Hello Tarot/Poker Lovers!

I've been working tirelessly to get all my cards in order for printing. Being of a one track mind, I haven't put out an update but figured now was the perfect time!

I'm SO EXCITED about this new project and I truly believe it's the best artwork I've produced yet.

Whether you've funded a project with me before or not, I want to introduce myself and fill you in on what I'm about as well as give context to this ambitious project.

I've been a card designer for 10 years now. I started with the tarot deck Bridge Witches about Pittsburgh, where I live. It was based on 5 years of conversations with people in my area that I recorded during a period of massive change in the city. It's in this project that I discovered my love of using tarot/playing cards as a medium for storytelling and figure drawing artwork.

The Project

DIABOLICAL is a deck about inner turmoil and the tension between intense desire and utter despair. Hell is the perfect setting because it so beautifully illustrates this relatable battle regardless of someone’s belief system. It’s inspired by the uncertainty and dred of our current era and the pleasure we seek in times of stress and upheval.

While drawing each card, I’ve been listening to a narration of Paradise Lost by John Milton, an epic poem about “the fall of man” in which Satan has a prominant storyline. Imagery from Dante’s Inferno also makes an appearance but this isn’t a one-for-one retelling of either poem. I’ve also tossed in many references to the Seven Deadly Sins for fun. Not everyone in this deck is being tortured however ;)

This is all layered on top of the traditional tarot and poker card formats.

Like I’ve done in my past decks, each suit has a theme that carries through from the Ace to the King. In the tarot deck, there's an overarching narrative through the major arcana (also known as The Fool's Journey).

It’s important to note that this deck doens’t preserve or celebrate any religious teachings or docterine and in many cases I’m indulging in a quite a bit of blasphemy. Instead, I want to use recognizable imagery to explore the grey area of humanity. You are supposed to feel a little conflicted about these cards.

As always with my tarot decks, if you read the Rider-Waite-Smith deck you will be able to use this one without an issue. The meanings of the cards are the same and there’s an included guide. I’ve also used Pamela Coleman Smith’s illustrations as inspirations for several of these cards. There is no guide with the poker deck.

I also created my own little gothic font just for this deck for the first time ever. I'm very excited about that :)

Suit Themes

Cups/Hearts: Manipulative, overwrought, and emotional humans writhing in blood and riddled with lust. (Associated with the water element but blood is used in place of water often in this suit.)
Swords/Spades: Fearsome and haunted angels (both heavenly and fallen) are riddled with guilt and anxiety. (Associated with the air element.)
Wands/Clubs: Devils and deamons engaging in violent struggles for control and power. (Associated with the fire element)
Pentacles/Diamonds: Inspired by the Third and Fourth Circles of Hell from Inferno, rotted zombie-like figures that were consumed with wealth in life are sunk into the earth or ripping one another/themselves apart. (Associated with the earth element.)

The big differences from past projects I have run are:

I'm using BackerKit instead of Kickstarter to fund the project. It's just a different platform that I'm trying out after successfully using the fulfillment features on my last project.
I'm offering both tarot and poker decks at the same time. Backers get a choice of which they want. I'm only printing 500 "fancy" tarot decks, 700 standard poker decks, and 300 "fancy" poker decks to start. Depending on how successful the campaign is, I will increase the amount of decks if possible.
I’m using a new printer that was suggested to my by someone in the poker card industry to craft a deck that's great for card handling.
In past decks I had a pledge level for people to model for a card in the deck. I won't be doing that for this one. Instead, I'm focusing on getting the deck finished and printed quickly to get it into your hands ASAP.

As of right now I'm move than half way done with the poker deck. I'm using the images from that deck for the minor arcana in the tarot but changing the symbols to the appropriate ones for tarot.

If you’ve read this far, THANK YOU! Please help me get this funded by sharing with others before I launch so I can ensure that day one goes smoothly!

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