Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Marianne Larsen of Midgard Playing Cards

From the team at Design Imperator based in Denmark, the Midgard Playing Cards are inspired by the Norse mythology. Having already hit it’s funding goal of kr85k (~USD$10.1K) on Kickstarter, there are two decks on offer in the campaign: the Danegeld (Black) and the Yggdrasil (Dark Red) Editions.

Both decks are fully custom, from the pips, fonts, values, courts and aces. The card backs are designed in the traditional 2-way layout and inspired by the classic Bicycle backs. The court cards feature legendary Viking leaders of Scandinavia and deities of Norse mythology. Illustrations are hand-drawn by professional illustrator Patrick Leis and lead artist Nicolai Aarøe.

Both editions feature deluxe sturdy tuck boxes with hot-stamped metal foil (silver foil on black tuck for the Danegeld Edition and gold foil on dark red tuck for the Yggdrasil Edition) and richly embossed artwork on all sides. Both with a numbered tuck seal applied.

We were able to catch-up with Marianne Larsen from Design Imperator for a quick chat about the team at Design Imperator, designing the Midgard Playing Cards and experience from their previous Kickstarter projects.

For those of us who don't know, tell us a little about yourself and Design Imperator?
Design Imperator is a group of Scandinavian based creatives and freelance artists. While the team is supervised by me, Marianne Larsen, the responsibilities of each task and job is handled and administrated by the best man for each job in any project. We have been engaged in the development of numerous independent projects since our team was founded in late 2011. With a passion and genuine interest in playing cards, we seek to consolidate ourselves as developers of unique and rare custom decks. Our flexible cooperation with talented artists forms a solid basis that helps us raise the bar with every deck we make. While Design Imperator is just a small team we aim high and have very ambitious projects in the pipeline.

Can you describe the Midgard Playing Cards and why you're passionate about it?
Midgard Playing Cards form a bridge between historic legends of Scandinavia and iconic deities of Norse mythology. Thor, Frejya, Odin and Loki are all represented in the deck in a hand drawn format and style that really strikes a good nerve. As Scandinavians ourselves we always had a passion for this culture and the sagas. This theme has been on the drawing board for a long time, but we needed to gain insight, a following and hands-on experience before pitching it on Kickstarter. This is our most ambitious project to date and we are proud to look back on the huge amount of work that went into, before showing it off on Kickstarter.

Walk us through the process you took to design this unique deck. How did you come out with the idea and how did you get to this finished product?
Presenting deluxe features in the base package is a rare approach for playing cards on Kickstarter. But we needed the decks to be very ambitious and impressive even in their basic form. We made numerous sketches and drawings and left them in a pot for some time before re-approaching the full design a few months after. This is a great way to approach a solid design with fresh eyes and spot all the weaknesses for a chance to improve the artwork. The courts, drawn by professional artist Patrick Leis in a coop with Nicolai Aaroe, really was our breakthrough because of their unique style, perfectly reflecting our vision of the Norse legends.

We have presented several deluxe features of both decks right from the start, but thanks to the amazing support we are witnessing the decks are now loaded with even more special features, such as interior artwork and added cards!

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
While the custom courts really did take the decks to the next level for us we felt like the 'story-telling approach' to the tuck backs was a great way to present something new and creative to the industry of playing cards. Few decks does this, and the tucks of Midgard have so much thought worked into their design, with no details left on random or without a good reason to have them there. The two decks are unique and very different in appearance, but the story telling tuck back designs are our main breakthrough, presented in metal foil and with rich embossing.

You have successfully funded numerous Kickstarter campaigns. What are a few key elements and principles you incorporated into your project that you think future Kickstarter creators could benefit from knowing?
It is important to show that you care. Let it shine through that you are passionate about your project and not just hoping to earn a few bucks on a new platform. Our first two deck project, Noble and Chivalry, were both well funded and convincing in their own form. Our backers witnessed how we are just as passionate about fulfilment as we are about designing, and this is an important factor. For a chance to succeed with a great idea you need to convince that you are able to deliver when the time comes.

We have been open and transparent from the start and our backers have seen this from the start. To fund well you must earn the trust of backers, and on that note, it helps you if you are a backer yourself, and not just a project creator.

What's next? Can we expect to see more card designs in the future?
Absolutely! We have about five solid ideas for other projects, but they will be kept hidden and secret for now. Some of our projects take years to bring from a to b so we need to plan and strategize well before revealing anything about the these. We also have some ideas about the creation of a web shop at some point, but things take time, and we don't want to rush anything. In terms of playing cards project, we have some designs and themes that have been brought to an almost complete state.

These may be pitching on Kickstarter in the future, so stay tuned for more creative ideas coming your way. And on a closing note, Midgard Playing Cards may not be the last Viking themed deck you've seen from us, with Midgard hitting so many stretch goals already!

Finally, what are your favourite playing cards?
There are so many great designs out there. We could mention a favorite deck for every category out there, elegance, fantasy, historic, modern, etc. But if we have to pick just one out that really stands out from the rest we would probably go with the Arcanas by Chris Ovdiyenko. The amount of work that went into their design is extreme and obvious. Hand drawn illustrations are unique and personal in their own way.

Thank you for your time and congratulations on hitting the funding goal! The project is already 204% funded with 18 days to go. If you want to support the Midgard Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here!


Pledge starts from kr89 (~USD$13) and the deck will be printed by the NPCC. Dealer coin, booklet, and deck pouch are available as an add-on.

Kickstarter: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Ragnarok Playing Cards by Design Imperator

Danish team Design Imperator launched Ragnarok Playing Cards on Kickstarter a few days ago and has already hit its funding goal within 6 hours of the campaign. Ragnorak is a fully custom Norse-themed deck and is a sequel to Design Imperator's previous release, Midgard Playing Cards. With the next Thor movie by Marvel releasing just around the corner, I'm pretty excited about these. Here are 5 things you didn't know about Ragnorak playing cards:

1. Courts in motion.
Unlike the illustrations of most playing cards on the market, the courts of Ragnarok Playing Cards are all illustrated in motion to highlight drama, intensity and a great battle. They are all in non-static pose and design with weapons raised for combat or magic.

2. Borderless backs. 
While the design of the project involved extensive research into mythology and Norse literature, the biggest challenge of the designers turned out to be whether or not to add white borders to the card backs. Collectors and followers of lead artist Nicolai Aarøe helped to make a decision on the matter, with an overwhelming preference for borderless designs. With the first stretch goal, both designs are now printed with metallic silver and copper inks.



3. Runes are real.
The runic inscriptions utilized for the tucks, cards and coins of Ragnarok Playing Cards are actual runes, originating from the Futhark alphabet of Norse culture. Backers will be able to translate the texts directly with an alphabet at their disposal.

4. Biggest stretch goal ever?
While Ragnarok Playing Cards is the biggest standalone project by Design Imperator to date, the whole project was actually constituted as the last stretch goal by popular demand of the backers of its predecessor, Midgard Playing Cards. The artwork of Ragnarok is heavily inspired by backer influence suggestions and ideas.



5. Mother of monsters
Many people know that the Midgard Serpent and the mighty Fenris are two of the most prominent and destructive monster of Ragnarok cosmology. But few people know these beasts actually share the same mother, the powerful giant queen Angerboda. The illustrators involved in the project aimed to portray the most feminine and fertile, yet monstrous and terrifying mother ever to have taken place as a queen in playing cards.

There are two decks on offer in the campaign: the Jormungand (Dark Blue) and the Fenris (Dark Brown) Editions. Both decks include custom pips, indices, courts, and aces. The card backs feature Norse artwork inspired from original knotwork and wood carving designs, both set in a mirrored composition. The Jormungand backs feature a blue/grey colorway while Fenris in a velvet/golden colorway. Printed by NPCC with premium linen finish and pledge starts from DKK$89 (~USD$14) on Kickstarter.

Kickstarter: Helheim Playing Cards by Design Imperator

Danish team Design Imperator is currently funding Helheim Playing Cards on Kickstarter. With less than 6 days to go, the project has already hit its funding goal within 6 hours of the campaign launch. Helheim Playing Cards is a fully custom Norse war-themed deck and is the successor to Design Imperator's previous release, Ragnorak Playing Cards.

Two decks are on offer during the campaign, Herja (To Wage War) and Nidhug (Corpse Eater). The Herka tuck sports a dark grey colorway with a blood-red seal. The card backs are dark red with metallic silver ink. The tuck case is manufactured with a solid, ash-grey stock with intricate, embossed artwork, hot stamped with silver foil and spot UV.

Meanwhile, Nidhug is the black edition with an oak brown tuck seal. The card backs are black with metallic silver ink. The tuck case is manufactured with a solid, black stock and has embossing, silver foil and spot UV on the case.

The face cards on both decks feature Vikings of Norse mythology. All illustrations are meticulously hand-drawn by professional artist Nicolai Aarøe. His artwork continues to inspire and capture the essence of Norse mythology.

The dark tone of the deck highlight drama, the intensity of an epic battle. The diptych jokers featuring the massive battle at the fields of Vigridr.

The card backs of Helheim Playing Cards showcase Norse artwork inspired from original knotwork and wood carving designs, both set in a 2-way composition. Both decks have a classic layout of pips and indexes, reimagined in Norse style. Also, the aces of Helheim Playing Cards feature illustrations depicting the massive assaults by Hel's army.

The decks will be printed by NPCC with premium linen finish and pledge starts at DKK$89 (~USD$14) on Kickstarter.

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SAGA Playing Cards, Viking Culture Meets Modern Aesthetics

SAGA playing cards are a unique take on the traditional standard deck of playing cards now funding on Kickstarter. The design is inspired by Nordic folklore and mythology, taking the tradition of the Viking era and giving it an elegant twist. 

 

Completely original, yet familiar, SAGA features neo-Norse art style by the Design Imperator team in Scandinavia. The themed attributes of SAGA court design are specifically noticeable in the Norse helmets, hairstyles, iconic shields, and distinctive weaponry and items held in their hands. according to the Kickstarter campaign page,

We call them jarls (not jacks), queens, and kings. You will see more variations of our SAGA face cards in future releases as we will continue to tweak and refine this design as we see fit with every new release.

The team has spent many months trying to design an elegant balance between playable functionality and thematic novelty. Something that is easily recognizable by players but unique at the same time. The result is nothing short of stunning. Three decks are on offer during the campaign: Conquerors, Raiders, and Seafarers. 

Conquerors edition is manufactured with a black matte, raw texture material, and embossed copper foil that envelops the tuck. The unique color scheme for the face card designs matches the hue of the tuck case and card backs. 

Raiders edition is manufactured with a matte red, raw texture material and embossed silver foil that wraps around the tuck. The unique color scheme for the face card designs matches the hue of the tuck case and card backs.

Seafarers edition is manufactured with a matte blue, raw texture material and embossed brass foil that surrounds the tuck case. This edition has a unique color scheme for the face card designs that matches the hue of the tuck case and card backs. 

SAGA Playing Cards will all be printed on M31 linen stock with BETA finish by MPC. SAGA will have the best card handling you’ve seen from a Design Imperator deck to date.

Pledge starts at $15 on Kickstarter. Pledging for 6 or 12 SAGA decks will have a standard box included in your reward. These boxes come in two sizes (fitting either 6 or 12 decks). Also, add ons such as metal coins and deck pouches are available. 

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Card Flash: Ragnarok Playing Cards by Design Imperator

The team at Design Imperator has just completed the fulfillment of Ragnarok Playing Cards, which was funded on Kickstarter late last year within 6 hours of the campaign launch. Congratulations to the team for a very well executed campaign!

Ragnorak is a fully custom Norse-themed deck and is the sequel to their previous release, Midgard Playing Cards. The Jormungand (Dark Blue) and the Fenris (Dark Brown) Editions features fully custom pips, indices, aces, and courts.



The card backs showcase Norse artwork inspired from original knotwork and wood carving designs, both set in a mirrored composition printed with metallic silver and copper inks.

The design elements, particularly the use of runic inscriptions utilized throughout are truly unique and very well incorporated into the theme of the deck. The meticulously hand-illustrated courts along with the darker tone of the deck highlight drama, intensity, and an epic battle.

Both tucks are beautifully embossed, hot-stamped with metal foil- silver foil on dark blue tuck for Jormungand and copper foil on dark brown on the Fenris edition. Backers will be pleasantly surprised how well these decks turned out. Printed by NPCC on linen card stock, which handles reasonable well but requires a short break-in period.

Top 12: Playing Cards of 2018

This is a record year for playing cards! We have a record number of decks released and delivered this year. To celebrate, we've compiled 12 of our favorite decks for 2018 right here. A very challenging list to put together due to the number of decks in the market. We realized that the benchmark is increasing each year with designers and producers putting out stunning decks, trying new innovation and design styles. So, if you think we've missed your favorite deck, 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.

LUNA

Luna Decks by Bocopo Playing Cards Co. (BPCC) and Kevin Yu of Riffle Shuffle is an eye-catching deck with a revolutionary fanned deluxe tuck case. The deck has been inspired by the historical significance of the moon and sun in both Western and Chinese culture.

Cartomancer

Alain Benoit's Cartomancer Playing Cards won 52 Plus Joker's 'Deck of the Year' award for a very unique deck that fully incorporates themes of cartomancy into the deck design. Each card tells a story with an original illustration made with vintage engravings and prints. The whole deck paints the landscape of our lives in a beautifully nostalgic style. The result is a thought-provoking synergy between significance and design.

Illusion d'Optique

Seeing is not necessarily believing! Illusion d’Optique is the most jaw-dropping collection of optical illusion playing cards ever assembled. From Art of Play, the deck features 54 eye-popping original designs created by a master of visual perception, Gianni Sarcone. Watch closely as colors change, shapes transform and static, printed ink seems to come alive. The deck is housed in a wild, rainbow-sheen holographic tuck-case.

Junkanoo

This is an Uusi exclusive commission for Baha Mar Casino, "Junkanoo" is a playing card deck that pays homage to the storied, folk festival of the same name held every year in the Bahamas by the local island residents. The deck is fully custom with original artwork by Uusi and reflect the beauty and creative abundance of this local community and truly embody the Baha Mar catchphrase, Life Spectacular. The deck is packaged in a gorgeous tuck box, with gold foil details and embossed.

Hana

The Hana luxury playing cards is an original set of decks designed by Steve Minty. These gorgeous decks are inspired by the unique elegance of traditional Japanese culture. Elements from aspects of textile, art, and social structures are incorporated into this deck along with Steve's design sensibilities to make these different from what that has done before.

Damask

Lotrek Oath's stunning Damask Playing Cards is printed with two inks plus 4+1 foils on the face cards, 2 foils on the back, printed on a striking paper stock! Incredible! The deck features a floral design pattern throughout, from the borderless card backs to the Ace of Spades and the beautiful borders of the face cards.

El Recuerdo

Created with the spirit of freedom in mind, El Recuerdo Playing Cards by Sviatoslav Pashchuk are dedicated to Mexico’s heroic struggle for independence. The decks beautifully combine the modern attributes of Mexico with the history and traditions of the Incas and the Maya. The idea is to make El Recuerdo decks more graphics, similar to the old money used in Mexico in the 17th century. The face cards have a large number of symbols. Each suit has a unique armament of that time, the ancient Incas symbol, which symbolizes the suit, Mexico most recognizable plant, an integral part of the national cuisine. The center of each card contains Maya golden calendar and a decorative plate.

NPCCD 2018

To celebrate the 2018 National Playing Card Collection Day, Alex Chin has released the Official NPCCD Deck, a truly remarkable deck featuring the world’s first light filter that literally changes the design of the deck based on the filter of the tuck box. The chess-themed deck is fully custom and meticulously designed. The back design incorporates a mobius strip that reveals a sphere of 2 heads. The beautiful tuck box features gold and silver intaglio engraving onto astral pearl stock that exudes a feeling of luxury. Each box contains 2 large die-cut windows featuring either a red or blue “worldview” that shows the deck inside.

VIEWS

Luxurious and unique in design. VIEWS Playing Cards are an illusion-themed deck of cards designed by Yves Krähenbühl and produced by Nick Earl of Got Magic?. The cards are fully custom and designed from the ground up. The back design features the motion-like bending VIEWS dots with a mint undertone to create the illusion. The face cards have custom pips, and the modern clean-looking courts have Pantone metallic inks. The eye-catching tuck case is crafted out of a synthetic soft-touch paper by Clove St Press. It is surrounded by the mind-bending illusion card back design, hot-stamped in white and mint foil.

RIPNDIP Fontaine

Sold out in 10 minutes! Zach Mueller's highly anticipated Fontaine collaboration deck is the best collaboration deck yet. RIPNDIP is a Los Angeles based clothing brand that has a very specific voice and it often focuses on eccentric designs that aren't afraid to stray from the norm. This is clearly reflected on the FULLY custom RIPNDIP Fontaines. The tuck features RIPNDIP's iconic white cat, Lord Nermal. In fact, Lord Nermal is featured prominently throughout the deck. From the card back patterns, Aces to the pips, courts, and jokers.

Deck the Halls

Initially released as part of Kings Wild Shorts, the Deck the Halls: White Christmas Edition Playing Cards are designed to look like a sweater. The courts, face cards, Ace of Spades and card backs features embroidery artwork with three color thread. Definitely a unique deck for the holiday season and will surely put a smile on someone's face.

House of the Rising Spades

House of the Rising Spades Playing Cards are richly detailed and features Lorenzo Gaggioti's incredible artwork. The exquisite decks begin on the outside with a stunning tuck case and finished with breathtaking face cards inside. There's just so much to like about this deck!

Honorable mention: Delirium Lost Decks by Thirdway Industries, COBRA by JP Games Ltd, Untitled v1 by Adam Borderline, Maduro by Kings Wild Project, Maidens by J&T Playing Cards, Ragnorak by Design Imperator, Tigers by Kings Wild Project, Off the Wall by Art of Play, Orbit V5 by Orbit Brown, Red Cherry Casino by Pure Imagination Projects, Planets by Vanda, Papercuts by Art of Play,  ULTRA by Toomas Pintson, Odissea by Thirdway Industries and Alice in Wonderland by Playing Card Decks.


The selection expressed in this top12 are solely those of the author. 

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The 12 Best Playing Cards for Halloween 2018

It's that time of the year! Once again, we have painstakingly compiled the best playing cards for All Hallows' Eve just for you. Behold! The Kardify Top 12: Halloween 2018 Edition! This year with enough owls, ghosts, skulls, Vikings, quirky characters and pirates to keep your spine tingling through the night. If you have one that we haven't discovered. Do feel free to share.

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

Dead Soul

Brought to you by TCC Playing Card Co., Dead Soul Playing Card is a dark macabre deck featuring 52 uniquely designed cards. Beautiful back design and custom courts! Fantastic detail, intricate design, and style to bring out your dark side.

Maidens Playing Cards

From Joker and the Thief, Maidens Playing Cards is a fully custom deck inspired by Dia de Los Muertos. On the outside, the lavish tuck box features an incredible dyed creme colored paper stock, letterpressed and adorned with beautiful foil accents inside and out! Inside, the face cards tell a story through the use of symbolism and meticulously illustrated throughout. The back design is eerie yet eye-catching! The consistent design of the face and backs beautifully tie the enchanting theme of the deck together.

Bicycle Bone Riders

Still one of our favorite. A collaboration between Art of Play and Bicycle, these fun new limited edition Halloween-themed playing cards are inspired by Bicycle's classic Rider Back design, the Bone Riders feature fun illustrations of bike-riding skeletons, fanciful jack o'lantern's, flying bats, and ornate pumpkin vines entangling it all together. Each deck includes two specialty Jokers, a unique Ace of Spades and one blank-face and one double-back card. Packaged inside a festive tuck box featuring premium matte card stock with embossed typography.

Strigiformes

Strigiformes Playing Cards is a fully custom deck of playing cards featuring original illustrations of owls designed by Renee LeCompte and produced by PlayingCardDecks. The deck is fully custom with meticulously hand-illustrated courts, pips, jokers, aces, and a custom back with tarot symbology used throughout. The darker tone gives the deck an enchanting feel!

RAVN Purple Haze

A collaboration between Caroline Ravn and Stockholm17, The Ravn Purple Haze is beautiful, elegant and at the same time attractive. The deck was designed to keep the classic look. The faces are quite standard, with improvised hands and the faces of the Jacks, Queens and Kings. The jokers are intriguing and Ace of Spades is very attractive.

Fury & Rage Knights

From Midnight Cards, Knights Playing Cards is a fully custom deck inspired by medieval knights and their most recognized style of armor and weapons. The Knights card backs feature an etched armor background and a head-to-head layout of the shield, Bull Head crest, and Battle Mace. The face cards have a metal texture with grey full-bleed coloring and the pips have a silver metallic look inlaid with Rivets.

House of the Rising Spades

From the mind of Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17, the House of the Rising Spades is an exquisite deck inspired an esoteric realm full of mysteries built for cartomancers, cardists, magicians, collectors, dreamers, and card enthusiasts. The beautifully illustrated face cards have no standard index, particularly the spot number cards (2 to 10).

Voodoo

Voodoo Playing Cards are produced by SpielKartenShop with artwork by Sam Hayles. You will notice that he has a thing for skulls and you will see in his design a lot of inspiration from esotericism to punk, bizarre to gothic, apocalyptic to elegant and all the bizarre things and elements from our strange world. You will find a lot of symbols hidden in the artwork and references to the world of voodoo. For the cards, Sam chose to use the sepia and old paper and grungy textures because that’s the style he loves and use the most and again fitted very well with the overall theme and style of graphics!

Haunted 8's

If you’re not already in the spirit of Halloween, then this spooky deck is certain to get you in the mood. Ghouls, Goblins, Headless horsemen, Zombies, Scarecrows, Pumpkins and more...! All packed into the October Kings Wild Shorts deck recently delivered to subscribers. A fun-filled deck brimming with artistry and ingenuity for All Hallows' Eve. The theme, colors, spooky characters and design elements that make up Haunted 8s came together perfectly!

Ragnorak

Ragnorak is a fully custom Norse-themed deck series designed by the team at Design Imperator. The Jormungand (Dark Blue) and the Fenris (Dark Brown) Editions features fully custom pips, indices, aces, and courts. The card backs showcase Norse artwork inspired from original knotwork and wood carving designs, both set in a mirrored composition printed with metallic silver and copper inks. The meticulously hand-illustrated courts along with the darker tone of the deck highlight drama, intensity, and an epic battle!

Salt & Bones

Inspired by the life and crimes of Captain H. Every, the man behind the biggest heist in history, Salt & Bone Playing Cards from Ellusionist celebrates bad intentions by becoming the lost bounty. The narrative of the deck starts with the striking bone white tuck, an imperfect paper grain reserved for rich men and cunning thieves. The compliment black and red foil adds a touch of danger and intrigue. Inside, the fully custom pips twist and snake you towards the elusive treasure, and court cards contain the sigils of the most infamous pirates to ever live.

Odd Bods

The Odd Bods Playing Cards is a brilliant deck illustrated by Jonathan Burton. Produced by Art of Play, the Odd Bods Playing Cards feature amusing characters, quirky illustrations, and playful imagery. The deck has been hand illustrated in a beautifully nostalgic style and designed to have the look of ‘aged’ Victorian lithographs. Every image proves its own quirk and oddity, but is never ostentatious-- Odd Bods are the epitome of refined indulgence. Packaged in a gorgeous gold-foil embossed tuck box.

The selection expressed in this top12 are solely those of the author. 



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