The latest tarot deck I’ve been drooling over is the Prisma Visions Tarot, illustrated by the amazing James R. Eads.
Adjacent cards in each suit line up side by side to form a panoramic picture and story. What a fabulous concept, and seemingly quite well executed here. The deck comes with a 100 page guide book.
You can view each card and read more about the deck on the About Page.
Here are just a few of the rare ghost illustrations I’ve collected over the years.
We’ll start with a favorite specter!
I love seeing the way different illustrators represent the dearly (and not-so-dearly) departed.
Hat tip to Frank Zumbach for posting a number of these!
Chad Wehrle sites the “masters of spook” Stephen Gammell, Edward Gorey and Donn Kenn among his influences.
I see Gammell’s spirit most of all in this work (which is great because he’s one of my all time favorite illustrators).
I just love the effect of broad, skillful smudging/erasing combined with very fine line work.
Be warned:
Sometimes I write fictional surrealist resumes in my head just for fun. I’m definitely adding “Can appear as a disembodied head and hypnotize crocodiles” to my skill set.
The daintiest amphibious juggler.
There is something very wrong with this cat’s hind quarters (or maybe very right as far as he’s concerned).
An unlikely friendship, indeed.
There are not nearly enough meat puns in the sentimental postcard industry.
So delightfully subtle…until you step in the wrong spot, that is.
Thank you, Rachel, for these next two. I’ll quote her here: “No means NO, Jesus!”
…but this is a sweater that many can afford. (I’m sure this man’s parrot has become clinically depressed from living with him).
Genuinely creepy. Not sure where this comes from. Hell, presumably.
I was going to write an individual comment for each of these, but they kind of work as a dyad.
I spent a while trying to figure out this “twelfth finger” thing. Does anyone get it?
Now, a giant chicken absconding with a child, anyone can understand.
I’ve been looking at a lot of historical nautical maps lately. What maps lacked in accuracy 500 years ago, they sure made up for with extravagant design. I’d be pretty thrilled if this guy showed up on my GPS.
Sadly, it’s pretty clear that “solitudes” has a double meaning here.
I don’t think this is what she meant by “Calgon, take me away!”
Actually, he said you guys were more like acquaintances. Just sayin’.
Breathtaking…
DY-NO-MITE! Actual mites, I mean.
You mean cats can saw wood and build things while mine have been eating and sleeping all day? Freaking freeloaders.
Speaking of cats…
That new fertilizer did wonders for the harvest.
Ugh. One of those evenings.
This requires careful planning.
I stared at this for like five minutes in a futile attempt to decide which one is creepier.
I’ve just started looking through the decks at Tarot Tator and the Medieval Scapini Tarot caught my eye. Some of these cards are truly awesome.
Death:
That may be my favorite card. Death is so elegantly poised (seemingly in the midst of dance) on a sea of the drowning and/or dead.
The Hermit:
I love that the Hermit is also walking on water…and is an actual giant. I relate very much to the Hermit, so it makes me happy to see him so empowered (as opposed to the sullen version in the Rider Waite deck). The symbolism in this card is among the richest I’ve seen in various depictions of the Hermit.
Ace of Wands:
There is a lot going on here. Fiery, chaotic, generative magic! Rock on.
Ten of Swords (come on…swords, containing figures holding swords. How meta. The blood is a nice touch, too).
See the whole deck: Medieval Scapini Tarot
I think this pairs nicely with the book above.
Gotta have standards.
I love how engaged Death is with his book.
Strangest strike banner ever. Unless you’ve seen a stranger one, in which case I really hope you share it with me.
Thank you Rachel, for showing me that Saran wrap and Bubble wrap are the fashion of the (retro) future. (Seriously ladies, would you be into a guy who confidently sauntered over to you in bubble wrap thigh highs?)
70’s fashion
I sense a seemingly incorrigible child and a maudlin, happy ending.
I can forgive the obvious impracticality of having a giant tube directly in the driver’s field of vision, because it’s clearly inspired by atomic structure.
A wonder what qualifies as a “good” or “mediocre” decapitation.
“Did anyone notice Grandma looked a little unwell today?
This could be a poster to promote neutering (PSA: countless healthy animals are put down in shelters due to overpopulation. Have your pet spayed/neutered!)
Most of you will recognize Mercer Mayer from his prolific critter books (a childhood staple), but he has many gorgeously lavish, touching illustrations in his portfolio.
Who remembers these books?
Neal Murren works with pen, pencil, paint and Photoshop to make wild, surreal collages of fantasy and fairy tale worlds.
One feels far down the rabbit hole when looking at these images, where the laws of physics and nature impose no constraints on the inhabitants.
His elaborate typography work is stunning as well.
How do I get my hands on this?
This came up in my Amazon suggestions. Best mouse pad I’ve ever seen. I may buy it for my such clicks and many scrolls. And I like its enthusiasm: “Wow.”
I tried to find this album on YouTube so we could take a listen. Art definitely looks the part(y) here.
Dapper Vegetable Man. Wait for it…nobody BEETS him! (See what I did there?)
I have no idea who makes these, but they’re rather amazing.
Take this, Darwin…
Awkward Christ and puppet induced ecstasy:
So chilling…
Control your giant blob, dude.
Not the most practical default posture…but terrifying nonetheless.
“And then the Mammoth took the two of them in the circle of his trunk, and threw them into space.”
Anyone have these as a kid?
The look on the little kid’s face really drive home “poor life choices.”
SheWalksSoftly 