Welcome back to the Original Gangster days. Back when the copy machine was the only machine that was used to fire heat. Heated ink, slapped on paper. Business cards, made for trading, showing, distributing. Hand drawn letters, marks, stock images, and type. Fantastic design without even knowing it. The following set of business cards were gathered and scanned by art group “wearesupervision.” What a magical moment caught in what must be a masterful design collection. Where would one obtain such obscurities?!

Or you bet they knew what they wanted these cards to look like. Design in the exact same way a person who works for a design firm or freelance does now, no difference. These cards don’t look like anything that’d come out of a portfolio produced today, or yesterday for that matter, but they’re genius all the same.

Take a look through the gallery below and report back with the greatest and the least. Which Chicago street gang (that’s where these all come from) is the hardest, which one’s ink is layed down best? Then check out the bonus images (that just means they kinda match the set, but didn’t fit the description.) Basically there’s a few G’d up patches down in the gallery too. Hell of sewing skills only had by the baddest mothers on the blocks.

This post is part of the World Famous Design Junkies cards category.