I posed this question to the creator:
You mentioned the use of several celebrity images in this deck. Did you obtain the rights for all of them?
This was his reply:
That would be no. I am doing my best to work with images that are in our public domain and part of our popular culture. I then add my artists tools to those images making them my own. If this project gets funded I will need to file with the fancy office in DC in order to technically own the copyright to these images that I create (That process took 18 months to complete the last time.) If I don’t file, I don’t own my images. This will not be done if I do not get funded and simply print up a few decks for my friends and family. On the other hand if you help me make this dream come true the following may happen
1) I get to create the images and you get some professionally printed decks for your collection. I use the funding to do more projects, and pass the savings on to you and others.
2)I get to create the images and you get some professionally printed decks for your collection. I get sued and lose all the funding to celebrity's and their lawyers.
In each scenario you get a great deal, and potentially a valuable/limited edition poker deck.
-Cheers
He seems to have left out 3) he gets sued after the project closes but before he goes to print, just like what happened to Bicycle Army Men, blows through all the cash on his legal defense, and we get jack squat. Not to mention that he's also exposing his printer to liability issues. There's no model releases, no releases from the original photographers, no actual rights of any kind granted anywhere - and this is all fine and dandy to him?
This has got to be one of the most insanely irresponsible projects I've ever seen. It's so bad, it's virtually radioactive. There should be warning signs hanging on this one.