Bicycle® Wiretap - In Progress

[DevilishRogue]

Hey guys, Dave Boyd here.
I was the artist of the Sultana deck that got funded last year (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/661632156/sultana-playing-cards-inspired-by-ancient-deck-usp), and I just want to thank everyone again who pitched in and backed the project. This brings me to the next project that I've been working on - Bicycle® Wiretap playing cards.



Why should the government be the ones with all of the fun spying tools? Wiretap is a reflection of the current spying scandals in Washington, D.C. Below are a few unfinished sample cards. There will actually be more background to each, and each suit has a theme based on the types of spying tools out there. The face cards will also have a secondary pip up top. The back is fully reversible.



The campaign starts on Kickstarter on FEBRUARY 28th, 2014, and, if funded, will be distributed by Jackson Robinson's King's Wild Fulfillment program. The cards will be printed on Air Cushion finish with a Matte tuckbox (though this is subject to change as funding increases). Alongside the deck, I have also parsed out expenses for custom t-shirts, magnets, dice, and offset prints. I want to humbly thank you all again for helping me and Deco Playing Cards to fund our last deck, and want to give you guys the best that I've got.



These cards are nearly complete, but I need to run through in the next 12 days and give the colors major tweaks.



Some of the court cards still feel a little out of place, and so I'll be revisiting them over the next few days to make them feel a little more "Big Brother-esque."



As with the Sultana deck, all of the cards are 100% pencil with digital layout and coloring.

For more info on the face cards and reasons behind my choices in the deck, please visit: http://humorousrobot.com/2014/01/16/rising-to-crescendo/. Ignore the line about the Jokers and the previous designs of the pips/aces, lots has changed since this preliminary post went out! I really want to get you guys involved again, so the Jokers' designs will be offered as a pledge level. If the level isn't taken, however, I will go ahead and go with my original plans - but where's the fun in that?

Again, thanks guys and I look forward to bringing you guys an awesome deck (or two! :wink:).

[Don Boyer]

I like the design idea, representing spy gadgetry for your theme.

Consider losing the headgear you have the "suits" wearing on the courts.  They don't need crowns and certainly not crown wannabes.

Consider making the back design more like a real spy gadget and the face designs for the spot cards more like the electronic circuitry, micromotors and control panels these devices have.  What I'm seeing so far is interesting but doesn't evoke "Quartermaster Branch" in my mind...

[DarkDerp]

I personally have a visceral reaction to 3d graphic art. Have you thought about going a little more "clean design" I like the concept a lot, and you are obviously very talented I just cant wrap my head around the 3d of it.

[Anthony]

I like the concept a lot, but I would have to agree with Don on the head gear. It does look a little "Forced" and doesn't really flow with the rest of the court design. I'm on the fence with the back design though. Great start though, can't wait to see how the deck moves along.

Good Luck!

[HandSkillz]

I definitely see potential in the concept, are the backs reflective to act as shiners (maybe silver reflective borders/area that's not part of the blue backs you have already) - that would be a pretty good spy tool

[DevilishRogue]

Thank you all for the feedback. I'm creeping closer and closer to completion and all the input helps.
@Don/Sparkz - I posted this up on UnitedCardists as well, and the reaction to the courts was similar.
The next few days are going to be spent overhauling these cards to really do them the justice that they deserve. 

[DevilishRogue]

Okay folks, here's the lowdown. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day for me, but the deck should release around 12am EST on Kickstarter. (9pm PST.) My part-time job is the reason that the deck is releasing so late tomorrow; otherwise it would be at about 7pm EST. For all you non-night owls, check it out over the weekend or on Monday.

For more information, a timelapse of me drawing the aces, and a sneak peek at the tuckbox, check up on this link: http://humorousrobot.com/

See you guys on the other side.

[jwats01]

12am EST meaning 2/28 or 3/1? I'm guessing 3/1 because I can't seem to find the deck...

[Anthony]

Hey Dave, Good Luck!

I'm kind of curious to see what you've done with it since your pics in this thread 

[Don Boyer]

12am EST meaning 2/28 or 3/1? I'm guessing 3/1 because I can't seem to find the deck...

12am is supposed to be the first minute of the new day, but people commonly make the mistake of considering it as the last minute of the old one - which I think was the case here.  It's only slightly clearer if you assume that his mention of 9pm Pacific Time is also meant as "tomorrow" - in that case, yes, he's assuming that 12am tomorrow is the end of Friday PM cycle when the reality is that it's the beginning of Friday's AM cycle.  He really meant Saturday at 12am Eastern, Friday at 9pm Pacific.

The confusion gets compounded when dealing with time zones - I always remember the far-flung nature of our membership, with people logging in on nearly all the continents.  (To my knowledge, the only ones with little to no representation among the users here would be Africa and Antarctica - and Antarctica has no permanent residences.)  It's why I'll usually post "mission-critical" times around here in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  It uses a 24-hour clock and is unaffected by issues like Daylight Saving Time/Summer Time that some places observe.

Back to Wiretap: I'm interested in seeing how they altered the design based on the recommendations they received both here and on UC.

[HandSkillz]

We live yet?

[jwats01]

I'm looking too.

[DevilishRogue]

Well I look like an idiot. I thought that the KS verification process would be done by now but it still will take about two days or so. I'll let you guys know the moment that I'll be releasing so you can get in on those sweet, sweet early drone specials.

[Don Boyer]

Well I look like an idiot. I thought that the KS verification process would be done by now but it still will take about two days or so. I'll let you guys know the moment that I'll be releasing so you can get in on those sweet, sweet early drone specials.

Yeah, that's one of the many unknowns that you tend to run in to when making a new deck...    Not that it really does much good, judging from some of the projects that pass their vetting process!

[DevilishRogue]

Mmmk! The approval has gone through, and if you guys are looking to get in on the early specials the campaign will officially be opening at 8pm EST on Tuesday, March 4th!

[DevilishRogue]

Link is up! Come get the early drone specials! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dboyd/wiretap-bicycle-playing-cards-by-dave-boyd

[Don Boyer]

Discussion continues HERE

http://www.playingcardforum.com/playing-card-plethora/wiretap-playing-csrds-(ks)/

I know it's misspelled, but the link works!