Rise and Shine by Jocu x Octofly

[kevork]

A couple of years ago we met an Italian artist who we immediately wanted to work with on a deck. Something completely different to what we've done before, embracing their style and giving them free reign to design a deck that we've never seen the likes of before.

The cats are out of the bag - Jocu are teaming up with the incredible Italian street artist Octofly Art for our first collaboration project of 2024!

The first of the two companion decks that we'll be launching in March is called 'Rise and Shine' and embodies Silvia's positive, bright style with some of her favourite characters.

The four courts are represented by Kitties, Birds, Foxes and... you'll have to see the photos over at Pip/Tuck to find out the last one!

Take a look and let us know what you think!

If you don't know Silvia then you're in for a treat - check her out on her instagram page or just take a drive around the streets of Milan and northern Italy and you're likely to come across one of her wonderful public murals.

Here she is doing what she does best:

[kevork]

But it's not all rainbows and kitties...

[Adamthinks]

Hmm. It's a playful art style. But I don't know, it's not really grabbing me for some reason. Also, I don't understand what makes this a deck "that we've never seen the likes of before". I've seen dozens of decks like this.

[hsbc]

Also, I don't understand what makes this a deck "that we've never seen the likes of before". I've seen dozens of decks like this.

I think they mean from Jocu

[Adamthinks]

Also, I don't understand what makes this a deck "that we've never seen the likes of before". I've seen dozens of decks like this.

I think they mean from Jocu

They've specified a few times in the lead up to this deck that they'd never seen a deck like this on the market from anyone.

[Timmargh]

Well, I like it.

[Adamthinks]

Well, I like it.

To be clear, I don't dislike it. I'm just currently not liking it enough to want to buy it yet. Though that's partly because I'm being more particular about which decks to buy these days. I have too many that just sit there. That I'll open and look at, and then never disturb again. Plus I'm running low on space to display decks.

[Fenrir]

Looks really fun. Love that street art style.

[Timmargh]

Well, I like it.

To be clear, I don't dislike it. I'm just currently not liking it enough to want to buy it yet. Though that's partly because I'm being more particular about which decks to buy these days. I have too many that just sit there. That I'll open and look at, and then never disturb again. Plus I'm running low on space to display decks.

Blimey, we're in very similar situations.

[Honeybee]

I suppose I could consider it for the grandkids

[kevork]

It's definitely not a deck for me, but I admire Jocu branching out.

That said, I'm still intrigued to see more of the 2nd deck in this upcoming Kickstarter that we've only seen one card of so far.

[Bradius]

It is definitely a totally different art style that Jocu. It looks interesting enough for me to want to pick some up. I guess I will see the pricing and make a decision at that point. Jot me down for interested.

[Jocu]

Thanks for posting! We're really excited about this one, and look forward to bringing you more.

[Harvonsgard]

I quite like the style. Unfortunately it's a kinda ubiquitous style so I'm not head over heels into this but depending on the tuck I might check out the rainbow and kitties. Not sure if I'm in on the plants vs. zombies.

[Jocu]

Good news! With progress being made with WJPC for ONDA we can now go ahead and start preparing for OCTOFLY to launch soon. The deck is almost finished and I love how it's turned out so far. Here are some new shots!

[Jocu]

And the entire hearts suit for Rise and Shine - foxes

[mtsedwards72]

I ADORE the foxes but am so leery about the zombies...conflict...

[kevork]

I ADORE the foxes but am so leery about the zombies...conflict...

Lucky for you, they're two different decks!

[GandalfPC]

Hot fox

[mtsedwards72]

I ADORE the foxes but am so leery about the zombies...conflict...

Lucky for you, they're two different decks!

Wait..what? I' sorry; skimming at work in between lectures so I may have missed things. Doubly shameful since I'm a Jocu insider, but you know...life. So there will be two decks? A happy one and a zombie one? The anti-horror in me is happy but the completionist in me is banging her head against her laptop screen...

[GandalfPC]

To paraphrase Mark Twain…

Quitting completionism is easy, I’ve done it hundreds of times.

[Harvonsgard]

Backdesign sold it to me. Love the happy day one plus Jocu on WJPC is .

[brownsl]

I think these look fun and I will be backing!

[Jocu]

I ADORE the foxes but am so leery about the zombies...conflict...

Lucky for you, they're two different decks!

Wait..what? I' sorry; skimming at work in between lectures so I may have missed things. Doubly shameful since I'm a Jocu insider, but you know...life. So there will be two decks? A happy one and a zombie one? The anti-horror in me is happy but the completionist in me is banging her head against her laptop screen...

Don't worry! There's also dinos, owls and pumpkins

[Honeybee]

I like the back design too but overall I think I am 'too old' for the deck

[Jocu]

I like the back design too but overall I think I am 'too old' for the deck

The combined age of the three people behind the project is well over 100, so if you feel too old it misses the point a bit Cartoon/street art style certainly doesn't mean for kids! But I get if it doesn't float your proverbial boat

Here's an interview we did with the artist for the campaign page to shed a little more light on her process:

Meet Octofly

Tell us about yourself!

I'm Silvia, in art Octofly Art, hopeless optimist and dispenser of joy and colour. I love watching films and TV series, reading and drinking litres of hot tea.

How long have you been painting?

My whole life! I didn't use to sleep as a child, and my parents kept me occupied by getting me to draw all night. It became my job after going to art school and The Academy of Fine Arts, but it remains my biggest passion to this day.

What are your biggest influences?

I know it's miles away from what I do, but Van Gogh was fundamental to my artistic path. Especially his story and the psychology behind his works. They continue to inspire me and motivate me to go on. In general pop culture and nerd culture have accompanied me on my journey and they're big sources of inspiration for my drawings.

What’s your favourite street are piece you’ve painted?

Difficult question! It changes a lot, but at the moment I'm particularly proud of the tallest mural I ever did which I painted last year! In general the bigger ones leave you with a sense of 'wow' at the end that never gets old.

What other types of work do you do?
I do everything related to the visual arts, particularly pictures and illustrations. But often I get asked to do custom objects, sketchnoting and live painting during various events. Just give me a paintbrush or a pencil and I'll take on anything!

These are your first decks of playing cards. Do you have any decks?
I have to admit to having never really paid much attention to my choice of cards! I've always used the classic decks that you find around the house, but now I definitely have a different view of the whole thing. Every now and again if I find myself in a game of Scala Quaranta or Burraco, I can hold my own but I'm not great.

What’s interesting/unique/different/fun about designing cards?
There are specific rules that I had to respect when planning the design, a formidable challenge but also very interesting to learn about this world. I really enjoyed re-interpreting the classic pips and court cards of the deck.

What’s your favourite card game?
The classic Scala Quaranta. My grandad taught me when I was a child and I have really fond memories of that time.

What kind of vibe/inspiration do you think describes your decks?
Positive vibes! My goal is always to transmit happiness with my drawings, and I wanted that these cards be captivating and bursting with happiness for everybody.

Who are your favourite characters in the decks?
Maybe I have a soft spot for the foxes, because they're one of my favourite animals, but I have a big connection with every card in some way.

(And here's the mural she was talking about)

[Timmargh]

These are actually great. I like.

[Harvonsgard]

Dinos and Pumpkins... Now I'm sold on both editions .

[Honeybee]

A combined age of 100 gives them an average age of < half my age
Maybe I should just say that I am more into classic than modern

[Jocu]

A combined age of 100 gives them an average age of < half my age
Maybe I should just say that I am more into classic than modern

That's fair

I always imagine Jocu decks as a kind of tree, all growing out from that initial deck Fillide. Each deck needs to branch off somewhat from previous projects. Fillide to Green Man. Green Man to Hops and Barley.

There needs to be a cohesiveness to each design.

Hops and Barley then branches off into Essential and Dram, while ONDA starts a new branch from The Green Man.

For me this is a deck we've always loved the idea of exploring, but it couldn't fit cohesively until now.

With our focus on Italian culture and art and collaborations with other artists, I feel this is something that branches off from Wheel of the Year and hopefully leads to some unique collaborations in future.

I'm aware it won't be for everyone, especially those used to our other decks, but I also love the idea of offering something different that sits in line with our core values.

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far!