Deck View: Seven Seas Playing Cards

Sea Creatures. Pirates. Ghost Ships.

Created by Brain Vessel Creative, the Seven Seas Playing Cards is a customised nautical themed deck with beautiful illustrated images of pirates, ghost ships, sea creatures and life on the high seas.

The deck is about the dichotomy of a life at sea. The Red (hearts and diamonds) side of the deck explores famous sailors, explorers, pirates, and privateers of the age of sail. The court cards focus on the actual historical figures of the time. The dark side (spades and clubs) of the deck explores the dangers sailors would face; be them real or fantasy. Court cards for the spades and clubs explore the monstrous creatures thought to lurk below the waves. What an adventure!

Find awesome decks at JP Games. Use the code KARDIFY10 during check-out to get 10% off for orders over £50.

News: Card Designer Randy Butterfield Announces Solo Project Through Kings Wild Funded

Renowned playing card designer, Randy Butterfield of Midnight Card Company, announced today, July 18, 2014, on Facebook that his first solo project is coming soon. While little is known about the design, the "coming soon" photo (seen above) features a scaly/dragon-like background that is likely related to the project. Time will certainly tell. 

At this point launch details are also slim, however, the project will be eventually kicked off on Kings Wild Funded. Kings Wild Funded is a new crowd/card funding platform that just launched last week and is hosted by Jackson Robinson - the man behind the critically acclaimed Federal 52 playing cards. 

Partnering with other playing card companies is not new to Randy's go-to-market strategy. In fact, all of his designs to date have been run through The Blue Crown/House Of Playing Cards in some form or another. However, even though this is a collaboration with Kings Wild Funded, it is being sold as a solo project so it is likely Randy has more freedom and is spreading his wings a little more with this one. 

Be sure to follow Kardify as we continue to release more news as this project develops.       

Review: HMNIM Playing Cards

This review is written by Joey Heininger for kardify. No part of this review can be reproduced without written permission from the author.

One of the things I really detest about Dan & Dave was that I was suckered into buying a customized deck from them where all the courts were the same, man I was so upset. How upset was I? Dan & Dave are likely our best sellers and I was contemplating dropping them from our inventory, that’s how upset I was. So imagine my surprise to be suckered in again. That’s right, HMNIM has repeating courts, and you know what, I ain’t even mad.

Just look at this deck, it is beautiful… no I don’t think you really know how beautiful this deck is, get in closer and have a really good look, give it a poke ‘BAM’, and just like that you have fallen prey, you are now ensnared in its beauty.

The art

Hi My Name Is Mark is an apparel company by Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 fame and HMNIM playing cards are a collaboration of them and Dan & Dave and likely one of the Buck twins best marketing ploys in the playing card world only outdone by Theory 11 and their partnership with J.J Abrams.

The art within the deck is focussed around HMNIM’s branding, in particular the use of the octopus, it has a nautical theme and for a guy that built his bathroom in the likeness of Disney’s Nautilus, of course I love it.

What I like

They are just about the coolest looking cards on the planet. The tuck box is beautifully adorned with foils and embossing, the inside of the box is just spectacular. If every deck the Buck twins released came in such a stylish package, they will start to give Theory 11 a run for their money. Oh, and it doesn’t look like a five year old scrawled out the courts with a black crayon during free play at kindergarten so there’s that… cough October cough

What I don’t like

The repeating courts in a custom deck, it’s a real killer for me. For a deck at this price and with the likes of Mark at the helm, one may be of the impression that a full suite of custom courts is not that much to ask for.

What are they good for?

Showing off! Not too crash hot for magic due to their customized nature but have a WOW factor none the less and they do have a bordered design so they can be used. Cardistry, no problem, those borders are thin enough to let the art shine through. But do you know what this deck is best for? Just having, just to say you have one of the coolest looking decks on the market today, put them on the coffee table and just see how many unsuspecting victims it will lure into a conversation.

HMNIM gets 5 and a half out of 8 blood-soaked tentacles.

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News: Legends Playing Card Company Releases Gnostic Playing Cards

Hand illustrated by mentalist & magician Stuart Palm, Gnostic Playing Cards have been released by Legends Playing Card Company today July 16, 2014. According to the press release, Gnostic Playing Cards is "a deck of playing cards designed to inspire passion in those who pursue hidden mysteries. Ancient Gnostic imagery and alchemical symbols have been interwoven into exquisite hand-illustrated artwork. The elements of the design are a product of his research into Gnostic imagery and represent a love for hidden knowledge and ancient wisdom."

Gnostic is one of the first decks on the playing card scene to use foil within the tuck case, which is a feature that truly raises the bar in playing card design and production. Gnostic features thin 2mm white borders and a two-way back design - both of which are fan favorites of magicians and cardists alike. Gnostic comes in two deck colors, lapis blue and rose gold and black. There is also a limited edition red deck that will be available solely through the Conjuring Arts Research Center.

Gnostic Playing Cards are the latest release to come out of Legends Playing Card Company, which is based in Asia and run by Lawrence Sullivan. Lawrence is the mastermind behind the original Legends Playing Cards, which were release almost two years ago. The popularity of the original Legends lead to the creation of this brand new contender in the small world of playing card printing.