Cardistry: Watch Kevin Ho's Mesmerising Arrowdynamics Demo

"Arrowdynamics" is a cool concept Kevin Ho from The Virts shared at last year's Cardistry-Con in Berlin, Germany. It is a simple visual premise that has a ton of cool applications and possibilities. Kevin shared this video on his various social media accounts for those who didn't manage to catch it last year.

Kevin Ho's ArrowDynamix v3: Chinatown Edition Deck

This third edition of Kevin Ho's ArrowDynamix series was released last month and comes decorated in hues reminiscent of traditional Lunar New Year colors, an homage to his Chinese roots. 

Designed with Cardistry in mind, the arrows adorning the backs are now in striking yellow and red arrows on the faces allows for stunning configurations of your favorite displays, as well as imbuing packet cuts with a sense of logic, flow, and direction. 

In addition to 52 ArrowDynamix playing cards, each set of ArrowDynamix v3s also comes with a Pointers Card, two double-sided Spin Cards, and an Ad Card. 

Printed by USPCC on premium crushed stock. Orders of 6 decks and up come with a free, custom half-brick box. Now for $12 on momentum.cards.

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Kevin Ho's First Solo Deck, ArrowDynamix Released Today!

Cardistry headliner Kevin Ho's solo deck ArrowDynamix is arriving on August 18th, with images and teaser trailer of deck revealing the cool concept. This is his first major release through his new brand, Momentum (Instagram: @momentum.cards), since leaving the Virts back in 2018.

Featuring a black/white colorway, ArrowDynamix stands out with bold Arrows in various directions to simulate the visual flow of card flourishing. The concept was first announced at Cardistry Con 2016. The decks will normally cost $12, but for the first 48 hours, they’ll be priced at only $8.95 per deck on momentum.cards. Check out the cool trailer below:



Article originally published on cardistrybeast.com.

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Card Gear: Magician's Choice

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.

This month we have the EDC of Kevin Reylek, one of the driving force behind Penguin Magic Playing Cards. The company is well known for their excellent playing cards such as Honeybee, Christmas, White Tally-Ho, Westminster, Architect and Steeplechase Park. Follow them on Instagram for more cool releases: @penguincards.

Kevin has been studying and performing magic for nearly 25 years, and his EDC items have changed drastically in that time. He used to always have sponge balls in his pocket, among other things. Over the years Kevin's EDC has streamlined quite a bit and he still feels like his pockets are too full most days!

Kevin's gear (Italics are Kevin's comments):

+ Coin Shell (Useful for lots of different things).
+ Captain & Coke 2.0 (One of the creations of which I'm most proud. I carry this with me everywhere I go).
+ Bent Quarter & Penny (I use these with the C&C 2.0 for a double coin bend routine).
+ Regular Dime & Penny (Use with the C&C 2.0).
+ Stretched Coin (This is great as a seemingly impromptu effect during those "show me a trick" moments).
+ Car Key, House Key, and Special Rubik's Cube Keychain (I used to carry WAY more keys, but now just try to keep it to the bare essentials. I'd rather not say too much about the Rubik).
+ Blue Choice Playing Cards (Designed by Ben Kolozsi and produced by Penguin Magic. These will be part of the Penguin Magic's August Card Club and they are AWESOME. Beautiful shade of Blue, terrific Stud Tribute design, thin borders, Arrco faces, and Thin Crush stock from USPCC. I absolutely love these cards).
+ Blind Man's Wallet (I use this as my everyday wallet for my credit cards, ID, and a bit of cash. It's also a great business card wallet and allows me to perform a baffling Drawing Duplication routine. Created by Menny Lindenfeld and produced by Penguin Magic).
+ Die (This is for mentalism. That's all I'm gonna say).
+ 2 Special Sharpies (One is by Alan Rorrison (you can tell this has REALLY lived in my pocket) and the 6C Reveal Sharpie from Ellusionist. I get lots of mileage out of both of these).
+ Lip Balm (Even in the humid south, it's possible to get chapped lips. 
+ Swiss Army Knife (Useful in so many ways).
+ Sterling Silver Tiffany & Co Money Clip (I don't generally have lots of cash, but my money clip allows me to know that the cash in my wallet is for tricks, and the cash in my clip is OK to spend. This is one of the few items of sentimental value that I carry with me, it used to belong to my uncle).
+ Tony Clark Close-Up Pad (Produced by Dan & Dave and Tony Clark, this is the pad that I use most often, even though I own about half a dozen different close-up mats. I use this one as a photo background in a ton of my Instagram shots. I don't actually carry this daily, but since it's in the shot, I figured I'd mention it!)


What’s yours? If you would like your card gears to be featured on Kardify, contact us.

Cardistry: What is Cardistry? Watch this Short Documentary

For those of you who are into the mesmerizing art of card flourishing (cardistry), you probably have watched this short documentary numerous times by now. Directed by Erudite Pictures and produced by Dan and Dave, this documentary tells the story of how Cardistry-Con came to be and the amazing community that is pushing the limits of possibility with a simple deck of cards.

Cardistry-Con 2016 took place in Berlin, Germany on July 8, 9 and 10. About 150 cardists from all over the world gathered in an old chocolate factory to share their passion for cardistry, learn about the art, and connect with one another.

Filmed on location during this year's Cardistry-Con, the documentary begins with Zach Mueller sharing why Cardistry is important to him and followed by Dan and Dave describing what Cardistry-Con is. The video also features lots of cool shots of incredible card flourishes by attendees and interviews with cardistry personalities such as Andrei Jikh, Anna DeGuzman, Kevin Ho and more!

Check it out!

Cardistry: That Happened in The U.S.A - Chapter 1: New York

Following Art of Play's the release of the official Cardistry-Con 2017 video, the team at Cardistry Touch released a series of videos on their journey Cardistry-Con. Directed by François Dubois, the first chapter features notable cardists such as Dimitri Arleri, Ladislas Toubart, Patrick Varnavas, Quentin Gaspard, Kevin Ho, Frank Sung, Adam Kerchman and Matt Fox in New York.

3 Questions with Frank Sung and Adam Kerchman of Bloc Playing Cards

Designed by Frank Sung (@frankistea) and Adam Kerchman (@adamkerchman), Bloc Playing Cards: American Pine Edition is a semi-custom deck inspired by the beauty, color and texture of trees. This deck features standard faces, custom Ace of Spades and a borderless one-way wood textured back design.

A post shared by Adam Kerchman (@adamkerchman) on Jul 27, 2017 at 4:02pm PDT

Frank started cardistry in 2006 and took a break between 2010 to 2015. Recently, Frank won the 'Move of the Year' for 'Dump' during Cardistry-Con 2017. Bloc Playing Cards came about when Frank had an idea in winter 2016 for a line of cards that involved different wood grain textures. Frank told Kardify, "I mentioned my idea in passing to Adam and a few weeks later he told me he wanted to make it a real thing. I would have never taken the steps to make this deck if it wasn't for him."

A post shared by Adam Kerchman (@adamkerchman) on Jun 28, 2017 at 7:03am PDT

Adam is a director of photography based in NYC. He's been in the card world for over 15 years and have known Frank for ~10 years. According to Adam, "Frank casually mentioned to me that a wood deck of cards would be interesting. I was like: Dude. No one has has that...And then we made Bloc!"

We had a quick chat with Frank and Adam about the inspiration behind the 'American Pine' deck, the community, and their favorite cardist, flourish and deck.

What is your inspiration behind the ‘American Pine’ deck? How did you guys come up with the idea?
Frank: There were two main inspirations for the deck. The first one is that I wanted to come up with a deck that was conceptually strong. The reason why the deck is borderless is so that the lines are blurred between a deck of playing cards and an 'object'. When the deck is squared up in your hand or on a table, it seamlessly blends into its environment as an actual wood block, without a border to define it as a deck of playing cards. Only when the deck is in use, then it visually defines itself as playing cards. It's similar to the notion of showing people cardistry and expanding their definition of what a deck of playing cards can do apart from card games and magic tricks. The second inspiration was the beauty of wood. I've always loved the different colors and textures that trees can bring. It's so beautiful. I wanted to bring that into cardistry and with it, a sense of nature and calm. And in a way, the deck is an homage to trees. A wise Kevin Ho once said, "Cards come from paper. Paper comes from tree. Therefore: card is tree. Cardistry."

A post shared by Bloc Playing Cards (@blocplayingcards) on Sep 1, 2017 at 2:48pm PDT

Adam: My desktop background has been a wood texture since 2008. My cell phone background has been a wood texture since I've had an iPhone. You may ask: does Adam respect wood? Absolutely. The borderless design is a bit of an outlier in most decks. That said - a border on the wood texture negated everything we wanted to create. With Bloc, we wanted to create something that transcended a deck of playing cards - it's simply a beautiful stand alone item. The fact that you can manipulate, play with, or amaze with the deck is almost secondary. The design had to be solid enough that any lay person could easily get on board. When you hold a bloc in your hand it looks like you're holding a wooden block. A border would completely alter that perception.

Quintessential @adamkerchman stuff

A post shared by Bloc Playing Cards (@blocplayingcards) on Sep 9, 2017 at 7:56am PDT

We first noticed Bloc Playing Cards on Instagram during Cardistry-Con. What do you think of the cardistry community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far on the social media platform?
Frank: I'm really grateful for all the support we've been getting to far.
Adam: It's super rad. I've been spearheading our social presence and it's dope to see people resonate with it!

A post shared by Bloc Playing Cards (@blocplayingcards) on Sep 3, 2017 at 3:38pm PDT

Finally, what are your favorite flourish and playing card decks?
Frank: Sorry, i can't pick just one. But in past year or so: Pesto by Tobias, Mycroft by Cuon, and Bahamas by Nikolaj. Other people I look up to when creating are Oliver, Aviv, Dimitri, Brendan, Matt (Beaudoin), Pat, and Nicolas. A few of my favorite decks are Usagi, Wynns, Stripe, and Fontaines.
Adam: Literally anything from Noel, Aviv, or the Dicardistry crew. There's so many people putting out incredible work that it's virtually impossible to choose just a few...So I'll throw Daren, Tobias, and Andrei in there too. I love me some of the latest Virts decks, Stripes, pink Fontaines, and the Vintage Plaid decks. Vintage Plaid might be the smartest back design ever made.

Thanks for your time, guys! The Bloc Playing Cards American Pine Edition are available NOW for $15 from blocplaying.cards. 

Cardistry: Cardistry-Con, New York Day 1

Twitter: @cardistrycon

The inaugural Cardistry-Con is underway in Brooklyn, New York. Organised by Dan and Dave, Zach Mueller of Fontaine Cards, The Virts and Dealersgrip, Cardistry-Con is a three-day conference devoted to the blossoming art of cardistry. Thanks to Simon Bruno, designer of the upcoming Glassback Playing Cards on Kickstarter, April 14th, we are able to share some images of the Cardistry-Con with you.

On April 10, cardists from all over the world gathered to share, inspire, learn and collaborate, and have an absolute blast together. The event includes talks, panel discussions, live performances, exclusive video screenings, Q&As, workshops, contests and giveaways.

Art of Play Pop-Up Shop

Headliners for Day 1 includes Dimitri, Aviv, Andrew, Alejandro, Spencer, Chase, Franky Morales, Kevin Ho, Zach Mueller, Tobias, Oliver, Nikolaj, Birger Karlsson, Eliot Slevin, Huron, Daren, Noel Heath.

Cardistry Con-versations such as Two-Handed Cuts (image above) and Practice and workshop for the popular flourish Curly Cue were covered on Day 1.

Live streaming (or on demand) is available for cardists who are not able to make it to the event. In addition, anyone with the online pass will be able to engage with everyone attending the event in Brooklyn. There is a comments stream below the video for questions, requests, or have a discussion. These comments are projected onto a wall at the event for everyone present to see and interact with. Available on Indiegogo.


Images of the Cardistry-Con was provided by Simon Bruno designer of the upcoming Glassback Playing Cards on Kickstarter, April 14th. No part of this article or images can be reproduced without written permission from the Simon and Kardify.

Issue #40 of Kardify Magazine is Here!

Issue #40 of Kardify Magazine is NOW on Patreon in both EPUB and PDF format! Patrons who pledged $3 or more on will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-August to mid-September. 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, 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 bringing new quality content to you. Our aim 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 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:

+ Mono-X: An eye-catching deck featuring black/white and grey colorway with distinctive pattern utilizing a variation of line thickness.

+ Babylon Fontaines: Check out the insane new Fontaine collab deck with streetwear brand Babylon LA.

+ Scarlett Bicycles: Stunning, elegant, and luxurious. Three decks of playing cards dedicated to Jackson Robinson’s second daughter, Scarlett.

+ Playing Arts Future: New art deck featuring illustrations by different international artists on their vision of the world 100 years from now.

+ Wayfarers: The brand new deck from Joker and the Thief 2 years in the making, and one that the company considers being the first TRUE spiritual successor to their now acclaimed, original Joker and the Thief design.

+ ArrowDynamix: Check out cardistry headliner Kevin Ho's first major release through his new brand, Momentum since leaving the Virts back in 2018.

+ Fulton's Casino Orange:  After selling out the Ace Fulton’s Casino Tobacco Brown edition last year, the Ace Fulton’s Casino Vintage Backs series is BACK with an all-new orange colorway!

+ Red Metallic Gatorbacks: Silver, Rose Gold, Metallic Blue... and now Metallic Red! The new addition adds a sophisticated and stylish element to any card collection. Check it out!

… and more! 63 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Chris Hage of Phronesis Playing Cards

Creating a new routine and need some ideas? or looking for a fun way to engage the audience? Maybe to give an old routine a fresh start? Phronesis Playing Cards can help you generate ideas and create new magic.

Just launched on Kickstarter, Phronesis is the result of several years of brainstorming and collaboration with some of the finest magicians, artists, and creators in magic. The result is a deck that’s both unique and functional. The deck is designed to help magicians generate ideas, create cool original magic, and have fun while doing it.

Also available during the Kickstarter campaign is the Classic Edition of Phronesis, designed specifically for the workers. The deck comes with custom marked back and standard faces for everyday use. Included are a custom Ace of Spades, Custom Joker, and a Double Backer.

Before the launch of the campaign, we had a quick chat with Chris about his design background, inspiration, and design process behind Phronesis playing cards.

For those of us who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself?
In my free time I’m a designer, builder and magic creator. That means when I get home from work, I spend a couple of hours at night designing decks, practicing magic and tinkering with new magic props. I really got into designing and writing following an eight-year run as a restaurant magician. After that run ended, I took a step back to reassess what I was giving back to the magic community. Since then, I’ve published a few magic effects (it's so easy these days so I don’t hang my hat on that), written three booklets on magic, and produced one deck of cards to date- TRICS Paisley.

I’m also a member of Sleight Club in Charlotte, NC. We like to say that we’re the Carolinas premier group of magic thinkers, performers, and creators in our region (we’re a modest bunch.). With this group of great people, I help run the TRICS magic convention, which just celebrated its ten-year anniversary. Also, with the help of Sleight Club, I’ve produced two magic shows benefiting local children in need, the last show being in 2017. Kardify readers can keep up to date on our next charity show. We hope to have our next show in the coming year.

Can you describe Phronesis Cards? and why you passionate about it? 
The Phronesis project is the result of several years of brainstorming and collaboration to design a deck that’s both functional and beautiful. The result is a set of cards designed to help magicians generate ideas, create cool original magic, and have fun while doing it. The idea started several years ago after leaving a Sleight Club gathering where we had just finished working on a routine for a new member and I couldn’t help but think how awesome it was to go from a half-baked idea, to something original and strong. This is not an unusual experience at Sleight Club either. There’s a method that is often used that combines both philosophical questions about the performer’s style, or the motivation of the performer, with a brainstorming session on methods, props, and the structure of a routine. The result after several iterations are strong routines that fit the magician. So, I’m passionate about the Phronesis project because it captures the essence of that experience and makes it accessible to anyone.

Talk to us a bit about going from the first draft to the final version. How did you get to this finished product?
Let’s just say the first draft was rough. I shared the first iteration with some good friends in Orlando. I call them the Orlando Trio (Josh Arroyo, Christian Magill, and Ryan Schlutz). This is as much their deck as it is mine. They really provided excellent insights, recommendations, and ideas to make this deck what it is. Those three guys saw the first deck design and really helped take this to the next level.

The original concept centered around the quotes and the aesthetics of the deck. Then I think it was Ryan who suggested the Fitzkee categories of magic and designing tricks around those. That was the first breakthrough. So, I went through several iterations of extra cards that included various categories of effects, but it just didn’t feel complete. Then in the Fall of 2018 it dawned on me that I could have illustrations on each card that depict the categories (plot, style, effect, prop). EUREKA!

The Ideation Edition has all the cool artwork and quotes, but that’s only one version of the deck. Everyone who has seen the prototypes has asked for a worker’s deck. One they can use every day. So, the Classic Edition is also part of the project and includes what you’d expect in a worker’s deck. It includes two matching Jokers, custom Ace of Spades, a double backer, and a double backer with a missing center circle. That’s so you can magically remove the circle if you want.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
I have to say the marking system is pretty ingenious. Both the Ideation Edition and the Classic Edition are marked. You can instantly know suit, value, color, Aronson stack number, Mnemonica stack number, and the orientation of the deck because of the subtle one-way design.

Another cool thing built into the deck, and one I haven’t talked about publicly, is a secret scavenger hunt built into the Ideation deck. There are clues built into the deck that lead you to the solution of a puzzle. It’s like an escape room built into the deck. I’ve only told one other person how it works. But I’ve told no one the final puzzle outcome. That’ll remain a mystery for now. The plan is to reveal portions of the scavenger hunt and the various puzzles that need to be solved later this year. But in order to solve the puzzles, you must have an Ideation deck.

We first noticed Phronesis on Instagram. What do you think of the playing card community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far on the social media platform?
Instagram has been great! There have been so many positive comments and support from magicians and artists around the world. I’ve reached out to several people individually through social media to get advice on Kickstarter and deck artwork and everyone has been willing to share and support the project. It’s been amazing! The one person who has really given a ton of his time and talents to the project is Kevin Reylek. Kevin has been engaged in the custom deck world for over a decade and has been involved with the production of over 50 different designs and sales of over 1 million decks! He’s offered so much sound advice about Instagram, Kickstarter, and deck manufacturing it’s really been incredible. But in general, social media has unquestionably given me the best opportunity to share the project more widely.

With so many playing card projects competing for funding, why should potential backers choose your deck?
You’re right, there are so many new decks out on Kickstarter, why this one? I debated that very question and concluded that this project (the two decks together) offer something that’s not on the market in any of the other decks. You’ve got some decks that are produced for the amazing artwork, some produced especially for cardistry with very modern back designs, but there’s nothing on the market built specifically for magicians to help them create new and original routines. The Ideation Edition is that unique product. Combine that with the Classic Edition marked deck, and you’ve got a killer arsenal for creativity and strong magic.

Finally, what are your favorite playing cards? 
My all-time favorite deck is the Tally-Ho Circle Back. You can see a lot of that influence in the Phronesis deck. But lately, I’ve really been collecting decks that have great tucks. Most of the time I don’t even open the tucks to see the cards anymore. Because I know how much work it takes to design and produce a deck of cards, I try to support as many new Kickstarter decks as I can and especially ones with great tucks and clean/classic back designs.

Thank you for your time, Chris and all the best! 


At the time of writing, Phronesis is only 36% funded with 28 days to go. If you like what you've read here and want to support Chris, you can find it on Kickstarter Here! Pledge starts at $10, the deck will be printed by Cartamundi and tuck box letter-pressed by Clove St Press.

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7 Questions with the Gentleman Wake of the Parlour Playing Cards

The Parlour Playing Cards is a collaboration between Lorenzo Gaggioti of Stockholm17 and the Gentleman Wake currently funding on Kickstarter. Already 200% funded, these exquisite deck playing cards are inspired by the age-old and admired decks. The deck features fully custom card backs, Ace of Spades, jokers and improved semi-custom court cards meticulously crafted by Lorenzo. For more on the design inspiration, check out our first look article.

Before the Kickstarter campaign, we managed to have a quick chat with the Gentleman Wake about the inspiration and the design evolution of the deck, collaboration with Lorenzo and getting notable guests in his cool Kickstarter video.

For those of us who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and how did The Gentleman Wake come about? 
Ah, starting with an existential self-examination? Haha. Well, I guess the easy answer is that I'm a Content Creator and Youtuber with a channel dedicated to high-quality content for the playing cards enthusiast. At the risk of dating myself, lol, I'm a 20 year veteran of filmmaking and television and a life-long collector of different things which kind of explains my dual entry point into the world of playing cards video content--since I'm not a magician or cardist in the traditional sense. I now own about a thousand decks of cards. Basically, I'm a 14-year-old in the body of a man! haha.

My real name is Omar, but of course, the Youtube channel, which I run with the help of my very talented and beautiful wife Liza Quin, is called The Gentleman Wake. The idea behind the name is really about conveying a sense of what a visitor to the channel can expect. Refined well-thought-out opinions. Elegant presentation. We take a lot of pride in producing content that is well-researched and presented in as dignified a way as possible, even when delivering criticism--which I always try to keep constructive. And I think also we're not above poking fun at ourselves--not taking it too seriously either.

The Parlour will be your first playing card deck. How did you end up collaborating with Stockhom17?
Well, that's a bit of a long story that requires a bit of set-up. In the very early days of the TGW channel, I was mostly interested in making up for my lack of knowledge and skill with cards by throwing an absurd amount of production value at my videos! I drew on the many years of videography, editing and photography experience to create videos that, I hoped, looked and sounded different than any other playing cards content being created on YouTube. Often, videos would take me 20 hours to complete, and I think thanks to that unconventional approach, I was lucky enough to make -- I wouldn't even call them waves -- more like ripples. I caught the attention of some notable designers and playing cards producers--who I think are always on the hunt for new avenues to spread their reach (as they should). During those early days, I was looking for any way I could to further cement myself, and I figure exclusive previews of prototype decks/Kickstarter campaigns was the best way to do it. After all, it would be hard to compete for attention with other more established reviewers if I was reviewing decks that were being reviewed by everyone else.

At some point during my collection building days, I, of course, landed on the work of Lorenzo Gaggiotti, better known as Stockholm17, and I was instantly drawn to them. Soon after, I finally got in contact with him--can't say I really remember how. Probably because I followed him on Instagram where I probably harassed him to get his attention. Haha. After introducing myself and showing him some of my videos to date I think he got very excited about the prospect of my helping him produce the Kickstarter video for his then-upcoming House of the Rising Spade project. We worked out a barter deal where he would send me the prototype HotRS deck so I could preview it for the Youtube audience and he could use the footage I captured for his campaign video. As a result, I gained a little bit of needed credibility in the community--for being a place where aficionados of playing cards could expect to find new information and I think, well I hope, that he came away surprised and pleased with the quality of the images and videography that I provided him.

It was some time afterward when I started to think about making and producing a deck of cards myself--something I always knew I wanted to do-- that I approached him just to get some logistical questions answered. Since I had his email, and because I knew he'd worked with Caroline Ravn on the Ravn decks I asked what that kind of arrangement, between designer and entertainer, looked like. We got to talking and very soon after that agreed to work on a deck together. In that respect, I got very very lucky. I swung for the fences in going after an artist of Lorenzo's caliber and even though--in this metaphor--I had my eyes closed, I hit a home run.

Can you describe the Parlour? and why you are passionate about it?
In the days leading up to the creation of the channel, I knew that there was a certain aesthetic that I wanted the channel and by extension the brand to have. For instance, I wanted the space I shot my videos in to be classic and inspired by the vintage elements that are often associated with playing cards. That led to the creation of the Gentleman's study--which is really just our living room. The Victorian-inspired decor and museum-like quality was something I really wanted. We filled the space with curiosities and trinkets, artwork that inspired me, and small pop-cultural details. At the end of the day, I basically wanted to live and work in Sherlock Holmes' apartment.

Whatever our first deck was going to be, I wanted it to reinforce those motifs and design choices. And what better way to do that then to create a deck that was emblematic of the space that the channel inhabits? So we knew we wanted the deck to have elements of that space peppered into its design. We also knew we wanted a deck that would appeal to the different sectors of viewers that were starting to visit the channel; Collectors, Magicians, Players of card games and even Cardists, although historically the cardistry world gravitates towards more simplistic and colorful designs.

The inspiration in the "Study" gave way to the name "The Parlour"--which of course is another name for a fancy room where discussion happens. The TDLR version is that the Parlour deck is a representation of what the Gentleman Wake brand is. And because the brand is also, to an extension, really a large part of me, it's a little deeper than that even.

What role did you play in the art direction and how much time did you spend working on the deck?
When you are working with an artist of Lorenzo's caliber you really don't want to stifle or overbear too much. He's gotten to a very successful point in his career and let's be honest, he didn't really NEED me. In fact, I was extremely grateful to have such an experienced and well-versed mentor when it came to producing a deck of cards, let alone running a successful Kickstarter project. But, ultimately, the deck was going to be the first physical product to represent the TGW name, and because of that, I was certainly interested in being a huge motivator and I was deeply invested, both emotionally and artistically, in the process. Being a creative director in the world of television for years was also something I couldn't inherently turn off. My wife will surely tell you that I have a strong vision when it comes to creative endeavors. So the original inspiration came from photographs of my living room and it just so happens that this aligned very well with Lorenzo's aesthetic and where he was in his creative life so to speak. In fact, that synergy--that we were both interested in the same kind of deck--is ultimately what led to it actually happening.

Could you walk us through your “Creative” process? Do you or Lorenzo have a routine when designing the deck or individual card over the past few months?
At the onset I gave Lorenzo some early parameters; I wanted a classic feel. Something that could sit on a table next to a Tally-Ho Circle back or a Bicycle Rider back while still feeling modern. I wanted the deck to be magician and gameplay friendly yet feature the details and customization that I knew collectors would appreciate. Over time other ideas surfaced. For instance, the deck is printed to be off-white--eggshell really. This gives it a vintage vibe without resorting to weathering. It still looks very much new in the hand. That's an idea I had inspired by Dan & Dave's vintage plaid deck.

But ultimately Lorenzo is the true designer of this project. He's the one that designed that spectacular spade monogram. My only real feedback on that was 'oh bleep, that's amazing!" Haha. And really I tried to get out of his way as much as possible. Having said that he's a consummate pro and collaborator and made me feel very much a part of the process sharing every single design variation he had and allowing me agency to pick which versions to continue working and elaborating on. At one point the idea came up to include the unique implements and trinkets on the individual court cards. He asked me to make him a list of who had what and then he went from there. Sending WIP shots and being very open to my ideas. And of course, I had my knit-picky moments too which more often than not he would relent on. But I certainly picked my battles--as I'm sure he did--to arrive at something that I think we are both extremely proud of. True collaboration in every sense.

The Kickstarter video is probably one of the best we’ve seen on a playing card campaign. For those who are wondering, how did you get Dan Buck, Alex Pandrea, Andrei Jikh, and Asad Chaudhry featured in your video?
Firstly, thanks so much for the amazing compliment! Hearing those kinds of things obviously never gets old but when you are in the trenches, grinding until 4am to make sure those kinds of things look the way they need to, you kind of forget what's its like to see it for the first time. I'm a filmmaker first and foremost, and I knew that I wouldn't have been satisfied with a run of the mill video. I wanted everything to be absolutely top notch. I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of video I wanted to make--what kind of message was important to deliver. And ultimately if I have one bit of advice, having had a long career in promo advertising, its lead with feeling. The details are nice. The specifics are great. But those rarely get people in the door so-to-speak.

Regarding the amazing guests, I had, just like everything else during this process I wanted the best. Although I practice my cardistry and magic skills daily I'm still very much a noob and I knew early on that my skills weren't going to cut it to really show off the design Lorenzo had worked so hard to realize. So if I'm gonna go after talented folks to appear and endorse the deck I was going to go for top-shelf people! I was extremely lucky enough to get the attention of those amazing and talented folks and arranged a big trip to the west coast of the USA to meet and collaborate with them--not just for the deck but for content creation as well. And even if this campaign fails to gain the funding or come to fruition at all, I will still be completely grateful and happy to have built some great on-going relationships with those gentlemen you listed.

Finally, what are your favorite playing cards?
Oh man, we could be here all day. Anything by Lorenzo of course. Anything from Jackson Robinson. I'm a huge fan of the decks of Kevin Cantrell. Uusi is another outfit that is just killing it with amazing decks. But really I have the utmost respect for anyone who puts their creative souls on the line to create. Opinions and tastes are subjective of course!

Thanks, Omar and all the best! If you want to support the Parlour playing cards, you can find it on Kickstarter here! Pledge starts at $16.


Two colorways are on offer during the campaign, deep navy blue and rich wine red! The Parlour Playing Cards deck will be printed by Cartamundi on crushed paper stock using their proprietary B9 true linen finish.

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