Dystopia
Dystopia Playing Cards, by Joker and the Thief. It was made available for purchase back in November, 2021 and finally made it to my doorstep in March, 2022 due to unforeseen delays. It was well worth the wait because this deck is legit.
This deck is part of J&T's Luxury Collection, aimed to set the standard for what their brand represents. Each deck, including Dystopia, is a mini masterpiece of artwork, so intricately detailed in every way. The entire deck is designed as a disturbed tribute to George Miller, an Australian filmmaker, and his apocalyptic film Mad Max: Fury Road.
Starting with the tuck itself, it's foil stamped and embossed with shades of gold and red reflecting light in every way. A cracked skull adorns the center of what can only be a dystopian magician's steering wheel. Cracking open that sweet perforated seal, we're greeted with beautiful foiling inside as well. The inside bottom of the case miraculously gleams as well, but the message is anything but welcoming.
The deck's back design is a collage of seemingly unrelated things. We have pillars holding up the sides with banners reading Good Luck and Good Bye. Then there are bones covering the top and bottom borders but the center... the center hosts a very hotrod V8 engine with... wings?! Sure, why not =P. But seriously though, J&T describe it as a stark message being delivered as the pillars of society crumble into a gasoline fueled tribal apocalypse. Whoah!
There are also two very, very subtle details that make the back a one-way design, so much so that this could easily pull off one-way routines even against other magicians. Very sneaky J&T!
The fronts are much like all of J&T's decks -- fully custom courts, a gorgeous Ace of Spades, and all number cards have slight tweaks to coloring and pip design. Nothing crazy on the pips, but just enough to give them that extra "umph". When I say that the courts are fully custom, I do mean that they are each individually distinct, all 12 created with their own unhinged personality.
The price-point on this deck is high. Very high. However, given the design and feel of the tuck and the artwork on the cards themselves, not to mention the deck being an ideal tribute to the cult classic it is definitely a coveted collector's item and I would recommend having at least one of these in your collection. It's a limited run of 1250 decks, so make sure to grab one before they're gone!
The deck consists of 56 cards:
- 52 playing cards
- Two non-identical jokers (one Joker, one Thief)
- Two ad cards
Welcome to the wasteland.
The story of the Joker and the Thief descends into a world of fire and rage. Will you survive the apocalypse?
GOOD LUCK
GOOD BYE
Where to buy?
Last I checked, you should be able to pick up Dystopia at Joker and the Thief. The last price tag I saw for this deck was set at $13.97.