52 Plus Joker, Charlotte, NC (2026)

08/15/2026

The 139th edition of CARD CULTURE is ready for you! Log in to 52 Plus Joker’s website to download your copy, or check your inbox!

We Hear From Playing Card Luminaries Such As:

➡️Steve Bacon - Celebrating Vernon Grant

➡️James Heygster - The Ciphered Suit: Cold War Spies

➡️Greg Loschen - Playing Card Artist: Angelo Carbone

➡️Alex Clays - More Playing Card-Themed Card Postcards

➡️CARD CULTURE - Patent Files: John H. Black

➡️Sherman Tsao - What’s In Your Carat Case? Sherlock Holmes

Additionally, we unearth Judy Dason’s fun article about A Good Find from an older issue of CLEAR THE DECKS.

We promise you’ll appreciate the 139th issue of CARD CULTURE!

After you’ve ready it, share your thoughts with us and the writers in a comment below ☺️

08/05/2026

🔥Artist of the Year Diamond Award Nominee, Marianne Larsen!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

Winner of our Deck of the Year Diamond Award in 2021 and 2024, Marianne Larsen is the founder of Isolated Thunderstorm. She served as the the head manager and creative supervisor in the development of Ragnarok Playing Cards. Thalassic II - Tropical Treasure, is one of her most recent releases, along with her Deck of the Year nomination, Circus Corinthia. See more on her profile Marianne Larsen

Congratulations on your nomination for Artist of the Year, Marianne Larsen!

The recipient of our Artist of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

08/05/2026

🔥Artist of the Year Diamond Award Nominee, Jody Eklund of Black Ink Branded!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

Jody Eklund is the designer behind Black Ink Branded playing cards. Established in 2014, the goal is to produce high-quality cards that appeal to card collectors, cardists, and magicians alike. His latest release, Blood & Brine: Widow’s Wake, features nautical shipwreck motifs with hand-carved line art detailing knots, ropes, and weathered wood textures. See more of his work Black Ink Branded. Congratulations on your nomination for Artist of the Year, Jody Eklund! Black Ink Branded

The recipient of our Artist of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

08/05/2026

🔥Artist of the Year Diamond Award Nominee, Mark Stutzman!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

Mark Stutzman has illustrated for David Blaine, MAD Magazine, Marvel comics and The US Postal Service, among others. Brush and ink on scratchboard is Stutzman’s preferred art form for playing card designs. Once a design is inked, the art is scanned and converted to a vector file. Additional digital edits aim to preserve the hand-crafted nature of his art. Stutzman’s most recent release, Bicycle Baroque, is also nominated for Deck of the Year. Congratulations on your Artist of the Year nomination, Mark Stutzman !

The recipient of our Artist of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

08/05/2026

🔥Artist of the Year Diamond Award Nominee, Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm 17!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

Lorenzo Gaggiotti, better known as Stockholm17, is a multi-year Diamond Award winner. He’s been finding new ways to innovate through playing card design since 2012. His recent releases include The Odd Fellows from the Sanctuary, Odd Fellows Madame Laveau (The Soothsayer Voodoo Edition), and his 2026 Deck of the Year nomination, Echoes in the Palace. Congratulations on your nomination, Stockholm17 Playing Cards !

The recipient of our Artist of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

08/05/2026

🔥Artist of the Year Diamond Award Nominee, Lotrek of Oath Playing Cards!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

Lotrek is a renowned Greek playing card designer and founder of Oath Playing Cards based in Athens, Greece. Well-established in the industry, here is a previous Diamond Award winner. Recent releases include Ex Libris Vol I & II, and Royal Players. Discover more of his work Lotrek Oath. Congratulations on your Artist of the Year nomination, Lotrek! Lotrek Oath !

The recipient of our Artist of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

08/05/2026

🏆 Deck Of The Year Diamond Award Nominee, Bicycle Baroque by Mark Stutzman!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

😮 From Mark Stutzman: “The Baroque era gave rise to human excellence that remains unparalleled. Bicycle® Baroque honors royal families whose indulgences became fertile ground for boundless artistic pursuits.

The Baroque era was defined by grandeur, drama, and intricate ornamentation. Fueled by wealth and monarchies, commissioning art exemplified unbridled elitism.

Between 1600 and 1750, evolving reigns of power procured some of the most revered works of art, architecture, and music. The Bicycle® Baroque deck pays tribute to this opulent movement.”

⭐️ Congratulations on your nomination, Mark Stutzman !

The recipient of our Deck of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

DiamondAwards PlayingCardArt DeckOfTheYear

08/05/2026

🏆 Deck Of The Year Diamond Award Nominee, Circus Corinthia by Marianne Larsen!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

😮 From Marianne: “Welcome to Circus Corinthia - The Grand Finale! A tribute to the enigmatic jesters of medieval festivals - masters of deception, delight, and dazzling performance. Every card is steeped in rich purples, gleaming gold foil, and intricate vintage ornamentation, capturing the mystery and spectacle of the court fool’s art. These cards don’t just play - they perform and imitate, weaving an atmosphere of cunning tricks and regal theatrics with every shuffle.

Perfect for collectors, magicians, and lovers of the strange and beautiful, this deck invites you to join the jester’s grandest, most magnificent game yet.

During this festive event, jugglers, tricksters and jesters are presenting a magnificent spectacle where they show how they can juggle the fate of the kingdom and have fun at the same time. Join the regency of Jestia and Jiggz as their court transforms an ancient kingdom of silence and night into laughter and light. The Kingdom is never as colorful as during this event!

Designed by Marianne Larsen and co-illustrated in collaboration with Patrick Leis.”

⭐️ Congratulations on your nomination, Marianne Larsen !
 The recipient of our Deck of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

DiamondAwards PlayingCardArt DeckOfTheYear

08/05/2026

🏆 Deck Of The Year Diamond Award Nominee, Echoes in the Palace by Stockholm 17!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

😮 From Stockholm 17: “This is a narrative poker deck where each suit tells a dramatic scene of power, intrigue, and consequence. The Jack, Queen, and King of every suit form a unified tableau, inspired by Renaissance triptychs and courtly drama.

Designed for both play and divination, the deck unfolds a silent story of deception, desire, ambition, and judgment—enhanced by four special Jokers representing the forces of fate: Madness, Fortune, Misfortune, and Disguise.

More than a deck of cards, this is a palace of stories, secrets, and symbolic power.”

⭐️ Congratulations on your nomination, Stockholm17 Playing Cards !

The recipient of our Deck of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

DiamondAwards PlayingCardArt DeckOfTheYear

08/05/2026

🏆 Deck Of The Year Diamond Award Nominee, Cavaliers by Lee McKenzie, Kings & Crooks!

➡️ Voting for our 10th (!) annual Diamond Awards is open now to all 52 Plus Joker members and ends August 19th, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Join our club to cast your vote at 52PlusJoker.org. Membership is only $25 annually (🤯) and includes plentiful playing card perks.

😮 From Lee McKenzie: “Cavaliers invite you to step back in time for a night in old Havana. Come by the club at sundown, glass of rum in hand, as we open a box of Cuba’s finest.

Custom designed luxury playing cards inspired by the iconic artistry, craftsmanship and rich spirit of Cuba’s legendary ci**rs. Alive with rich gold ink and flourishing detail in a deliberately decadent old-world style. Housed in a premium, vintage textured black box with iconic gold coin design features, burnished and embossed inside and out in gold, red and ivory foils. Secured with a Cavaliers cigar-style tax stamp seal with metallic gold detailing, they’re a true homage to Havana’s finest cigar artisans.

Designed over three years by Kings & Crooks founder Lee McKenzie, the Cavaliers don’t ask for attention. They earn it. For those who love the finer things, passion, craft, and the quiet thrill of beautiful art with an authentic soul.”

⭐️ Congratulations on your nomination, Kings & Crooks Playing Cards !

The recipient of our Deck of the Year Diamond Award gets announced after our 5th (!) annual Red Carpet event at our convention in Buffalo, New York, happening October 21st-25th. The Red Carpet event will be live-streamed on October 24th for those who can’t attend in person. Mark your calendars and join the fun!

DiamondAwards PlayingCardArt DeckOfTheYear

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