I don’t know what game this policeman adorned; I found him loose in a box of stuff in a flea market.  But the back identifies the maker as “Fairchild”; that’s something at least.  He’s crisply drawn in that American Socialist Realist style, and I think that uncolored stop sign is a nice touch. (Posted by […]

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I have a particular affection for games that celebrate regional culture.  I wish I knew more of them.  “Dutch Blitz,” published in 1960 by the Daystar Company in Flourtown, PA, is a Pennsylvania Dutch deck.  One side carries simple illustrations of farm equipment; the other has numbers with a traditional design. “Dutch Blitz” is still […]

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I folded up this series too soon; here’s another “Fish” game.  This one was published in 2009 by Fundex Games.  The other marine animals in the deck are: Puffer Fish, Purple Tang, Angelfish, Clown Fish, Yellow Tang, Whale, Shark, and Seahorse.  All are in vibrant colors, and look to me inspired by animation design. (Posted by Doug Skinner)  

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Our final fish game is “Go Fish,” published in 1951 by Ed-U-Cards.  The fronts are simple fields of color, the backs show this cheerful specimen. In later editions, this has been adapted into a flipbook; if you arrange the cards in the proper order, the fish blows bubbles. As a lagniappe, I’ll add this interesting miniature […]

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Ancient coral or ancient ladies’ swimming cap? On the first day of spring, which in New York City was particularly welcome and unseasonably warm, I took a long walk on the sands of Dead Horse Bay, a quiet inlet tucked away not far from Floyd Bennett Field (the City’s very first airport), now abandoned to […]

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Our fourth fish game, “Go Fish,” was published in 2001 by Cardinal Industries.  Ten varieties of fish are depicted; but, like the example above, are unidentified. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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Our third fish game is also simply called “Fish Card Game,” and comes to us shrouded in mystery, with no indication of date or publisher.  The other fish depicted are: Seahorse, Flying Fish, Surgeon Fish, Manta Ray, Tiger Shark, Ocean Sunfish, Porcupine Puffer, and Deepsea Angler. (Posted by Doug Skinner)   

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Our second fish game is simply called “Fish Card Game,” and was issued by the U. S. Playing Card Company in 1993.  The other fish are the Striped Suitfish, the Goldfish, the Sea Horse, the Swordfish, the Sunfish, the American Eel, the Stingray, the Shark, and the Angelfish.  They’re all pretty lively.  (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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For some reason, there have been many children’s card games with a fish motif.  I wasn’t aware that children had any particular affinity for fish; I don’t remember having any strong feelings either for or against them when I was a kid.  Maybe graphic designers just like working with them. At any rate, we initiate here […]

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These “Fractions Flash Cards” are from 1962; the publisher is Whitman.  The instruction card informs us that we can also use them to play a game called “Halt.”  In case you’re stumped, by the way, this image shows one third. (Posted by Doug Skinner)

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