Dark Angels Tarot

Creator(s): Luca Russo
Date: 2010
Country: Italy
Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-0738720715   
Type: RWS
Reference: aeclectic










Notes:
"At the end of time, as the world spins slowly beneath a dying sun, the creator of that once glowing orb, broken by grief, turned his back upon his ruined creation. In opposition to their overlord the Dark Angels disobey his command and descend to walk the ravaged earth. Clothed in memories, garbed in flesh, they took their places upon the bitter landscape to partake in the last act of a cruel tragedy. Their self appointed task to succour the dying land and the last remnant of humanity, to lead them gently into the embrace of death and to cross with them the wasteland of their dreams. "


The art is computer generated figures to which an artistic overlay has been added. No words appear on the cards. 

The Major Arcana have Roman numerals, while each suit is denoted by its standard symbol at the bottom and a number at the top. The Court cards have a symbol -for example a horse head for the knights- plus the suit symbol. Besides the suit symbols, each set has a narrow ribbon border: the Major Arcana in gold, Wands in grey, Cups in red, Swords in blue and Coins in green.

The accompanying booklet is written by Aeclectic Tarot Forum member Lillie.

Savage Tarot II

Creator(s): MichelleX
Date: 2012
Country: USA
Publisher: self published
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 
Type: other
Reference: artist's page




 


Notes:
MichelleX works as a freelance web designer/developer, artist and curator in St. Louis.

The deck has a standard structure - 22 major arcana numbered from to 21 and minor arcana suits of Pentacles, Wands, Swords and Cups. Its imagery is dark in both theme and colouring.

In the minor arcana suits,  Pentacles representing Earth and are softer and more sexual explicit  than the other suits. The Cups suit is Water and represents emotions. Wands representing Fire and are illustrated by firepower (guns). Several cards show suicide or killing.  The Swords feature blades and deal with mental issues and anguish.

It’s important to note that this deck is not identical to the limited edition release from 2005. The first edition was limited to 100 and came with a leather bound  booklet in a silver tin box, this edition is unlimited, with two  LWB (one for the Majors, one for the Minors) and  the cards are packaged in a tuck box.

Cruel Thing Tarot

Creator(s): Luciano Vecchio
Date: 2009
Country: Spain
Publisher: Heraclio Fournier
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN:   
Type: RWS
Reference: artist's page








Notes:
Cruel Thing is an illustrated novel popular in Spain and Latin America that also has become a hit in other European countries and increasingly in the U.S. as well. Comic book artist Luciano Vecchio combines anime and gothic influences. The Majors are characters and imagery from the comic series.

Like the comic series it is drawn with a strict three colour palette of black, white and red. It has titles in four different languages, the cards usually called page or knave are here, in their English translation, called Jacks, as used in playing card terminology. The knights are all male and the Jacks female apart from the suit of Wands in which the genders of these two cards are reversed. The pip cards are not illustrated.

Lunatic Nouveau Tarot (Card Edition)

Creator(s): Evan Yi Feng
Date: 2006
Country: China
Publisher: Kadokawa 
Number of Cards: 78+2
ISBN: 978-986-174-210-6     
Type: RWS
Reference:  artist's page

Notes:
Evan is a Taiwan based painter, illustrator and sculptor. The Lunatic Tarot was first issued in 2005 as a portfolio of large format 'cards' (5 '' x  10 '') loosely bound on their top edge into a book. This edition from 2006 was printed as a standard format deck with Chinese and English titles.

The art was oil paintings in muted earth tones, modified with collaged elements in a computer graphics program.The deck came with two bonus cards- depicting BDSM images- in an illustrated box.

The Dark Carnival Tarot

Creator(s): Rachel Paul
Date: 2012
Country: USA
Publisher: self-published
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN:
Type: other
Reference: artist's page






Notes:
The deck was specifically made for the juggalo subculture (a musical movement in America,  fans of Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records hip hop group). The four suits are named duckets, Faygos, gats and axes and are themed around the four main Psychopathic artists, respectively: Violent J (duckets / Pentacles), Shaggy 2 Dope (Faygos / Cups), Blaze Ya Dead Homie (gats / Clubs), and Twiztid (axes / Swords) .

The 4x6" (jumbo size) deck is professionally printed on thick, semigloss cardstock and comes with a custom-painted velvet pouch and 56-page booklet with explanations and a suggestion for shuffling such big cards.

Tarot of Vampyres

Creator(s): Ian Daniels
Date: 2010
Country: USA
Publisher: Llewellyn
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-0-7387-1191-1 
Type: RWS
Reference: llewellyn







 
Notes:
The Major Arcana follows traditional titles, with Justice at VIII and Strength at XI. The suits are named Scepters, Grails, Knives and Skulls. The Courts are titled Lord, Queen, Prince and Daughter.

The cards measure 2 3/4" x 4 5/8" and feature backs which aren't exact reversible, but enough so that it's difficult  to tell at a glance which side is up. The cards are bordered on three sides with black. The titles on the bottom are surrounded by vines. At the bottom of the card is listed the card title for the Major Arcana (the Majors are unnumbered), the number and suit for the Pips, and the title and suit for the Court Cards.

The cards also feature the astrological signs related to them. These are explained in the accompanying book, along with details on how the cards relate to Qabala and the Tree of Life. The colors of Major Arcana are related to the zodiacal, astrological, or planetary color symbolism following traditional Golden Dawn correspondences.

The title of the companion book "Phantasmagoria" comes from stage magician Etienne-Gaspard Robert.  He was a master of theatrical production, and the term "phantasmagoria" represented a magic lantern show with silhouetted puppets used to act out macabre drama. The book is not illustrated; it is all text. 

The Goth Tarot

Creator(s): Christina Fernandez (Winny)
Date: 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Publisher: Adam McLean
Number of Cards: 22
ISBN: 
Type: RWS
Reference:  Adam McLean

Notes:
The Goth Tarot by the Spanish artist Winny is "Art Tarots Number 22" from Adam McLean's Artwork Tarot Series.

The cards are laminated with a glossy laminate. The backs are not reversible. Look here how the Artwork Tarots are made.

The deck deck came in a lidded box and is signed and numbered by the artist. I have copy #49 of 100.

Zombie Tarot

Creator(s):  Paul Kepple, Ralph Geroni 

Date: 2012

Country: USA

Publisher: Quirk Books

Number of cards: 78

ISBN: 978 1594 745690

Type: other

Reference: aeclectic

 

Notes:
The Zombie Tarot Deck has a very retro look, like collages created from 1930's to 60's American newspapers. The cards are artfully done, with the traditional symbolism intact on a majority of them.

The card backs are black with the image of a zombie in sultan's headgear. Wands are represented by limbs, pentacles by bio-hazard symbols, cups by skulls and swords by hatchets.

Included is a 96 page instruction booklet by Stacey Graham offering three key words and a brief explanation .

Wormweird Tarot

Creator(s): George Highham 
Date: 2008
Country: USA
Publisher: eos press
Number of cards: 79
ISBN: 978-0-9710642-5-6
Type: Mixed
Reference: poepuppet






Notes:
The deck comes as a set with 80 cards including: 22 Trumps, 40 Suit Cards, 16 Court Cards, Title Card and a Wild Card. The set includes a 38 page book called “The Wormweird Codex or, The Anatomy of the Damned”.

All cards are numbered or titled and include a border that is colored according to Major Arcana or Suit. Court cards are associated with colors and each has its own emblem in the bottom corner.The card backs are black and lime green with a silhouette of skeletal angel-type figure hanging by the neck from a thorny branch. Justice is numbered 8 so Strength is 11.

There are some changes to titling of Major Arcana including: The Alchemist (The Magician) ; The Scream (Strength) ; The Wormwood Devil (The Devil). The additional Wild Card is called "Baron Alchymus".The court cards are renamed as Lord (King), Lady (Queen), Knight ( Knight), Fetus (Page). The suits are Nails (Coins/Pentacles - Earth), Shadows (Wands - Air), Flames (Swords - Fire) and Absinthe ( Cups - Water).

This deck uses real artistic sets. For each card the Author built wax figures, sets and with the use of his camera, mirrors and smoke created the image. He did not alter or digitally enhance the pictures.

Steampunk Tarot

Creator(s): Charissa Drengsen
Date: 2010
Country: USA
Publisher: self-published
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: -
Type: RWS
Reference: The Steampunk Tribune




Notes:The artist produces the deck in small editions while experimenting with different formats formats, such as a poker deck size, large version and limited, signed and numbered special editions printed professionally on 120lb Italian pearlescent quartz cardstock. I opted for the basic poker deck size.

Traditional symbolism associated with the Tarot can be found in the cards . The cards have standard Tarot titles with Strength being card 8 and Justice card 11 (following the Waite-Smith model). The Major Arcana numbering system does not use Roman numerals. The 4 suits are the familiar wands, cups, swords and pentacles and the court cards are page, knight, queen and king.