Pandemic outbreaks are constant threads in human history. These worldwide infectious diseases date back to as early as 165 CE when the Antonine Plague struck the Roman Empire. A curious observation that has recently circulated the internet is the roughly 100-year disease pattern: 1720 Plague; 1817 Cholera; 1918 Spanish Influenza; 2019 Coronavirus.It’s difficult to call these repetitions a simple coincidence, but we won’t go into deep conspiracy theories today. Instead, here’s a list of the various card games, playing card designs and board games created during such unprecedented times.
1720: Bubble Playing Cards
The Great Plague of Marseille hit Western Europe in 1720, taking the lives of nearly 100,000 people in France. While England feared the disease would spread to their own country due to the constant use of Marseille’s ports, they were also dealing with the repercussions of the South Sea Bubble. The South Sea stock market collapsed less than a year after it started to boom.The playing cards featured below satirize the devastating financial crash, detailing both counterfeit and authentic investment trades that ultimately led to the demise of many fortunes. Created and designed by Thomas Carington Bowles, the cards placed both a comical tone on a devastating financial time and helped to subside worries about the disease’s spread.
1817: Durak Card Game
Reports of Cholera can date back to 5th century B.C., but it wasn’t until 1817 that the first Cholera pandemic occurred. Over the course of six years, this disease hit India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Japan and parts of European territories like Russia.The card game Durak became popular in Russia during the 19th century. Its exact origin is unclear, but it can be assumed that this game allowed for a decent distraction while Cholera spread throughout Russia. There are numerous sources that label it as the most popular and well-known card game in Russia. Durak’s objective is to avoid being the last player holding cards and requires a 36-card deck.Durak consists of two types of players: attackers and defenders. A player who leads with the lowest trump card is the first attacker. The player who sits to the left of the attacker is referred to as the first defender. Once a player places a playing card into the middle, an attack is put into place. Defenders will counter this attack by placing a higher-ranking card of the same suit into the middle. Now, if the attacker placed a non-trump suited card into the middle, then a defender simply must play any trump card to beat the card played.If the defender succeeds, then the attacker can try again by playing a card that shares the rank of the previous card played. Once the first attack/defend ends, the player to the left of the attacker makes their move.
https://youtu.be/3JagmUmUJOc
1918: Uncle Wiggily Board Game
Spanish Influenza caused a global pandemic that killed nearly 50 million people. Some of the authoritative measures taken during this 20th-century pandemic mirror our own methods against the Coronavirus. This included quarantining those who were ill, closing schools and enforcing the value of handwashing and wearing masks.Playing card games and board games with one’s family increased in popularity during the 20th century. Two years prior to the outbreak, Milton Bradley Co., an American board game manufacturer, transformed the famous novel, “Uncle Wiggily’s Adventures” by Howard Garis, into a board game. The game’s popularity matched that of the novels’, allowing for the series to come to life in a visually appealing manner. While the game has undergone many changes since its publication, it has reigned in popularity for over a century while also having survived the deadliest pandemic in history.
2019: Our Clients’ Card Designs
For the past seven weeks or so, we have been living in an unfamiliar world. Reality hit home when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named COVID-19 a pandemic.We encourage both our clients and prospective clients to continue working on their customized game designs. This is the perfect opportunity to take your mind off of the current situation. Consider creating a playing card project that brings enjoyment and entertainment. Here are some incredible products that we have printed for our clients during COVID-19:
We at Shuffled Ink hope that you are staying safe during this pandemic. Our manufacturing facility is fully operational and ready to assist you! Stay safe, and we will get through this together!
● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk
In 1969, Joe Namath, the quarterback for the New York Jets, personally guaranteed that the Jets would defeat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Not only did the Jets win, but the game was regarded as the greatest upset in American football history.Shuffled Ink owner, Charles Levin, attended Super Bowl III with his dad on January 12, 1969. Since the age of 6, he has been an avid and rather fanatical Jet’s fan. In fact, Charles attended Super Bowl 3 and witnessed Namath’s greatest NFL moment. And, ever since he was a young boy, and even now in adulthood, he has idolized and always dreamed of meeting the MVP football star, Joe Namath.Naturally, as the 50th anniversary of the epic Super Bowl game approached, Levin couldn’t help but find himself reminiscing about Namath and the Jets.The stars seemed to have aligned on January 24, 2019, when Charles, working late at the office, received a phone call from Joe Namath’s manager who was seeking to create printed custom playing cards for the upcoming Joe Namath Foundation charity golf tournaments. They wanted to use the personalized cards as party favors to place into attendee’s goodie bags. Needless to say, Charles assured him that he had come to the right place!As the nearly two-hour phone call concluded, the Foundation’s order was underway free of charge BUT with one contingency — Charles would be able to attend the VIP cocktail party the night before the tournament, as well as meet his idol, Broadway Joe. It was truly an incredible dream coming full circle!
Shuffled Ink owner, Charles Levin, with Joe Namath at the Joe Namath Foundation charity golf tournament in Jupiter, FL
The Joe Namath Foundation playing card decks, designed by Charles and Shuffled Ink’s graphics staff, are completely customized back and faces. The cards capture a series of iconic moments in both Namath’s life and football career. But most importantly, the personalized card decks illustrate the purpose and beauty of the Joe Namath Foundation.
Joe Namath Foundation Customized Playing Cards
On March 31, 2019, Charles had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Joe Namath and so many other incredible athletes and supporters of the Foundation: John Schmitt, Namath’s center for Super Bowl III; Kevin O’Leary Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank; Hall of Famer
Johnny Bench; Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris; Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams; Vinny Testaverde; and Ed Too Tall Jones just to name a few.Shuffled Ink is honored and proud to support the Joe Namath Foundation, which benefits numerous children’s charities and neurological research. At your pleasure, feel free to visit the website link provided to learn more about the Foundation.
● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk
● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk
Pandemic outbreaks are constant threads in human history. These worldwide infectious diseases date back to as early as 165 CE when the Antonine Plague struck the Roman Empire. A curious observation that has recently circulated the internet is the roughly 100-year disease pattern: 1720 Plague; 1817 Cholera; 1918 Spanish Influenza; 2019 Coronavirus.It’s difficult to call these repetitions a simple coincidence, but we won’t go into deep conspiracy theories today. Instead, here’s a list of the various card games, playing card designs and board games created during such unprecedented times.
Joe Namath Foundation 
Shuffled Ink owner, Charles Levin, with Joe Namath at the Joe Namath Foundation charity golf tournament in Jupiter, FL
Joe Namath Foundation Customized Playing Cards