Back story by Emmanuel Jose
The Cards: The phoenix is my favorite mythical creature, which is why it’s the Ace of Spades. When I was a resident advisor in college, I made door tags that were coats of arms. The door tags would later become the basis for the back design. Surprisingly, many people don’t notice the ballerinas in the Queen of Clubs; the card is a direct reference to the ballet Swan Lake. Also, the two of clubs is from a photo of me as a baby.
The Tuck Case. All the text, logos, and imagery on the tuck case (except for the production/copyright text on the bottom of the box) were drawn and cut out of paper. The tuck case is intentionally simple because I want people to open the deck and play with the cards. The deck is not meant to stay sealed.
The Name: Since I’m Filipino and I have a Spanish surname, I considered calling the deck “Papel” (“paper” in Spanish and Filipino) or “Cortado” (Spanish for “cut”). Then, I thought about naming the deck “Training Wheels” as a nod to the Bicycle brand and to the fact that it’s my first deck. I did give serious thought to Bicycle-branding the deck. Ultimately, I chose the name “Curator” because I want the name to reflect You, the owner of the deck. The relationship you have to the art is significant. The deck is just as much about You, if not more, than the cards themselves.
The Battle
Curator by Emmanuel Jose vs Ultimate Deck by D&D and Stranger and Stranger