Evan Show "Lunatic Tarot" 2005

[Cerulean]

Evan Yi Feng has done a sometimes bizarre, sometimes canny sort of art tarot--not to everyone's tastes--but if you like the Tarot Cafe manga and can take anime's slightly surreal world...here's the website

http://www.evanshow.com.tw

It's his art show...so I don't know how long his website will be up with the tarot. He participated in Manga and toy shows in Taiwan...

You'll need Macromedia 7, I believe...it's worth a look if you like anime, and under 'game' in English, you can get images to do a small 'reading'.

It's my autumn pick of wanting an Asian art tarot with some surrealism. I like the color scheme and studying most of the costumes... I'm not really a fan of seeing "Lolita"-style manga, so I'm going to use the extra cards from the deck and paperclip them over the few cards that are just irritating to me..but most of the cards are interesting art takes if you like anime. And I like studying the theatrical costume designs in 90 percent of the deck.

The two young main characters might be called Pretty Anime and Pretty Andy...there are other richly costumed characters that inspire my art ideas, and an idea for a slightly surreal world...on the site you will see Evan x Pixie, and yes, the reference to Pixie Smith of the RWS...the meanings on the game site are similar to RWS and the art is a manga-ish takeoff of some of the RWS designs...but it's done with the odd humor that can characterize manga.

On the back of each card are black and white RWS drawings. The oversize cards are about two inches longer than a standard manga book, so about eight by five inches. I think readers would find it a challenge even if all the cards are illustrated. As advertised, "character-driven" is a good description.

Yesasia has this deck under the Lunatic Tarot by Evan Yi Feng/Evan Show, the publisher is Kadokawa. For U.S. and other fans, I recommend Tarotgarden.com. After flipping the cards three or four times, one of the extra end card ads detached...so I separated all the cards from the thin glue top and am using a long bag that someone made for me.

Best regards...hope the website works for those who like anime picks.

Cerulean

 

[WolfyJames]

Wow! What a gorgeous deck! And the minors are fully illustrated! I have to put this one in my wishlist. The images are very dreamy. I have downloaded the wallpapers. Thanks you Mari for showing us his website, I had a few readings with the deck.

 

[Sophie]

I need to be certified ...I have just ordered the Lunatic from Tarot Garden *******

It looks FAAAAAAABULOOUUUUSSSSS!

I love this not-quite-what-it-appears-to-be Victorian revised by Manga look. Can't wait to see it in the flesh...

 

[Adam McLean]

Do get this deck ! The cards are large and well printed.
The artwork is really beautiful and the deck is not very expensive.

Adam McLean

 

[lunakasha]

After flipping the cards three or four times, one of the extra end card ads detached...so I separated all the cards from the thin glue top and am using a long bag that someone made for me.

So....does this mean that you separated all the cards from the book????
And are you able to shuffle and read with them???

I love the imagery of the Lunatic....just wasn't sure about the "book" format.

Thanks!

Luna

 

[Cerulean]

It's actually 'large cards' bound together like a pad

with a thin strip of glue, as if a pad of paper that you tear off pages.

If you look through the cards more than once or twice, the thin strip of glue binding the cardboard strips together will detach at the edge, so they begin to separate. They aren't a 'book' or really 'punch-out'--they are big, long strips about eight by five inches.

There is a cardboard album cover that will house the cards once they are separated. Thankfully, a friend had sewn a rather large bag that I used to store smaller decks and books in; I now have the Lunatic in there and it looks quite fitting!

Cerulean

 

[prudence]

Thanks for this link and thread, Cerulean...I had been eyeying these on Tarotgarden's site, but was saddened to see that they are so big. I really wanted them as a reading deck, and that size is just too big for me....but the images really appealed for some odd reason, as I am not usually drawn to this look. It's very very sexy.

 

[Aura Wolf]

I just ordered them, because I fell in LOVE with the images on Tarot Garden--they're so uniquely beautiful and stylistic! I can't wait to see more. The size for these "cards" does seem outrageous, but I just couldn't resist. Even as large as they are they could still be useful, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to own 78 large and beautiful art prints.

 

[lunakasha]

DETAILS please....

Cerulean, Adam....anyone???

I am anxious to hear more from those fortunate enough to have these cards....

The more I look at the scans, the more tempting it becomes.....

I noticed a lot of gold on the Queen of Cups card....are there other cards highlighted with gold (or even SILVER)??? Is it gold foil or gold paint???

Any thoughts, comments....anything you would like to share would be greatly appreciated!

Luna

 

[Adam McLean]

The cards are printed using standard 4 colour lithography with a fine screen size (art quality). The printed surface appears to have been varnished to give a high gloss finish.
The gold colours are in the artwork and are depicted by the standard colour process, and not applied as a metallic foil as with some of the Lo Scarabeo decks - Golden Tarot the the Renaissance, etc.

I don't think you will be disappointed by the quality of the printing on the 'Lunatic Tarot'.

The image fills the total area of the card with no border.
There are also no titles to get in the way. Instead the title of the card and a black and white version of one of the Rider Waite decks is printed on the reverse. This is a nice touch.

The signature logo of the artist, Evan, can be a bit intrusive, I find. I wish this had been put in the bottom right corner, but it moves around the cards and is sometimes located in a prominent position. But well, the artist is justifiably proud of his work, so why not!