4 Jokers - Designers Wanted

[Don Boyer]

Gaff cards, besides a standard blank-facer or a double-backer?  A double-backer with two different backs can be a miracle worker - make the second back something really common and cheap, like a Rider Back or an Aviator or something.  Another simple gaff would be to have a card with the standard back for your deck but a plain, USPC-standard card face for some random card like a 6 of diamonds or something.  Include both of those cards and you can create a routine where the spectator thinks you're holding a standard Bicycle deck, then it changes to your deck without a deck switch.

Sound advice, and here I was just going to make the (Straight man in a suit) Joker card duplicated with one wearing pants and the other in boxer shorts, otherwise identical.

That works.  Put the unsuited (get it, UNsuited?) joker in boxers and a t-shirt - with a card reveal across the face...

But, better and more versatile, make the jokers appear identical, but give one a very subtle reveal, like the clouds in the sky over him coalescing into a shape that looks an awful like a value and a suit, subtly hidden with shading so no one would spot it unless you pointed it out.  Having two seemingly-identical jokers can actually be useful to a magician.

Another useful gaff - a duplicate of an existing card.  Many tricks utilizing two jokers (like the in-their-hand transposition) come across a hundred times more convincingly when done with two of a single card that a deck wouldn't ordinarily have two of.  The Blue Crown did that effectively using Queens of Hearts in the NOC and Altruism decks.

[Alex Willis]

But, better and more versatile, make the jokers appear identical, but give one a very subtle reveal, like the clouds in the sky over him coalescing into a shape that looks an awful like a value and a suit, subtly hidden with shading so no one would spot it unless you pointed it out.  Having two seemingly-identical jokers can actually be useful to a magician.

Do you have an example of this idea?

[Don Boyer]

But, better and more versatile, make the jokers appear identical, but give one a very subtle reveal, like the clouds in the sky over him coalescing into a shape that looks an awful like a value and a suit, subtly hidden with shading so no one would spot it unless you pointed it out.  Having two seemingly-identical jokers can actually be useful to a magician.

Do you have an example of this idea?

Look at the two jokers in the Legends deck.  The dragon is holding a card - face down in one joker, face up in the other.  But that's the obvious change.  The subtle one is when you look in the dragon's smoke, one has additional wisps of smoke that form the letters of the word "Ruby".  (At least I think it was "Ruby", since I'm going by memory.)  I didn't realize it was there until someone else pointed it out to me - it's insanely subtle.

A similar example would be the backs of the Ultimate Marked Deck (Bicycle Rider Back, red and blue) and the GT Speedreader Deck (Bicycle Mandolin Back, red and blue).  You spread either deck to a spectator, they see nothing but identical card backs - this despite the fact that each card's value and suit are printed plainly and easily read (if you know where to look) without any weird coding system - plain letters, numbers and suit icons woven right into the design so as to seem like a natural part of it.

Legends decks are sold out but still circulating for just a touch more than original retail.
Ultimate Marked Decks are like a "Holy Grail" of magician's/gambler's marked decks - long sold out, now they're commanding prices near $40 a pack.
GT Speedreaders are still around at good prices - the Mandolin Back never gained a lot of traction after its introduction, especially after the introduction of the Maiden Back (much more attractive-looking and closer to the Rider Back in design).

Speaking of Maiden Backs, there's an excellent Gambler's Deck in the Maiden Back - stripped, marked several different ways and designed to use in a card stack.  I love Gambler's Decks - I also have the original Rider Back models that will never be printed again.

[Alex Willis]

I've made a command decision to call the deck:  Four Jokers.

[Alex Willis]

The court cards for Spades and one of the four jokers (sketch)

[Don Boyer]

The court cards for Spades and one of the four jokers (sketch)

Why are the jokers marked "A"?  Are they also aces?

[Alex Willis]

The court cards for Spades and one of the four jokers (sketch)

Why are the jokers marked "A"?  Are they also aces?

I changed the Joker.  See above.

[Alex Willis]

Bearded Lady out - Four Jokers in. 

[Don Boyer]

Thinking way outside the (tuck)box here... Having struggled for a while with a name for the Joker deck which included 'Court Jesters', 'Four Jokers' and 'Tricksters', I've decided to not be so literal.  One of the best gags of all times is the "Bearded Lady" found often in sideshows.  As the deck is a tribute to jokers, both in design and fun, I thought how fitting it would be to represent the deck with this advert.  Please, discuss amongst yourselves.  And yes, I know it may make people think this is a carnival themed deck, then again aren't clowns just modern day jesters?

To call it the Bearded Lady deck and not have it filled with bearded ladies sounds like a bad idea.  Seriously, that sounds like an entirely different deck altogether.  You concept is Jokers - jokers used to be known as the Best Bowers of the deck before the name "joker" existed, and the name evolved from the name of the game "euchre", which is why the joker was created in the first place.  Consider these as better potential alternative name sources.

[Alex Willis]

Finally, all the art and design work is done.  Happy with my part I have handed the work over to my constituants at ManMadeGames and it's up to them now to do what they like.  I have other projects to keep myself occupied.  The team will still pursue marked backs as part of a stretch goal and they've been looking at add-ons and the like to help bolster sales.  They've also been working on an entertaining script and video to catch the attention of the KS team and hopefully will get the deck highlighted. 

Next projects:  For myself - relaunch of Zombie Origin as a Bicycle brand, for MMG - True Royalty Playing Cards USPCC.  Before that though I have begun the process of setting up my packaging/shipping area to prepare for my first Bicycle deliveries.  It's still a month away, but I like to have all my ducks neatly lined up.  I'm looking for a used conveyor belt if anyone has one, my packaging area is 25' long and the process works better in assembly line fashion:  5 Tables - Sorting, Fulfilling, Packaging, Labeling, Scanning.  I have boxes and packing materials on shelves along the walls.  Attached is an arial view of the farm, you can see my new packing/shipping area.  I had to clear out all the junk to make room and I wish I had a loading dock. 

[Don Boyer]

Finally, all the art and design work is done.  Happy with my part I have handed the work over to my constituants at ManMadeGames and it's up to them now to do what they like.  I have other projects to keep myself occupied.  The team will still pursue marked backs as part of a stretch goal and they've been looking at add-ons and the like to help bolster sales.  They've also been working on an entertaining script and video to catch the attention of the KS team and hopefully will get the deck highlighted. 

Next projects:  For myself - relaunch of Zombie Origin as a Bicycle brand, for MMG - True Royalty Playing Cards USPCC.  Before that though I have begun the process of setting up my packaging/shipping area to prepare for my first Bicycle deliveries.  It's still a month away, but I like to have all my ducks neatly lined up.  I'm looking for a used conveyor belt if anyone has one, my packaging area is 25' long and the process works better in assembly line fashion:  5 Tables - Sorting, Fulfilling, Packaging, Labeling, Scanning.  I have boxes and packing materials on shelves along the walls.  Attached is an arial view of the farm, you can see my new packing/shipping area.  I had to clear out all the junk to make room and I wish I had a loading dock. 

[pats down pockets, looks inside jacket]  Sorry, no conveyor belt on me...  Maybe I left it in the car... 

Nice digs, but it looks like it could be better organized, somehow.  Like having "Stowing" next to "Packing/Shipping" instead of "Inventing".  You could possibly put a loading dock at one end or the other of the Packing/Shipping building, and perhaps even connect those two buildings for easier transport of goods between them.  But hey, that's me, I have no idea of the details of the place, so that advice and two quarters only adds up to fifty cents.

[Alex Willis]

Stowing is up on a hill and it's not storage per se, it's where I stow stuff away that has no place else to go.  Mostly it's just experiments gone awry, half built things, a Deloreon with a flux capacitor, you know that kind of thing   The packaging area has a roll up door but I have to use a fork lift and carry stuff outside to load it onto a truck since the structure is only single story.  The experiment area is a two story frame with a full sized slide door but it's not as well laid out and it's harder for trucks to back up (the picture doesn't define the steep incline of hill going up to the stowage).