The-Con-Artist.com

[xela]

This guy has to be a troll. What he is doing is a clever satire on the industry proving to us that certain people will buy even the most vile junk in the world if it's simply marketed as the greatest treasure.

[Pentagear]

This guy has to be a troll. What he is doing is a clever satire on the industry proving to us that certain people will buy even the most vile junk in the world if it's simply marketed as the greatest treasure.

100% this.

I provided critique on the Queen of Clubs on the facebook thread, I'll repost it here for preservation since they like to remove ANYTHING that may be construed as being "negative" or "unprofessional", something I personally feel they are very experienced in performing themselves.

As quoted from facebook:

Some friendly critique this time i suppose, no meme-level picture...
1. There is a spade in the center of her gown.
2. The barb wire in the background seems very out of place.
3. The light weight on the hands seems a bit flimsy, needs thickening (has better anatomy this time).
4. The gown over all seems empty. Possibly could be due to the over exaggerated pose.
5. Idealistically, the amount of red in this card would lead me to believe its a red queen and not a black queen.
6. The guns seem really out of place with the traditional appeal courts. You may try re-approaching this idea.
7. The rose is a nice touch but seems weak comparative to the rest of the piece. Maybe incorporate the barbed wire with the roses since they both have "thorns".

Now that's just the amount of changes that I think would make it acceptable as a first draft, or rough concept, and does nothing to provide any unique or outstanding appeal to the deck. The appeal is so traditional yet skewed and guns poorly pasted in that it just looks like a rush job. Even putting creative license off the table, there is no artistry here. These cards will not pass for "custom high end" as they suggest they are on their facebook page.

That's not me being cruel, that's me being a critical consumer reviewing a yet-to-be-released product.

[Paul Carpenter]

and AGAIN, if he is so good at this, this is the best deck ever, and he's bestest friends with USPCC, WHY IS THIS ART NOT ON THEIR EASILY PROVIDED TEMPLATES!?

This is beyond a joke, it makes no logical sense whatsoever. You are "designing" cards to be printed by the biggest maker in the world and yet you continue to not lay them out in the actual format needed to print them? There are like 10 things he'd have to move and rearrange to get these cards to properly fit within a real card.

This hurts my brainz.

[IAmTheChin]

Wow. Disappeared and came back to Days of Our Lives: Card Edition.

Honestly I wouldn't be bashing this deck...if he didn't claim the world and lose his courtesy. I'm a bit troubled at how negative the feedback is getting in comparison to how supportive it used to be back in the day. Have fun designing a deck but keep a level head. Back in the day before kickstarter was a known option people would post pictures like this and get applause for the shits and giggles of having some fun on UC and decknique.

Regardless, if there's one lesson to be learned from here ISN'T that you shouldn't try. You should always try. Always dream. The lesson is that you should probably tone down the volume if you don't have the speakers to support it. IMO. (I feel like there was a baseball metaphor could probably have been better used lol)

-Chin

[Pentagear]

Well said Chin. I definitely agree that there has been a lot of hype about this deck. I think a lot of the negativity comes from the way people carry themselves in a professional sense. I haven't been here to see it unfold in it's entirety but I've been brought up to speed for the most part.

When the creator claims that it will rivals decks that are premier quality that have received rave reviews (Such as the Actuators, a personal favorite. Also directly targeted by TCAC in writing as being inferior to their up-coming product.) There's a lot of expectations carried by that kind of claim, and you'd better believe that the criticism that those kind of claims will incite will be brutal at best. It's not about being negative or cruel, it's all about higher standards and a claim that a visibly inferior aesthetic is being touted as better than other designs that have 40+ hours PER CARD invested into a deck.

There's a lot of convincing to be had when claims like that are made, and right now, I feel in this particular case that those claims are falling far shorter than what people expected in terms of what decks TCAC has targeted in their marketing as being inferior to their own.

[xela]

Touting titles like "the best deck ever" is silly. When your goal is to make the best artwork ever created, you will fail miserably. It's a very subjective medium, for one. Most importantly, it is never a medium that demands to have a "best" anything. No art gallery has one piece in it because that piece is simply "the best." No deck collector here owns one deck for the sole purpose that it is "the best" deck.

When I make what I make, I do it because I want to see my vision come to life. If it ends up being one of the greatest things in the world, that's absolutely fantastic. If it ends up being the laughing stock of society, then I will perhaps reevaluate how to do things but will enjoy knowing my work simply exists.

If this deck gets an insane amount of hype, it will only allow the customers to see the vast difference between quality work with hundreds/thousands of hours put into it and this steaming pile of putrid vomit. Of course I use this last term in a relative way, because compared to what TCA is claiming this deck to be (the best) it really is a steaming pile of vomit.

[Kanped]

I completely agree that the criticism should have been much less harsh; IF he had gone about it in a reasonable manner.  If he had come onto here or UC, unannounced and unknown and posted those up asking what people thought, I'm sure most of us would be encouraging and very constructive.  As it is, he made personal attacks on members of the community and was coming off the back of a bunch of laughable and very obviously bogus and thoughtless projects and has outright lied to everyone at pretty much very juncture.  Can't be having it.

[Lara Krystle "Lane"]

Wow that was a mouthful. Lots of new updates I was not up to speed on. LoL! but yeah. That king should be placed in the DANCE OF THE MEME's Thread. .

I may not be a good artist but my cat can make a better design than that. plus my cat wont try to scam you all. ^_^
just saying you know.

I hope he gets his comeuppance. I'm glad that more people are finally realizing that he is a great big scammer.

[Kanped]

His latest pic is a bunch of different, unconnected pencil drawings poorly photoshopped to make one, incoherent image.  I am convinced that he di not draw any of it (maybe the bicycle at the bottom)

[IAmTheChin]

The person who drew it is a tattoo artist. Very Ed Hardy. I love the sketch. Wouldn't buy the deck though as the content is a little too creepy for me.

[NathanCanadas]

His latest pic is a bunch of different, unconnected pencil drawings poorly photoshopped to make one, incoherent image.  I am convinced that he di not draw any of it (maybe the bicycle at the bottom)

This isn't his own. I just can't believe it is. After all he's done and shown, that isn't possible. Plus it is out of place, ridiculously confusing, and WTF is it anyways?

[Pentagear]

It's clearly a cannon mounted on a tricycle firing an eyeball jester with a sinister presence overseeing the whole process... DUH!

[Kanped]

Same artist, anyway.  I wonder if he actually knows someone who can draw or something, this isn't bad.  It's a lot more coherent and seems less cobbled together and photo-shopped than the joker.  Everything Shane has done is very bad.

Thinking about it, Shane has a few tattoos.  If he told his artist he was considering another one and got that artist to draw this up.... while the previous one was cobbled together from different work by the same artist, that would make a lot of sense.

[Russell CircleCityCards]

I've been talking with Shane.  The-Con-Artist.com is 12 people all working together.  Shane helped out with some of the logistics and part of the design (gaffs).  It's not all him.  He said they have been working on the marketing strategy for 6 months and the card design was worked on by "Wikid the kid" for 8 months before being approved by the CEO.  Some features of the deck include: 2 custom Aces, tamperproof box seals, embossing.


I'm still not impressed by the artwork-to-hype ratio... I'm glad Shane (or anybody from TCAC) gave us some real insight to the process.

[rainking187]

He said they have been working on the marketing strategy for 6 months

Seriously?

[Kanped]

I've been talking with Shane.

And you believe him?  Why?

[Paul Carpenter]

12 people? 6 months? Strategy? CEO? That almost makes me feel worse about the entire endeavor. Their stuff has been so cobbled together so poorly that it seems the product of a drunken evening. Well, good luck to them but they won't be getting my money when/if the best deck ever to exist comes out.

[NathanCanadas]

I've been talking with Shane.  The-Con-Artist.com is 12 people all working together.  Shane helped out with some of the logistics and part of the design (gaffs).  It's not all him.  He said they have been working on the marketing strategy for 6 months and the card design was worked on by "Wikid the kid" for 8 months before being approved by the CEO.  Some features of the deck include: 2 custom Aces, tamperproof box seals, embossing.


I'm still not impressed by the artwork-to-hype ratio... I'm glad Shane (or anybody from TCAC) gave us some real insight to the process.

2 questions:
1) Don't you think they've gone a bit too far?
2) Are you sure you haven't been hacked?

[Russell CircleCityCards]

From now on, I'm stepping away from critiquing any deck.  As a card designer in the community, I feel I need to distance myself from either bashing or over-praising other peoples designs.  I'll still be lending my general thoughts and insights on decks that come out, but that's about it.  It's a similar scenario as a news reporter not owning stock in a company they are reviewing, it can lead to a conflict of interest.


That being said; I feel like the people at TCAC with enough support or constructive criticism will make their own decisions on how to procede with the deck design they have now.

[xela]

Kind of sad that this kind of behavior on TCA's part leads to people going "well look, it's not that bad!" when a half-decent drawing is shown.

In reality, I feel like many people would rip me apart at the slightest hint of a mistake, while with garbage like TCA or Merz's decks, it's as if some of you guys are looking for a reason to not completely disregard that company.

Let me summarize why you shouldn't donate a minute of your time or a dollar of your hard earned cash to this guy:

1. He claims to be different people, uses shady marketing tactics and has conversations with himself on his Facebook wall.
2. He blatantly ripped the artwork for everything he has shown so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if the deck art was plagiarized as well.
3. He has made multiple fake accounts on this forum and impersonated people.
4. He is connected with hackings on Facebook & Twitter.
5. He has defaced the work and the walls of various respected people on this board.
6. He continued to impersonate a woman after we caught him in the lie on this board.
7. He is clearly an idiot.

Russell, I am a bit ashamed that you believe that TCA really is 12 people and has a CEO. I will bet anything he does not even have a business license. FYI you cannot randomly appoint yourself as "CEO" unless you establish your company as a corporation first. It's why I use the title "Creative Director." I prefer not to look like an idiot in this case.

Furthermore, if 12 people are involved, what are their jobs and roles? What the hell do you need 12 people for in a start-up deck producing gig? Ellusionist has less than that, last time I checked. And this deck went through 12 months of work? Ha. If what we have seen took 12 months to create, then I'll get a sex change and change my name to Shirley. Take away the recent artwork, and you have yourself a good 20 minutes of work (yes, seriously). Include the artwork and you have two week's worth of work, assuming you spend just one hour a day or less on the actual work.

I'm sorry, but I will reserve my constructive criticism for people who enter the market knowing the basics. This guy just wants to make some fast cash and rip people off.

There is never a reason to be nice or neutral to those who are not good people. This man has consistently cursed others out, created false identities and has done numerous illegal activities in the time span of two weeks. Being nice to a sack of garbage takes energy, and that is energy I would first put into the people that deserve it.

Kudos to Lance for managing to stay nice throughout his abuse, but I don't agree with Lance philosophically. I don't think terrible people should be allowed to be treated nicely.

[Russell CircleCityCards]

I never said I believed any of it... 


With the different artwork though I am wondering if it is a compilation deck maybe?

[Kanped]

The-Con-Artist.com IS 12 people all working together.

You sounded pretty certain...

[Russell CircleCityCards]

I just relayed the words that shane said to me, no spin.

[Robert Butler]

Russell I'm not interested in what he said to you as it means nothing to me.  I’m more or less suppressed that you would stand on a soap box for them in any small effort.  That’s why we’re all looking at you strange.  You’re a good artist & you have a solid product.  These shit heads have stepped on me, Lance T. Miller, Aether Cards and god only knows who else.  Now I know you don’t see eye to eye with me but How about these other guys?  Even if the deck is made, even if it sell and even if they have a small band of fans that are just hitting puberty, I won’t give them a shot until they admit to their wrong doings and try to genuinely improve. 

[Russell CircleCityCards]

Let me be clear... I never said I was standing up for them or that I believe what Shane PM'd me.  I was merely reposting what he said.

I still think they have gone about marketing completely wrong and the tactics used are very unprofessional.

The first King they showed was a mess and can't possibly be the artwork they submitted to USPCC and if that is final artwork and not a gaff/joke card then I think they will have many extra decks left over after nobody buys them.  On the other hand, I do like the artwork for the suicide king, it reminds be of the Rat Fink art by Ed Roth.