HypieLab’s Part 2 of their Journey to the West escapade brings you the Bicycle Wukong & Bicycle Bull Demon King Playing Cards. These beauties draw inspiration from the classic novel, keeping that deliciously quirky manga-style character design we saw in their Bicycle Geung Si & Bicycle Vampire (you know, the Western Vampire) decks. Think traditional Chinese storytelling meets a modern artistic twist. (Your granddad would approve, probably.)
Now, if you’ve been living under a rock, “Journey to the West” is a 16th-century Chinese novel from the Ming Dynasty, which is kind of a big deal in the literary world and a genuine classic in East Asia. (No pressure, but it's only one of the four greatest novels in Chinese literature.)
HypieLab’s version, designed by Sin Yee Lam, takes the timeless tale and gives it a cheeky makeover, weaving in Chinese mythology, Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, and a sprinkle of modern fiction. With classic line-art characters, this deck serves up a fresh artistic angle on the age-old narrative, making it a hit with both the hipster crowd and the traditionalists. (Because who doesn’t love a good mash-up?)
The standard Bull Demon King Bicycle Edition cards come with premium stock and fancy gold metallic ink, all crafted by The United States Playing Card Company over in the USA. But if you’re feeling a bit fancy, the Bull Demon King premium deck takes it up a notch with gold cold foil and hot foil stamping on a posh cloth paper tuck case. Both editions showcase the same characters on the court cards, but the premium edition gives them a right snazzy makeover.
