Crazy People

Published May 21, 2021 • Updated July 01, 2022

Crazy People children’s card game illustrated by caricaturist and graphic artist Walter Trier, c.1950.

Crazy People children’s card game illustrated by Walter Trier, c.1950

Crazy People children’s card game illustrated by painter, caricaturist and graphic artist Walter Trier (1890–1951), published by the International Craftmen’s Centre, c.1950. Each figure is cut into 3 parts - head, torso and legs - which can be interchanged and made into amusing figures. Trier’s Crazy People pictures were also published as folding picture books►

Trier provided the front cover design for every issue of Lilliput, a British monthly magazine of art, photography, humor and fiction, from its start until 1949. He has remained known until today mainly for his colourful children's book illustrations.

Above: cards from Crazy People children’s card game illustrated by Walter Trier, International Craftmen’s Centre, c.1950.

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By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

United Kingdom • Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many. His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service. Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.