Fradella Adventure Tarot - Anyone got it yet?
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 May 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| divinerguy |
05 May 2003 |
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This deck appears to be a recent offering by US Games. I'm interested in acquiring this deck, but I haven't seen a review on this deck yet.
Does anyone have this deck yet? Can you tell us about it?
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| Alta |
05 May 2003 |
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Hi all, Okay, I will try and be more restrained. I just got this deck a few days ago from tarotgarden. Quite reasonably priced.
The deck is very well made, heavy lamination. Normal size cards, about the usual RWS size. Very richly coloured.
Now for the good part. What a brilliant deck. Really interesting 'takes' on the cards, imaginative and very thoughtful. Strange for a deck based on e-comics. Some of cards just blew me away. The Wheel of Fortune shows something like a ring with one of superheroes racing madly around the inside of it. I didn't describe that well, but it is a very original take on The Wheel. A few of the cards are puizlling, and you have to check the very generous size lwb. It is actually the size of a small paperback and quite well written.
Staves for example. He doesn't use the same symbol for every card. On one they might be pillers in the background, on another iron poles, or blazing staffs.
Cups are masks. This is amazingly effective. The Queen of masks blew me away. The masks are sometimes party masks, sometimes solid. In the 5 of masks, the masks are solid and three are crumbling away.
Swords are Blades. The 8 of Blades is a blindfolded woman standing in front of a bullseye, clearly with someone having thrown knives all around her. Different.
Pentacles are Discs. They can be CD's, or garbage can lids, or coins or even in the truly memorable 9 of discs, Japanese lanterns in a garden.
Great deck.
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| divinerguy |
21 May 2003 |
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Got my Fradella Adventure Tarot yesterday. Only $16 USD, which I consider a deal. Seems like most decks have hit the $19.95 in the last year or so.
Colorful deck, suitable for public readings. Probably better for a teen or a kid - comic book theme. Rider Waite clone, but not too far off the mark (I've seen worse).
Reminds me of he Vetigo Tarot, but the colors seems less subdued.
A good addition to my collection, but not anywhere near as cool as my Jolanda Swedish Witch Tarot - you gotta get that one.
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| Shade |
22 May 2003 |
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I really hate US Games. I work at a new age bookstore and have nothing but trouble with their staff in regards to this deck (and a few others). The people on this and other tarot enthusiast websites have always been more informed regarding the status of this deck than the people taking orders. And after all of the run around the deck finally gets published and low and behold it's not in our order. When I called to inquire as to why I was told that they had decided to cancel our lengthy list of back orders and weren't sure exactly why in years of ordering from them they did this. I'm one of the MOST polite peopleon the phone with our distributors but this time I got a little beligerent (sp).
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| Maan |
28 May 2003 |
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I received my copy today. I did not have much time to go thu it yet but so far so good. The designer really knew something about the tarot. He is working from the fools journey perspective as he is explaining the major arcana. I really like the fact that all the individuals on the cards have there own history.
My favo deck ( the phantasmagoric theater) does the same.
Its not a deck for people who take life to serious i think.The whole deck is very comicbook style ( obviously ;) ) and funny. But i do think you can read with it!
I will give it a try as soon as i have finnished the book
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| Cerulean |
31 May 2003 |
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Bit of an overwork style of week...but after workout, we popped by a bookstore. I was surprised to see the Fradella Adventure Tarot book...the posted price for $8.00 wasn't bad and I began laughing inside when I saw the illustrations and writing. Period comic books, I thought. The store sticker at this Borders was $24.00, which was a clear mistake...and yes, thankfully they had another book with the $8.00 store sticker that matched the posted book price. A store clerk also helped me find the deck in the cabinet and we thought someone had gotton a kit and returned it, or someone bought a book and deck set with the missing sticker price of $8.00.
We had found three paperbacks for my nephews and this Borders was having a sale...buy three paperbacks and get a fourth one free...so I got the Fradella Adventure Tarot book for free.
The reason I found this deck interesting was the mix of characters that I saw online and on the box...as people have mentioned, the use of Masks for Chalices and the Wheel is amazing art. It could be that Spirited Away and enjoying anime with my nephews is clouding my mind.
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| galadrial |
17 Jun 2003 |
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I got this deck about a week ago and like it a lot. For one thing, it is already displaying a fine sense of humor. I like it's take on many cards, but my favorite is Temperance, which shows the comedy and tragedy masks (masks are cups in this deck) flowing into each other. I also like the book's remark that "A vital concept of Temperance is that, like the masks, nothing is ever created or destroyed. It merely changes shape. But unlike the Death card, where we are the recipients of that change, here we are the originators of it." The book is not long, but has several thought provoking passages like that one. I get great readings with it and enjoy every card- there are no glaring "what were they thinking" cards, IMHO. I also like all the ways that disks are interpreted; from a CD for the Ace, to trash can lids for the 5.
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| Keslynn |
03 Aug 2003 |
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Reviving an old thread because I just got this deck. I loved it the very first time I looked through it. Then it just kept getting better. The cards have such personality. For once, I think the companion book is useful because of the fully developed characters that are behind the illustrations. The back stories add more depth.
Card I love most: 9 of Masks. It makes me laugh so hard every time I see it. Great take.
Least fav: The Star. The picture isn't as well done as on other cards (IMHO) and the water isn't flowing, it's frozen! That doesn't say "Star" to me.
In sum: Go get this deck. It's really fun. Also, my bf loved it, and he's normally pretty aloof about tarot cards.
:) Kes
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| Astraea |
03 Aug 2003 |
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I like this deck a lot. I don't have the book yet, but even so the illustrations and ideas are so sharp and well-developed that I can read with it. I was surprised to discover that this is a deep and thoughtful deck -- fun, but not frivolous. I'm looking forward to getting the book, as knowing the storylines behind the characters can only add to the richness of the deck.
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| dolphingirl |
04 Aug 2003 |
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Hi Everyone
I just love that your talking about the Fradella Adventure deck. I just wrote a review for this deck a few weeks ago (my first online review) at Tarot Passages
http://www.tarotpassages.com/fradella-sk.htm
I have to say I totally love this deck!
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| all78degrees |
09 Aug 2003 |
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I gotta say this deck is a fab!
It's my last deck purchase before uni and when I got home the other night to see the amazon parcel I was slightly disapointed. I put that down to my own ideas about comic book art work but having had it a few days I'm starting to love the art. The thing that entices is that each card has a proper story for each of the characters which is glimpsed at in the big book. I'm gonna have great fun with this deck.
gav.
PS this deck continues the trend of usa games being made in china, the card stock is a bit thicker and stiffer so might be a little harder to shuffle.
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| Hedera |
26 Sep 2003 |
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I've ordered this on Amazon a couple of days ago and they're taking their time sending it; long enough for doubts to surface.
Does anyone here use it regularly?
And meaning-wise (not picture-wise), how close is it to RWS?
I've done a couple of readings on http://www.cyberageadventures.com/numbered/tarotnew.html
and it seemed there was a weird 'switching' of meanings in a couple of swords/wands cards, although I can't remember which cards bothered me.
If there is something you think might put me off the deck please let me know; I can still cancel it now.....
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| Alta |
26 Sep 2003 |
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Trouble is Hedera, it is so hard to say what will put a person 'off' a deck. I surely dislike some decks that others love.
I used this deck regularly for several months with several very in-depth readings. I have changed decks now, but that's just me. Favs don't last a long time for me.
It is of course based on a comic book. The images are in that artistic style and the heroics and badness are correspondingly exagerated. I never noticed any jarring notes. Hope this helps.
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| ArwenNightstar |
21 Jan 2005 |
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I've ordered this on Amazon a couple of days ago and they're taking their time sending it; long enough for doubts to surface.
Does anyone here use it regularly?
And meaning-wise (not picture-wise), how close is it to RWS?
I've done a couple of readings on http://www.cyberageadventures.com/numbered/tarotnew.html
and it seemed there was a weird 'switching' of meanings in a couple of swords/wands cards, although I can't remember which cards bothered me.
If there is something you think might put me off the deck please let me know; I can still cancel it now.....
Hedera, I use it regularly now. It is the deck I read with on a daily basis for FTN. For me, I would say get this deck. It is amazing.
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The Fradella Adventure Tarot - Anyone got it yet? thread was originally posted on 05 May 2003 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.
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