Check Out ZHI YUAN (KITE) Playing Cards by ARK

ARK's ZHI YUAN (KITE) Playing Cards blends tradition with modern sophistication, drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese art of kite making. ARK, known for exploring diverse cultural themes, brings this new creation to life with innovative design and a deep connection to Chinese heritage. 

The deck features a unique, foldable tuck case that mimics the classic silhouette of a swallow kite. Closed, it serves as a standard card box; when opened, it transforms into a beautiful display, complete with a built-in stand.

Inside, the cards are intricately designed, weaving traditional motifs with modern aesthetics. The card backs combines bamboo strips with classic Chinese patterns, featuring symbols of prosperity like koi fish and swallows. 

For the faces cards, each suit is thoughtfully represented: Spades for fortune, Hearts for happiness, Clubs for abundance, and Diamonds for beauty. Court cards depict figures engaged in the art of kite crafting, enhancing the deck’s cultural connection.

Several limited editions are on offer during the Kickstarter campaign: a standard deck with exquisite artwork, an Artist Boxset with HOLO cards and a special art book, a Walnut Boxset with gilded-edge cards and a display frame, and a Black Edge Special Deck exclusive to the ALL-IN tier. 

Pledge starts at $35 on Kickstarter. Don't miss out!

Apollo Playing Cards by ARK

The innovative team at ARK has released their next creation on Kickstarter inspired by Greek mythology with Apollo Playing Cards. Drawing inspiration from Mount Olympus and the god of light himself, this deck is a testament to creativity and innovation.

Delve into the origins of Western civilization as ARK pays homage to the Olympian deities. Apollo, the most handsome of all, serves as the muse for this exquisite deck. With intricate illustrations and a creative tuck case, every aspect of this deck reflects the splendor of Greek mythology.

In Greek mythology, Apollo is revered as the guardian god of Delphi, ruling over music, medicine, healing, and prophecy. ARK captures his essence through a stunning tuck case that unfolds into a perfect circle, symbolizing the divine status of Apollo himself.

Immerse yourself in a world of mythology with abundant illustrations that bring the Olympian deities to life. From the majestic Temple of Apollo to the radiant sun chariot atop Mount Parnassus, every detail tells a story of ancient lore and legend.

During the Kickstarter campaign, The Apollo Playing Cards are available in four editions, each offering a unique experience:

1. Standard Decks: Limited to 3333 with a unique serial number, featuring elegant off-white and gold tones. Retail Price: $40.
2. Artist Boxset: Limited to 999, this set includes a HOLO deck with an ARK case, a special deck, and a gift-box with a book. Retail Price: $120.
3. Walnut Boxset: Limited to 333, this edition includes gilded edge playing cards, a collectible coin, and a display walnut box. Retail Price: $250.
4. Luxury Black: Limited to 99, this edition features black edge playing cards and an embossed metal plate. Retail Price: $150.

Also, enhance your collection with Apollo-themed silver coins and uncut sheets of playing cards, each meticulously crafted to perfection. Check it out on Kickstarter here!

Monkey King and Journey to the West Playing Cards

The Monkey King is a prominent figure in Asian folklore – the anthropomorphic monkey whose journey is for self-enlightenment. He travels with a monk and other two disciples to the West to retrieve Buddhist sutras from the realm of Buddha and his disciples. On the latest release, Alpha present them as decks of playing cards. Introducing Monkey King and Journey to the West Playing Cards.

The tuck box for Monkey King is a great piece of craftsmanship and design laden with intricate details. The centre of the front side of the box features an elegant plaque with written Chinese characters that said: “Monkey King”. The box is crafted with a Pop-Up element – when opening the box, it will flap open cross-shaped illustrations, showing the four poses of the Monkey King. Each deck will be numbered with a custom seal on the bottom.

Collaborating with ARK, the cards present beautiful illustrations based on the Monkey King story. The four Aces feature the Monkey King in four different Taoist poses. The court cards present characters from the Monkey King folklore.

The Jokers feature a diptych artwork of the Monkey King’s staff. The back design features illustrations of intricate compositions of scrolls, writings, ornaments, and dragons with the staff in the centre. Also, the cards for the Monkey King will have a gold color scheme with holographic flood foil.

Journey to the West Playing Cards is the next addition to the Monkey King. The Aces for this deck featured the four members of the travelling troop to the West: The Monkey King, the monk, and the two disciples. The back design is modified – featuring add-ons of two-way folding fans showing the silhouettes of the four characters. The plaque on the front of the box is modified to state “Journey to the West”.

Journey to the West Playing Cards has three editions. The Standard Edition is the most standard: featuring a classic premium matte box with colorful artwork and embossing with standard cards. The Black Box Set features two decks with two contrasting color scheme: Black and Silver with HOLO foil. 

The tuck boxes for the Black Box Set deck have the same features as the Monkey King box – only this box shows the four main characters. Those two decks will be stored inside a premium crafted box – its double-door box can stand on its own when it is opened. The Deluxe Set features two decks with holographic foil gilding decks stored inside a wooden box complete with an engraved metal card.

The Monkey King deck starts at $23 and the Journey to the West Playing Cards is available at $13 for Standard Edition. It is available now at TCC Playing Card.

First Look: Silent Playing Cards

From Alpha Playing Cards (Instagram: @alpha_playingcard), Silent Playing Cards features stunning illustrations by artist Lee.K (Instagram: @leekillus) featuring grayscale portraits rendered in a combination of oil paint, charcoal, pencil, and ink. 

The Seoul-based artist builds up layers of contour lines over a charcoal base to define facial features in a remarkably expressive and emotional style. The illustrative works have made the artist an Instagram star, propelled by widely shared images such as a portrait of BTS member Jimin, whom the artist has cited as a muse.

Four unique designs are on offer during the Kickstarter campaign: Silent Gray, Silent Focus, Silent Mirage, and Silent Deluxe, each with custom illustrations on all card faces. The cards are made with professional-level attention to detail and come in luxurious piano lacquer collector’s boxes.

Silent Gray is a collection of Lee.K’s artwork, with each card face featuring a striking illustration. The cards are made with graphite, charcoal, pens, markers, and oil pastels and come in a beautiful pearl paper card box.

Silent Focus is inspired by the artistry of cardistry and imbued with professional-level touch. The face cards retain the conventional suit and value, while the backs feature larger color blocks to better capture the trajectory of the cards. The character portrait’s eyes are used in the illustration, making each back unique.

The set comes with six card boxes that can be arranged to form a complete picture, and a special red version with red golden edges is limited to 1000 decks.

Silent Mirage uses grating techniques to create a magical effect, thanks to technical support from ARK Playing Cards. The exclusive collector’s box includes a collection certificate and two decks of playing cards, which are not sold separately. 

One deck features a black border inspired by the frames in art exhibitions, giving the feeling of a gallery experience and drawing focus to the stunning illustrations. The other deck breaks the performance limit of the original size of a playing card by combining four cards to showcase Lee.K’s illustration in stunning detail.

Silent Deluxe is a luxurious piano lacquer collector’s box that is dedicated to collectors with the ultimate pursuit. This is a limited edition collection box of only 300 sets. These cards and the box itself feature gold foil and gold edges, making them collector items of the highest level.

What sets this fascinating deck apart is the use of grating art, a blend of digital and traditional printing technology. The technique creates an incredible change effect in the card box, such as slides, where a special film displays multiple pictures on a single plane. The illustrations transcend the limitation of a single plane, making Silent Playing Cards unique and different from other playing cards.

Silent Playing Cards will launch on Kickstarter on 7th March 2023. The decks will be printed by APCC in China.