Kai
Myers
Illustration
4
Deck
of Cards Proposal
1-18-14
The
inspiration for this particular assignment comes from my love of two
things: dogs and the middle ages. According to historians, the
medieval era was a [ruff] time. Furthermore, these two subjects
-canines and the middle ages- have similar chronological elements.
However, more importantly, animals, specifically canines, played a
crucial role in the well-being and development of medieval people.
Dogs were used for companionship, hunting, and were sometimes seen as
important symbols of social standing. This deck of cards takes that
knowledge and twists it into a comedic representation of
role-switching. What if the roles of dogs and humans were reversed?
Rather, what if the dogs were the humans but still dogs at the same
time? The concept is simply this: Imagine a dog, perhaps a
beagle, dressed as a knight, prepared for battle. Then, remove any
humanoid conception of a dog dressed that way. The way the dog acts
and is represents no more than a dog being hilariously, adorably, and
almost painfully dressed up for the amusement of the player(s). The
playing cards are arranged according to breed of dog. For example,
the king(s) are represented by pug(s), and the queen(s) are
represented by pomeranian(s). The reasoning behind these two choices
resulted from the similarities between the stereotypical notion that
toy breeds (which pugs and pomeranins are a part of) and human
royalty are pampered and spoiled. Additionally, the back of the cards
all have the same design which will be, in part, inspired by medieval
tapestry. The box that houses the cards compliments the theme, with
text in sprawling letters that read: “YE OLDE TAILS”. Underneath,
bottom right corner, in clean font reiterates: “Ye Olde Tails, 52
cards. Suitable for all ages.”
Annnnd this is a quick sketch to sort of get an idea of what I'm going for.
