Martin Mystère

Published January 12, 2021 • Updated August 12, 2024

Martin Mystère based on the comic book by Alfredo Castelli. The cards were designed by Giancarlo Alessandrini.

Martin Mystère is a cartoon character who investigates the great mysteries of the world, based on the comic book by Alfredo Castelli. The cards were designed by Giancarlo Alessandrini and published by Lo Scarabeo. See the Box►

Martin Mystère is usually accompanied by Java, a Neanderthal man from Mongolia who is shown on the jack of spades. Further characters from the stories are depicted on the other court cards. The numeral cards and back design have vignettes alluding to the timeless mysteries which the protagonist encounters. The leaflet explains some conjuring tricks involving illusionism and telepathy so that the pack can also be used to impress your friends. See the leaflet►

Martin Mystère by Lo Scarabeo, Italy c 1995

Above: Martin Mystère poker published by Lo Scarabeo, Torino, Italy. 52 cards + 2 jokers + leaflet + extra card in box, c.1995. The leaflet explains that 666 numbered packs were printed on a particular kind of board and came in boxes made of a similar, slightly heavier board. The whole edition must have been much greater.

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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.