Americards

250 Years. 80 Figures. 8 Eras. One Deck.

Art Style Evolution

8 Eras, 250 Years, One Visual Timeline

The art ages backwards as you move through eras. Early eras look like they were made in that period (oil painting, engraving). Middle eras bridge old and new (cinematic realism, poster art). Late eras are fully modern illustration — graphic, stylized, then cinematic digital. When you lay the cards side by side, you can feel time moving forward.
Warm / Painterly / Textured Bold / Graphic / Modern
Eras 1–4 : Painterly to Illustrative
Era 1: Washington
Revolution
George Washington
1765 – 1783
Oil Painting / Classical Realism
Heavy texture, visible brushstrokes, warm firelight. Feels hand-painted, like a colonial museum piece.
Starting point — the most "old" feeling in the set
Era 2: Hamilton
New Nation
Alexander Hamilton
1783 – 1812
Engraved Portrait Brought to Life
Fine crosshatching detail of currency illustration rendered as full-color painting. Formal, composed, precise.
From Era 1: Tighter detail, more formal composition. Slightly less "rough"
Era 3: Tubman
Expansion
Harriet Tubman
1812 – 1865
Dramatic Realism / Lithograph Edge
Bold cinematic composition, strong chiaroscuro. Feels like a movie poster for a historical epic.
From Era 2: More cinematic, bolder contrast. The "handmade" texture starts fading
Era 4: Tesla
Gilded Age
Nikola Tesla
1865 – 1914
Detailed Comic-Book Realism
Sharp detail, dramatic lighting, saturated color. Still painterly but tighter and more precise. Industrial energy.
From Era 3: Sharper edges, more saturated. Painterly gives way to illustrative
Eras 5–8 : Graphic to Cinematic
Era 5: Earhart
World Wars
Amelia Earhart
1914 – 1945
Propaganda Poster / Graphic Novel
Strong silhouettes, simplified forms, bold compositions. WPA poster art crossed with graphic novel panels.
The pivot: First era that feels "designed" not "painted." Forms simplify, color blocks replace gradients
Era 6: Johnson
Space Age
Katherine Johnson
1945 – 1975
Clean Graphic Illustration
Flat color fields, limited palette, vector-like edges. Confident, modern, editorial illustration quality.
From Era 5: Full graphic mode. No painterly texture at all
Era 7: Wozniak
Digital Age
Steve Wozniak
1975 – 2001
Stylized Pop Art / Tech Illustration
Neon-accent digital art, geometric elements, screen-glow lighting. Playful and energetic — the tech revolution was fun.
From Era 6: More stylized and playful. Geometric elements appear, color pops harder
Era 8: Crowther
New Century
Welles Crowther
2001 – 2026
Stylized Editorial Illustration
Bold ink-like linework, graphic novel feel. Visible outlines, sketchy energy. Desaturated palette with red bandana as the single pop of color.
From Era 7: Emotional weight replaces playfulness. Still clearly illustrated, but grounded and human

All 8 Eras — Foil Colors

Same frame structure across all eras. The border, ruled lines, corner accents, and badges shift foil color per era.

Eras 1 – 4
Washington Revolution
George Washington
The General Who Held the Line
Revolution
1765 – 1783 · Copper Foil
Oil Painting / Classical Realism
Hamilton New Nation
Alexander Hamilton
Immigrant. Visionary. Fighter.
New Nation
1783 – 1812 · Bright Gold Foil
Engraved Portrait Brought to Life
Tubman Expansion
Harriet Tubman
Freedom's Deadliest Conductor
Expansion
1812 – 1865 · Metallic Red Foil
Dramatic Realism / Lithograph Edge
Tesla Gilded Age
Nikola Tesla
The Man Who Lit the World
Gilded Age
1865 – 1914 · Steel Silver Foil
Detailed Comic-Book Realism
Eras 5 – 8
Earhart World Wars
Amelia Earhart
How Far Can You Push?
World Wars
1914 – 1945 · Antique Gold Foil
Propaganda Poster / Graphic Novel
Johnson Space Age
Katherine Johnson
The Math Behind the Moon
Space Age
1945 – 1975 · Chrome Blue Foil
Clean Graphic Illustration
Wozniak Digital Age
Steve Wozniak
The Wizard Behind the Machine
Digital Age
1975 – 2001 · Emerald Green Foil
Stylized Pop Art / Tech Illustration
Crowther New Century
Welles Crowther
The Man in the Red Bandana
New Century
2001 – 2026 · Holographic Foil
Stylized Editorial Illustration
# Badge Name Period Foil
1Revolution1765–1783Copper
2New Nation1783–1812Bright Gold
3Expansion1812–1865Metallic Red
4Gilded Age1865–1914Steel Silver
5World Wars1914–1945Antique Gold
6Space Age1945–1975Chrome Blue
7Digital Age1975–2001Emerald Green
8New Century2001–2026Holographic

Card Back Design

The Hybrid Layout

Field Guide's centered elegance + Broadsheet's frame, masthead, and era divider. Numbered fact badges, connected character pills, story counters, and an era timeline strip at the bottom.

4 Eras — Same System
George Washington
The General Who Held the Line
Revolution · 1765–1783
A Virginia farmer who held a starving army together through the worst winter of the Revolution — and turned them into a force that beat the British Empire.
No Way!
1
Not wooden teeth. His dentures were hippo ivory, human teeth, animal teeth, brass screws, and gold wire.
2
Agent 711. America's first spymaster. He built the Culper Ring — invisible ink, coded messages, and a secret agent known only as "Agent 355."
3
6'2" in a 5'8" world. Franklin joked they always picked Washington to lead because he was the tallest man in every room.
Story
Valley Forge: The Winter That Built an Army
Card 1 of 3
Washington Von Steuben Lafayette
★ Legendary
P1-001
QR
Unlock
Washington · Revolution · Copper
Nikola Tesla
The Man Who Lit the World
Gilded Age · 1865–1914
A Serbian immigrant who invented the electrical system that powers the modern world — then died broke in a hotel room while the man who stole his ideas became a billionaire.
No Way!
1
He lit 200 lamps wirelessly at the 1893 World's Fair — people thought it was magic. It was AC power, and it changed the world.
2
Photographic memory. Tesla could visualize entire machines in his head, rotate them, and test them mentally. He rarely used blueprints.
3
He tore up a million-dollar contract with Westinghouse because the royalties would bankrupt his friend's company. Worth $300M+ today.
Story
The Current War: AC vs. DC
Card 1 of 4
Tesla Edison Westinghouse J.P. Morgan
★ Legendary
P4-001
QR
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Tesla · Gilded Age · Steel Silver
Katherine Johnson
The Math Behind the Moon
Space Age · 1945–1975
A Black woman mathematician whose calculations sent astronauts to the moon — in an era when she wasn't even allowed to use the same bathroom as her colleagues.
No Way!
1
John Glenn refused to fly until Katherine personally verified the computer's calculations. "If she says they're good, I'm ready to go."
2
She started college at 15. She was so far ahead that the school created special math classes just for her.
3
Her work on Apollo 13 helped bring the damaged spacecraft home safely. She calculated backup return trajectories by hand.
Story
Hidden Figures: The Women Who Reached the Stars
Card 1 of 4
Johnson Glenn Vaughan Jackson
★ Legendary
P6-001
QR
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Johnson · Space Age · Chrome Blue
Welles Crowther
The Man in the Red Bandana
New Century · 2001–2026
A 24-year-old equities trader who saved at least 18 people in the South Tower on 9/11, leading them through smoke and fire while wearing a red bandana over his face.
No Way!
1
Survivors kept describing "the man in the red bandana" — but nobody knew who he was. His identity wasn't confirmed until months later.
2
He went back up. After leading one group to safety, Crowther went back into the burning tower to save more people. He did this at least three times.
3
Boston College retired his lacrosse number. His #19 jersey hangs in the arena next to the American flag.
Story
September 11: Ordinary Heroes
Card 1 of 3
Crowther Beamer Rescorla
♦ Hidden Gem
P8-003
QR
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Crowther · New Century · Holographic

Connected Cards

Valley Forge: The Winter That Built an Army

Three cards from the same story. The story name, connected character pills, and "Card X of 3" counter create visual connections. Each card highlights the current character — you can see at a glance which ones you still need.

3 Cards · 1 Story
George Washington
The General Who Held the Line
Revolution · 1765–1783
A Virginia farmer who held a starving army together through the worst winter of the Revolution — and turned them into a force that beat the British Empire.
No Way!
1
Not wooden teeth. His dentures were hippo ivory, human teeth, animal teeth, brass screws, and gold wire.
2
Agent 711. America's first spymaster. He built the Culper Ring — invisible ink, coded messages, and a secret agent known only as "Agent 355."
3
6'2" in a 5'8" world. Franklin joked they always picked Washington to lead because he was the tallest man in every room.
Story
Valley Forge: The Winter That Built an Army
Card 1 of 3
Washington Von Steuben Lafayette
★ Legendary
P1-001
QR
Unlock
Card 1 · Washington · Legendary
Baron von Steuben
The Drillmaster Who Swore in Three Languages
Revolution · 1765–1783
A Prussian military expert who barely spoke English but transformed a ragged, starving militia into a disciplined fighting force — by screaming at them in French and German.
No Way!
1
He swore at soldiers in three languages. When he ran out of French and German curses, he'd yell for his translator: "Come swear at them in English for me!"
2
He wrote America's first military manual. The "Blue Book" was so good it was used by the Army for the next 30 years.
3
He taught them to use bayonets. American soldiers had been using bayonets as cooking skewers. Von Steuben taught them to actually fight with them.
Story
Valley Forge: The Winter That Built an Army
Card 2 of 3
Washington Von Steuben Lafayette
◆ Notable
P1-004
QR
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Card 2 · Von Steuben · Notable
Marquis de Lafayette
The Teenager Who Sailed to War
Revolution · 1765–1783
A 19-year-old French aristocrat who disobeyed his king, bought his own ship, and sailed to America to fight for a country he'd never seen — because he believed in the idea of freedom.
No Way!
1
He bought his own warship. When the French king forbade him from going, Lafayette secretly purchased La Victoire and sailed to America anyway.
2
Shot at Brandywine, kept fighting. He took a musket ball to the leg in his first battle and refused to leave the field until his troops were safe.
3
He named his son George Washington. Georges Washington de La Fayette — born in 1779, while his father was still fighting in America.
Story
Valley Forge: The Winter That Built an Army
Card 3 of 3
Washington Von Steuben Lafayette
◆ Notable
P1-005
QR
Unlock
Card 3 · Lafayette · Notable
Same story name, same pills, same counter — the active pill shifts per card