I’ve avoided the many children’s card games that tie into toys and other franchises — simply because the graphics must, by definition, follow the pattern established by the franchise, offering little elbow room for the designer. The “Jellibee Card Game,” however, is such an odd creation, both graphically and conceptually, that it has earned a place here. It was published by Edu-Cards in 1975; and was based on a sewing kit with which you made things like “Jimmy Jellibee.” Curious.
(Posted by Doug Skinner.)
5 responses so far ↓
1 Lisa // Sep 17, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Is there a connection between Jimmy Jellibee and actual jelly in this game, or just the connotation of jelly?
2 Doug // Sep 17, 2010 at 1:59 pm
There was, it seems, a sewing kit for kids, with which they could make a whole family of Jellibees. The card game offers their portraits, but does not elaborate.
3 Mac Johnson // May 2, 2011 at 4:01 pm
My brother got this deck when we moved to America. It was oddly wonderful. Not like other card decks kids had.
4 Roadtrip-'62 - Don Milne // Feb 19, 2012 at 1:29 pm
From what I can find, the first use of the Jellibees name by Edu-Cards was in 1971, in a kit that allowed you to sew the character “Piggly Pete.” They also released a set of “Disney Jellibuttons” that year, from which you made buttons. Somehow, I can’t quite imagine Disney characters in that Jellibees style.
5 Doug // Feb 21, 2012 at 8:32 pm
I can’t either! And the simplified needlework of the Jellibees made for unusual graphics.