Anne Rice Tarot Deck - in progress

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Jan 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

faunabay	27 Jan 2002
I just found pictures of a new Anne Rice deck. It's being done by David Sexton (the guy who did Winged Spirit). I love the idea. I've thought about it before. How Anne Rice's characters would make a great tarot deck. But I'm not sure about Sexton's artwork? See what you think. http://www.davidsexton.com/AnneRice/AnneRice.htm

amyel	27 Jan 2002
FB, I'm not sure I like the artwork....I love the books. It's not that the artwork is bad - it's not - but this starts to walk that fine line of how one depicts vampires and witches without being cliched. For example, his depiction of Memnoch as the Devil is what I would visualize Lestat as (well, facially, at least, minus the wings and horns, obviously). I think he's made too great an attempt to make the characters "noble". Not sure that's the word I am looking for, but it will have to do.

kayne	28 Jan 2002
Wow - I loved the artwork! I don't know if I could use it as a deck but would love to add it to my collection. Unfortunately I have not read the books but would really like to... Where do I start? What is the first book I should get? 8-) K

faunabay	28 Jan 2002
kayne!!!! You mean you haven't EVER read an Anne Rice book????? I didn't think there was anyone left out there that hadn't! (just kidding) The first one I read was The Vampire Lestat. Boy did that get me hooked. But then there's Interview With the Vampire, Memnoch the Devil, Lasher, and a whole bunch of others. I haven't read any of the real recent ones, but everything I have read is great!!! They can play off each other but it's not really necessary to read them in any specific order I don't think. So just go pick one. :)

Major Tom	28 Jan 2002
Kayne - Read Interview with a Vampire first - followed by The Vampire Lestat. :-) The deck looks nice but I'm not certain it will work as tarot...I might have made Lestat The Fool rather than The Magician... }>

Kiama	28 Jan 2002
Oh dear, I'd better get reading these books then! Luckily, my boyf has a couple, so I'll read those! As for the deck: What happened to these peoples' noses???!!!! I'm terribly sorry, but going through the pictures just made me laugh. Although the artwork is gorgeous, the noses, chins, lips, and feet are rather out of proportion. The Queen of Cups for instance was taking a while to load on my screen, and it started from the top and worked its way down. It looked gorgeous at first, but then her chin came into focus and I just burst out laughing! Oh well. Anyway, I'm off to read those books! Kiama

divinerguy	28 Jan 2002
Those things that define Ann Rice's writing style are precisely what might lead to a successful deck. Ms. Rice is known for her in-depth examinations of the motives and desires of her characters. To be candid with you, this kinda drives me nuts. However, its one the things that defines Tarot - an examination of motives and desires. That's a subset of the archetypal theory of Jung. My concern is that her writings tend to focus on the darker side of the world; vampires, true crime and the like. Has she authored works which express any of the positive attributes in Tarot? Gary

slinky_jo	28 Jan 2002
hmm - I didn't like the fact that the men all looked like Arnold Schwartzenneger - all muscles and buff-ness ahoy! I thought vampires wre meant to be romantic waif-like creatures... ??? And I didn't like how Claudia was protrayed. Hmph - nice idea, but it doesn't impress this big Anne Rice fan!

Rhiannon	28 Jan 2002
Checked it out... I think I've read just about every book Ms. Rice has written! I love the way he's portrayed Mekare and Maharet. I also love the Wands/Fire suit with the Mayfairs... Mary Beth looks FANTASTIC! This artist probably would not have been my first choice for an Anne Rice tarot. I would have gone with someone who draws people a little more realistically (not so cartoonish) like Hrana Janto or Michael Whelan. But... we have to live with what we have. As long as he fixes Claudia and Pandora I'll be happy. Claudia looks demon-possesed and it not in the proper clothing and Pandora looks like a heroin addict. I sent off an email to the artist telling him my opinions :D ...... not that they matter all that much.... :P Thank you so much faunabay for getting us up to date on this project! I can't wait to own this deck! Rhiannon :)

turtle	28 Jan 2002
i think i am still in shock..... the idea of anne rice tarot deck had me so excited. but then i got to the pictures. i dont know what to think of the artist. lestat should most definitly be the fool, major tom, you are so right. and claudia.... no no no..... i cant say much else. oh well. guess maybe i will have to make my own or else quit complaining, right? ;) love and light, and lots of laughter, turtle

faunabay	28 Jan 2002
I'm with all of you I think. I was trying not in influence any opinions but it seems to be that everyone is coming up with my hesitations too. I'm not too pleased with the way Sexton did them. And the funny thing is I really like the Winged Spirit deck! I just don't think he's the right person to do an Anne Rice deck. The one that got me was....oh shoot, now I'm blocking the name... the interviewer guy...shoot...oh well, hope you know who I'm talking about. I'm mean - having him sitting there in next to nothing all buffed with washboard abs. That's not too bad to look at but it's definitely not him. And I agree about Claudia and Lestat needs to be the Fool. Oh well, Anne Rice books are almost like the Lord of the Rings in that everyone has their own opinion as to how the characters should look. And this is not how I saw most of them. Man I really wanted to like this deck! :( Maybe it'll grow on me.

Jewel	29 Jan 2002
I agree with you guys on a lot of what you said. I have read the Vampire Chronicles and the Other vampire tales and they are just fabulous! I personally do think the order in which they are read does add something to the experience. Kayne next week I will post the order of the vampire novels for you next week. I have the Mayfair Witches books and am about to start reading them. I know that I will for sure own this deck ... what can I say I am an Anne Rice fan! *LOL*. Any idea when it will be published? Love & Light,

faunabay	29 Jan 2002
I went back and doubled checked but they don't say when it'll be done. ???

MeeWah	29 Jan 2002
Kayne: Agree with Major Tom. The Vampire Chronicles are: "Interview with a Vampire";"The Vampire Lestat"; "Queen of the Damned". There is also "The Feast of All Saints" but am not sure of the chronology because I do not know the book.

slinky_jo	29 Jan 2002
Ok, here we go! All of Ms Rice's books in chronilogical order of "read me-ness"! : The Vampire Chronicles: *Interview with the Vampire *The Vampire Lestat *Queen of the Damned *Tale of the Body Thief *Memnoch the Devil Further Tales of the Vampires: *Pandora *Vittorio the Vampire *The Vampire Armand *Merrick *Blood and Gold ? - newie The Mayfair Witches: *The Witching Hour *Lasher *Taltos Other Awesome Anne Rice Books (non-series): *Cry to Heaven *Feast of All Saints *Servant of the Bones *Mummy *Violin - did I miss some out?! Hope this helps! Happy (creepy) reading! lol

kayne	29 Jan 2002
Thankyou! I shall get myself a copy of 'Interview with a Vampire' ASAP! I worked in a bookstore when I was studying at Uni and I used be a little scared of getting anything from the 'horror' section of the book shop, I think... I did read a lot of Fantasy though... I think I am ready for Ann Rice now! 8-) K

Major Tom	30 Jan 2002
Blood and Gold?!? :o A new one!?! One I haven't read yet?!? Eek! Is it out in paperback yet? I can't afford another hardback. :D

slinky_jo	30 Jan 2002
Quote: Major Tom (30 Jan, 2002 19:35): Blood and Gold?!? :o A new one!?! One I haven't read yet?!? Eek! Is it out in paperback yet? I can't afford another hardback. :D Yeh, you can read more about it at Amazon.com - but only in hardback at the moment, I'm afraid! It's the story of the vampire Marius - which we've read somewhere else, I believe... maybe it's time Anne rice but a stake thru her vampire novel days!?!? lol

Rhiannon	30 Jan 2002
Major Tom: If you've read the Vampire Armand then you will remember Bianca... she's part of Marius's story in Blood and Gold. I loved this book. But then, I've loved all her books. Also, for those who enjoy erotica ;) Anne also wrote Exit to Eden and the "sleeping beauty" series: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment and Beauty's Release. I've only read the first one.... it was.... i don't think I have the right word here! LOL :D Well, interesting to say the least. For those who haven't read her books yet, you are in for a major treat! Rhiannon :)

purplelady	05 Feb 2002
I've read "Vampire Lestat" , "Interview with the Vampire" , "The Witching Hour" , and one called "Belinda " written by Anne Rice writing as Ann Rampling. Hmmm...........I'm not really terribly impressed by the pictures of this deck. And I'm not really sure why. Maybe it is too buff , or too nobel?! If you want romantic and waiflike , just look at the deck by Nathalie Hertz! Also , I think I just saw a t.v. Ad for a Movie , Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned! Darn! I haven't read that one! ;) . It looked good though.

magdalene	28 Feb 2002
another artist without a tarot clue. magdalene

silvereye	01 Mar 2002
Hi everyone. I'd like to know is "interview with the vampire" in one way or another related to the film starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt a long time ago? If so, what are their names?

aeonx	01 Mar 2002
Greetings. Well guys ... I think this deck is awful! slinky_jo and Kiama, I absolutely agree with you. I was also really exited when I found about a Anne Rice-deck, but what a disappointment! And Claudia, my dear Claudia... ??? She is plain ugly. Unfortunately. I love all of Rice's books I've read so far, and I have this inner picture of all the characters. This picture does not match with the artist's portrayal of them. At all. Vampires with Arnold-muscles?? You got to be kidding! They are strong, yes, but they haven't exactly got their strenght from anabolic steroids and going to the gym. :-D silvereye: the vampire movie with Cruise and Pitt is based upon the novel written by Anne Rice: Interview with the Vampire. :)

Jewel	01 Mar 2002
Well I just reviewed the suit of flames and sent my feedback (for whatever it is worth). I am reading the Witching Hour and he has some major coloring issues wrong ... and Lasher's coloring is significant as it comes up over and over and over again. I also mentioned the Claudia and Lestat thing (evil child and Lestat should be the Fool). I almost recommended for him to read the books, but I decided to play nice and didn't ;) Love & Light,

Rhiannon	15 Jul 2004
I just went and checked out the website to see if any progress has been made: http://www.davidsexton.com/ Looks like he's made a card for Merrick as the High Priestess, which is a much better image than the strung-out or drunk Pandora image he had originally. R :)

cjtarot	15 Jul 2004
Hi, My 2 cents I think the deck is umm interesting..gothic..but to me, not for reading..at least not for me. As far as her books go... I read a few of them years ago..and just now picked up Blood and Gold..If you have a basic idea, the "other" books like this one make sense and are pretty good. Let me know when the decks published..I think it would make a nice addition to the collecton Blessings CJ

Kittaine	15 Jul 2004
When I heard there was an Anne Rice tarot deck, I SCREAMED! I was so excited! I thought about buying it IMMEDIATELY! I could imagine the pictures! The lush art! The decadent colors! The desperation! The agony! The blood! The romance! Then I look at the real pictures, and...hmph...no comment. Well, back to my Vargo Gothic deck...

Little Baron	15 Jul 2004
I have not read the books but I am aware of Sexton; I have the 'Winged Spirit'. I like the art but I must say, I have never worked with it. It is just too light and airy and has little to pull me in. A lot of the characters, however beautifully painted stand in thin air and just makes the cards seem a little, well, limp. Maybe I will take another look (its been years), but I doubt my perception will have changed much. As for the Anne Rice deck; from what I have seen, I shouldn't imagine that that is not much different. Arnt' I mean lol Yaboot

SongDeva	15 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by slinky_jo vampires wre meant to be romantic waif-like creatures... ??? I so disagree. I want the pale muscular type, ala Laurell K. Hamilton. LOL!!

SongDeva	15 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Yaboot001 I have not read the books but I am aware of Sexton; I have the 'Winged Spirit'. I like the art but I must say, I have never worked with it. It is just too light and airy and has little to pull me in. A lot of the characters, however beautifully painted stand in thin air and just makes the cards seem a little, well, limp. Hey yabbie, I thought you might be interested to know that I find the winged spirit fairly dark. I certainly was surprised to read that you find it fluffy and light! The wealth of perspectives here at AT is a fabulous gift!

Little Baron	15 Jul 2004
Hi SD Just grabbed it from the cuboard. It just feels that way to me, even though in colouring, there are a few darker shades and the guy on the swords card could be interpreted as dark. I think it is just the blankness to the backgrounds that makes it feel that way to me. Yab

SongDeva	15 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Yaboot001 Hi SD Just grabbed it from the cuboard. It just feels that way to me, even though in colouring, there are a few darker shades and the guy on the swords card could be interpreted as dark. I think it is just the blankness to the backgrounds that makes it feel that way to me. Yab Yab, I sincerely think it is cool that you have such a different take. Sd

Emily	15 Jul 2004
How do you get to see the deck - when i click on the link all i get is a triangle with mind, body,spirit it - nothing else? Edited to say:- I have it now - my popup blocker was blocking the site :) Interesting looking but I don't think I would be able to use it.

WolfyJames	15 Jul 2004
That deck is horrible! The Vampire Tarot looks good and stylish next to it, and I don't like the Vampire Tarot. The deck would have been way better if Vargo was the artist behind it. Oh dear! What a great disapointment for Anne Rice's fans. And Louie, my favorite vampire, along with Lestat, is not even there! Poor Louie, lost and forgotten!

September Pixie	15 Jul 2004
*SIGH* I am disapointed too :( As an artist I could understand how he or she would be upset by some of our comments but i find the colors VERY .. hmm.. I dont even know a word to describe... there isnt enough color, the drawings should be a little more interesting, and I dont think i would have made Lestat the Magician either. I love her books but I dont think I will be buying this deck :( I have too many already to add one to the list I wont use... and this one reminds me of run of the mill computer art (sorry!) :(

tao51	16 Jul 2004
that it could have been much better. Akasha as the Moon does not seem right. The art lacks the sensuous attributes of Anne Rice's vampires. I think the Winged Spirits was average. This new deck is almost boring.--Tao

Shade	17 Jul 2004
I really like Sexton's work, especially the Temperance card he did featuring Bernadette Peters (on his site). I think that the Anne Rice novels are one of those subjects that is a bit too close to home for a lot of us and I'm not surprised that so many aren't loving the deck. I hated both Lord of the Rings decks (the atrot and the oracle) and I was not a fan of the proposed images for the Star Wars Tarot. I think Sexton's images reflect my experience with Rice's novels so if it gets published I will definatley pick up a copy. I do hope he chooses to use the High Priestess with Merrick in it I like d that book quite a bit.

Little Baron	17 Jul 2004
An ex-boyfriend bought me the WS many years ago in a small shop in Croydon. There were no samples, except the Magician on the cover, and also the collaged selection of characters on the front. The illustrations there were so interesting to me that I pleaded and did the 'old cow eyes' until he bought it for me - didn't have any money then (whats new? got none now, lol). From what I saw of the illustrations I had seen on the box, I thought this is gonna be a good one. For me, it just wans't. I also like a lot of Sexton's work. But in that deck, it just seems so 'flat'. For me, there is no life to it. They hang within the blank backgrounds, and even though they are beautifully stylised (I also love 'Temperance' and especially, The Moon), they strike me to be more a symbol than something you can get in there and lose yourself in. Quite similar to the 'Adrian'. A lot of people describe that as cold, even though I remember last summer that there was a reader on here (I apologise for not remembering which), that read beautifully and inspiringly with that deck. Different horses for different courses I suppose. I am not knowledgable of the Anne Rice books but it seems that their fans are likely to be disappointed with this representation as I was with the WS. Like seeing a film after you have read the book. Does anyone read with the WS? The lwb is a good one, going into detail about the angels, which is good. Maybe I never gave the deck enough time. Yaboot

Eco74	18 Jul 2004
To me, this deck strikes in right along side of any other "theme-deck" made to tie in with a specific range of characters. Which is to say - badly... While some of these decks can speak abundance for those who know the background story well enough most of them are just a little too forced for my liking. As if the characters for the good cards are chosen first and the remaining characters have been put in "whereever they seem to fit best of the remaining options" if you will... Which to me is a letdown, not only because the meaning of the card feels depleated due to the restraints the "forced on character" brings but also because the artwork never really seems to sit right on these "emergency solution"-cards. I´ve yet to find a theme-based deck that has a good enough content (not that I´ve been looking long) and do hope to find more than just one eventually, but sofar (with thisone, the vertigo-deck and the lotr-deck and a few others I´ve seen) I´m mostly disappointed. Some of the cards (those chosen first most likely) are brilliant. The character is a perfect match and ties in beautifully with the artwork to the point where I can recall the entire story just by looking at the card.. But when it comes to the rest it all falls flat. Sometimes I wish they would stop at making just the cards that feel right to begin with and make it a limited collection set, or possibly only make the major arcana to atleast limit the "push-cards" to a minimum...

The Anne Rice Tarot Deck - in progress thread was originally posted on 27 Jan 2002 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.