On the night of 4th August 1577, during a violent storm, the doors of St. Mary's Church in Bungay, Suffolk were flung open by a monstrous black dog. He tore through the congregation, leaving death in his wake, before vanishing as suddenly as he had appeared. The marks he left on the church door are still visible today.
Black Shuck - the spectral hound of the East Anglian borderlands - has haunted the lanes, marshes and coastal paths of Suffolk and Norfolk for centuries. And now he makes his fiery appearance in the form of a premium deck of hand-drawn vintage playing cards.
The tuckbox is printed inside and out on a soft matte card stock, featuring bold woodblock print style artwork in a striking palette of black and red set against aged paper - evoking the broadsheets and pamphlets of the 16th century that first documented Shuck's terrifying appearance. A custom stamp sticker seal completes the presentation.
The card backs are intricate, classic and illustrated entirely by hand - a traditional two-way monochrome pattern rich with Shuck iconography. Subtle modern details break the traditional rectangle: spades at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions, and cut triangles at 12 and 6 o'clock add visual interest and a contemporary flair that looks particularly spectacular in a fan or spread.
The court cards are unique, hand-drawn artefacts - derived from an ancient set of one-way faces found on a British deck of playing cards hundreds of years old, expertly redrawn into perfectly symmetrical two-way designs. Bold reds, yellows and blues on aged paper. Chunky antique pips, refined indices and warm vintage tones throughout. Hearts and diamonds feature a two-tone 50/50 pip, a nod to famous decks of a bygone era.
Each ace features an enlarged central pip. The Ace of Spades depicts Black Shuck as he first appeared during that fateful storm at St. Mary's Church, Bungay, in 1577 - a moment of genuine British folklore history, hand-drawn and immortalised in playing card form.
The two Jokers in this deck form a diptych - place them side by side to reveal a giant woodblock-style illustration of the beast himself.
Everything in this deck is drawn by hand on a Wacom pen and tablet - as close as possible to traditional illustration while embracing modern print technology. No AI. No stock artwork. No shortcuts. Custom enough to be collectable, standard enough to be usable - in every hand, every fan, every shuffle.
At a glance:
- 56 poker size playing cards - 2x Jokers + 2x extra card
- Soft matte tuckbox printed inside and out
- Custom stamp sticker seal - red
- Hand-drawn artwork throughout - no AI, no stock
- Chunky antique pips and refined indices
- Printed on premium quality card stock - Legends Classic Finish
- Ideal for collecting, card magic, cardistry and card games
