Deck View: Italia Radiosa Playing Cards

Red. Guide. Architecture.

Discover Italy through Thirdway Industries' Italia Radiosa Playing Cards. This gorgeous deck merges travel guides and playing cards. Italia Radiosa is the unlimited edition deck in the series with a predominant red colorway on the tuck and card back.

The deck is 100% custom and features architecture design in the court cards. The all-female courts represent the most popular cities - every court is different and there are 24 different cities in total, including Roma, Milano, Firenze, Venezia, Bologna, and many more.

Also, the deck reveals a secret place about Italy in every pip card. The suits are the zones of Italy - Black suits are the northern part and the Red ones are southern. Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. 

Available NOW from thirdwayindustries.com for $20.

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Cardistry: Transflux (Second Edition) Playing Cards

Transflux Second Edition Playing Cards is the follow-to to the successful Launch Edition deck of the same name. Crafted specifically for Cardistry, the deck is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter having raised 90% of the funding goal with 15 days to go. 

Inside, the card backs of the deck sport a geometric design element with a contrasting blue/red white colorway. This allows for seamless card flourishes that will turn heads. 

The court cards have been modernized with a minimalistic and clean look. Although simple, the courts are still easily recognizable with the combination of colors and geometric structure. 

Also, the horizontal accent marks on the face cards help accentuate fans and spreads. All four custom aces in the deck help accentuate the visual appeal of the deck. 

The tuck box features the mesmerizing design elements of the deck that come together for an eye-catching display. Minimalistic yet detailed and stylish. 

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. on Classic crushed Stock with Ait-cushion finish. Pledge starts at $12 on Kickstarter.

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5 Things You Should Know About Anatomica Playing Cards

From Curio Playing Cards, Anatomica is a fascinating deck currently funding on Kickstarter. The deck features aspects of anatomy, from the familiar to the absolutely impossible. The deck is fully custom and hand-illustrated with incredible detail by designer Amal Nur Karim Amal (Behance: @amalnkarim), a graphic designer, and illustrator based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The deck provides a bizarre and beautiful experience. From culture to carotid arteries, Anatomica is sure to be a conversation starter and a great fit for any collection. The deck is the first deck by Curio Playing Cards, a creative banner developed by Jamie Morrison, an avid playing card collector based out of the Pacific Northwest, in the state of Washington. 

Here are 5 things you should know about Anatomica Playing Cards:

1. The Theme
Jamie has always been fascinated with anatomy – not in an academic sense, but as an intriguing subject. His original vision was to have a deck portraying completely exposed anatomy in the style of those old anatomical study drawings. The idea would be to take traditional elements of a deck of cards and customize the experience with a focus on anatomy. Jamie explained,

The project would be very academic – very accurate. Early in the design phase, it was clear to see this deck would be much more interesting if the approach to anatomy was more impossible and with more character. Anyone with a background in A&P will see these illustrations and do a double-take. Their first look will be perhaps to admire the illustration. Their double-take will be to say something like Hey, that’s not a normal ribcage… or Where did those extra organs come from?! This deck will be a conversation-starter not only for the beautiful illustrations, but for the unique approach to the classic elements of a deck. 

2. Breaking Down the Systems
As part of the original concept, the team wanted to highlight different systems of the body and that vision has been maintained despite the fantasy approach to human anatomy. The four suits of the deck represent four major systems of the body: Clubs: Skeletal System Hearts: Circulatory System Spades: Nervous System Diamonds: Muscular System You will see these four systems featured on every face, from the pips to the courts. 

3. Worldwide Influences
The idea to highlight different cultures on the court cards came after the club courts were completely finished. Jamie explained,

I wanted to push my artist a bit after seeing just how much she could do and introduce different races where they are seldom seen in a deck of cards. With that in mind, the court cards feature a diverse and stunning cast from Arabic, African, Asian, and British/European royalty. The end-result lends to a beautiful combination of fashion and unique characters, while reminding us we all share this human anatomy.

4. The Perfect Collaboration
After deciding on a concept, Jamie was faced with the daunting task of finding an artist. Jamie said, 

I have the illustration skills of a toddler, so I needed to find someone who could translate my concept into reality. I came across Amal’s profile on Behance after finding one of her projects where she created a custom font that was styled to look like muscle and bone. When I didn’t scare her away at the huge scope of this project, we got started and she began with the Aces.

 

Jamie was blown away by the bizarre result of her artistic style set to the concept of the body’s systems. Jamie continued, 

It was at that point the switch was made from keeping things strait-laced to going bat-shit crazy with these concepts. This was a perfect collaboration because Amal not only has amazing illustration skills, but she also understands how the pieces would need to work together in a cohesive deck of cards. She was quick to respond to feedback and helped enhance this project with her own unique perspective.

5. Small Details are Crucial
One of the things Jamie is most proud of is how all the small details come together to improve the full experience. Like someone reading a story, Jamie's aim was to create a project that would keep people engaged from start to finish – from tuck to pip. 

I think the small details go a long way to add to a cohesive and complete aesthetic.

 

You will notice amazing detail even in the pips, where Jamie and Amal have included two variations: full pips and “peeled” pips that give just a hint of bone, organ, or muscle. The subtle border allows the courts to shine while adding a nice touch. Another crucial aspect of the court designs is the transition between the mirrored characters.

I didn’t want to have a hard break and Amal was brilliant in the way she approached how they meet in the middle. I also wanted to keep the tuck boxes minimal and very clean, though they are anything but plain. My sincere hope is that collectors opt to #freethepip and let these cards out in the wild so they can see the full effect.

Two editions are available during the campaign, the standard edition Anatomica and the limited edition Alterna playing cards. Both decks are printed by the USPCC and pledge starts at $16 on Kickstarter.

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On Kickstarter, WONDR Playing Cards: The Pyramids

WONDR Playing Cards is a new deck series by Derek McKee and Ben Zabin of Pure Imagination Projects inspired by the Seven Wonders of the World. Funding on Kickstarter, the project is designed to honor the world and spread intrigue, delight, and astonishment; just as each Wonder has done for centuries.

We are told that the complete collection will eventually consist of seven visually stunning, hand-designed decks each attributed to a different Wonder of the World: The Pyramids (Egypt), The Great Wall (China), Machu Picchu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico), The Colosseum (Italy), Petra (Jordan), and The Taj Mahal (India). 

The first deck in the series is The Pyramids. The focus of the card backs are The Great Pyramids with the sun beaming off their sides. In ancient Egypt, the sun was one of the most important symbols, the source of all life, which is why each card exhibits her beauty. In the background are handwritten hieroglyphics along with prominent symbols of ancient Egyptian culture- a scarab beetle (represents rebirth), a snake (represents the afterlife), a cat (represents good luck), and an eye (represents protection and power), among others. The borders are inspired by the mysterious paintings and etchings found along the interior walls of The Great Pyramids. 

The Ace of Spades combines handwritten hieroglyphics with the sun beaming down on the Pyramids. The design team has also included a quintessential illustration of the head of a sarcophagus, paying homage to the ancient Egyptian rulers protected in the afterlife by The Great Pyramids. The court cards are standard but recolored to match the color palette of the deck. 

With an elegant desert red and sand tan tuck case, the tuck pays perfect tribute to the ancient Egyptian theme. If the project's stretch goal is met, the tucks will be beautifully foiled and embossed. The Pyramids deck is the debut of the eventual seven decks that will be a part of The WONDR Collection; when all seven decks are aligned together, the spines of the tucks will spell out “WONDR”.

Definitely an alluring, intricate, and eye-catching deck with colors to ensure that each deck in the series will draw admiration and curiosity from all who view it. Printed by The United States Playing Card Company on premium Bee Stock crushed. Available on Kickstarter for $9.

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