Wonder Playing Cards - LIVE on KS

[CBJ]

Designed by Chris Hage (Phronesis), these are launching on Kickstarter on August 15th





















Jay

[juxtaposed]

paisley?

[KingfisherZero]

I like the design of these, but yeah the pattern is WAY too close to the Paisleys.

[shermjack]

I like the design of these, but yeah the pattern is WAY too close to the Paisleys.

And the Paisleys were WAY too close to Vanishing Magic Dapper Deck that came before it

B2157185-CE34-4D79-A8C1-FF7C257D3B36.png (527.16 KiB) Viewed 107776 times

[Harvonsgard]

And all are waaaaaaaay too close to ...

... well, the Paisley pattern...

[Pablo393]

Nothing against the deck, more a comment on paisley. I went to college in the mid-80's during the big mod paisley shirt and bolo tie thing. I could just never bring myself to wear a paisley shirt. Like Homey the Clown used to say: "Homey don't play that."

[RichK]

When does this start?

[BaconWise]

Soooo.......it's Paisley with drop shadows?

The tuck box looks nice, especially if it will be light blue foil but this doesn't look like anything new. I wonder if it will fund.

[Fes]

Shapes! SHAPES! WHY ARE THERE ALWAYS SHAPES?!?!?! Everything looks like everything else to someone somewhere.
(By the by, there's at least three decks I've seen from 1800whatever, not an antique card guy at all, with Paisley looking shapes on the backs. Everyone's ripping them off apparently.)

Seriously though it's not too close to either of those decks. The center element alone should convey that. I do have questions about the design of this deck though, including card back. The questions are, is this a marked deck of premium quality playing cards? AND Why is that QoS so happy? What's so funny? Jack, did she rip reasty one? What's going on there! Are they watching a performance from the Joker? Is it an inside joke only W.C. Marks knows?

[crhage]

Hey guys, thought I’d join the discussion to see if I can answer any questions about the upcoming campaign. This is my second Kickstarter campaign and third third deck design. I’ve also backed 50+ KS decks and love collecting as much as designing.

So why Paisley? If you go back to my first deck release back in 2018 (TRICS 10th Anniversary deck) I used Paisley as the key element for the deck. The choice of Paisley was to honor my good friend Scott Robinson and his love for anything Paisley. He is the founder of the TRICS convention and so it was appropriate to use that pattern. You may know Scott from his book Pure Imagination that was released last year vanishing inc. We always talked about releasing a blue version of the TRICS deck, but I didn’t want to just copy the same back design and put a new color on it. As others have pointed out, there are other paisley decks currently on the market and they all feature a two dimensional pattern of the paisley elements. Paisley decks actually go back pretty far in history and they all seem to have a similar look. This one I believe is different because of the stacked paisley which gives the cards a 3D effect. The prototypes look really cool!

So that’s why paisley. It’s a beautiful and timeless pattern that’s been around for centuries.

What else can I answer about the deck or the campaign?

[crhage]

Soooo.......it's Paisley with drop shadows?

The tuck box looks nice, especially if it will be light blue foil but this doesn't look like anything new. I wonder if it will fund.

“ Yes it will find...yes it will fund...yes it will fund...”
Say that three times per day and it’s sure to make a difference.

Glad you like the tuck. The tuck will have a light blue foil. The foil will be similar to the light blue used on the Star Wars deck.

[crhage]

When does this start?

I haven’t settled on a date, but something tells me I should target August 15 at 12 noon.

[crhage]

Shapes! SHAPES! WHY ARE THERE ALWAYS SHAPES?!?!?! Everything looks like everything else to someone somewhere.
(By the by, there's at least three decks I've seen from 1800whatever, not an antique card guy at all, with Paisley looking shapes on the backs. Everyone's ripping them off apparently.)

Seriously though it's not too close to either of those decks. The center element alone should convey that. I do have questions about the design of this deck though, including card back. The questions are, is this a marked deck of premium quality playing cards? AND Why is that QoS so happy? What's so funny? Jack, did she rip reasty one? What's going on there! Are they watching a performance from the Joker? Is it an inside joke only W.C. Marks knows?

Great questions!

This deck will be printed by USPCC. I’m also working with Art of Play on all of the production elements. Clove St Press will do all of the tucks and half-brick boxes. The quality will be top notch on everything.


The cards are not marked...but I do have a version of these that include marks. I decided to go with a non marked version this time around.

When I first did the recolor on the courts I was sort of happy, but something was missing. This deck is all about WONDER! If you look at the traditional courts, they look so miserable. How can a deck about wonder and beauty have miserable looking court cards? So I changed their facial expressions to subtly convey them experiencing or creating wonder.

[crhage]

Here’s a picture of the deck and the tuck together.

[Fes]

Thank you for the large high res image. Helps those of us in the population who don't have pristine vision. We get to have nice looksee without working for it. Much appreciated.

Very good use of negative space on your card back. Anchored and everything. Doesn't feel off balance and holds the illusion of depth well. Is this a lock down designed card back? It looks like you had a good time doing it and put a lot of thought into it. I'm also curious about the joker.

[crhage]

Fes thanks for the comments on the back design! It was quite fun to create and I’m quite happy with the final product. This is a locked down design.

On the Jokers, here’s what I wrote for the Kickstarter campaign.

The custom Jokers feature the whimsical W.C. Marks, The Wonder Maker. Both Jokers are expertly illustrated by award-winning illustrator Rob Smith Jr. .
An immigrant from Germany in 1896, William Christian Marks (later known as W.C. Marks) designed and built one of the finest and most luxurious hotels in The United States. Sparkling chandeliers, Victorian art, lavish food and drink, and the finest textiles were the hallmark of his landmark property.
Guests at his luxury hotel were often treated to Mr. Marks’ whimsical games, entertaining magic tricks, side show stunts and even hand-painted artwork. It was this eccentric array of talent that spawned his nickname: The Wonder Maker. It’s this legacy of luxury, nostalgia, and wonder that we hoped to capture in the design of this beautiful deck of playing cards.

[rousselle]

Okay, I was prepared to dismiss this deck, but... but...

While I lately tend to avoid only nominally modified custom courts, the changes that I see in the images above are subtle, sly, and really quite appealing. I like what I see.

Will the face cards enjoy metallic inks? The courts look like you might be favoring a metallic light gold, which would really make these pop.

I have been annoyed with the fact that so many paisley decks look alike, but really, the backs here take it to a very different place. I like 'em. Oh, and you're partnering with some really good partners to handle the partner stuff, pardner.

So, yeah. If the price point isn't too much, I think I'll likely grab some.

Strange but true.

[crhage]

Okay, I was prepared to dismiss this deck, but... but...

While I lately tend to avoid only nominally modified custom courts, the changes that I see in the images above are subtle, sly, and really quite appealing. I like what I see.

Will the face cards enjoy metallic inks? The courts look like you might be favoring a metallic light gold, which would really make these pop.

I have been annoyed with the fact that so many paisley decks look alike, but really, the backs here take it to a very different place. I like 'em. Oh, and you're partnering with some really good partners to handle the partner stuff, pardner.

So, yeah. If the price point isn't too much, I think I'll likely grab some.

Strange but true.

Thanks for the good feedback. I’m glad you like the things I’ve done here. One of my main objectives was to do something different with the paisley.

You know, I haven’t considered metallic ink on the gold, but that is a phenomenal idea!

I will have some good deals available on the Kickstarter and multiple tiers so you can get what you want. The collectors box is only $45 and includes a gilded deck, custom tuck with silver foil, and numbered seal. The set includes the standard decks you see in the picture. There will only be 250 of these. (See attached)

I’m also working on a holographic tuck and either gilded or printed holographic deck as a Kickstarter exclusive. We’ll see. See attached.

[vasta41]

I was quietly watching these from the sidelines because I didn't find them great nor bad. But that render of the holographic tuck is awesome! That's got my interest. Seems odd nowadays that there's only a blue version, unless a red version is planned for later. Either way I'll be awaiting news of that holo deck.

[crhage]

Glad you like the holographic tuck. Still working through the details on what the deck will look like that goes inside it. Either way, I plan to make this only available on Kickstarter and do a very limited run. It won't be cheap to produce.

Also, there is a red version planned if we can hit some stretch goals.

blue and red on wood.png (757.83 KiB) Viewed 107355 times

[crhage]

Okay, I was prepared to dismiss this deck, but... but...

While I lately tend to avoid only nominally modified custom courts, the changes that I see in the images above are subtle, sly, and really quite appealing. I like what I see.

Will the face cards enjoy metallic inks? The courts look like you might be favoring a metallic light gold, which would really make these pop.

I have been annoyed with the fact that so many paisley decks look alike, but really, the backs here take it to a very different place. I like 'em. Oh, and you're partnering with some really good partners to handle the partner stuff, pardner.

So, yeah. If the price point isn't too much, I think I'll likely grab some.

Strange but true.

Based on your question, I looked into the metallic ink and it looks like I can do red metallic and yellow metallic on the faces. I think that will look GREAT.

[rousselle]

Well, fine. As long as the price point is reasonable, you will likely be separating me from some of my hard earned cash (that I picked from vasta's pocket while he wasn't looking.)

Stretch goals are a good thing. They enable you to stay on the positive side of cash flow but improve your offerings to your backers as the project gets larger.

Thank you for taking our suggestions into consideration. As I've said elsewhere, and as others have also expressed, all we want, at the end of the day, is more really cool decks of cards to enjoy.

PS: when is this project launching again?

[vasta41]

Well, fine. As long as the price point is reasonable, you will likely be separating me from some of my hard earned cash (that I picked from vasta's pocket while he wasn't looking.)

Fat chance. I'm always looking.

[brownsl]

I think these look good and will be backing.

[crhage]

I think these look good and will be backing.

Awesome! Thank you.

[crhage]

Well, fine. As long as the price point is reasonable, you will likely be separating me from some of my hard earned cash (that I picked from vasta's pocket while he wasn't looking.)

Stretch goals are a good thing. They enable you to stay on the positive side of cash flow but improve your offerings to your backers as the project gets larger.

Thank you for taking our suggestions into consideration. As I've said elsewhere, and as others have also expressed, all we want, at the end of the day, is more really cool decks of cards to enjoy.

PS: when is this project launching again?

Launching August 15 at 12PM EST.

On price point, these will start at $13-$15 per deck and go down based on volume. The lowest will be roughly $10 per deck in a couple of tiers.

Here's what you get for that:

• Custom Back (duh)
• Hand illustrated Jokers
• Custom Ace of Spades (duh)
• Redrawn court cards (cleaner lines and crisper images)
• Recolored court cards
• Subtle changes to the facial expressions on the courts
• Blank face card
• Double backer
• metallic ink on the faces (deeper red and vibrant yellow)
• Custom Tuck with embossing and two foils

[vasta41]

What about the holo tuck? When does that come into play and how much will that be?

[crhage]

What about the holo tuck? When does that come into play and how much will that be?

The holo tuck will be a Kickstarter Exclusive and include a holo gilded deck with numbered seal. I hope to keep this number very low. I will only produce what is pledged on Kickstarter. The price will be at least $40 each, but may be more. I have a couple of "bundle" pledge tiers that will include the holo deck at a lower price, but those pledge tiers will be limited. The low quantities drive up the cost of production obviously.

Probably this weekend I'll share the preview page so you all can check out the campaign and pledge levels as they exist right now.

Let me know what other questions you have.

[crhage]

Here's the deck with the holographic gilding applied to the rendering. These are going to be really cool!

[Fes]

Thank you for offering up the render, I think you keyed in on it's hard to see in the minds eye. I still have trouble envisioning "hologild" even with the render. Just something that's hard to picture without seeing it I think. Seen lots of other gilds, not this though. Interesting, I may have to pick one up just to get me a looksee all up close with me own paws.

Tossing it out there, anyone know of a deck with hologilding? I'm the curious sort now. Closest thing I can come up with in me own collection is that bike deck CPC tossed out with the glitter shine whatsit (prism maybe?) gild stuff on and that ain't holo.