About

Day of the Dolls playing cards are the perfect combination of classic vintage pin-ups and the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

My name is Stephen Lewis. I have always been a huge fan of vintage pin-ups. One day I had the idea to combine vintage pin-ups and the Day of the Dead into a deck of custom playing cards. I knew the concept had a lot of potential, and they had to be created carefully. I immediately asked my good friend Michael Axt to work with me and illustrate the pin-ups. He was excited about the opportunity, and we hit the ground running.

My goal was to create a deck of playing cards with a classic feel. We began to research some of the original pin-up playing cards. We studied artwork from artists such as Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren. We looked at their poses, hair styles, makeup, and fashion trends. We drew inspiration from these design elements and created the artwork for the Day of the Dolls.

I am offering four different playing card decks. One deck will feature a gold foil stamping and an embossed tuck box that will be limited to 1,000 prints. I am also offering 11''x14'' posters. All of the playing card and poster designs are displayed below. All of the artwork has been created in vector format and will retain excellent image quality on the cards and posters. Without further ado... I am extremely excited to share with you The Day of the Dolls Playing Cards!

Limited Edition Burlesque Deck

The Burlesque Edition features our classic pin-up on the tuck box. All of the pin-up artwork is gray scale. There are blue accents shown on the tuck box, back, and the pips for the hearts and diamonds. All of the court cards are inspired by classic pin-up playing cards. Every court card has a unique pin-up. Each deck contains 14 pin-up illustrations and features a unique two way back design. *All pin-up illustrations are displayed in the "Pin-Up" section at the bottom of the page.

Burlesque Ed. Tuck Box

Burlesque Ed. Tuck Box Flat

Back of Burlesque Deck

Burlesque Ed. Hearts and Diamonds

Burlesque Ed. Spades and Clubs

The Sailor Cherry Edition features rose accents on the tuck box. The colored suits match the rose color of the tuck. The deck has a nautical theme, and displays the sailor pin-up on the tuck box and on the back of every card. Each deck contains 14 pin-up illustrations and features a unique two way back design. *All pin-up illustrations are displayed in the "Pin-Up" section at the bottom of the page.

Sailor Cherry Ed. Tuck Box

Sailor Cherry Ed. Tuck Box Flat

Back of Sailor Cherry Ed. Deck

Sailor Cherry Ed. Hearts and Diamonds

Sailor Cherry Ed. Spades and Clubs

The Bombshell Edition draws inspiration from WW2 and the popularity of pin-ups in G.I. locker rooms. Pin-ups are in gray scale. This edition features vibrant green accents. Each deck contains 14 pin-up illustrations and features a unique two way back design. *All pin-up illustrations are displayed in the "Pin-Up" section at the bottom of the page.

Bombshell Ed. Tuck Box

Bombshell Ed. Tuck Box Flat

Back of Bombshell Ed. Deck

Bombshell Ed. Hearts

Bombshell Ed. Spades and Clubs

There will only be 1,000 prints of the Limited Edition Burlesque Decks. The tuck box will feature GOLD FOIL STAMPING, an embossed tuck box, and a custom seal. The 1000 prints will be numbered.

For this deck, I drew inspiration from the Cempazuchitl (marigold flower). The marigold flower is the traditional flower used to honor the dead. The new two way back design features an abstract interpretation of the Cempazuchitl. It was designed using the suit illustrations from the deck and the classic colors of the Day of the Dead.

If you look closely you can see the skull and flower petal imagery within each suit illustration.

What do the colors associated with the Day of the Dean mean?

Purple - Signifies pain, suffering, grief, and mourning.

Pink - Celebration

White - Purity and hope

Orange - Sun Red - The blood of life

Yellow - Cempazuchitl (marigold) symbolize death. Petals are used to make a trail so that the spirits can see the path to their altars.

Every edition will feature the pin-ups in the same court and suit positions. The accent colors will vary depending on the edition chosen.

Note to backers: Artwork may vary slightly from digital to print. All art are representations of what the final images will look like.

All posters will be signed and numbered editions. They will fit in a 11'' x 14'' frame. They will be printed on premium matte stock with 80# paper weight. The size of the actual art will be 10'' x 13'' with a .5'' border of negative space all around. *Frame not included

Burlesque Poster

Bombshell Poster

Sailor Cherry Poster

King of Spades Poster

Joker Poster

Queen of Hearts Poster

King of Spades Poster

Queen of Spades Poster

Jack of Clubs Poster

Jack of Spades Poster

King of Hearts Poster

Day of the Dolls Playing Cards is the first project for my new business, Custom Gambler. With a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and unique artwork our focus will be on creating custom playing cards, poker chips and poker accessories.

I am passionate about creating opportunities for up and coming artists. With each new project my company creates - I want to hire an artist to work with me creating the artwork. Not only will these jobs financially help the artists, but it will help build their portfolios and give them exposure. By supporting this project you are supporting the artist community.

Day of the Dolls Playing Cards featured artist: Michael J. Axt

Michael is a loving husband and father of two. He is a freelance illustrator specializing in comic/fantasy/scifi illustrations. While having a broad artistic range he is best knows for his label art for Clown Shoes Beer.