Junior Playing Cards
Child-friendly versions of standard English pattern cards designed by Louie Mantia, Jr.
Designer Louie Mantia Jr’s aim in creating these cards was to reinterpret the standard English pack, thus introducing playing cards to new audiences, notably youngsters (hence the name “Junior”). It is fair to say that he has succeeded in keeping traditional elements while making the courts less forbidding: they are both ‘friendly’ and colourful. Only the axes on the King of Diamonds and the Jack of Hearts look somewhat superfluous, hanging in the air as they do. The black suits are now blue and the Ace of Clubs (rather than the Ace of Spades) carries some supplementary information. In the blue-backed pack, the extra cards are two Mage cards and two Flag cards, while in the red-backed pack the extra cards are two Fool cards and two Flag cards.
Above: Junior Playing Cards made by USPC Co., Erlanger, KY, USA, 2021. Blue pack: 52 cards + 2 Mage cards + 2 Flag cards in tuck box. Red pack: 52 cards + 2 Fool cards + 2 Flag cards in tuck box. Size: 63 x 88 mm. © 2021. Junior is a registered trademark of Mantia LLC.
“Quite fun, as they’ve kept to the traditional postures, though the queens are a bit samey” - Ken Lodge
• More information: Louie Mantia, Jr and Junior Playing Cards►
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
Related Articles
International pattern from Russia
Colourful international pattern cards from Russia sold in Latvia.
Get Decked
Black and white cartoons devised by Sam Wagner with help from artist Lindsay Bevington.
Justice playing cards
Ethical concepts in a deck produced by Riccardo Conturbia’s Passione Playing Cards Ltd.
Beowulf
Jackson Robinson's Beowulf playing card deck inspired by the Old English pagan poem.
Keith Haring playing cards
Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.
Heráldica Castanyer No. 16
Strange variant of international pattern cards for poker or bridge.
The Tarot of Meditation – Yeager Tarot
Marty Yeager’s original Tarot of Meditation from 1975, republished later by U.S. Games Systems, Inc....
Adobe Deck
The first digitally-produced deck of cards.
Seminole Wars deck
Seminole Wars deck by J. Y. Humphreys, Philadelphia, c.1819.
The UCR Deck
Giant-size cards designed by Thomas Sanders to advertise courses and facilities at UCR.
Fredericks & Mae playing cards
A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.
Red Hat Society playing cards
Society that encourages women in their quest to get the most out of life.
English pattern by JRC Industries
A standard pack from South Africa using Piatnik courts with minor modifications.
Mountain Dream Tarot
Groundbreaking Tarot created by Bea Nettles, using photographs and photo montage.
Junior Playing Cards
Child-friendly versions of standard English pattern cards designed by Louie Mantia, Jr.
Last Call Cats playing cards
Bar-crawling cats, designed by artists Arna Miller and Ravi Zupa.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days
