Words by David C. Obenour
Shuffling influence and illustration from two rich regions of folk culture, The Banjo King is a deck of classic Italian playing beautifully adorned with Appalachian art. Concepted by Twogether Studios’ Jenn Ellis and Keith Baker, the deck comes with rules for Scopa – known to The Banjo King as Moonshine! and Briscola – known as Blessed. Elevating the concept beyond a retelling of these century old games, Feral Indie Studios’ Charlie Ferguson-Avery was brought in to handle the art. Based in rural Pennsylvania, where the Rust Belt mixes into the foothills – Ferguson-Avery’s authentic voice, care, and pride can be seen on every card played.
Off Shelf: Can you tell us a little about how you initially got involved with The Banjo King?
Charlie Ferguson-Avery: It all happened pretty quick, I met Jenn [Ellis, Twogether Studios] at the Philly Area Gaming Expo. They liked my work, thankfully and I was a big fan of their work. After a little conversation they brought up the Scopa project, the scope and intent of “mapping” the regions of the US through the medium of card art. At the mention of Appalachia and the possibility of being a part of that, I eagerly made the time for it!
OS: Had you done a deck of playing cards before? What challenges and opportunities does it present different from other projects?
CFA: A few at this point… even a tarot or two. The biggest hurdle is maintaining consistency of style. I prefer a very efficient and tight workflow for cards, making sure I have the style mapped out and practiced before undertaking.
OS: What direction did you receive when getting started? Were there other directions that you explored taking before arriving at the current finished deck?
CFA: Thankfully, it came together pretty quick and straightforward. I had an idea for a simplified but clean folk style, something reminiscent of story books or the early arts and crafts movement. Some added synchronicity, Jenn brought up an outsider artist… blanking on the name, that did a similar style.
OS: Located in rural Pennsylvania, did you feel more of a personal connection to this project? Can you tell us a little about where you drew inspiration from and if these were sources familiar or new to you?
CFA: Absolutely. Admittedly, Appalachia is a big stretch and I can only speak on the northern bits, right where the range laps into the ochre waters of the Rust Belt. That being said, it’s home, in all of its messy and often tragic history. Said history being where I drew big chunks of inspiration – the coal industry, industrialization, music – while the rest I filled in with my personal experience.
OS: Were you involved in the iconography of the suits? What meaning and intent do you see behind the selection of Banjos, Baskets, Pickaxes, and Baskets?
CFA: There was a little bit of back and forth, there is a bit of “meaning” in the original Scopa suits – coins, swords, etc. Like tarot, those meanings can become pretty vague and it seems like there’s a thousand different interpretations once your really dig into the research. I tried my damnedest to fit the meanings close to the “traditional” Scopa meanings, but ultimately they needed to be their own thing. Banjo – inspiration, art, solitude, wisdom, epiphany. Axe – labor, tradesman, expertise, craftsmanship. Pick – industry, work, capital, exploitation. Basket – wealth, nature, change, protection.
OS: Can you talk about the creatures you selected for the King, Knight, and Jack cards?
CFA: Every creature is an animal native to the appalachia range, from pileated woodpeckers to grey squirrels.
OS: While anthropomorphized animals, were there ways you still explored representation and diversity in how you illustrated them?
CFA: Very much so. Thankfully the fashion does most of the talking in regards to status, trade, and age.
OS: How did you see fashion representing that? Did you have to do research to build those connections to different people groups?
CFA: A little bit of research, thankfully there has been a pretty robust fascination with Appalachia for much of American history after the Civil War. Photographs of families, artifacts, buildings and later industrial facilities are readily available at libraries – which I do recommend libraries and books of first-hand accounts!
OS: If you were to make an expansion suit or variant art promo cards alternates, are there things you would like to add to the deck?
CFA: More references to quilting, singing, and any crafts or cultural motifs I can manage, alongside more animals.
OS: How you could see fitting references to those activities / motifs and maybe what other animals?
CFA: It’d have to be a whole series of sets, I could easily see the suits showing the act of quilting from start to finish, that and showing groups of folks rather than single characters. Unfortunately that would cut into the readability of the cards, which remains important.
Additional animals off the top of my head: whitetail deer, northeast raccoons, possums, brook trout, more species of snakes, cicadas, porcupines, tufted titmouse, brown rat – the list goes on!
OS: Did you do the art on the back of the cards? What can you tell us about these patterns and how they contribute to the aesthetic of the game to you?
CFA: I did not do the art on the back of the cards and the designs are absolutely perfect. The quilt pattern is an inspired touch that ties everything together visually and thematically.
OS: Glen Nakasako handled graphic design, what catches your eye about how they integrated your art?
CFA: This is one of those cases where I couldn’t pick anything that stands out. However, I say that as a point of good graphic design. It ties everything together, communicates the contents well, and lets the art stand as is.