The Deck
Big Dog Sportswear is well known here in California for its line of products which feature their mascot, a big ol' black and white dog, in a variety of situations (my wife's favorite has him dressed as a Mexican bandito, above the phrase "Leashes?! We don't need no stinking leashes!!").
Recently, they published this deck of playing cards, in which their mascot stands in for the jacks, queens, kings and jokers! With its canine courts, leaping jokers and bright colors, this charming deck has quickly become a favorite of mine.
My favorite decks tend to be those in which the jacks, queens and kings are non-standard, and yet stick close to the conventions of the English/American pack. This deck fits that description very well (the major exception being a two-eyed jack of hearts).
Each of the court cards is a gentle send-up of the equivalent standard English/American card, resulting in a deck that is both very playable and very collectible.
The Cards on Display
Image: © Big Dogs
The Jack of Clubs
Image: © Big Dogs
The King of Diamonds
Image: © Big Dogs
The Queen of Spades
Image: © Big Dogs
The Joker
Image: © Big Dogs
The Card Back
Image: © Big Dogs
(Note the bone-shaped chips on the table...)
About The Publisher
Here's how the folks at Big Dog Sportswear describe their company:"Located in Santa Barbara, California, Big Dogs has sold quality casual sportswear, accessories and gifts for Infants, Kids, Youth, Men, Women, Big Sizes (1X-5X) and even dogs since 1983!"Visit them at the Big Dog Sportswear Web Site, where you can read all about them, their products, and find links to dog-related web sites.
If you'd like a deck of these playing cards, you can:
They also have a matching T-shirt available! It has the card back design on the back of the shirt, with a royal flush from the deck fanned out beneath. The four aces from the deck are fanned out on the shirt front.
- Get it free if you order $100 worth of merchandise through their Cyberstore,
- Order it through their free Catalog,
- Purchase it at a store listed on their Store Locator.
Woof! Dog-related Resources On The Web
- Digital Dog - A great resource for all sorts of information about man's best friend.
- DOGZ! - You want a dog without all the muss and fuss? Download some pups that will live in your PC (or Mac). Catz also available...
- Dog Side Show by the Sea - Come and see this collection of "shocking dog oddities"! Despite the "warning" posted on the site, it's all digital art, and very cleverly done.
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