Now Available on Patreon, Kardify Magazine Issue 63

Now on Patreon… Kardify Magazine issue 63! Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-July to mid-August. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don’t forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contribution, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bring new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded 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:   

+ Pioneers Blue Edition: Ellusionist’s fully custom deck celebrating the 1893 World’s Fair, a spectacle that commemorates the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival to the new world. 

+ Dealersgip’s Holographic Error: Find out more about Dealersgrip‘s ERROR deck, embracing the mistakes and exploring the ambivalent relationship between failure and creativity.

+ Nevermore: More than 3 years of development, Nevermore has been crafted from scratch with passion & exceptional skill by the designer Antno Creative.

+ Nickelodeon X Fontaine: This new release features 10 decks of new Fontaines. Each deck will be wrapped in a blind pack and distributed at random. Find out more!

+ Avengers Green Edition: Theory11’s Avengers playing cards now comes in radiant, green foil shimmers and glows like the time stone at every angle. 

+ Victory:  Find out more about Joker and the Thief’s latest drop! This stunning deck comes with a beautifully embossed tuck box with letterpress inks and foil both interior and exterior.

+ Mechanimals: By Celsius Pictor and Max of Max Playing Cards, a fully custom deck with unique and meticulously crafted universe that honors the history of playing cards. Check it out!

+ Matcha Boba: Check out the new offering on BaoBao Restaurant‘s menu. The eye-pleasing deck sports a pairing of green and cream tones, capturing the velvety concoction that is matcha milk tea.

… and more! 58 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Find Out More About Unique Playing Cards and Their New Deck, NEVERMORE

Introducing Unique Playing Cards, a brand new company working with exceptional designers to make premium the new standard. Unique was founded by Sergio Roca who has been involved in the card community for more than 10 years as a cardist, designer and card producer. During its early stages, Max Jung joined the team as the brand’s strategist and designer. According to Sergio,

We want to provide passionate artists the spotlight of attention that they deserve. And by that, we dedicate ourselves to enhancing the recognition of card designers from all over the world and strengthening their connection to the card community.

After 3 years of development, the Unique team is now more than happy to announce their first deck collaboration NEVERMORE. Crafted from scratch with passion & exceptional skill by the designer Antno Creative. Sergio continued,

This deck has a special place in our hearts. We have been working on it for the last 2 years. Thanks to Antno Creative, who designed this beautiful deck, Unique starts his journey featuring the three most important characteristics in our designs: elegancy, exclusiveness, and quality.

The designer’s intent and influence on this deck are clear. Behind every line, there is a dark passenger who led him to create Nevermore. The American writer Edgar Allan Poe. This deck is a nod to the work, The Raven, written in 1845 by the master of horror. Sergio explained,

antnO is passionate about mystery and everything that surrounds what the human being is not capable of explaining. We seek to reach an understanding, to be able to discern between what is real and what is generated by our subconscious. This sentiment is reflected on the back of his new deck.

The designer wanted to be a continuation of his linear and elegant style. The design of this deck stands out for the simplicity of its shapes in every detail, but looking back, we will see that these simple elements are part of a more complex whole.

The use of dark blue represents the colors of the raven and the night, the red velvet of the divan, the white reflection of the moon and the stars that enter through the window, and the golden tinkle produced by the lamp and fireplace that filled the room. Sergio concludes,

Moving forward we do not want to become “just” a brand that showcases its products, instead, we highly believe in inviting you to take a look behind the scenes. We will guide you through our whole process when creating a deck of cards. We are thrilled to welcome you to enjoy this unique journey with us. You can’t even imagine what is about to come your way…

NEVERMORE launches on Kickstarter on Friday, 12th August. Don’t miss out!

5 Things You Need To Know About the NEW Jerry’s Nugget on Kickstarter Today!

[Update] The Authentic Jerry's Nugget Playing Cards are LIVE on Kickstarter. Already more than 1500% funded!

Imagine owning a real deck of Jerry’s Nugget playing cards without spending a fortune. Today's the day! After years of Pursuit, Bill Kalush of Expert Playing Card Co. has obtained an exclusive license from Jerry's Nugget Casino to print the iconic cards. The decks will be made available on Kickstarter today (1st July, 10am EST). Here are things we know so far about the project:

1. Printing
In homage to the original 1970 Jerry’s Nugget decks, the Expert team will be keeping the classic aesthetic and printing with the original manufacturer, the United States Playing Card Company on PREMIUM THIN CRUSHED STOCK using USPCC’s best printing press.


2. Print Run
EPCC will print what they need for distribution of the KS and other orders once the campaign concludes. The tucks will be marked to identify this production run so that they can’t be confused with either the original decks, the preview decks, or any other version that may be printed in the future. Once this run is printed, there will not be any exactly like this again.

3. Pricing
The main goal of this project is to get these cards into everyone’s hands and let everyone experience (and use) Authentic Jerry’s! There will be a special Kickstarter price of $10 USD per deck but the best deals will be in the early bird specials on launch day.

4. Super Early Bird
The best discounts for the very first backers on various reward tiers with discounts of up to 60% off retail price! Include one, two, and four brick options.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by antnO (@antno_) on Jun 25, 2019 at 8:58am PDT

5. Stretch Goals
The Expert team has been staying up nights innovating and creating smart features for your enjoyment. Expect several stretch goals to break new ground for magic and playing cards. From what is being teased on social media, there will be foiled card back Jerry's! Looks incredible! Plus, a handful of exciting add-ons as well.

[Update] The Authentic Jerry's Nugget Playing Cards are LIVE on Kickstarter. Already more than 1500% funded!

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The Evolution of Odyssey Playing Cards, from First Edition to NOVA

It all started when Sergio Roca decided to design a deck just for his personal use. A deck that not only feels good but looks good as well! The first time he showed the card backs of Odyssey First Edition on YouTube, everybody loved it. Sergio told Kardify,

This was really unexpected and something incredible to me because I knew that this decks was really different to the other deck in the market, 5 years ago.

Encouraged by numerous messages and feedback, Sergio decided to design every card of this deck. He continued,

Not just for me, but also for my followers. I designed the royals, jokers, suits and aces. The card backs and tuck were redesigned to ensure consistency with the theme. 

The idea was to create a minimal, futuristic and elegant deck of cards. Everything followed the same essence and main idea... to feel the universe.

The limited edition Odyssey First Edition became a reality.

Thanks to 232 backers who supported me on Kickstarter, this was one of the best moments in my life!

 Fast forward to a year after that, Sergio decided to contribute to the cardistry community once again.

This time, it had to be special. I needed to make something different but keep the essence of the new brand. Why not create a deck inspired by the most beautiful phenomenon in this planet- The Aurora Borealis.

The result- Odyssey Boreal Edition! A new impressive card back, new tonalities... and a different way to feel the universe.

Aether Edition was the third. In this case Sergio wanted to contrast the second edition (Boreal) as much as possible. From the light to darkness.

I think we got it right. We evolved in some ways: the quality of the tuck box increased a lot! We used one of the best black matt paper stock, embossed and metallic foil. Also, the card paper stock was one of the thinnest ever made. In conclusion, a different feelings in all aspects.

Last year, Sergio decided to make something new, but not just a new edition. Sergio explained,

I wanted to reach all communities, especially the magic community, by making the most complete Odyssey deck.

In collaboration with the incredible Antno Creative who helped a lot with the design process, the Odyssey Nova playing cards were born.

We enhanced the card suits by giving them a more mature shape but keeping the essence of Feel The Universe from the previous editions. The new suits have been inspired by our logo and the new color palette is closer to red and black.

Also, Sergio and Antno designed a new back that is a reminiscence of the first edition but with more detail, depth and different color palette.

The courts have been updated with the magic community in mind, hence, they are standard and easily recognizable for magic routines. In addition, the Odyssey Nova comes with a blank card, new jokers and a great tuck box with the same quality as Aether Edition. Sergio concludes,

Some elements have changed, other evolved, but our essence will stay forever. Feel the universe in your hands.

Available NOW on Kickstarter. The project hit its funding goal within 24 hours of launch. Pledge starts at €9.

Originally published on CardistryBeast.com

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Art of Play Releases the Golden Sunrise Playing Cards

Of all the new decks released by Art of Play on Black Friday, the Golden Sunrise playing cards are probably my favorite. Inspired by American classic American diner, the deck is designed by Antonio Martinez and Alba Zapata (Instagram: @albazapata.design).

With its vibrant retro colors and gorgeous artwork, the deck is guaranteed to bring a bit of nostalgia to your game nights.

The deck is fully custom, from the charming aces, jokers to the card backs showcasing jukebox, sundae, and milkshakes. Also, the colorful court cards feature cool characters you may find in a classic diner when you drive down Route 66.

I love how the theme, artwork, and elements came together perfectly in a neat little package. The deck comes with a vibrant letterpress printed tuck case and sealed with a vintage-style tax stamp.

Printed by The United States Playing Card Company and currently available from artofplay.com for $15. Images provided by antno. Find more of his cool images on Instagram (@antno_).

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News: Spark Playing Cards by Art of Play

Spark Playing Cards is the latest release by Art of Play. The limited edition deck- Soulsight Deck of Bright Ideas was produced in collaboration with Soulsight.

The deck was designed to "spark" ideation and conquer creative block. The idea is to use one of the 36 prompt cards in the deck as a catalyst to ignite your thinking and take your creativity to the next level.

The number cards of feature prompt phrases in contrasting colors to ignite your creativity. The Aces of each suit symbolizes the core value of the company- respect: Clubs, honestly: Spades,  courage: Diamonds and trust: Hearts.

Printed by The United States Playing Card Company on thin-stock preferred by cardists. Packaged inside a gorgeous letterpress-printed tuck box with foil and embossing. Now on ArtofPlay for $15.

Images provided by @antno_. Find more of his cool images on Instagram (@antno_). 

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Cardistry: Cardistry-Con 2018 Playing Cards

The Cardistry-Con 2018 Playing Cards are now available on Art of Play. Released in conjunction with the event, this exclusive deck is inspired by vintage Hong Kong graphic design in red colorway. Images provided by antno. Find more of his cool images on Instagram (@antno_).

The deck is designed by Los Angeles based cardistry brand Entry. The semi-custom deck features an original custom back and ace of spades in a retro monochrome colorway.

The indices and courts are standard but recolored to match the overall color palette of the deck.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. on thin stock preferred by cardists. The decks are available now for $15 on ArtofPlay.com. Limited Edition of 4,000. Like previous Cardistry-Con decks, we expect these to sell out. Don't miss out!

Images provided by @antno_. Find more of his cool images on Instagram (@antno_). 

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News: Third Issue of Kardify Magazine Now Available!

We just released the third issue of Kardify Magazine. The magazine is available to Patrons who pledge $3 or more on our Patreon page. The funds will help us keep the site running and growing, and bringing new quality content to you. Our goal 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 Patreon page.

The monthly magazine will be a compilation of selected articles we’ve published over the month. The aim is to help you stay on top of playing card news. 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:

+ Classic Dot Playing Cards: Fully customizable deck from Usagi Creative Studios.

+ Carrot Fontaines: The popular deck was sold out in just 79 minutes!

+ @lost_angelus: The “Expert at the card table” selects his top 12 favorite playing cards.

+ Cadenza Playing Cards: Find out more about our favorite marked decks.

+ Antno: Have a look at the EDC of Antno from Málaga, south of Spain.

… and more! 30 pages of articles, deck images and more!

Card Gear: antnO

Card Gear is our monthly feature dedicated to discovering new inventory, setup, and accessories used every day by card designers, cardists, magicians and collectors. The concept originated from the popular social media site, Instagram: #passthepockets. Whenever one of these hashtags come up on the social news feed, there's always something new to discover, no matter who that person is.

From Málaga, south of Spain, Antonio's account is one of the most creative and visually inspiring playing cards-related accounts we follow on Instagram (@antnO). antnO is a team member at Art of Play and is responsible for taking photos and playing a big part in creating contents that Art of Play publish. When not working on anything card-related, antnO is a freelance who works for an advertising agency, specialized in graphic design and motion graphics.

Here's what you can find if open antnO's bag (Italics are antnO's comments):
+ Notebook & pencil (You don't know when or where you can have a good idea)
+ iPhone 6s (This is my work tool. All my pics have been taken with it)
+ Deck of cards (I have always one in my pocket. Cardistry Con is perfect for this July)
+ Wallet (You don't know when you have to bribe someone)
+ Headphones (I don't imagine the world without music)
+ Phone case with Extra battery (Due to I work a lot with my phone I need it protected and full of battery)
+ Games or puzzles (perfect for entertain yourself when you're waiting in a queue or a traffic jam)
+ Sunglasses
+ Car keys
+ Brick of playing cards (Have a brick of different cards that allow you have always the perfect deck for taking a picture)
+ MacBook Pro (Perfect tool for design and make my animations)


Don't forget to subscribe to antnO's Instagram. If you would like your card gears to be featured on Kardify, contact us.

News: Dani DaOrtiz Releases Limited Edition DaOrtiz Playing Cards in Black

There's another addition to Dani DaOrtiz’s lineup of “Signature Series” playing cards, designed by Spanish artist, antnO and produced by Expert Playing Card Co.

The Series 2 deck arrives in black, accented by gold foil on each card backs. Also, the elegant tuck box will be sealed with a sequentially numbered custom seal (xxxx/875) under the cellophane.

Like the Series 1, these gorgeous cards have many elements that spring from the personality, life, and jovial nature of Dani DaOrtiz. Printed on the popular Classic finish, you’ll find chubby court cards, a built-in card production, and a few of Dani’s fabulous catch phrases.

Available now from Conjuring Arts for an introductory price of $19.95! (Regularly $24.95).

News: 7 Questions with antnO of DaOrtiz Playing Cards

Dani DaOrtiz is a Spanish close-up magician who combines superb technique with crazy humour. Dani was born in Malaga in a town called Estepona. Like most magicians he began his career in magic at the age of 4 thanks to a box of tricks given to him by his father. At 12, he visited the magic circle in Seville and experienced the magic of Mario the Magician who would later become his mentor. Later still he would associate with first class artists such as Juan Escolano, Mago Migue, Juan Tamariz, and even today Lennart Green. All played their part in influencing his approach to magic.

Dani already has many publications to his credit and is the director of ElManuscrito, a magazine which focuses on articles of lasting depth about the foremost figures and milestones in magic. Now he has added a deck of playing cards to his repertoire. The DaOrtiz Playing Cards is a stunning deck deigned by Spanish artist, antnO and produced by Expert Playing Card Co.

Just before the launch of DaOrtiz Playing Cards, we managed to have a quick chat with antnO about his design background, collaborating with Dani, ideas behind the deck and how the deck came to be.

Can you tell us about yourself and what is your design background?
Let me introduce myself. My name is Antonio Martínez and my stage name is antnO. That's how you will find me on social networks. I am from Malaga, a coastal city in the south of Spain. Ever since I was a child, I have always had a weakness for the art world and, since then, I've made several drawings using programs such as "Paint". I have always been fascinated with everything related to the world of audiovisual communication. That is why I plunged into the world of advertising. Years ago now, I created my personal brand antnO Creative.

Since then, I have worked as a freelancer for all kinds of brands. I have developed branding, created websites, designed logos, filmed corporate videos and much more. My last steps have been to specialize in Motion Graphics. It is really cool to animate your designs. Currently, I am making lots of motion graphic projects. You’ll see soon a little collaboration with D&D. You can see more projects in my profile on Vimeo.

How did you end up collaborating with Dani DaOrtiz?
I know Dani for years now. I am very lucky to live in the same city. I met Dani in the Magicians’ Association of Malaga, we happened to meet each other in several meetings. He must have seen something in me that spoke to him. Since then, and over the years our relationship has been getting better and now he has become a "BIG" friend. I really appreciate him. I am currently working with him for his producer "Group Kaps". I work for Dani as a designer, artistic consultant, I help with recordings of Enfilo and many other things.

What is your inspiration behind Dani DaOrtiz Playing Cards? How did you come up with the idea?
I have always had the idea in mind of designing a playing card deck. I really wanted to be able to make magic and to practice cardistry with a deck created by myself. So I got down to work. I knew I would have problems with production. Putting a deck on the market is not an easy task. I had the option to launch the project at Kickstarter, but the cost is very high from Spain and I had no influence or contacts on social networks. Nearly a year and half ago, I was having dinner with Dani and I told him that I was designing a deck and he asked me: Why not design a deck for me? And that is where it all began.

Walk us through the process you took to design. How did you approach this project and get to this finished product?
From the first moment, I knew the style I wanted to have for the deck. I love flat and linear design style. I don't like decks with overloaded designs. The first steps were slower. I wanted a fully customized deck and had to capture the essence of Dani DaOrtiz's magic. I needed to mix the power of his tricks with how easy it appears to the viewer. It all began to go faster after my trip to the United States along with Dani a year ago.

When we were in New York I met Bill Kalush. At that moment, I had designed the figures of the deck. I showed it to him and he loved it. From the first minute, The Expert Playing Card Co. bet on my design. From that moment, I continued forward with the deck design and the rest was shot.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
I really enjoyed while customizing the royalty of the deck. I wanted to wink at my great friend Dani and give personality to the figures. It was very funny to fatten up kings and queens. There was any other deck like this one before. Their cheeks are so chubby! I also like the jokers very much. As in the design of the backs, these show phrases that Dani used in his shows and in his daily life. You can also use them to make a prediction or card change. It refers to one of his famous tricks "Trick of hands without hands".

What's next? Are you planning to design more playing card decks in the future?
This project has opened many doors for me and the experience of having designed a deck allows me to see things from another point of view. I have several ideas in mind that I hope to carry out. Taking into account how quickly playing card decks are launched into the market, I cross my fingers hoping that nobody steals my ideas. DaOrtiz Playing Cards is the first deck and I hope to create or participate in the design of many others.

We noticed you have quite an impressive collection of playing cards on Instagram. What are some of your favourite playing card decks?
Yeah! I have many decks in my collection, and what I like most is to share it on my social networks. My passion for the magic and cardistry, together with my passion for the design, has led me to collect playing card decks. I do not know how many decks I have in my collection. I only buy those with good designs. I would have many more but it is not cheap to buy decks in Spain.

Which are my favorite decks? It is very difficult to pick one. There are true art treasures, but if I had to choose some, this would be my top 5:
1. Monarch (Theory 11)
2. Red Wheel(Dan & Dave)
3. Sleepers (Ellusionist)
4. Gatorbacks (David Blaine)
5. Misc. Goods Co. (Misc. Goods Co.)

It has been a pleasure to have this interview with you! I hope y’all love the deck and, specially, I hope to see your photos on social networks.

Thank you for your time antnO. If you want to support Dani and antnO, you can find DaOrtiz Playing Cards on Conjuring Arts!


Keep up to date on what's going on in antnO's creative world by following him on Instagram.