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More will probably appear as the weekend goes on and we will update accordingly. Have a great Bank Holiday!

We’ll start with the box. I have a lovely broody photo of this, but until I can sort out some technical problems, we’re going to have to do with a stock shot – sorry… Update! Here’s my broody photo!

It screams out ‘this is something unusual’. Or possibly ‘macabre’ if you’re that way inclined. And at the same time it whispers (via a barcode) ‘Jack of Clubs’…

When I opened the box the first thing I saw was the joker – which is the best Karnival joker I’ve seen yet. As long as you like skulls. And you do, right? One of the jokers has an Ace of Hearts reveal on it – tastefully sticking out of a crack in the skull.

Extra cards include a slightly eery prediction card and a double-backer. Have you spotted the ’subtle’ one way feature on the back design?

Every single card has been individually designed. There are skeletons and skulls and writing, and it has all been weathered or aged. Shades of Da Vinci but somehow less wholesome.

The Aces and the court cards are particularly cool…

What about the handling?

Like the Dead Eyes I find that the cards feel just a little bit thinner than standard Bikes. I don’t know if this is a deliberate a USPCC thing (economy measure?) and weather newer Bikes will go the same way. But they still fan and handle well. There’s still a reasonable ‘flex’ so I am struggling to think of a sleight where this will be a problem.

The bottom line is, this will be a great one for the collectors, would look good in all sorts of slightly ‘darker’ presentations, or could be mixed in with other Bicycle Cards to add extra impact.

Available to pre-order now, and you’ll receive them before my birthday

Visit BBM’s Karnival Dose page for ordering info, or try your local dealer.

Since David Blaine is such an ambiguous figure – especially in the UK (I think he may be rather more popular in the US) it will be interesting to see how these fare and whether they make it into the high street.

Ironically several ‘proper’ UK magic suppliers are stocking them. Alakazam seem to be the cheapest at the moment. And at only £4.99/deck they probably come in cheaper than a USPCC factory prepared equivalent. Might make a great Christmas present for a child wanting to get into magic? But we haven’t looked at a deck in person yet so can’t comment on the quality. Do let us know if you see them first.

This is the latest pack designed by Steve Rooks. They say:

The BICYCLE Tattoo Deck represent a totally new look for a Bicycle Deck, incorporating beautiful tattoo styled imagery and 6 color print. With a brand new, eye catching back design… new Ace Of Spades, new Jokers, new case and bonus cards.

I say: I’ll wait and see what they look like in the flesh. Probably not really my style, but striking nonetheless. Watch this space for more info…

And if you want an idea for something to earn points on, if you are obsessed with magic wallets (like me!) – then the Real Man’s Wallet is a great card to wallet trick which seems to have been very popular with the reviewers. It will get you 45 loyalty points (worth £2.25!).

The Look

This is now the 4th Generation of the Karnival Deck – which all feature the striking artwork of Sam Hayles.

The trademark skeleton, who first obtained ‘gangster’ clothes in the ‘Assassin’ editions, has now been given some new weapons – a knife and a bomb on the Jokers, and a cleaver and an axe on the Ace of Spades.

The Details

The pack comes complete with the ‘usual’ extra card which has a reveal (6C) on one side.  There is also a reveal on one of the Jokers (who has a 4S in his hat) and an extra double backed card which is useful for many routines.  There is no barcode reveal on the tuck case as we have seen in all the earlier editions.

Like the previous designs, this one incorporates a subtle 1-way feature in the back design.  I think this is an under-used device in magic – it is often discounted because it is found in so many elementary magic books, but with the right handling can be a powerful tool.

The Handling

The cards are printed on the usual USPCC  ‘Air Flow Finish’ stock and handle extremely well straight out of the pack.  If you are used to Bicycle Cards there will be no surprises here.  Like all packs they benefit from a little ‘breaking in’ and they won’t last forever, but they perform well and are ideal for all the usual moves and routines.

The Verdict

As usual, the appeal of these cards will depend on the kind of magic you do.  Now we have Assasins and Renegades there are effectively a red-backed and a blue-backed Karnival deck – and I can see all sorts of interesting effects involving colour-changes and the 4 different packs.  I wouldn’t use them for children’s magic or the vicar’s tea party, but for the right audience they will go down well.

And if you’re just one of those people that loves collecting playing cards, you’ll have to have one of these limited edition packs.  So get right on over to BBM and order yours now!

Now the pics on BBM’s site are pretty good, so I have tried to create a slightly more unusual montage.

What do we think? Well I actually like this design best of all the Karnival range. Somehow the suit makes the skeleton much more respectable! I also really like the Jokers. I think it is the way the gothic and the mobster come together that appeals to me.

The cards are ’standard’ Bicycle quality – so they handle well, but are not quite up to the premium stock of some other USPCC ranges. Like the previous Karnivals, the back design incorporates a subtle one-way design – which I think is an under-utilised principle in magic.

The extra cards (a double backer and a prediction/advertising card) are useful, and I love the reveal on one of the jokers (a 3D in his hat band). There’s also a barcode reveal on the pack.

For me, they’re the best of the Karnivals – but they won’t appeal to everyone’s taste. As ever, the timing for Halloween is a bit tight – especially given the current Royal Mail situation. But for a certain type of routine they will fit in any time of year. Order yours here.

Karnival Midnights

What can we say?…

Well, as you will see, they are at heart, a black version of the original Karnival deck (see side by side comparison pic above). If you loved that, you’ll love these. Like their older brothers they have a subtle one-way back design. Always useful. There is less ‘noisey bleed’ (if you know what I mean) into the (white) border of the cards – which I think looks better. And, in fact, there are additional corner flourishes which look rather elegant.

Top quality USPCC card stock, so they handle really well. No problems there.

Barcode reveal on pack (see inset pic on right).

Extra double back card – very useful for lots of routines. A ‘BBM Advertising Card’ which also has a pic of a skull wearing a crown with another reveal (Q of H) on the bottom – see below:

They’re shipping now – so head over to Big Blind Media to get some before they’re gone…