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NOOOOO!!!! IT’S NOT A MAN IN A DRAGON SUIT!!!!!!!!
Piff The Magic Dragon on Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us”
Mr Piffles
How dare you!! He is a Magic Dragon. An actual real live Magic Dragon who, together with the World’s First Magic Performing Chihuahua (Mr. Piffles) has taken the world of magic by storm!!! STORM, I SAY!!! If you’ve seen Piff The Magic Dragon (yes, you’ve heard of his older brother, Steve…) on Penn & Teller’s TV show ‘Fool Us’, you’ll know how truly remarkable (and magic) Piff actually is. Of course, so is Mr. Piffles. He’s pretty amazing too, and Piff wouldn’t be where he is today without Mr. Piffles agreeing to work with him…. (my Yorkshire Terrier, Jake, made me write that bit).
Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards on Kickstarter NOW – Click here for more details :)
So, what does a Magic Dragon do on his nights off from performing in sell out shows in Las Vegas, the Sydney Opera House, London’s O2 Arena and a 17 date UK Tour with the Grammy Award winning band Mumford & Sons…? He designs his very own deck of playing cards of course!! The “Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards” no less!!!!! ……..Well, ok, HE doesn’t design them, he gets UK designer Claire Blackledge to design them, and he gets well known playing card designer and collector Chris Chelko to create a Kickstarter project for them. Each card, from the pips to the courts, are completely redesigned from scratch. Let’s take a closer look…
Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards Suits
You’ll have noticed how each suit has been completely redesigned from scratch. The traditional Spades are now ‘Flames’ (oooohh!) the traditional Clubs are now ‘Paws’ (aaaaahh!) the traditional Hearts are now ‘Flowers’ (whaaaaa…?) This is because, according to Piff, women are only interested in material things and not love or any of that nonsense there. Obviously. Then we have the Diamonds. Which are only partly redesigned from scratch. Heck, they have a yellow border, what more do you want??
Piff has also turned the whole royal family on their heads. Of course, Piff represents all the Kings. (Hey!! It’s his deck and he can do whatever he wants. When you design your own deck of playing cards, then you can be the King. But until then, hush up, be quiet and please have a bit of respect). Gone are the Queens. Married women…? Too much trouble. Princesses…? Now you’re talking. Way cooler than Queens, and much prettier too. Except for the Queen of Jordan of course. But I digress. Mr. Piffles kindly agreed to represent the Jacks, which in my opinion makes the deck all the more amazing. (Jake, stop typing when I go to the loo!!!!)
Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards Courts
The back of the cards represent Piff’s dream home. A castle. Called PiffLand. (Personally, I’d have gone with ‘Dun Piffing’, but hey, it’s not my deck…) You see, Dragons traditionally live in caves. These can be cold and damp and although sleeping on piles of treasure is what they’re ‘supposed’ to do, it’s not at all orthopedically sound and it therefore leads to bad posture. A castle, however, would have four poster beds with memory foam mattresses, and would have fair maidens tending to Piff’s every whim with Knights protecting the perimeters on their silver steeds leaving Piff to, in turn, tend to the princesses. Or at least, that’s how it would hopefully pan out, since – for the time being at any rate – Piff doesn’t live in a castle but the aforementioned cave.
Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards Back Design
Editor’s note – You will notice how there are no helipads. This is because Piff is actually quite a modest Dragon and isn’t into material wealth and such forth. Plus, he can fly. Because he’s a dragon. So he is.
*** The Following Image Requires a Legal Disclaimer – I got my legal team {Hi Debbie!!} to contact the legal representatives of Piff The Magic Dragon and we have been assured – legally – that Mr. Piffles was not hurt in the sketching of the following Gaff Cards. ***
The Gaff Cards are quite ingenious. There are three cards which, in sequence, ‘appear’ to show Mr. Piffles being shot out of a cannon through the back of another playing card. To put your mind at ease, please note that Mr. Piffles has a smile on his face in the 10 of Diamonds, therefore reinforcing the fact that he was not hurt during the sketching process.
Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards Gaff Cards
As if all this so far isn’t more than enough….!! There is also a die-cut (that’s ‘die-cut’) extra playing card that turns the every day ordinary boring tuck box into a…..
TA-DA-DA-DA—DA-DAA-DAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
‘TUCKTACULAR!!’
………..or ‘tuck tacular’ depending on what way you want to say or spell it. (At this point I would ask my readers to have some imagination. I personally think that TUCKTACULAR!!! has more oomph than tuck tacular, but naturally, it’s up to you in any case.)
Piff The Magic Dragon Playing Cards Tucktacular
Any self respecting Magic Dragon should (and would – cos that’s how you know the fakes) have a ‘tacular’. It’s where they keep their magic props, bananas and Chihuahuas. (Not that they need magic props, ‘cos they’re magic, so props aren’t strictly necessary, but let’s say because the ordinary everyday person in the street expects props, so they hide them there to produce at odd unexpected intervals to make said person in the street think they’re not going crazy.)
Piff The Magic Dragon has a ‘Pifftacular’ which he brings onstage with him. But. For you, in the comfort of your own home bar / man cave / den / sitting room (you know who you are..!) you can enjoy the benefits of everything that Piff enjoys at a small little tiny wee fraction of the size. And what a joy. Did I mention that it’s die-cut?
I have no reasons why you wouldn’t want to buy this deck. Let’s recap. It’s designed (kinda) by a Magic Dragon. It features the World’s First Magic Performing Chihuahua (Mr. Piffles) There are Princesses and Castles and Canon-fired pooches – why wouldn’t you want this in your collection??? What? You don’t have a collection? Well, start one!! With this deck!!!
These cards will be produced by The Expert Playing Card Company so we know quality feel and handling is guaranteed. That’s right I said “will be”. Not “could be” or “should be” or “if all goes well maybe might be”. I said “will be”. Because if this deck doesn’t reach it’s funding target I will actually eat my own feet.
If you aren’t aware of who exactly Piff The Magic Dragon and Mr. Piffles are, then have a quick jook at this video. If, after that, you aren’t bamboozled by the abundance of talent and sheer charisma…. then… well…. quite frankly, I can’t help you…. adieu…..
Please feel free to leave any comments or questions in the box below and I will be only too happy to reply. Also, please do share on your social media if you feel it deserves it – just click on any of the buttons below. Hope you enjoyed this review :)
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Haha what a wonderful post, I really enjoyed reading this.
I also had a watch of your video and it had me laughing somewhat! :)
The America’s got Talent has a lot to answer for in the rubbish that has come out of it, so this was a nice breath of fresh air :)
I love the cards design too :)
Thanks
Chris
Ahahahaaaa great stuff!
I must admit that i really like your site. Your nieche is great which locks me to screen. I’m a design addict and cards are all about it.
It’s really creative for Piff The Dragon to try something out like this. Quite logical and FUN of course. I really liked the comic-kinda design of the set. Especially the dragon nad the princess.
Great job!
Duru
Piff the Magic Dragon? I can’t say that I have heard of him. However, reading your review of his cards gives a sense that Piff is a very comical character. I would like to ask this:
Since Piff has come out with his own customized deck of playing cards, which I found the cards with Mr. Piffles being shot out of a cannon quite entertaining, Are these cards looking to considered a “Novelty” item? How popular have these cards become since they have been introduced?
Thank you for your comment Dave. Piff the Magic Dragon is not a novelty act I can assure you…. He is Steve’s younger brother, and he is actually quite talented in his own right, as well as funny. Mr Piffles is actually the brains of the operation. Keep an eye out – he’ll be ‘the man’ someday and Piff will merely follow in his wake…. As for how popular his cards are… well… you can’t get them on ebay right now (July 2016) so I reckon people are hanging onto them… making them desirable… and rare…. so if you come across a deck for sale – BUY THEM!!!
The information on your site is interesting and it seems like you are really passionate about your niche. I think the layout is lovely too because on the mobile platform everything shows up pretty well and organized. I think you are doing a lovely job with the website and I wish you the best of luck with everything you do!
I have been a fan of Piff this season on America’s Got Talent. Pretty neat that he already has shows around the world and is not even a finalist yet. But I know he will be. I know the kids would like his cards. Thanks for the good read.
I will be checking back later to get in on the kickstarter, to make sure I get a pack.
Unfortunately the Kickstarter project has ended (very successfully) but you will probably be able to get a deck on the likes of ebay in a few months time. I hope you’ll be voting for him in the AGT semi-finals….? I can’t cos I’m in the UK….. :'(
Hello Jyl, I believe the idea of Piff the dragon on playing cards is a fabulous one. Seeing the fame he has risen to is well deserved. He just is riding on the wave.
I do like how the cards tried to move away from the traditional designs to create a different aura.
Starting such a project on kickstarter is wise, if it fails, he really never lost anything.
Hi Emmanuel – good news on this one, he got the funding needed and more!! So it’s all systems go for the Piff Deck :) The campaign ends tomorrow so if you want to get your hands on a deck or two you’d better be quick. These will be true collector’s items :)
Hey there. Believe it or not I was doing research on a card game called Magic the Gathering, and ran across your article. I gave it a read and just wow’ed at myself. I’ve never heard of Piff the Magic Dragon, but after reading it did peek my interest. I have to admit, it’s a great idea and I hope his playing cards take off. They seem pretty cool.
Thanks John. Piff is just one of those characters that you just can’t help but like. And he’s a great magician too. Of course Mr. Piffles is my favourite, but I have to be seen to be impartial :) The cards have reached an exceeded their funding goal which is fantastic. So these will go into production. Only a limited print run though, so get in quick if you’d like a deck :)
Love Piff! This guy is a complete HOOT! (Mr. Piffles is a little odd himself!) I would have never guessed they would be coming out with their very own deck of playing cards! LoL!
That was an incredibly fun write-up on the event. Couldn’t possibly give you enough credit for making this such an entertaining post. I’m sure your readers won’t be able to stop themselves from contributing to the cause.
I suspect you’ll have a big impact on the success of his new deck! Fantastic job!
Aw thank you Leland, that’s really great of you to say that :) I did enjoy writing the review – it kind of wrote itself actually, so I’m glad you liked it :) Piff and Mr Piffles make me laugh…. they make everyone laugh…!! And it’s a great deck of cards so it deserved to be written about. Here’s to a successful campaign! :)
LoL, You can’t help but smile when you see Piff the Magic Dragon and Mr. Piffles. I’ve played some cards, but I never thought about collecting them. I didn’t realize there were so many different deck out there. I’ve always just seen the average ones. I might have to look into some of these. I love Mr. Piffles as the Joker! He’s sooo cute!
This is a really fun deck Brittony isn’t it? Wee Mr Piffles is adorable, and even when he’s being fired out of a canon he is still smiling :)
Playing cards are very collectable, especially in recent years because of all the new designs of decks available – you’re spoilt for choice :)
Hey there Jyl,
I must admit I’m not much of a card player myself, But I nevertheless find it fascinating to learn that such a subject has so many followers.
Not being well versed on the subject, I was wondering if people will acquire these cards just “to play with” or more as a “collection”
We live in a fascinating world and I learn something new every day.
Cheers.
-Theuns
That’s the beauty about playing cards Theuns, if you want to collect them it’s up to you how you do it. I personally like to open the deck and look at them and feel them. And, yes, I like to play a hand or two (but no more than that) of a poker evening. But then there are those who want to buy them just for the collect-ability, and resell-ability. There’s no hard and fast rule – it’s up to the individual :)
So majestic, so furry, jet such an incredible dangerous mystic dragon, and you just carry him on, like, like, a dog! I would like to meet Mr. Piffles but I fear he could eat me. Besides, you are a fiery dragon too, with mighty green-violet scales. Who ever wondered a couple of dragons could make such a beautiful set of cards. You are almost at half of your goal at Kickstarter and you still have 40 days. Nice campaign. I will be pending if you develop more merchandising, I don’t know, maybe a realistic full size monstrous stuffed Mr. Piffles doll.
Ooooh! Now THAT would be interesting! And a life-sized doll of Piff himself too!! Wonder who would buy those……… :D
Rud,
Well I must admit I reviewed your latest post and am quite impressed….albeit,, I’m not quite certain what the hell I just read….lol. I Might suggest that you place the video at the very beginning of the post as this will provide a bit more interest to read more. You should anticipate a surge in traffic as this is now an act appearing on America’s Got Talent. Well done!
Sal
Thanks Sal – he’s doing well for himself isn’t he? He’ll be buying that castle soon enough I’m sure, and he’ll have more Princesses queuing up than he’ll know what to do with :D You can’t keep good talent down :)
Haha, I can remember that episode of Fool Us when Piff the Magic Dragon performed. He was very entertaining and funny, and he certainly had me fooled. Unfortunately, he didn’t fool Penn & Teller, which is a great shame because it would have been great if he could have gone to Las Vegas with them.
I haven’t see Piff since then. I hope he’s doing okay. Have you see him on anything else?
Yes Marcus, Piff did actually make it to Las Vegas and has been a regular there for a while. More recently he auditioned for America’s Got Talent and stole the show. He’s one talented Magic Dragon so we definitely haven’t seen the last of him :)
That is really cute! I’m sure if my daughter watched Piff she would really love the playing cards and all the rest of the merchandise! She is crazy about castles so the back of the cards would be a winner with her already.
The club card with the doggy paw honestly had me giggling out loud. What a great idea and lots of fun.
Little Mr. Piffles’ paws as the Clubs – it’s genius!! :) I do think that Piff appeals to all ages. Us adults get his humour and kids love the suit and the wee doggie. The cards themselves would also be good for getting kids interested in card games again and away from the computer or TV screen :)
Hey Rud
Interesting hobby you’ve got there. The cards are funny
and entertaining. I’ve never heard of piff the magic dragon or Mr Piffles, but I love Penn And Teller. I think the club is cool with the paw. And the jack as Mr Piffles. Is there any money in collecting these cards? Do alot of people collect them?
There are a lot more collectors out there than you’d think. For example, these cards went onto Kickstarter just yesterday and already there are 201 backers wanting to buy decks. As with anything collectable, the value really depends on how much someone is willing to pay. But yes, you can make a few pounds from buying and selling playing cards :)
Hi, I forgot to ask you earlier on…
Do these types of things command pretty high prices – they seem very much like pieces of art and almost too good to use in a playing situation?
Also, do they have sort of shows covering these types of collectables?
In case you haven’t noticed I’m a bit of a geek for these types of things! ( I collect vintage Star Wars toys LOL )
Well then Chris, you’ll know how addictive collecting can be :D Like with anything collectable, the price depends on a number of factors – condition, availability, and desirability for example. If these cards are going to be a limited edition with, say, only 1500 decks ever being made, then each deck would become more valuable than if they were being churned out at several hundred thousand decks per year. If they’re left unopened, then that will add to the value. Also, if Piff and Mr. Piffles become the superstars that they deserve to be, then somewhere down the line people will be looking for that deck of playing cards that he had back in 2015 :)
I’ve never heard of Piff The Magic Dragon but these cards are absolutely adorable! I’ve been following your blog’s articles over the last few weeks and I’m amazed at the creativity that goes into these cards.
Some of the designs and illustrations are wonderful quality – like these you have covered today. Fantastic subject – keep up the good work!
Thank you Chris. I do love the colours and designs of these cards – they’re a lot of fun aren’t they? These are the sort of cards that would appeal to kids, helping to get them into learning and playing card games :)
HI there,
Mr, Piffles is super cute!! I have never heard of kickstarter, where you make your donation to help them get this started, is it just kickstarter dot com? The card designs are interesting and I think I will have to check you tube to see some piff the magic dragon clips and check out his show. I’d buy these once they are out, thanks for the cool preview.
Sheena, you can definitely see plenty of Piff on YouTube, just do a search. Mr. Piffles I think is a bit more shy so you might not be able to catch him… ;)
Kickstarter is basically a Dragon’s Den on the internet. Here’s my run down of what it’s all about if you want a heads up :)
http://icollectplayingcards.com/the-phenomenon-tha…
Thanks for your comment :)
Piff the Magic Dragon playing cards, who knew! These cards look great. Piff the Magic Dragon and Mr Piffles are really funny. I had never seen them before, but watching the video had me laughing. I love the look of these cards and the back story of them. I hope they get the funding they need. These are going to be great cards. If they are fully funded, do you know when these cards become available?
Hi Val, thank you :) They’re great aren’t they? Never mind playing cards, let’s just buy his video :D
If this deck if funded (which it will be) they will be sent out to funders in December 2015. Never mind the ‘if’…. ‘when’… and hey… remember where you heard it first :)