Sirocco Playing Cards

Sirocco Playing Cards were produced by Kevin Yu, the owner of Riffle Shuffle Playing Card Company, after raising CAD$30,927 (USD$24,568) from 424 backers on Kickstarter in 2020. The cards are available in two editions, the Modern Edition (reviewed here) and the Weathered Limited Edition (see box), the artwork on the cards is essentially the same in each edition. The Weathered Limited Edition is limited to 1500 decks, while the Modern Edition is limited to 2500 decks.

Kevin Yu collaborated with author, illustrator and brand designer Nathan Oser to create the artwork for the pack, who drew inspiration from his own coastal life explaining "the spade is a relaxing dream-like beach scene (the very first idea imagined for the deck)". The club is based on an actual event that happened near where Nathan lives.

Kevin Yu says "the playing card deck was created to inspire people who are on a journey". The card design is based on the wind, which can either help or hinder someone on their journey. Inspiration was drawn from the idea of celebrities and movie stars at their European vacation villas, where the deck is intended to entertain guests, show off at sailing competitions or pass time on private cruises.

Above: click the artwork to see the details.

Regarding the design, it's noted that "in the Modern Edition we’ve broken a couple rules and inverted the norm here by using lighter values for the outlines and darker tones for the fills. This gives the court figures a marble patina of celadon green and marina blue in the spades and clubs, and coral pink and grenadine red in the hearts and diamonds."

Kevin Yu explains that the back (shown to the right) "design is a veritable sea chart waiting to be navigated, with a central compass rose and five flowing rings (known as a "quincunx") to put you at the helm of your own destiny". There are also life preservers, a harpoon and trident, an oar and feather, sea turtles, doves, and a stylized waves, coral reefs, thriving seagrass and hidden pearls. The mermaids trumpeting their conch shells "provide a warning hurricane siren and a cheer to drive you onward". Everything is up for individual interpretation.

There are 55 cards in the deck: 52 playing cards, 2 jokers, 1 gaff cards. The gaff cards serve as advertisements for Riffle Shuffle Playing Card Company.