Kickstarter: Circus Playing Cards by Marianne Larsen

Circus Playing Cards is a limited-edition deck of playing cards with deluxe features in a vintage circus theme currently funding on Kickstarter. Designed by Marianne Larsen the deck is truly spectacular and amazing, conveying the exuberant energy of circus performers.

Two decks are on offer during the campaign, DELUXA and BLACK MOSQUITO.

The DELUXA card backs are printed with metallic golden Pantone to make it stand out from the standards of CMYK printed playing cards. The DELUXA number and face cards are both designed in a classic two-way layout with index on all four corners. The court cards are hand-drawn in collaboration with professional illustrator Martin Helgren and feature many iconic artists of historic circus archetypes.

The DELUXA tuck is manufactured with a pearlescent red stock for a truly exquisite look and feel. The tuck exterior is adorned with intricate and detailed gold foil on all sides. The artwork is embossed to further add depth and character to the already spectacular tuck.

Meanwhile, the BLACK MOSQUITO card backs are printed with metallic golden Pantone in combination with red and green Pantone to make it stand out from simple CMYK printed playing cards. The 'washed out' color scheme is a perfect contrast to the golden ink and adds to the vibe of the deck.

The number cards are designed in a classic two-way layout with index in all four corners, the court cards feature vintage circus archetypes in a one-way design. The courts are drawn deliberately with a dark twist by Martin.

The BLACK MOSQUITO tuck is designed with a vintage feel to it, with a dark color scheme and warm copper foil on all sides of the tuck exteriors. The artwork has embossed highlights to further enhance the already magnificent tuck. Both tucks come with a specially designed 'ticket style' numbered seal. These seals are going to be positioned at the tuck bottoms.

The decks are printed in Europe by NPCC with premium linen finish. Pledge starts at $14 for a single deck and there are multiple add-ons available such as brick boxes, gold coins, satin pouches, and printed booklet. Check it out on Kickstarter!

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Deck View: Hunter of York (Mistress Edition) Playing Cards

Elegant. Floral. Vibrant.

The Hunter of York Playing Cards are inspired by the witch-hunting era and the Tulip Mania set in York, 1636. This is the first volume in the Florus Drama series by artist Nicolai Aaroe. The Mistress Edition is one of two decks in the Hunter of York series. Fully custom, the face cards have a fresh and vivid appearance with illustrations in vibrant colors to make the deck look elegant and new. Aces have very full floral decoration.

The artwork of the courts are truly incredible! They are illustrated in collaboration with another Danish master of the pen, Martin Helgren. The ornate and floral decoration on each of the face cards gives it a touch of class and elegance. The deck is kept secure in a dark blue tuck shielded with stunning gold foil.

Printed by NPCC and available from isolatedthunderstorm.com.

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Deck View: Hunter of York (Master Edition) Playing Cards

Tulip. Floral. Elegance.

The Hunter of York Playing Cards are inspired by the witch-hunting era and the Tulip Mania set in York, 1636. This is the first volume in the Florus Drama series by artist Nicolai Aaroe. The Master Edition is one of two decks in the Hunter of York series. Fully custom, the face cards have a slightly brownish/worn tone and the illustrations are a bit desaturated to make the deck look old and used. The Aces have subtle floral decoration

The artwork of the court characters are truly incredible! They are illustrated in collaboration with another Danish master of the pen, Martin Helgren. The ornate and floral decoration on each of the face cards gives it a touch of class and elegance. The deck is kept secure in a dark blue tuck shielded with stuning gold foil.

Printed by NPCC and available from isolatedthunderstorm.com. For other cool decks, check out JP Games Ltd.

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Kickstarter: Hunter of York Playing Cards by Nicolai Aaroe

Funded in 48 hours, the Hunter of York Playing Cards are inspired by the witch-hunting era and the Tulip Mania set in York, 1636. This is the first volume in the Florus Drama series by artist Nicolai Aaroe.

These enchanting decks have been Nicolai's ‘go-to’ project for the past 3 years. He started working on the design about the same time the Indictus Playing Cards was launched on Kickstarter. The deck design has been kept a secret up until now and the reactions have been overwhelming.

Hunters of York started off as a theme that captures the tension of affection between a man and a woman in the renaissance era. The court characters have been illustrated in collaboration with another Danish master of the pen, Martin Helgren. On the design, Nicolai told Kardify,

I had so many ideas about the concept of ‘the hunt’ that the theme needed to be expanded with more factors of ‘hunt and ambition’. Hunters of York is set in 1636 and it is very much inspired by the Tulip Mania of that time to give it an authentic and historic touch of elegance in the form of floral artwork. The fact that the movie Tulip Fever came out in the end of the development process was pure coincidence, but it formed an obvious inspiration to the final touches of the designs.

This project has been hugely influenced by the ideas generated through creative sparring with Marianne Larsen. She has really made a great impact on major design choices, such as the beautiful tuck boxes.

The original designs were discarded completely and new designs were made based on fresh ideas and a rich sparring on the elements of what makes a great and interesting tuck case.

With the successful funding of the deck, Nicolai is motivated to continue working on the second volume in the Florus Drama series. Nicolai continued,

Florus Drama is a series where I will experiment with colors and story telling in a very unique way, blended with deluxe features on every aspect of the design process.

Two editions of the Hunter of York Playing Cards will be made available during the Kickstarter campaign- Master and Mistress Edition. The decks will be printed by NPCC and pledge starts at DKK$89 (USD$14) on Kickstarter.

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Kickstarter: Vittoria Playing Cards by Nicolai Aaroe

Vittoria Playing Cards is the second volume in the Florus Drama series of fine art playing cards by artist Nicolai Aaroe. Funded in under 24 hours on Kickstarter, the deck artistically capture the mystique of the black masquerade and the elegance of Venetian tradition.

The Florus Drama series is where Nicolai challenge his comfort zones and experiment with color, floral patterns, and historical interests. While the first volume in the series, Hunters of York, is based on the Tulip Bubble Nicolai needed a historic starting point for Vittoria to keep the design as authentic and relevant as possible. On the inspiration Nicolai said,

The mystique and suspense of Stanley Kubricks movie Eyes Wide Shut really got under my skin and has never really left me. The masquerade scene has unnerving suspense and dark atmosphere that I find really captivating. What I find particularly interesting is the secretive behavior of every character involved in the ceremony. This conduct and their serious facial expressions is something that I wanted to transfer over to the face cards of Vittoria directly. There is not a happy mood about these courts, which has been my artistic vision all along. This makes you wonder about their desires, darkest secrets and objectives. The only smile you see is the very spiteful one by the Jack of Hearts, who is wearing a Joker costume.

The fully custom deck is designed in collaboration with Martin Helgren. The face cards are based on extensive research and present authentic Venetian mask types. All courts are illustrated by hand with unique color schemes. On the theme, Nicolai continued,

It was not until I visited Venice with my wife in 2014 that I felt a creative urge grow within me to design a deck of cards based on the history of the Venetian carnival. I find this city as magical and fascinating as the magnificence of Italian architecture and art. So this particular piece of Italian history coupled with my dark art style formed the foundation of Vittoria Playing Cards several years ago.

Two limited edition decks with deluxe features in a dark Venetian theme are on offer during the Kickstarter campaign- Volto and Bauta. For the Volto edition, the card backs are printed with vivianite blue Pantone and golden metallic ink. Tucks are manufactured with a genuine Italian black matte stock, gold metal foil, black varnish, custom shape seals and exquisite embossing. The tuck interior is embellished with gold foil Italian floral ornamentation. The Volto face cards come in a vivid and rich color scheme with black and Azalean red suits.

Meanwhile, the Bauta edition represents the power of simplicity and secrecy. The Bauta edition tuck is manufactured with a genuine Italian black matte stock, gold metal foil, selective varnish, custom shape seals and exquisite embossing. The card backs are printed with black Pantone and golden metallic ink. Inside, the Bauta face cards have a washed out color scheme with black and golden suits.

The decks will be printed by NPCC and pledge starts at $13 for a deck on Kickstarter. Also, add-ons suck as dealers coin, deck pouch, brick boxes, and booklet are available. Don't miss out!

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Nicolai Aaroe's Vittoria Di Viritas Playing Cards

The enchanting world of Vittoria Playing Cards receives a captivating makeover in the form of the Vittoria Di Viritas project, a Kickstarter by Nicolai Aaroe.

Borne out of the success and acclaim garnered by the Vittoria Di Fiore Di Ferro experimental release, the design team dives deeper into the realms of Venetian embossed gold. This time, the focus intensifies on intricate details and embossed elements, crafting a visually stunning and technically impressive art project.

The project introduces two editions, each with its distinct character. The Duplice edition, meaning ‘double’ in Italian, showcases two-way court illustrations and a unique back design. The Singolo edition, meaning ‘singular,’ boasts one-way Vittoria court illustrations, setting it apart in the series.

The tuck cases, glossy and embossed, are a testament to the creator’s commitment to artistry. These designs forgo metal foil, relying instead on strategic embossing on glossy stock to simulate the appearance of elegantly embossed Italian gold ornamentation.

The court characters, illustrated by the talented Nicolai and Martin Helgren, present authentic Venetian mask types and clothing. Through extensive research, these artists breathe life into the courts, infusing them with unique color schemes and re-illustrated masks or clothing for a refreshing take on tradition.

The project goes beyond just cards, offering a range of exquisite boxes. From standard boxes to deluxe half-brick boxes with gold foil to the impressive Ultimo Hardbox, backers have a plethora of options to house these artistic wonders.

Printed by MPC on M31 linen finish with a print run of 3,000 for each edition. Pledge starts at $15 on Kickstarter.

Find Out Who Won the 2021 52 Plus Joker’s Diamond Awards

The 2021 52 Plus Joker Diamond Award winners have been announced on this weekend’s virtual event by 52 Plus Joker. The ‘Artist of the Year’ award went to Alex Chin for NPCCD Hindsight Edition, which had five main decks – two ungilded (Destruction & Disease) and three gilded decks (Dissent, Disaster and Death) – and one bonus deck only available with the purchase of the limited-edition “6 Spirit” set (Hope).

As with Alex’s past designs, there are some interesting innovations he devised, pushing the envelope of playing card design and packaging. One stand-out feature is the box; not a traditional tuck box, but a box that unfolds from the face to open, revealing an interior and exterior design meant to evoke a Greek temple.

Circus playing cards by Marianne Larsen and Martin Helgren won the ‘Deck of the Year’ award. Circus, comes in two versions, Deluxa and Black Mosquito. The Deluxe edition employs two-headed court cards while the Black Mosquito edition has one-way, head and torso portraits, both performed in a dark, Victorianesque style.  The details include a unique deck seal, individually serial-numbered and printed to look like a ticket to the show, metallic inks on the cards, and embossing on the tuck boxes. 

Congratulations to both Alex and Marianne. 😀

Thalassic Playing Cards by Marianne Larsen

Award-winning creator Marianne Larsen returns with Thalassic playing cards, a bold new project that dives deep into myth, mystery, and maritime lore. Designed in collaboration with artist Martin Helgren, Thalassic is a dual-edition deck that captures the spirit of the sea through luxurious finishes, rich storytelling, and intricate illustration.

Inspired by the legend of the Green Galleon, a ship said to have sunk in shark-infested waters with a fortune in gold and sapphires aboard-Thalassic invites collectors on a journey filled with daring pirates, mythical peacocks, and hidden maps.

Two unique editions, Blue Lagoon and Green Galleon, tell different sides of the story through distinct card backs, gilding, and custom tuck boxes adorned with vintage foil and embossing.

Each deck features original artwork for the court cards, grouped into four pirate crews: the rebellious Buccaneers, the tactical Armada, the wild Scallywags, and the sly Picaroons. 

While both editions share the same crew illustrations, the Blue Lagoon edition presents them in full-art, one-way designs, and the Green Galleon in classic mirrored layouts. The number cards hide thematic surprises, including elements of a treasure map when arranged in sequence.

Printed on M31 linen stock by MPC and limited to 2,500 decks per edition. Pledge starts at $25 on Kickstarter.