The Olympians

[Lukeout]

I like how this deck is coming along. Do you have a card back in the works yet? I know the 5-circles is a modern olympic thing, but I just want to throw out that you should avoid it at all costs as there are some very odd laws associated with it (including a special dispensation from congress). Keep up the work, it's coming along great!

[Don Boyer]

I like how this deck is coming along. Do you have a card back in the works yet? I know the 5-circles is a modern olympic thing, but I just want to throw out that you should avoid it at all costs as there are some very odd laws associated with it (including a special dispensation from congress). Keep up the work, it's coming along great!

You're absolutely right.  The collectible card game "The Legend of the Five Rings" had to alter their card back design because it had five rings linked together, despite the fact that the rings formed a circle rather than an Olympic symbol.  It's primarily five LINKING rings that will get you in hot water.  Concentric rings or separate rings are fair game - though Target might have something to say about concentric rings... 

So - what are some of the designs under consideration for the back?

[adelsan]

I like how this deck is coming along. Do you have a card back in the works yet? I know the 5-circles is a modern Olympic thing, but I just want to throw out that you should avoid it at all costs as there are some very odd laws associated with it (including a special dispensation from congress). Keep up the work, it's coming along great!

You're absolutely right.  The collectible card game "The Legend of the Five Rings" had to alter their card back design because it had five rings linked together, despite the fact that the rings formed a circle rather than an Olympic symbol.  It's primarily five LINKING rings that will get you in hot water.  Concentric rings or separate rings are fair game - though Target might have something to say about concentric rings... 

So - what are some of the designs under consideration for the back?

Hey all. I haven't made the back yet, but i am far far away from the idea of the Olympic games. In my project Olympic games are purely irrelevant. My approach is to realise the ancient Greek way of making art in a contemporary form and respect. The Olympic games logo symbolises the 5 continents and their unity and "peace" during this gathering for sports (and no it's not ancient it's modern as a symbol/logo). It doesn't have anything to do with the Greek gods, history, mythology and art. Yes, the Olympic games is/was a Greek thing, but it was a small fraction of its vast civilisation. For me, as a Greek it's like saying that American superball defines all of the American culture something that we already know that isn't true. I hope this example illustrated my point.

So, no Olympic circles on the back, but!
As you see in the attached picture, this ornament -which i am in love with- was once on the tip on the Parthenon called "Acroceramo Parthenona" (Now in the Acropolis museum of Athens).
It's majestic, elegant, and pure. The way the artist intended to make it was to really show the light, energy and bliss of the Athenian realm, overseeing the land on the back and the see on the front. The Greeks used those structure to protect and keep in check all the evil spirits of the days. They used smaller tips on the other four corners of the Parthenon. So yes, id like this ornament to protect the back of the cards, and for you guys all the pleasure of gaming knowing that you're protect by the Acroceramo of the Parthenon

I will get inspired by this ornament, I already visited this ornament 2 times to see and feel the actual size (about 3.5 meters/ 10 feet tall) and when I'll finish all the fronts I'll grab my sketch book and go there to have the experience of drawing it.

And yes it's going to be a two way back side form suited for a pleasurable game!

[Don Boyer]

For me, as a Greek it's like saying that American superball defines all of the American culture something that we already know that isn't true. I hope this example illustrated my point.

I suppose it would, if anyone could tell me what the hell "superball" is...    (just kidding, I get your point - but seriously, what is "superball"?  As an American, I've been exposed to many ball games, like baseball, basketball, American football, soccer [what everyone ELSE calls "football!], whiffleball and so on, but never heard of that one.)

Looks like you have a solid foundation for your deck's theme.  Looking forward to seeing more art.

[adelsan]

I suppose it would, if anyone could tell me what the hell "superball" is...    (just kidding, I get your point - but seriously, what is "superball"?  As an American, I've been exposed to many ball games, like baseball, basketball, American football, soccer [what everyone ELSE calls "football!], whiffleball and so on, but never heard of that one.)

I suppose superball is the final game of american football (?)

[Shebhnt]

I suppose it would, if anyone could tell me what the hell "superball" is...    (just kidding, I get your point - but seriously, what is "superball"?  As an American, I've been exposed to many ball games, like baseball, basketball, American football, soccer [what everyone ELSE calls "football!], whiffleball and so on, but never heard of that one.)

I suppose superball is the final game of american football (?)

I think you mean Super Bowl

[DarkDerp]

I suppose it would, if anyone could tell me what the hell "superball" is...    (just kidding, I get your point - but seriously, what is "superball"?  As an American, I've been exposed to many ball games, like baseball, basketball, American football, soccer [what everyone ELSE calls "football!], whiffleball and so on, but never heard of that one.)

I suppose superball is the final game of american football (?)

I think you mean Super Bowl

Shhhh!!! No talking when im on the green about to dunk the puck for a grand slam double douce!!! The Superball somehow seems more appropriate though.


ps I really like the design and art of your project!!!

[Don Boyer]

I suppose it would, if anyone could tell me what the hell "superball" is...    (just kidding, I get your point - but seriously, what is "superball"?  As an American, I've been exposed to many ball games, like baseball, basketball, American football, soccer [what everyone ELSE calls "football!], whiffleball and so on, but never heard of that one.)

I suppose superball is the final game of american football (?)

Yeah, that threw me off - it's "Super Bowl", the championship game of the National Football League (NFL).  It's not actually the last game of the season, though - there's a game that comes a short while after that which is the final game, the All-Star Game.  The NFL is divided into two leagues, American and National.  The Superbowl is always held against a National League team and an American League team.  The All-Star Game, however, is played by the best players of all the National League teams versus the best players of all the American League teams.  Frequently, the team that loses the Super Bowl will be on the league that wins the All-Star Game - you could look at it like a sort of karmic balance...    Some stockbrokers are actually rather superstitious about it - they noticed some correlation between overall market performance in the coming year and whether the Super Bowl winning team's league wins or loses the All-Star Game...  I forget the details about it, but back when I was a cold caller for a large brokerage (that no longer exists, thanks to its own hubris), they watched with great intensity to see which way the market's fortunes would go.

It's odd, the timing of it.  Baseball also has an All-Star Game that's played the same way, but it occurs in the middle of the season rather than after the championship.  It tends to get a lot more attention because of that - by the time the football All-Star Game is played, everyone is played out over football due to the Super Bowl being such a big-deal game to the fans.  At that point, the All-Star Game is like an afterthought.

There are many Bowl games in football, especially in college football - they're called Bowls because of the general shape of the stadiums in which they're played.  Most look like a giant bowl from a bird's-eye (or satellite's-camera) view.

Now that I've talked this tangent to death, let's get back on topic and talk about the Olympians deck!

[jwats01]

Yeah, that threw me off - it's "Super Bowl", the championship game of the National Football League (NFL).  It's not actually the last game of the season, though - there's a game that comes a short while after that which is the final game, the All-Star Game.  The NFL is divided into two leagues, American and National.  The Superbowl is always held against a National League team and an American League team.  The All-Star Game, however, is played by the best players of all the National League teams versus the best players of all the American League teams.  Frequently, the team that loses the Super Bowl will be on the league that wins the All-Star Game - you could look at it like a sort of karmic balance...    Some stockbrokers are actually rather superstitious about it - they noticed some correlation between overall market performance in the coming year and whether the Super Bowl winning team's league wins or loses the All-Star Game...  I forget the details about it, but back when I was a cold caller for a large brokerage (that no longer exists, thanks to its own hubris), they watched with great intensity to see which way the market's fortunes would go.

It's odd, the timing of it.  Baseball also has an All-Star Game that's played the same way, but it occurs in the middle of the season rather than after the championship.  It tends to get a lot more attention because of that - by the time the football All-Star Game is played, everyone is played out over football due to the Super Bowl being such a big-deal game to the fans.  At that point, the All-Star Game is like an afterthought.

A couple of quick corrections for the non-NFL crowd:
The NFL "All-Star" game is actually called the Pro Bowl. It used to be called the AFC-NFC Pro bowl, from it's inception in 1970 until 2013, because as Don mentioned above, the two leagues played their best players against each other. However, starting this year, they had a televised fantasy draft via two "celebrity" team captains 4 days before the game. I wonder how Wall Street handled this change!

Also, the game is no longer played after the Super Bowl, but I doubt that helped their ratings (Note, I have not looked it up!). Since 2010, they've played this game on the week in between the Conference championship games and the Super Bowl. I personally think that the reason this game doesn't do too well ratings wise is because it's not a normal game of pro football in that none of these guys want to get hurt in this game. It's kind of just for fun. I haven't watched it in years because of that.

Back to the deck talk. The art is nice. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Don Boyer]

Yeah, that threw me off - it's "Super Bowl", the championship game of the National Football League (NFL).  It's not actually the last game of the season, though - there's a game that comes a short while after that which is the final game, the All-Star Game.  The NFL is divided into two leagues, American and National.  The Superbowl is always held against a National League team and an American League team.  The All-Star Game, however, is played by the best players of all the National League teams versus the best players of all the American League teams.  Frequently, the team that loses the Super Bowl will be on the league that wins the All-Star Game - you could look at it like a sort of karmic balance...    Some stockbrokers are actually rather superstitious about it - they noticed some correlation between overall market performance in the coming year and whether the Super Bowl winning team's league wins or loses the All-Star Game...  I forget the details about it, but back when I was a cold caller for a large brokerage (that no longer exists, thanks to its own hubris), they watched with great intensity to see which way the market's fortunes would go.

It's odd, the timing of it.  Baseball also has an All-Star Game that's played the same way, but it occurs in the middle of the season rather than after the championship.  It tends to get a lot more attention because of that - by the time the football All-Star Game is played, everyone is played out over football due to the Super Bowl being such a big-deal game to the fans.  At that point, the All-Star Game is like an afterthought.

A couple of quick corrections for the non-NFL crowd:
The NFL "All-Star" game is actually called the Pro Bowl. It used to be called the AFC-NFC Pro bowl, from it's inception in 1970 until 2013, because as Don mentioned above, the two leagues played their best players against each other. However, starting this year, they had a televised fantasy draft via two "celebrity" team captains 4 days before the game. I wonder how Wall Street handled this change!

Also, the game is no longer played after the Super Bowl, but I doubt that helped their ratings (Note, I have not looked it up!). Since 2010, they've played this game on the week in between the Conference championship games and the Super Bowl. I personally think that the reason this game doesn't do too well ratings wise is because it's not a normal game of pro football in that none of these guys want to get hurt in this game. It's kind of just for fun. I haven't watched it in years because of that.

Back to the deck talk. The art is nice. Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks for the info - now, back to the cards. 

[Leif]

I like it.  I like your idea for the back. When I think of Greek pottery, I think of black and orange colours, meandering patterns and spears.
It's gonna be interesting to see how this evolves. I agree with the others on the spades pip needing some tweaking.

Keep up the great work.

[adelsan]

I suppose it would, if anyone could tell me what the hell "superball" is...    (just kidding, I get your point - but seriously, what is "superball"?  As an American, I've been exposed to many ball games, like baseball, basketball, American football, soccer [what everyone ELSE calls "football!], whiffleball and so on, but never heard of that one.)

I suppose superball is the final game of american football (?)

Yeah, that threw me off - it's "Super Bowl", the championship game of the National Football League (NFL).  It's not actually the last game of the season, though - there's a game that comes a short while after that which is the final game, the All-Star Game.  The NFL is divided into two leagues, American and National.  The Superbowl is always held against a National League team and an American League team.  The All-Star Game, however, is played by the best players of all the National League teams versus the best players of all the American League teams.  Frequently, the team that loses the Super Bowl will be on the league that wins the All-Star Game - you could look at it like a sort of karmic balance...    Some stockbrokers are actually rather superstitious about it - they noticed some correlation between overall market performance in the coming year and whether the Super Bowl winning team's league wins or loses the All-Star Game...  I forget the details about it, but back when I was a cold caller for a large brokerage (that no longer exists, thanks to its own hubris), they watched with great intensity to see which way the market's fortunes would go.

It's odd, the timing of it.  Baseball also has an All-Star Game that's played the same way, but it occurs in the middle of the season rather than after the championship.  It tends to get a lot more attention because of that - by the time the football All-Star Game is played, everyone is played out over football due to the Super Bowl being such a big-deal game to the fans.  At that point, the All-Star Game is like an afterthought.

There are many Bowl games in football, especially in college football - they're called Bowls because of the general shape of the stadiums in which they're played.  Most look like a giant bowl from a bird's-eye (or satellite's-camera) view.

Now that I've talked this tangent to death, let's get back on topic and talk about the Olympians deck!

Thank god I'm not doing any sports cards

[Sher143]

I really like the style of this deck.  But I agree with the suggestion that you may want to consider making the court images larger to fill up more of the card.