Politicards 2008

Published February 03, 2024 Updated February 11, 2024

Politicards ’08 with caricatures cast as characters from classic movies, USA.

2008 USA Peter Green Caricatures Humour Movies & Film Political

In this pack Peter Green has once again produced comic caricatures of the leading politicians, media pundits and celebrities of 2008 – the year in which the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden defeated the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. However, there is a slight twist this year: in recognition of Ronald Reagan's remark that "Politics is just like show business" the individuals are cast as characters from classic feature films. So, for example, Joe Liberman is a “Rebel without a cause”, John Kerry is King Arthur from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, and Barack Obama is Moses from the film “The Prince of Egypt”. Beneath each figure is a line from their respective film. Although the names of the individuals are given on each card, there is an extra card which lists them by suit.

Politicards 2008 with caricatures by Peter Green, USA Politicards 2008 with caricatures by Peter Green, USA Politicards 2008 with caricatures by Peter Green, USA

Above: Politicards 2008 with caricatures by Peter Green, USA.

• See the extra card

• See the box

avatar
531 Articles

By Peter Burnett

Member since July 27, 2022

I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.

Russian Playing Cards

Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.

Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.

Related Articles

1975 Queen of Hearts card game

Queen of Hearts card game

Alice in Wonderland card game featuring Disney characters on king-size cards.

1995 National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art

Fifty-three masterpieces from the collections of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

1996 Sea-Dog playing cards

Sea-Dog playing cards

Ships’ prows, figureheads and signal flags promoting Sea-Dog Line marine hardware.

1961 Danao Tiāngōng Puke

Danao Tiāngōng Puke

Children’s playing cards based on the 1961 Chinese animated feature film 大闹天宫 (Havoc in Heaven).

1926 Rap Rummy

Rap Rummy

Rap Rummy made by Parker Brothers in 1926, only 4 years after the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s to...

1794 Jeu Révolutionnaire

Jeu Révolutionnaire

Court cards and aces from a French Revolutionary pack by Pinaut, Paris, c.1794.

1971 German Travel Cards

German Travel Cards

A travel-themed educational deck helping American tourists visiting Germany.

1989 Batman® playing cards

Batman® playing cards

Batman playing cards published by InterCol of London 1989.

1984 Can You Believe Your Eyes?

Can You Believe Your Eyes?

“Can You Believe Your Eyes?” playing cards featuring visual illusions & other oddities.

1940 Doppel-Deutsche Karten by Bratří Willnerové, Teplice

Doppel-Deutsche Karten by Bratří Willnerové, Teplice

This deck from local manufacturer Bratří Willnerová offers a standard version of the popular Central...

1903 Zürcher Festspiel 1903

Zürcher Festspiel 1903

Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.

1930 Love Tests

Love Tests

Vintage novelty “Love Test” cards of a slightly saucy nature but all in good fun!

2019 Get Decked

Get Decked

Black and white cartoons devised by Sam Wagner with help from artist Lindsay Bevington.

2022 Beowulf

Beowulf

Jackson Robinson's Beowulf playing card deck inspired by the Old English pagan poem.

2018 Keith Haring playing cards

Keith Haring playing cards

Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.

1992 Disney’s Aladdin playing cards

Disney’s Aladdin playing cards

Characters from the 1992 Disney film Aladdin.