In recent years I’ve found myself acquiring more and more tarot decks thanks to the incredible artwork that graces them. Recent additions to the collection include Tomás Hijo’s Tarot del Toro and Yosiell Lorenzo’s The Orphans Major Arcana. This week I came across another deck that is looking to be funded by artist Ryan Caskey, AKA The Spooky King.
Caskey recently launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of funding “The Spooky Tarot,” a fully illustrated 78-card tarot deck, which the artist calls his “ultimate love letter” to Halloween. Caskey has made sure to create a functional deck with cards that measure 2.75″ x 4.75″ (traditional tarot card size) and with card backs that are reversible so you can’t tell the card’s orientation until flipped over. However, he did take some liberties with the suits.
Unlike other tarot decks, it does not contain the traditional suits of Pentacles, Swords, Cups, and Wands. Instead, the suits are more closely tailored to the theme of the deck and my work as a whole. Pentacles have been replaced by Pumpkins, Spirits have replaced Swords, Cats have replaced Cups, and Worms have replaced Wands.
Like all Kickstarter campaigns, various pledge tiers are available to back the project. Some of the available bonuses include a glow-in-the-dark sticker, enamel pin, and even an MP3 of “The Spooky Tarot Theme,” but if you just want to get your hands on this beautifully illustrated deck, it’ll just take a pledge of $35 or more.
If backed, which as of this writing, it has already exceeded its $5,000 goal by over $1,000, “The Spooky Tarot” is expected to be released in October. For more information on the deck or to back it, visit The Spooky Tarot Kickstarter page.
