Joker and the Thief
Joker and the Thief Kings Head Purple & Rose
€28.96
Joker and the Thief · Playing Cards
Joker and the Thief playing cards, the Australian brand of James Milaras. King's Head series in four colours, inspired by 1930s decks.
Joker and the Thief is an Australian playing card brand founded in 2015 by James Milaras. The idea is simple: take the traditional deck of cards and give it a design of its own, hand drawn and with highly detailed tuck boxes. On this page you will find the Joker and the Thief playing cards we have in stock, all from the King's Head series.
Who Joker and the Thief are
James Milaras came to cards through magic and then cardistry. In 2012 he and Reuben Nutt started a YouTube channel of the same name, reviewing decks from a cardistry point of view. In 2015 he moved on to publishing his own: the first one was funded on Kickstarter while he was still a student, with illustrations by Pedro Oyarbide, who has kept working with the brand.
The brand is based in Brisbane, Australia, and works with short print runs: according to the brand, each deck is printed only once. The court cards are hand drawn for each edition and the tuck boxes feature foil stamping and embossing. That is why many of their decks end up in collections rather than on the card table.
The King's Head series
King's Head is inspired by the decks of the United States Playing Card Company from the early 1930s. The idea came from a 1940s Maltese tobacco packet with a king drawn in blue and red, and artist Felipe Calavanti developed the design. Each deck has redrawn vintage court cards, an illustrated Ace of Spades and dedicated cards for the Joker and the Thief, the brand's two characters, who in this series plot to overthrow the king.
The series comes in four colour combinations, and we stock all four:
The original
Recommended: King's Head Blue & Red
The colours of the tobacco packet that started the series. The most classic of the four and the easiest to pair with other decks if you want to use it for playing.
The colour editions
Recommended: King's Head Green & Yellow, King's Head Purple & Rose
The same design in palettes you rarely see on a vintage-style deck. A good choice if you already own the original and want to complete the series.
The collector's edition
Recommended: King's Head Black & Gold
The black version with gold foil. It is the most striking of the four and the one that looks best on display next to other premium playing cards.
Joker and the Thief FAQ
Where is Joker and the Thief from?
Australia. James Milaras founded it in 2015 and it is based in Brisbane.
Are their decks reprinted?
The brand says each deck is printed only once, so once an edition sells out it is hard to find new again. If you are buying it to collect, keep it away from light and humidity; we explain how in how to care for playing cards.
Why do so many decks have a Joker?
The Joker has a history of its own, which we tell in the history of the Joker. In the King's Head decks, the Joker and the Thief have their own cards within the deck.
What other decks in this style do you have?
Browse our collectible playing cards, our cardistry decks and our guide on which deck of cards to give. If you are interested in where the classic designs come from, read the history of the poker deck.