It would be hard to overstate just how nice theory11’s NPH (for Neil Patrick Harris) playing cards are.
The graphic design, for which Neil Patrick Harris provided art direction, is sharp and elegant and full of fun little details that make exploring this deck feel like solving a mystery. Add to that the fact that there actually IS a mystery built into the cards and you have a product that delivers far beyond its function.
I’ve always enjoyed Neil Patrick Harris’s work, but prior to seeing this deck I hadn’t realized that magic was such a strong personal interest of his. Along with serving as a past President of the Board of Directors of Hollywood’s Magic Castle, he won a Tannen’s Magic Award – a LOUIE – in 2006. His love of the art and its classic iconography is obvious from the details in this deck.
It’s a hard call, but these NPH cards may be my favorite theory11 deck so far (and that’s saying something, considering that theory11 has produced some of the most iconic decks on the market). This is because, as striking as the graphics are throughout, they never feel ‘over designed’ – which can be a problem with some decks. Even the references to Neil Patrick Harris himself, which could easily have been overdone, are tasteful and understated.
On top of all this fantastic graphic design – down to the inside of the box, by artist and designer Jay Fletcher – these cards are printed using vegetable-based inks on sturdy Casino Q1 quality paper. And that paper is made from FSC-certified stock produced from sustainable forests.
theory11 describes the NPH deck as elegant and sophisticated, and I couldn’t agree more.
