STORY

THE LEGEND OF PROFESSOR TATE'S TRAVELING ROADSHOW PLAYING CARDS
Professor Tate's Traveling Roadshow appears in unexpected places and then vanishes without a trace. No one ever sees them come and go as they appear in cities and towns around the world.
Night after night, the show is never the same twice. Every audience is dealt a different hand as the performers appear in a new sequence. They improvise as they are invited to the stage by random shuffle. Round after round they light up the night weaving epic stories of skill, luck, daring, and intuition.
The gamblers, magicians, collectors, and other romantic souls who are called to discover Professor Tate's Traveling Roadshow are forever changed by their experience.
When the sun comes up, the show is gone without a trace. The only proof that remains is this special deck of cards. Those who own them revisit the magic of that night whenever they shuffle and deal. For the rest of their lives, they may revisit the Professor's show, as every hand dealt tells a new story of triumph and defeat for those who are gathered to play.

VINTAGE AND CLASSIC
Tales of the professor's roadshow have come and gone, many through generations of card players. The decks they offer as proof have changed over time. When the show comes to town at the end of our Kickstarter campaign, there will be two limited versions of these mythical playing card decks for you to choose from.

LIMITED TO SINGLE PRINT RUN
Both the Vintage and Classic decks will be printed only once. If Professor Tate's Traveling Road Show ever comes back to town with a second printing, we'll update the cards, deck, and tuck box to include new performers (while we'll say goodbye to some beloved favorites). This deck of playing cards and unique cast of characters will never be the same again.

ROCK AND ROLL CLUBS
The Rock and Roll Clubs are fierce, rebellious, and strong. With melodic vocals, masterful musicianship, and an electric stage presence they captivate and entrance an audience.

WILD WEST DIAMONDS
The sheriffs and outlaws of the Wild West Diamonds are independent, savvy, and resourceful. They almost never miss a shot and they can often read your intentions from across the room.

MAGIC SPADES
The Magic Spades are mysterious, elegant, and sly. These mischievous performers have a dark side and frighten their audiences every bit as much as they dazzle them.

TEMPTATION HEARTS
The Temptation Hearts are seductive and clever. With intuition and sultry magic, they know exactly what to say and how to move to disarm even the most guarded and callus hearts.

THE JOKER
The Joker is the witch doctor and oracle of the show. She is brilliant, crazy, and chaotic. You won't see her often but when she is called to the stage the story often changes in surprising and dramatic ways. She has been known to turn the narrative upside down so that the winners may lose and the losers may win.

HAUNTED ACE SKULLS
Through his travels, Professor Tate has collected a number of haunted skulls that frequently make an appearance as important props in the show. Just as the skull of Yorick served Shakespeare's Hamlet, these skulls interact with the performers as symbols for life, mortality, and fate.

NUMBER CARDS
The numbers that are called influence the story as it unfolds each night. They can bring good or bad luck in different combinations, but the outcome of the night mostly depends mostly on the skill, creativity, and intuition of the performers.

THE BACKS
The professor's top magician sets the stage with a dazzling ornamental kaleidoscope pattern. She preserves the mystery and magic of the show by casting a spell that hides the preparation of the performers backstage.

ABOUT THE DECKPrinted by USPCC with air cushion finishFulfillment by Gambler's WarehouseMirrored back designCustom Aces, court cards, JokersLimited edition of 2500 indication on the tuck caseBonus double back cardAdditional bonus cards coming soon!COLLABORATING WITH THE ARTIST
I met Richard Tate when I was publishing tattoo designs in 2005. I fell in love with his style. His fun, sexy characters are confident, self-assured, and strong. So I invited him to create tattoo designs for a new collection my team was working on. Over the next few years, his images ended up in hundreds of studios. At tattoo conventions, we'd see dozens of Richard's designs tattooed on people's skin. These designs have since become classics that you'll find on the walls of countless tattoo studios around the world. And now it's been a joy to collaborate with Richard again to create Professor Tate's Traveling Road Show playing cards.

MAX PLAYING CARDS
We're pleased to be working with Max from Max Playing Cards who's advising us to make sure we do things right for our first card deck and Kickstarter campaign. From choosing the right printer to the fulfillment process he's ensuring we provide top quality and smooth delivery. As a demanding connoisseur and experienced collector of cards, Max knows his stuff.
Also special thanks to Max Brand (a different Max) who first introduced me to the incredible spectrum of inspiring and beautifully crafted playing cards.

ABOUT ME AND WHY I DESIGNED THESE CARDS

Hi, I'm David Bolt. As an artist, designer, art lover, and fan I've come to see playing cards as an incredibly exciting vehicle for artwork and design. There are some essential common elements that every "real" deck of cards must include, and yet the opportunity for variety and creativity is endless. I love seeing different people tackle this shared puzzle in unique and imaginative ways. It seems like we're enjoying a golden age of playing card art.
For the past year, I've been working on several decks that feature some of my own art plus collaborations with some of my favorite illustrators and tattoo artists.
I hope that Professor Tate's Traveling Road Show will be the first of many amazing decks we'll bring into the world.
Backers of this deck will always be appreciated with some kind of special, early, and/or limited access to future cool stuff.
Without you, there is no Road Show. Your contribution is appreciated and will not be forgotten.
Thanks,"
- David