The World of Playing Cards Logo

Zoo Comics

Published July 03, 1996 Updated January 08, 2023

ZOO COMICS animated playing cards made by Litografía Ferri, Valencia (Spain), first published in 1968.

1968 Spain Litografía Ferri Comic Books Transformation Card Games Spanish Suited Suits

Zoo Comics by Litografía Ferri, 1968

Collectible playing cards inserted into products such as tea, chocolate or tobacco had their hey-day from the end of the 19th century until the second world war, with superb chromolithography printing. These children’s playing cards produced in Spain in the late 1960s follow the same spirit with the traditional suit symbols and figures replaced by fruits and cartoon characters, commendable for promoting healthy eating!

Zoo Comics animated playing cards by Litografia Ferri, 1968

Above: "ZOO COMICS" animated playing cards made by Litografía Ferri, Valencia (Spain), first published in 1968 and reprinted in 1986. The traditional Spanish suit symbols have been replaced with oranges, hop blossoms, bananas and aubergines whilst small animals such as chipmunks, cats, monkeys and mice cavort around. The 'Sotas' ride scooters. There has been more than one edition of this superbly designed pack, with different jokers, and also with advertising on the reverse (e.g. Productos Chirruca).


avatar
1,469 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

2022 Baraja Cultura Española

Baraja Cultura Española

ASESCOIN pack for 2022 designed by M.A. Corella featuring famous Spaniards and notable buildings.

1985 Blake et Mortimer – La Marque Jaune

Blake et Mortimer – La Marque Jaune

Blake and Mortimer comic strip characters created by Edgar P. Jacobs.

Laurenzo Propagine

Laurenzo Propagine

Spanish-suited cards made in Italy by Laurenzo Propagine.

2021 Jeu de 7 familles Les Dynasties d’Artisans Basques

Jeu de 7 familles Les Dynasties d’Artisans Basques

Long-standing Basque businesses represented in a traditional card game with illustrations by Odile A...

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern by Guillaume & Jean Grossard (Bordeaux).

2006 La Baraja del Mundial

La Baraja del Mundial

“La Baraja del Mundial” satirical football deck published by Fournier for ‘Interviú’ news magazine. ...

1920 Gibson’s History of England

Gibson’s History of England

History without tears for young and old, 1920s.

1995 Iroha Karuta for Hino City

Iroha Karuta for Hino City

Special version of Iroha Karuta, a traditional Japanese matching game, made for Hino City, Tokyo.

1990 Iroha Karuta

Iroha Karuta

Traditional Japanese matching game played mainly by children.

1974 O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game

O-Shlemiel card game with Yiddish words and phrases.

1708 Archaic Spanish proof sheets

Archaic Spanish proof sheets

2 x uncoloured proof sheets of archaic Spanish-suited playing cards produced for “New Spain”, possib...

1995 Dylan Dog

Dylan Dog

Characters and objects from the Italian comic book series Dylan Dog, written by Tiziano Sciavi and d...

Hispania Romana

Hispania Romana

Educational card game depicting the Roman period in Spanish history.

QAIPES – cartas españolas

QAIPES – cartas españolas

Spanish-suited cards made in China inscribed “QAIPES” and “BAIPES”!

2019 Baraja de la Cocina Española

Baraja de la Cocina Española

A celebration of Spanish gastronomy, with designs by Silja Götz employing non-standard suits.

1875 Hand-drawn transformation cards, c1875

Hand-drawn transformation cards, c1875

A complete set of hand-drawn transformation cards from c1875, using a standard De La Rue pack.