finally, Lorenzo will release Gemini Experimental: a special version of the deck as he used during the kickstarter campaign. More will be unveiled soon.

[Update] Gemini Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

To keep up with the launch of Gemini Playing Cards on September 10, you can follow Stockholm17's event on Facebook.

7 Questions with the Gentleman Wake of the Parlour Playing Cards

The Parlour Playing Cards is a collaboration between Lorenzo Gaggioti of Stockholm17 and the Gentleman Wake currently funding on Kickstarter. Already 200% funded, these exquisite deck playing cards are inspired by the age-old and admired decks. The deck features fully custom card backs, Ace of Spades, jokers and improved semi-custom court cards meticulously crafted by Lorenzo. For more on the design inspiration, check out our first look article.

Before the Kickstarter campaign, we managed to have a quick chat with the Gentleman Wake about the inspiration and the design evolution of the deck, collaboration with Lorenzo and getting notable guests in his cool Kickstarter video.

For those of us who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and how did The Gentleman Wake come about? 
Ah, starting with an existential self-examination? Haha. Well, I guess the easy answer is that I'm a Content Creator and Youtuber with a channel dedicated to high-quality content for the playing cards enthusiast. At the risk of dating myself, lol, I'm a 20 year veteran of filmmaking and television and a life-long collector of different things which kind of explains my dual entry point into the world of playing cards video content--since I'm not a magician or cardist in the traditional sense. I now own about a thousand decks of cards. Basically, I'm a 14-year-old in the body of a man! haha.

My real name is Omar, but of course, the Youtube channel, which I run with the help of my very talented and beautiful wife Liza Quin, is called The Gentleman Wake. The idea behind the name is really about conveying a sense of what a visitor to the channel can expect. Refined well-thought-out opinions. Elegant presentation. We take a lot of pride in producing content that is well-researched and presented in as dignified a way as possible, even when delivering criticism--which I always try to keep constructive. And I think also we're not above poking fun at ourselves--not taking it too seriously either.

The Parlour will be your first playing card deck. How did you end up collaborating with Stockhom17?
Well, that's a bit of a long story that requires a bit of set-up. In the very early days of the TGW channel, I was mostly interested in making up for my lack of knowledge and skill with cards by throwing an absurd amount of production value at my videos! I drew on the many years of videography, editing and photography experience to create videos that, I hoped, looked and sounded different than any other playing cards content being created on YouTube. Often, videos would take me 20 hours to complete, and I think thanks to that unconventional approach, I was lucky enough to make -- I wouldn't even call them waves -- more like ripples. I caught the attention of some notable designers and playing cards producers--who I think are always on the hunt for new avenues to spread their reach (as they should). During those early days, I was looking for any way I could to further cement myself, and I figure exclusive previews of prototype decks/Kickstarter campaigns was the best way to do it. After all, it would be hard to compete for attention with other more established reviewers if I was reviewing decks that were being reviewed by everyone else.

At some point during my collection building days, I, of course, landed on the work of Lorenzo Gaggiotti, better known as Stockholm17, and I was instantly drawn to them. Soon after, I finally got in contact with him--can't say I really remember how. Probably because I followed him on Instagram where I probably harassed him to get his attention. Haha. After introducing myself and showing him some of my videos to date I think he got very excited about the prospect of my helping him produce the Kickstarter video for his then-upcoming House of the Rising Spade project. We worked out a barter deal where he would send me the prototype HotRS deck so I could preview it for the Youtube audience and he could use the footage I captured for his campaign video. As a result, I gained a little bit of needed credibility in the community--for being a place where aficionados of playing cards could expect to find new information and I think, well I hope, that he came away surprised and pleased with the quality of the images and videography that I provided him.

It was some time afterward when I started to think about making and producing a deck of cards myself--something I always knew I wanted to do-- that I approached him just to get some logistical questions answered. Since I had his email, and because I knew he'd worked with Caroline Ravn on the Ravn decks I asked what that kind of arrangement, between designer and entertainer, looked like. We got to talking and very soon after that agreed to work on a deck together. In that respect, I got very very lucky. I swung for the fences in going after an artist of Lorenzo's caliber and even though--in this metaphor--I had my eyes closed, I hit a home run.

Can you describe the Parlour? and why you are passionate about it?
In the days leading up to the creation of the channel, I knew that there was a certain aesthetic that I wanted the channel and by extension the brand to have. For instance, I wanted the space I shot my videos in to be classic and inspired by the vintage elements that are often associated with playing cards. That led to the creation of the Gentleman's study--which is really just our living room. The Victorian-inspired decor and museum-like quality was something I really wanted. We filled the space with curiosities and trinkets, artwork that inspired me, and small pop-cultural details. At the end of the day, I basically wanted to live and work in Sherlock Holmes' apartment.

Whatever our first deck was going to be, I wanted it to reinforce those motifs and design choices. And what better way to do that then to create a deck that was emblematic of the space that the channel inhabits? So we knew we wanted the deck to have elements of that space peppered into its design. We also knew we wanted a deck that would appeal to the different sectors of viewers that were starting to visit the channel; Collectors, Magicians, Players of card games and even Cardists, although historically the cardistry world gravitates towards more simplistic and colorful designs.

The inspiration in the "Study" gave way to the name "The Parlour"--which of course is another name for a fancy room where discussion happens. The TDLR version is that the Parlour deck is a representation of what the Gentleman Wake brand is. And because the brand is also, to an extension, really a large part of me, it's a little deeper than that even.

What role did you play in the art direction and how much time did you spend working on the deck?
When you are working with an artist of Lorenzo's caliber you really don't want to stifle or overbear too much. He's gotten to a very successful point in his career and let's be honest, he didn't really NEED me. In fact, I was extremely grateful to have such an experienced and well-versed mentor when it came to producing a deck of cards, let alone running a successful Kickstarter project. But, ultimately, the deck was going to be the first physical product to represent the TGW name, and because of that, I was certainly interested in being a huge motivator and I was deeply invested, both emotionally and artistically, in the process. Being a creative director in the world of television for years was also something I couldn't inherently turn off. My wife will surely tell you that I have a strong vision when it comes to creative endeavors. So the original inspiration came from photographs of my living room and it just so happens that this aligned very well with Lorenzo's aesthetic and where he was in his creative life so to speak. In fact, that synergy--that we were both interested in the same kind of deck--is ultimately what led to it actually happening.

Could you walk us through your “Creative” process? Do you or Lorenzo have a routine when designing the deck or individual card over the past few months?
At the onset I gave Lorenzo some early parameters; I wanted a classic feel. Something that could sit on a table next to a Tally-Ho Circle back or a Bicycle Rider back while still feeling modern. I wanted the deck to be magician and gameplay friendly yet feature the details and customization that I knew collectors would appreciate. Over time other ideas surfaced. For instance, the deck is printed to be off-white--eggshell really. This gives it a vintage vibe without resorting to weathering. It still looks very much new in the hand. That's an idea I had inspired by Dan & Dave's vintage plaid deck.

But ultimately Lorenzo is the true designer of this project. He's the one that designed that spectacular spade monogram. My only real feedback on that was 'oh bleep, that's amazing!" Haha. And really I tried to get out of his way as much as possible. Having said that he's a consummate pro and collaborator and made me feel very much a part of the process sharing every single design variation he had and allowing me agency to pick which versions to continue working and elaborating on. At one point the idea came up to include the unique implements and trinkets on the individual court cards. He asked me to make him a list of who had what and then he went from there. Sending WIP shots and being very open to my ideas. And of course, I had my knit-picky moments too which more often than not he would relent on. But I certainly picked my battles--as I'm sure he did--to arrive at something that I think we are both extremely proud of. True collaboration in every sense.

The Kickstarter video is probably one of the best we’ve seen on a playing card campaign. For those who are wondering, how did you get Dan Buck, Alex Pandrea, Andrei Jikh, and Asad Chaudhry featured in your video?
Firstly, thanks so much for the amazing compliment! Hearing those kinds of things obviously never gets old but when you are in the trenches, grinding until 4am to make sure those kinds of things look the way they need to, you kind of forget what's its like to see it for the first time. I'm a filmmaker first and foremost, and I knew that I wouldn't have been satisfied with a run of the mill video. I wanted everything to be absolutely top notch. I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of video I wanted to make--what kind of message was important to deliver. And ultimately if I have one bit of advice, having had a long career in promo advertising, its lead with feeling. The details are nice. The specifics are great. But those rarely get people in the door so-to-speak.

Regarding the amazing guests, I had, just like everything else during this process I wanted the best. Although I practice my cardistry and magic skills daily I'm still very much a noob and I knew early on that my skills weren't going to cut it to really show off the design Lorenzo had worked so hard to realize. So if I'm gonna go after talented folks to appear and endorse the deck I was going to go for top-shelf people! I was extremely lucky enough to get the attention of those amazing and talented folks and arranged a big trip to the west coast of the USA to meet and collaborate with them--not just for the deck but for content creation as well. And even if this campaign fails to gain the funding or come to fruition at all, I will still be completely grateful and happy to have built some great on-going relationships with those gentlemen you listed.

Finally, what are your favorite playing cards?
Oh man, we could be here all day. Anything by Lorenzo of course. Anything from Jackson Robinson. I'm a huge fan of the decks of Kevin Cantrell. Uusi is another outfit that is just killing it with amazing decks. But really I have the utmost respect for anyone who puts their creative souls on the line to create. Opinions and tastes are subjective of course!

Thanks, Omar and all the best! If you want to support the Parlour playing cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here! Pledge starts at $16.


Two colorways are on offer during the campaign, deep navy blue and rich wine red! The Parlour Playing Cards deck will be printed by Cartamundi on crushed paper stock using their proprietary B9 true linen finish.

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Cardistry: 3 Questions with Juan Lorenzo Cobo of Paperwave Playing Cards

Image by Edoardo Cavalieri

Designed by New York-based graphic designer, Lorenzo Cobo, Paperwave Playing Cards are born from an exploration of style. Lorenzo wanted to design a deck that combines mysterious, stylish, and nostalgic design elements, that would culminate in a homage to the Synthwave music genre and culture, also known as Retrowave.

Lorenzo is currently a junior graphic design student at Purchase College in New York. He grew up surrounded by art, from his mom being a ballet teacher to his dad being a photographer, art and design have always been in his life, slowly inspiring him to be a creative individual. Last week, we sat down with Lorenzo for a quick Q&A on the Paperwave deck.

What is your inspiration behind the Paperwave Playing Cards? How did you come up with the idea?
I have been working on Paperwave for over two years now, and it has been a dream of mine to produce a deck of cards for even longer. This deck design was born from an exploration of style. I wanted to design a deck that mixed enigmatic, stylish, and nostalgic elements, that would culminate in a homage to the Synthwave music genre and culture, also known as Retrowave. Many things inspired and informed the design of this deck, from 80’s science fiction and scientific diagrams, to some of my favorite Synthwave artists such as Kavinsky and Power Glove, to the father of Optical art, Victor Vasarely.

Picture by Limus Schmidt

We first noticed the deck on Instagram. What do you think of the community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far?
This is the most welcoming community I have ever been a part of, I have managed to meet a lot of great people through instagram, many of whom I have never even met in person, but I can confidently call them my friends. As far as the feedback and support goes, it has completely exceeded all my expectations. I thought that If my Kickstarter campaign managed to get 20% funded on the first few days I could maybe have a chance of getting funded, needless to say, I was totally shocked once it managed to get funded on the first few hours! I could have never anticipated the amazing support from the people in the community. This is a project I have spend countless hours of work into, hence, I am very grateful and humbled to see all the positive feedback from the community.

Image by Pablo Frey

Finally, what are your favorite playing card decks?
My top three favorite playing cards, in no particular order, are blue circle back Tally Ho, for their unrivaled, timeless look and durability, Wavy Playing Cards by Nathan Stichter, for their tasteful use of a minimalistic back design and beautiful complexity of the faces, and Headlong Into Eternity by A1, for having what could be my favorite custom court cards ever.

Paperwave Playing Cards is already 258% funded with only 11 days to go! Head on to Kickstarter if you want to support Lorenzo. Pledge starts at $10.

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Analytics: Project by Numbers - Requiem Playing Cards

Here is another rare glimpse at the numbers of a recently completed project, Requiem Playing Cards project. Only 4 months ago, creator Lorenzo Gaggiotti was looking for a potential investor/backer to make this deck a reality, Kickstarter wasn't even his first another option. One thing led to another, and Lorenzo decided to launch Requiem on Kickstarter. Previously an unknown in the Playing Card industry, Lorenzo has made a name for himself through this unique deck of cards and his hard work has paid off.

In this Project by Numbers analytic series, we will look at what happens after the project- backer numbers, pledges, add-ons, traffic sources etc... This month, we will look at numbers from a recently funded project - the pledge and backer numbers.

Before we start, we want to thank Lorenzo for sharing the data and giving us an insight of the numbers that behind this fantastic project.

The Project

The Requiem Playing Cards project was launched on 12 January 2014 with a funding goal of $15k. This is one of our most anticipated deck in 2014 and without any doubt, this project was funded within 9 days of the launch!

Here's a quick overview of the project:

The 10 prototype decks might be of interest to some. Of the 10, 2 are for the backers, 1 for Golden Backer, 2 for deck-reviews on youtube, 3 still with Lorenzo in Stockholm, 1 for an expression of interest pre-Kickstarter and 1 for the Requiem Crew- Mike Ratledge (who did an awesome job!)

This how the funding progress look like:

On Jan 24, 30 Gran Riserva decks was released and the Golden Backer found!

Pledges

The amount pledged was $38.4k, 56% of that is United States based (domestic). Note that only 0.4% of pledges did not get banked due non-processed credit card errors. As usual, 5% will go to Kickstarter and 4% to Amazon Payment.

From the total amount, 76% of the backers pledged $24 and above. The most popular pledge seem to be the $16-$25 level, which is the 2 decks/combo reward tier. Histogram as follows:

The average pledged per backer is:

... and the highest single pledge:

Backers

The final number of backers for this project is 769.

The composition of all the backers are as follows:

Lorenzo will have to order 3.5k+ decks for backers (50% Autumn and 50% Winter).  There are +/-5k deck in production  (50% Autumn and 50% Winter). This decision has yet to be officially confirmed.

Next month, we will look at (initially scheduled for this month) where all the playing card projects come from and the month after, we will look at traffic sources (external vs internal) of a number of Kickstarter project- where do they come from and what % do they contribute towards the funding goal.

News: Here Are The Winners of the 2019 52 Plus Joker's Diamond Awards

The 2019 52 Plus Joker Diamond Award winners have been announced over the weekend. The annual convention was held at the Hilton University Place Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both 'Artist of the Year' award and 'Deck of the Year' award went to Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17.

Lorenzo posted on his facebook,



Lorenzo's stunning House of the Rising Spade won 'Deck of the Year'. What an incredible effort and achievement for Lorenzo. This is the first time that a designer won both categories. Other decks in the category were De Novo by Rick Davidson, Monolith by Thirdway Industries, Six Strings by Kardify and Top Aces of World War II by Black Ink.

Congratulations to Lorenzo!

Revealed: Heretic Playing Cards

Okay, this is not exactly a 'first look' of Heretic Playing Cards but a before and after look of the deck. Masterfully crafted by Lorenzo Gaggiotti, designer of the breathtaking Requiem Playing Cards, Heretic has generated quite a following around the community after hints and teaser images on social media and popular playing card forums.

Interestingly, Heretic was designed before Requiem Playing Cards. It remained with a company which ended up not printing it. Lorenzo took Heretic back, tweaked and improved on the artwork & design. After five months of hard work, it will be released on Kickstarter.

Thanks to Lorenzo, we are able to have a look at the original Heretic deck (top) and the improved version (bottom), which will be released on Kickstarter.

The original name for the deck was "Der Alchemist" and then it became "Oracle" before a deck with a similar name was released on Kickstarter. After taking the deck back, Lorenzo renamed it "Heretic". From the given names, one would have guessed the deck is based on alchemy and the hermetic world. Noticeably, Salt (for the Jacks), Sulfur (for the Queens) and Mercury (for the Kings) are the three basic ingredients of the alchemist. To quote Lorenzo,

The mysteries of alchemy, hermetic world, symbols, sacred geometry and numbers fits with playing cards (e.g. 52 cards as the 52 weeks of the year).

Find out more about Heretic Playing Cards Here. Also, to see more exclusives and interviews, please follow us Facebook.

The 52 Plus Joker’s Diamond Awards 2022 Winner Announced!

The 52 Plus Joker Diamond Award winners have been announced at this weekend’s 52 Plus Joker convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Deck of the Year’ Awards went to Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17.

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A post shared by Stockholm17 Playing Cards (@stockholm17)

Lorenzo’s stunning Eye of the Ocean playing cards won ‘Deck of the Year’. Lorenzo had an incredible year with the release of memorable decks such as the 52 Plus Joker 2021 Club Deck, Eye of the Ocean, Odd Fellows, and the Notorious Gambling Frog. This is Lorenzo’s second double category after winning both categories in 2019.

Other decks in the category were Hummingbird Feathers by Marvelous Decks and Azure Dragon & Time Machine by TCC.

Congratulations Lorenzo! 😀

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Heretic Playing Cards

Lorenzo Gaggiotti is at it again! After the successful and highly acclaimed Requiem Playing Cards, Lorenzo just released what look like another hit on Kickstarter, Heretic Playing Cards. This masterfully crafted deck is a heresy in many ways. It´s based on alchemy and the hermetic world. Salt (for the Jacks), Sulfur (for the Queens) and Mercury (for the Kings) are the three basic ingredients of the alchemist. There is a whole list of heresies listed on the project page.

Heretic was designed before Requiem Playing Cards, however it remained with a company which ended up not printing it. Lorenzo famously took Heretic back, tweaked, improved on the artwork & design and finally launching it on Kickstarter.

Between his busy schedule, we were able to catch-up with Lorenzo for a quick Q&A on the Heretic Playing Cards,  Expert Playing Card Company, design and evolution of Heretic and some advice and thoughts from his previous project.


Can you describe the Heretic deck and why you’re passionate about it?
Heretic is based on Alchemy, sacred geometry and hermetism. These 3 themes have a big aura of mystery and they are interconnected. Since alchemy is the closest thing to magic, I wanted to bound these themes with the world of playing cards. Heretic is also my very first deck. It was designed even before Requiem.

I started working on it in September 2012 and the first name was “Der Alchemist”. In 2013, I managed to find a producer and we decided that it was better to find other name than Alchemist or Alchemy, since there was already a lot of decks with the same name. I had a list of names and Oracle was the choice. Then it passed one year and nothing happened, it was a constant postponing the release to a date that sounded as “never”. Meanwhile Chris Ovdiyenko released his beautiful Oracle deck and I started to work on Requiem.

After Requiem I cancelled the contract with this company and I took it back, renamed it, improved it and what you see today is the result of many months of work, redesign, tweaks, changes and improvements. I'm passionate about it because I love the theme and the symbols, the style and because it is “my first son” that took 2 years to get out.

Heretic will be printed by the Expert Playing Card Company (EPCC). How did you come to this decision to use EPCC and were there any challenges when you approached them?
I was quite unhappy with USPCC during and after Requiem because they charge a lot, they are inflexible, slow in responding and they do not do any kind of discount. Just asking money on things that should be granted, as the printing proofs.

The biggest problem with USPCC is that they do not print the quantity you ask. There is always a +10% overproduction and they ask the money for it. That´s not fair at all. Let´s have a realistic scenario (and it´s important to understand this): After the campaign I count 3250 decks. I want 200 for myself (total 3450). At USPCC I have to order 3500. But they say that there might be a -+10% of production. Worst case scenario: 3150 or 3850. If I order 3500 and they produce 3150 I don't have enough for the backers. If I order 4000 the worst case scenario is 3600. It fits. BUT, if they produce 4400 I have to pay all of them. Even the +400 in excess. It happens in 90% of the cases that they produce this damn +10% (or more), but I could not take the risk. Result: 4400 decks produced, 1000 in excess.

EPCC is flexible, dynamic, responsive and the quality of the print, registration and feature is high. I have here Zenith and Exquisite. I do want Heretic being made with that quality. Ok, cardists might disagree, but Heretic is not specifically designed for cardistry. EPCC produces at better prices the requested quantity without insane overproduction.

How much time did you spend working on the deck? Also, can you briefly go through the evolution for one of your unique card designs?
It took me almost 4 months of my spare time to make the first version. Then I worked another month with redesign, changes, tweaks and improvements. The Kickstarter campaign takes another month of work and design. Total 6 months of my spare time (read evenings and weekends).

About the Ace of Spades, well, that´s “the card” in every deck. I did an geometrical structure around it, as I also did for the other aces. But for the ace of spades it was more complex and intricate. There you see all the alchemy symbols and geometric shapes resembling the sacred geometry, sigils, “magic” hermetic cryptic drawings.

From the project page, what are a few of your favourite reward levels and why?
I had this idea of “dynamic pledges”. I don't know if it´s original or not, but I think it´s a good solution for the stretch goals. For example: you pledge for an uncut sheet, and if the Noctis is unlocked you automatically will get 2 uncut sheets: one lux and one noctis. Without adding money.

What are a few key elements and principles you incorporated into your project that you think future Kickstarter creators could benefit from knowing?
I like to do simple things. Simple things are not easy to do. Simplicity is not easy to achieve. As you can see this project has very simple and few pledges. I did the mistake on Requiem of having a long list of possibilities. It complicates the management of the backers and the pledges. 1,2,3,4 decks, uncut sheet(s), one early brick, bricks. (ok, and 3 numbered prototypes that flew away at the speed of light). Another thing is my reluctance to add-ons. I prefer to give something for free as gratitude as I did for Requiem. I want to focus 100% on the decks and their features. The problem for me with add-ons is the long-distance management. Since I'm located in Stockholm, it´s very hard to produce coins or dice, get samples, communicate and work from here.

What are your three favorite Ace of Spades?
Ah! that´s not fair. I like almost all of them. The Ace of Spades is the Ace of Spades. It´s hard to say and I have many in my list...3 of them I really like are from: Venexiana, Whispering Imps and Archangels.

;) Had to make it hard for you! Finally, do you have any other words of wisdom for aspiring artists and designers?
Quality over quantity, focus, study, analyse, observe, have care for details, be consistent and patient. It´s hard to design a deck of playing cards, and it takes time. It´s hard to stay in that area where your deck is perceived as custom card deck, instead of tarots, merchandise licensed decks, cards for kids or copy-paste color-swap jobs. It´s a challenge to keep a classic feeling and apply a modern/different look.

Looks like another hit Lorenzo! Thanks for your time and honest insights. All the best!

 Heretic Playing Cards will be available in two editions: Lux and Noctis (if Stretch Goal is reached). Both decks are completely unique and 100% customised. These beautifully crafted decks will be printed by EPCC at the highest quality stock with 'Master Finish'. Pledge starts from $11. With the exception of uncut sheers, no other add-ons are available for this project.

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Who Won the 2023 52 Plus Joker’s Diamond Awards?

The 52 Plus Joker Diamond Award winners have been announced at this weekend’s 52 Plus Joker convention in Cleveland, Ohio. For the second year running, both ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Deck of the Year’ Awards went to Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17. 

Lorenzo’s 17th Kingdom playing cards won ‘Deck of the Year’, a remarkable deck that defies convention with its captivating glass-hour shape. This is Lorenzo’s THIRD double category since winning both categories in 2019.

Other decks in the category were RX Almanac by Elettra Deganello, Under the Moon by Jocu PLaying Cards, Eye of Kukulkan by Herman Ong and Ethereal Dreams by Digital Desires.

Congratulations Lorenzo! 😀

First Look at the Parlour Playing Cards

On Kickstarter tomorrow! The Parlor Playing Cards, a collaboration between Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17 and the Gentleman Wake. This exquisite deck playing cards are inspired by the age-old and admired decks.

Fully custom and meticulously crafted by Lorenzo, the deck features improved and customized Court Cards designed to be instantly recognizable yet upon closer inspection reveal unique refinements. On the design, Lorenzo told Kardify,

It is a classic looking semi-custom deck similar to Ravn and there are a lot of graphic elements recalling the graphics from the end of 1800. All the fonts are hand made and the tuck mimic those old handmade posters advertising products, with plenty of texts in a different style (not the same font so to speak). The court cards have been tweaked and they hold items from TGW room. There are plenty of details depicting objects that are part of TGW room, and that room is called Parlour.

The classic mirrored card backs come with TGW monogram spade, rhinoceros beetles and damask pattern, designed to feel classic and nuanced.

The bold custom Ace of Spades and illustrated Jokers featuring Sir Fox, and Shakespeare the Cat, completes the deck. The deck is packaged in a stunning tuck produced by renowned printer Lotrek and Oath Playing Cards. Lorenzo continued,

The Jokers are Sir Fox and Shakespeare the cat, both with a clear vintage outfit. Sir fox sells decks, and the cat sells nickelodeon shows. Also, Shakespeare the cat is his real cat, a british shorthair breed. The fox is a bust in his room. The whole design meant to communicate a vintage feeling keeping the standard readability and usability. The back is very classic and that is how we wanted it.

Two colorways are on offer during the campaign, deep navy blue and rich wine red on premium paper stock. Both tucks are embossed and adorned in metallic foil in red/blue and gold.

The Parlour Playing Cards deck will be printed by Cartamundi on crushed paper stock using their proprietary B9 true linen finish. Launching on Kickstarter tomorrow and pledge starts at $16.

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First Look: No.17 Le Chat Rouge Playing Cards by Stockholm 17

[Update] Le Chat Rouge Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

For this exclusive first look, we are honoured to have a guest post from Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17, creator of popular playing card decks such as Requiem, Heretic and No.17. In this guest post, Lorenzo shares with us about the Le Chat Rouge and the creative process behind the deck. Enjoy!

No.17 Le Chat Rouge is the evolution and the last version of the No.17 series. Over the years I've learned that a product never stops evolving, even though it looks similar to the previous version; just think of the iPhone series, from 2G to 6S. I am not planning to improve this deck "ad vitam", I think I have reached a level of satisfaction with Le Chat Rouge and therefore, decided to print it with nice features.

During the design process, I have to make choices, for example round shape's behind the courts, or rectangular? Well, I like both, but it is a choice and the outcome is quite different. With Le Chat Rouge, I am confident and decided to add elegant black inner borders. The Expert Playing Card Company prints perfectly aligned and centered cards, so I decided to work with them again after the great experience with Heretic.

The red foil accents on the back of the cards are something I could not miss. It gives to the deck an incredible effect and I am sure it will turn out great, even though it will be a little more expensive than a regular deck. The production costs are very high, and I need to print at least 2000 units, that´s the reason why the goal is a little higher than usual.

For the campaign, I have a couple of small surprises and of course gifts for the backers once I reach the stretch goals. No.17 Red Label is the "brother" of No.17 Crown Edition, another laser-cut job on special paper and assembled by hand here in Stockholm- signed, limited, numbered and quite exclusive.

The campaign will be launched on Saturday, October 10 at 2pm EST. If we reach all the stretch goals, this deck will turn out exquisite, elegant and exclusive.

[Update] Le Chat Rouge Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

This exclusive guest post is written by Lorenzo of Stockholm17 for Kardify. No part of this article can be reproduced without written permission from the author. You can check out Lorenzo's work online at stockholm17.com