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Zoo Comics

Published July 03, 1996 Updated January 08, 2023

ZOO COMICS animated playing cards made by Litografía Ferri, Valencia (Spain), first published in 1968.

1968 Spain Litografía Ferri Comic Books Transformation Card Games Spanish Suited Suits

Zoo Comics by Litografía Ferri, 1968

Collectible playing cards inserted into products such as tea, chocolate or tobacco had their hey-day from the end of the 19th century until the second world war, with superb chromolithography printing. These children’s playing cards produced in Spain in the late 1960s follow the same spirit with the traditional suit symbols and figures replaced by fruits and cartoon characters, commendable for promoting healthy eating!

Zoo Comics animated playing cards by Litografia Ferri, 1968

Above: "ZOO COMICS" animated playing cards made by Litografía Ferri, Valencia (Spain), first published in 1968 and reprinted in 1986. The traditional Spanish suit symbols have been replaced with oranges, hop blossoms, bananas and aubergines whilst small animals such as chipmunks, cats, monkeys and mice cavort around. The 'Sotas' ride scooters. There has been more than one edition of this superbly designed pack, with different jokers, and also with advertising on the reverse (e.g. Productos Chirruca).


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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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