Welcome to our new collaboration project! We are excited to introduce the Mantis Playing Cards, an original deck of cards developed by Sean Devine and designed by Manel.
Introduction to Mantis Playing Cards
Mantis Playing Cards is our first venture into the world of reader-style marked decks. We were immediately hooked when Sean first approached us with the idea for this deck. The vintage feel mixed with the modern mantis twist stood out for us.
Why mantis? An urban legend says: “When you see a mantis, beware of smoke and mirrors.” How fitting for a magic deck!
Yes, the Mantis Playing Cards were created for magic. They are a fully marked deck with a reader-style marking system. The cleverly designed markings let you identify the value of any card with a quick glance at its back. Sean, Manel, and our team went over several iterations of the marking system, adjusting it along the way to achieve a balance between deceptiveness and usability. Eventually, we moved the markings to the long side of the cards and next to the border, making them readable in spreads.
From the first sketches, Sean and Manel changed the backs to a subtle one-way design. This feature is well-hidden, but once you find it, it will always be there, allowing you to perform amazing magic tricks using the one-way principle.
We went with 1885 Bicycle faces, redrawn and perfected by Daniel Schneider to complete the deck's vintage feel. We adjusted the court cards' scheme by substituting the usual blue for the same green on the backs.
Manel designed a simple and elegant praying mantis Ace of Spades and a pair of identical Jokers. Thanks to the Jokers, you have duplicates straight out of the box.
Pre-order Information
Pre-orders will open on Friday, May 24, at 5 PM Prague time. They will be open for seven days until May 31.
The decks will be available for SPECIAL pre-order prices. You can save up to 20%!
- One Deck - 15 EUR (retail price 18 EUR)
- Three Decks - 40 EUR (retail price (50 EUR)
- Six Decks - 70 EUR (retail price 90 EUR)
BONUS! All pre-orders will receive an exclusive video tutorial from Sean. He will introduce the marking system and the one-way back design and teach EIGHT magic tricks using the magical features of the Mantis deck.
Mantis Playing Cards will be printed by the Legends Playing Card Company on their Ultra-thin Viper Finish™. The cards will be thin yet snappy and firm. They will be traditionally cut for buttery faro shuffles from the faces to the backs.
We are excited about this release and hope you are, too! See you on Friday!
MANTIS PLAYING CARDS WILL BE AVAILABLE HERE.
Disclaimer: Some promotional photos displayed an Eight of Hearts with a butterfly instead of one of the pips. The final decks will have a standard Eight of Hearts with eight heart pips.