First Look: "Fuego!" Playing Cards by Cellar Window Part II

[Update] Fuego! Playing Cards are now live on Kickstarter.

Part one of our First Look of Fuego! Playing Cards generated quite an interest amongst the playing card community. In the second part, we look into the details pertaining to this vibrant deck and the inspiration behind the artwork.

The Fuego! Playing Cards deck is the debut deck of Cellar Window (CW). It will be printed by Lawrence Sullivan's Legends Playing Card Co. in their traditionally cut European card stock and Emerald Finish. Every card on the Fuego! deck is custom made with very thin borders because of LPCC's precise cutting and each suit represents a different social class of the period from the rebels of the Spades to the elites of the Hearts.

Special attention is also given to the back design in that appeals to the talented cardist as well as the serious collector with it's minimalist approach coupled with an intricate touch. Staying true to the Latin aesthetics, the Fuego! deck has a carefully selected color palette with a focus on the contemporary design feel.

The Fuego! Playing Cards deck is influenced by the works of Mexican political printmaker José Guadalupe Posada and his Calaveras. It also has it's roots in the colorful and vibrant tradition of the Day of the Dead. With the small detail of the suits being different social classes this gives a particular weight to CW's other inspiration, the Latin phrase "Memento Mori". A simple reminder of our inescapable mortality no matter what standing we have in society and for all of us to strive to change our life for the better in light of this predicament.

This project will be available via Kickstarter on May 5th. We wish the team at Cellar Window great success with Fuego!.

[Update] Fuego! Playing Cards are now live on Kickstarter.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings from Cellar Window, visit them on their webpage.

First Look: "Fuego!" Playing Cards by Cellar Window Part I

Coming soon... "Fuego!" Playing Cards by the team at Cellar Window. This Mexican revolution themed playing cards and was inspired by the work of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican political printmaker and engraver whose work were influential in the development of 20th-century Mexican art.

The team at Cellar Window has certainly been busy and designed some of the most notable decks over the past few months. From Crooked Kings' Get Made!, to the recently funded Lux Playing Cards' British Monarchy, each deck is a unique work of art. "Fuego!" playing cards will be their first individual project.

The deck will be printed by LPCC and the tuck will come with embossing, interior print, perforated seal and also that classic long flap.

Kickstarter: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Cabinet of Curiosities Playing Cards by Cellar Window

The Cabinet of Curiosities is one of the most intriguing deck of playing cards we've featured on Kardify. Designed by the team at Cellar Window, Cabinet of Curiosities is an art deck featuring a juxtaposition of elements such as mechanisms coupled with an organic look that inexplicably forms a truly unique and obscure object.

The 54 fully illustrated and imagined objects are inspired by the works and personal collections of naturalists and explorers. Here are 5 things you didn't know about Cabinet of Curiosities Playing Cards:

1. A Small Cabinet
Design and theme is always at the heart of what co-founder Nam Tibon do for Cellar Window. Creating a small cabinet design on the tuck box fits perfecly with the theme. "The idea is for people to carry this tiny cabinet around and to be able share the strange wonders found inside with friends easily."

2. Curiouser and Curiouser
Historically the Cabinets of Curiosities are predecessors of modern Museums we see today. It's a collection of a variety of things found all over the world. "The beauty I found with this theme is not its accuracy in exactly depicting nature but rather its notoriety for some of the objects to be manipulated in order to create a sense of mystery for the viewer on what other crazy things might be found out there."

3. Opening the Lock
Inside this cabinet is 56 illustrated objects each having their own personality. Anyone can interpret these objects as whatever they like and each one is a mix of organic and mechanical things that can leave you staring at it for a long time. "Rather than just focusing on court card design I wanted to create a vast collection reminiscent to a real cabinet of curiosities."

4. Inspired by Giants
Not literal giants but giants in the fields of naturalist art and scientific discoveries through the years. "As a child I was always inspired by famous old paintings about flora and fauna and always wondered what other things they might have missed and working around that thought I decided to create these strange objects. I don't have a clear idea on how an object will look before illustrating it but I am guided with a sort of stream of consciousness. That way I am always surprised on how it turns out, and so every card is born of my own personal exploration and collection."

5. Stream of Consciousness.
"I instantly fell in love with creating this art deck so I decided to make this the first of a series of art decks of different themes and all cards will be fully illustrated. I still don't know what my next playing card art deck's theme will be but I trust in that 'stream of consciousness' to guide me in creating some really unique stuff out there. This will by my first art deck and I invite you to watch out for more in the future."

The cards will be housed in an embossed matte finished tuck box with interior print and capped with a perforated tax stamp seal. Cabinet of Curiosities Playing Cards will be printed by NPCC on premium German card stock. Available now on Kickstarter and pledge starts at $14.

First Look: Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1

[Update] Now LIVE on Kickstarter: Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1 

Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1 is a custom-illustrated deck inspired by the famous novel, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. In conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the famous Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes death, the team at Cellar Window will be releasing the Don Quixote playing cards inspired by his most renowned work on Kickstarter.

According to Nam Tibon, co-founder of Cellar Window,

Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol.1 shares a glimpse of the beautiful characters within the novel written by Miguel Cervantes with the whole world. Custom-Illustrations on these playing cards will allow you to revisit the beloved characters that the Hidalgo Don Quisote meets during his first travels as a knight-errant through Spain. 

Fully custom, the courts are personified by the main characters from the first volume of Don Quixote as well as their beautiful queens and very colorful characters featured as jacks. Nam continues,

From the tragic story of Lothario and Anselmo to the Captain Ruy Perez de Viedma who was captured by pirates to the ever elusive beauty of Dulcinea you will find eccentric and memorable characters illustrated in great details that befits a novel who stood the test of time towards greatness. 

Launching on Kickstarter on April 19th 2016, the deck will be printed by Legends Playing Card Co on Emerald Finish that is a traditionally cut European card stock. The tuck features matte white with black print and oil foil on all sides.

Pledge starts from from $14 and includes free worldwide shipping. Add-ons such as uncut sheets and illustration posters are available.


[Update] Now LIVE on Kickstarter: Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1 

Card Flash: Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1

Cellar Window's Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1 is currently being fulfilled by the Legends Playing Cards Co. The eye-catching deck features custom illustrations of the characters within the novel written by Miguel Cervantes. Printed on matte stock with foil on all sides, both tucks look great... especially the white deck. If you've backed this project, you will not be disappointed.

News: Issue Nine of Kardify Magazine Now Available!

The ninth issue of Kardify magazine is now available to our AWESOME Patrons! Patrons who pledge $3 or more will be able to download it directly on our Patreon page. This issue is a compilation of selected articles we’ve published over mid-January to early February. Our goal is to help you stay on top of playing card news.

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bringing new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing on crowd-funded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page.

If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:

+ Bicycle Dragonlord White Edition: Find out what we think about TCC's latest deck designed by Sam Hayles.

+ Essentia Relaunched: Redesigned, tweaked and back on Kickstarter!

+ Cabinet of Curiosities: 5 things you didn't know about Cellar Window's intriguing deck recently funded on Kickstarter.

+ Cubeline Playing Cards: Crafted for cardistry by Bas John. Find out more.

+ Cobra Playing Cards: First release by JP Games outside the popular LUXX series.

+ Adam Borderline: Check out Adam's EDC all the way from the UK.

+ Watermelon Playing Cards: First look at Flaminko Playing Cards' new deck releasing mid-month.

+ Ellusionist's Secret Menu: Find out what's on Ellusionist's secret menu and how to get access!

… and more! 39 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Deck View: Don Quixote (Hidalgo) Playing Cards Vol.1

Characters. Novel. Gentlemen.

From the team at Cellar Window, the Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 1 is a custom-illustrated deck inspired by the famous novel, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. The Hidalgo deck shares a glimpse of the beautiful characters within the novel written by Miguel Cervantes with the whole world.

Fully custom, the courts are personified by the main characters from the first volume of Don Quixote as well as their beautiful queens and very colorful characters featured as jacks. All memorable characters are illustrated in great details that befits a novel that stood the test of time.

The Hidalgo tuck features a classic matte black finish with gold foiling on all sides sealed a custom perforated seal design. The deck was printed by Legends Playing Card Co on Emerald Finish. Available now from JP Playing Cards.

Also, check out Don Quixote Playing Cards Vol. 2 now funding on Kickstarter!

Top 12: Playing Cards of 2015

It's been another busy year for playing cards. From big magic companies to independent designers, 2015 has been filled with excellent new releases, and to celebrate we've compiled 12 of our favourite decks right here. Compiling the list has been a lot fun but really challenging as there are just so many amazing decks this year. If you think we left your favorite deck out, let us know in the comment section below. :)

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

Avernum

Produced by Passiones Playing Cards and designed by Stefano Protino, Avernum is inspired by Italian poet and philosopher Dante Alighieri's eerie vision of the afterlife seven centuries ago. His vision has been included into one of the masterpieces of the Italian culture: the Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia). Fully custom, each court card is a work of art by itself and weaves metaphor into an intriguing visual that captures the imagination.

Draconian

Designed by Randy Butterfield, this mesmerizing deck of playing cards are inspired by a time of legendary dragons and features beautiful dragon scales, gorgeous colours and borderless back design. Also, the Faces incorporate a clean design that keeps them very functional and provides the highest level of playability. Draconians are available in 2 different edition, the Lightning (blue) and Spitfire (red) decks.

Omnia Suprema

From Thirdway Industries the Omnia Suprema Playing Cards are meticulously designed by Italian graphic artist, Giovanni Meroni. This stunning deck represents the dimensional plane where Gods live in the Omnia Universe. The gorgeous courts in Suprema depict the ascendency to the divine and show their power with elaborate armors, jewel and wings. Also, the tuck features an elegant red foil plus embossing giving it a very luxurious look and feel.

Heretic

Another incredible deck masterfully created by Stockholm17. Heretic Playing Cards features intricate design and artwork based on alchemy and the hermetic world. The deck is fully custom, from the pips, backs to the court cards. The back design is bright and embellished with intricate sphere's and ribbons in the negative space, making the back very eye-catching. The tuck has a subtle embossing on it with a unique long flap design that tucks into a lip on the tuck. A nice elongated Red seal wraps itself around the bottom of the tuck to secure the flap and features sequential serial numbers.

Scarlett Tally-Ho

Kings Wild Projects has brought us some of the most beautiful, collectible decks in the industry in the last few years. The Scarlett Tally-Ho does not disappoint! Inspired by the iconic brand as well as Jackson Robinson’s daughter (Scarlett), the deck is a beautiful reworking of the classic Tally Ho’s. The Tuck is a deep red with Gold Foil accents and embossing as well as a “Lattice” like pattern that embellishes the interior of the tuck to complete the custom case. The cards themselves have completely custom courts with 2 gold metallic ink accents on the face cards as well as 1 gold metallic ink accent on the back design presented in the bold, intricate design style that we’ve come to expect from KWP. The Ace of Spades as well as the Jokers design, are an homage to the original key card design and concept.

Contraband

A beautifully crafted deck by Theory11 and designed in the United Kingdom by Joe White, Contraband Playing Cards were inspired by secret societies, conspiracy theories, and everything unknown. Each card within the Contraband deck are custom, from the Aces, Jokers, to the court cards and the backs. The Contraband tuck case features gold and black foil and the interior, an elegant black foil design.

Hive Limited Edition

Stunning! The Limited Edition Hive 2 Playing Card is designed and illustrated by Brendan Hong. Hive 2 does a wonderful job in picking up where the original Hive decks left off. The style and design connects them without being the same. This gorgeous deck features all new custom courts in Brendan’s signature style as well as custom pips, Jokers and Ace of Spades. The tuck is fully embossed with Gold Foil accents and the interior features a gold foil, repeating, “Honeycomb” design that is very striking.

Arcana

One of the most funded deck of the year, Arcana Playing cards blend the traditions of standard playing cards with the secrets of the Tarot. This stunning deck is intricately illustrated by Chris Ovdiyenko. Each royal is illustrated with an unprecedented amount of detail in an engraved style. Elements in the deck includes 12 uniquely crafted Royals and Aces, 4 Major Arcana cards (The Fool, The Lovers, Death, and The Tower), and standard pip number cards. Also, Arcana features a natural pearlized tuck, with embossing and a luxurious blue foil on the tuck interior.

Superior Brand Classic Reserve

Recently available as a limited offering few weeks ago from the Expert Playing Card Co,  the Superior Brand features EPCC's new Robusto Finish and tucks designed by Jackson Robinson. What truly made this deck impressive is the full foil, shimmering back design. Truly eye-catching! Also, the tuck was stamped with a very expensive matte red foil followed by gold foil on top of that.

Tendril Ascendant Special Edition

From the mind of Paul Carpenter, the elegant Tendril: Ascendant playing cards incorporate all the refinements over the years and mixes those with the organic symmetry first seen in the original Tendril. The colors are bold, the borders are intense, the faces are dark and the level of detail has been increased. The Special Edition tucks are individually hand made with personalized die cut on a soft-touch black paper with gold foil.

Joker & the Thief

The Joker and the Thief playing cards is an impressive deck! The design invites attention while striking a balance between style and functionality. The tuck is peppered with lavish touches, and adorned with incredible silver foil. It is embossed on all sides and has a foil stamped interior. The back design is not only intricately beautiful but aesthetically and sentimentally appealing. The themes and connotation from back design continue throughout. The court cards are all fully custom and the Ace of Spades is unique, bold and iconic of this design.

LUXX Palme

From JP Playing Cards and designed by Rick Davidson, creator of the beautiful Origins Cards, Palme is a deck inspired by the beautiful Paisley pattern, which has roots and heritage across the globe. The Palme backs features full-bleed, borderless design, giving this deck a unique look and style which is carried through the deck and onto the tuck. The eye-catching tuck box features a wrap-around design and embossing complete with matte foiled LUXX logo.

Honorable mention: SEASONS by Alex Chin, Classic by UUSI, Antler by Dan & Dave, Kings of India by Humble Raja, Golden Spike Black Ink by Black Ink Playing Cards and Fuego! by Cellar Window.