Us Games Systems Inc Card Art Release for Publication

by BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGame

Why should nosotros care about brands and publishers in the world of playing cards? Considering they play a huge part in the playing card manufacture. They are the drivers of the market past connecting creators with consumers, and they aid turn projects into reality, and get playing cards into our hands. They decide what playing cards are worth making, organize the press and distribution, and make decisions that will ultimately determine the quality, await, and experience of the product that eventually gets to us as a buyer. Without publishers, most playing cards wouldn't exist, even though in most cases they don't exercise any of the manufacturing and printing themselves. But it's their decisions that shape what we're ownership.

There are many small publishers that put together a carefully curated collection of decks, only one that typically goes somewhat unnoticed in the modern custom playing carte du jour market is U.S. Games Systems Inc , which I'll simply refer to from here on equally USGS. And then permit's observe out more about them, and what playing cards they are bringing to us.

Publishing Tarot decks

The origins of U.S. Games Systems Inc (USGS) go back to 1968, when it was founded by Stuart R. Kaplan. That means that just last year they celebrated their 50th ceremony as a publisher. The real driving force backside their origin wasn't the world of standard playing cards, but the more mysterious world of tarot decks. In fact, even today they depict themselves every bit " the premier publisher of tarot, divination, oracle and inspirational decks. " Kaplan's own credentials include being the author of The Encyclopedia of Tarot , an important reference work that is as well published by USGS.

The origin of Tarot decks has long been the bailiwick of some controversy. But always since the publication of Michael Dummett's landmark book The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Common salt Lake City  (1980), there is an increasingly academic consensus that Tarot cards beginning originated in the 15th century, and that what nosotros today call the "Major Arcana" in a Tarot deck was originally intended to be a fixed trump suit used for play tricks taking games. Tarot cards were used in this way for almost 400 years, and only well-nigh the 18th century did they first become linked with fortune-telling and the occult. From then on the Tarot deck speedily became a tool of choice for cartomancers, and adult a life of its own. The artwork of Tarot cards also took on a new direction, with Tarot decks commonly having colourful images that depicted both well and woe.

USGS's founder Stuart R. Kaplan also believes that the historical bear witness forces the states to this conclusion. " Tarot was not originally an occult tool or a style to preserve cabalistic knowledge, as some esoteric writers maintain. Tarot was a card game for the nobility in fifteenth century northern Italy. The trionfi cards [ed: trumps] are iconographic images of important people and events of the time. " This explains why the heraldic devices of wealthy families appear in the iconography of early on gilded-illuminated Tarot cards. He is also convinced that the occultic use of the Tarot is a much after evolution: " Court de Gébelin and Etteilla in the later part of the eighteenth century brought forth the thought of the esoteric connection with the cards. "

Kaplan has been credited by some as assisting in the Tarot renaissance in the US, past supplying mass-produced and affordable decks to customers through mainstream bookstores. His contribution to promoting the world of Tarot in the United States began by importing Tarot cards from Europe. A personal visit to the Nuremberg Toy Fair in the belatedly 1960s led to his first come across with a Tarot deck, and he was sufficiently intrigued to negotiate the rights that gave him permission to distribute the Swiss 1JJ Tarot deck in the US, with a initial order of 5000 decks. These decks sold well in bookstores, and it didn't hurt that Kaplan besides wrote a small book entitled Tarot Cards for Fun and Fortune Telling . This booklet gave an introduction to the history, meaning, and utilise of the cards, and went on to sell close to a million copies. Information technology was followed by his book Tarot Archetype  (1972), and the importing and selling of a wider range of Tarot decks.

Eventually Kaplan began publishing Tarot decks himself, and that was really the genesis and cornerstone of USGS. Two of the most popular and influential Tarot decks in the world today are those byRider-Waite (originally published in 1909) and byCrowley Thoth (created 1938-1943, and first published in 1969). Most contemporary Tarot decks are considered to be modern intepretations of these ii. In 1971 USGS obtained the rights to publish an authorized edition of the Rider-Waite Tarot from the girl of its creator, Arthur Edward Waite, and has been publishing it always since. This is considered the unmarried most popular Tarot deck in the earth, so it's non hard to see how this has proven to exist a smart business conclusion, and provided the backbone for USGS's success. The Tarot deck past occultist Aleister Crowley purports to be based on the imagined Egyptian Book of Thoth , and USGS is also the primary distributor of this deck in North America.

Only besides these, USGS has been publishing and distributing a broad range of divination and inspiration decks. Some of these, like the Rider-Waite and Crowley Thoth decks, are quite serious, while others are more than artistic or even whimsical. Their catalogue includes items like a Yoga Cats deck, Divine Plume Messenger deck, Ancient Creature Wisdom deck, Inspirational Wisdom from Angels & Fairies deck, and much more. Fine art has always been a very important part of the involvement and entreatment of Tarot decks, and Kaplan has always seen USGS every bit an art publisher, where the illustrations are of prime importance.

Publishing playing cards

While USGS began its life by focusing exclusively on Tarot decks, and the company is all-time known for its Tarot line, eventually they broadened their product range to include standard playing cards as well. Founder Stuart Kaplan has ever had an interest in playing cards, and his passion is axiomatic in the fact that he'due south written much well-nigh them, and as well has a personal collection of rare playing cards.

In aninterview conducted well-nigh ten years agone, Kaplan was quoted as saying: " U.South. Games Systems has two distinctly different production lines, the Tarot and spiritual area, and carte du jour games. These include historical cards, reproductions of early on cards, civil war cards, war machine cards, educational cards and games, word games, and trump games such as the Wizard Card Game. "

It's this 2nd production line that we at present turn to, since it covers both traditional playing cards and card games. As bear witness of the important role that playing cards play in the USGS catalogue, is the fact that today the company's overall mission today is described as " to create, produce and market high quality printed playing cards and volume products. " Their line of playing cards includes a variety of decks with novelty themes, and with art. Many examples of their themed playing cards are available here on PlayingCardDecks, and include decks similarOptical Illusions,Wildflowers of the Natural World,Archetype American Rides,Famous Battles of the American Revolution,Vintage Railroad, along with many other historical and novelty decks.

I'm especially beholden of their playing cards that are replicas of vintage decks. 1 of my personal favorites is theAirline Lookout deck andNaval Sentry deck. These decks were originally used in World War II to assist people to identify aircraft silhouettes, and thus equip them with the skills of recognition needed to make sure they wouldn't fire at Centrolineal aircraft by mistake. Each of the 52 cards in the Airline Spotter deck identifies a different shipping, including both Allied and Axis planes, and shows a detailed silhouette from three different angles. The Naval Watch deck similarly depicts warships from the 1940s-1960s. It'due south non hard to encounter how these decks served a dual purpose as entertainment and as a education aid. Other lovely vintage decks reproduced by USGS include theSamuel Hart'southward 1858 deck,Cohen's 1863 Patent National deck, andCohen's 1864 Highlanders deck, all of which are priced at around $half dozen each.

While the USGS playing cards focus on beauty and visual aesthetics, the ones in my own collection have been lacking in the area of treatment. The cards are typically quite thick and have a very smooth surface. As a outcome they don't fan or spread smoothly, and aren't platonic for shuffling. On the positive side, they do come up at a very bonny toll-bespeak, with many of them costing only effectually half the cost of a custom deck produced by USPCC. Given the attractive illustrations and novelty value, this makes them ideal for collectors or as novelty gifts, especially when the subject matter matches your own personal interest or the interest of a giftee.

Publishing games

Stuart Kaplan has besides had a long-fourth dimension interest in board games, and in 1965 even created a game entitled "Student Survival" nether a company called Gamemasters which he started himself. After all, it was his interest in games that brought him to the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1968, and first led him to notice and get curious about Tarot cards. The terminal few decades have seen a real growth in the game industry, with many innovations. War games, role playing games, miniature games, and collectable card games have all go very popular. Kaplan has especially been a great gentleman of collectable card games like Magic the Gathering that Wizards of the Declension began publishing in the 1990s.

By teaming upwardly with creator Mike Fitzgerald, he's fabricated his own contribution to the game manufacture every bit a publisher. Titles like Wyvern, Mystery Rummy, and Lord of the Rings Card Game are all part of the present USGS catalogue. USGS is also the publisher of the hit card game Wizard, which was created by Canadian Ken Fisher.

USGS tries to put out a number of new games every year, and believes that their games are characterized " by the loftier quality of illustrations, photography, packaging and product design. " That is a subjective assessment, of course, but it is confirmed by the fact that many of their products have won illustrious awards, including from organizations like Mensa, Games Magazine, and National Parenting. The award-winningWizard Card Game is peculiarly a large seller.

My beginning experience with USGS was with their Mystery Rummy Series of card games, which I highly recommend. I was not a big fan of the original carte du jour-stock used for these titles, only the game-play is terrific. If you lot enjoy rummy style games, these are extremely fun, and well worth looking into getting. While the rights for publishing these item titles have since been picked up by some other game publisher, it was USGS that kickoff saw the potential of bringing these games to the market, and the subsequent success of the series proves that they accept an middle for good games.

Final thoughts

It's obvious that the chief contribution made by Stuart Kaplan and USGS has been in the expanse of the Tarot deck. They take unmarried-handedly played a significant role in the impact that Tarot cards have had, especially in the United States, by making them widely bachelor at an affordable cost. Kaplan'south ain contribution is not simply in the importing and publishing of these decks, simply also in the important books he'due south written about them, and in the legendary personal collection of rare playing card related items he's assembled over the years.

Simply for people like me, I'g glad that his interests have also included playing cards more generally, and I'm grateful for some of the specialized decks and card games that USGS has produced in recent times. Games similar Wizard and the Mystery Rummy series continue to exist valued members of my personal collection. Bank check out their range of lovely playing cards, and I'm sure you lot'll find that there is something in USGS's production line that'due south correct for y'all besides!

Where to go them?  You'll find a range of USGS products on PlayingCardDecks.comhere andhere.

About the writer : EndersGameis a well-known and highly respected reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves carte du jour games, card magic, cardistry, and carte du jour collecting, and has reviewed several hundred boardgames and hundreds of different decks of playing cards. You tin see a complete list of his game reviewshither, and his playing card reviewshere. He is considered an dominance on playing cards and has written extensively about their pattern, history, and function, and has many contacts inside the playing card and lath game industries. Y'all can view his previous articles nearly playing cardshere. In his spare time he also volunteers with local youth to teach them the fine art of cardistry and carte du jour magic.

Last update date: 2/25/twenty

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Source: https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/publisher-spotlight-u-s-games-systems-inc

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