cartoonist Jesse Lonergan A new set of tarot decks is being launched – called Unveiled tarot cards –January via Union Square Co.
Booklet with forwards from comic legends Mike Mignola, In this deck, Lonergan uses the concept of a picture within a picture to express the 78 archetypes of the Tarot. I have seen a copy of this deck and it is a wonderful physical artifact with just a beautiful set of engaging images. Of course, this is no surprise as Lonergan is one of the most exciting artists working in comics today, with a growing list of award-winning projects including unique and gorgeous books such as Man’s Best, Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea, and his breakthrough work, honor.
So, yes, the artwork on the deck is great, but what I really find compelling about this project is the way Lonergan’s concept juxtaposes modern imagery with tarot archetypes. I asked Lonergan if he could share some insights into his creative process Unveiled tarot cardswho was kind enough to write a behind-the-scenes look at his development thoughts on three of the cards.
You can find these notes below along with associated images. You can pre-order this deck now through Union Square & Co….enjoy it!
JESSE LONERGAN GIVES INSIDE LOOK AT HIS NEW TAROT
About Thirteen Deaths: The Death Card was the first card I recovered during the 2020 lockdown. I think this is still something that I haven’t fully understood for a while, and in some ways it feels like a dream now, but the card that comes to mind is not surprising. In my comics I think about how to use panels and composition to show more than just chronological relationships, and I think this thinking led to this card, showing inner and outer reality, which will become the theme of the entire deck.
About Fool: It was this card that got me the contract to make the entire deck. I’ve been drawing tarot cards leisurely, without much intention, maybe I’ll draw all the Major Arcana, maybe not. But when I posted this card online, it got a lot of comments and retweets and so on. Some praised it for mocking Trump, some praised it for mocking Biden, and some shamed me for being a subconscious liberal. When it comes to the relationship between Tarot cards, some people say this is the best interpretation of this card, while others say this is the worst. I have completely missed the point. It inadvertently has all the content to power the algorithm and get it in front of the right people. In some ways, it defines some of the rules for how the deck operates. It breaks up the more standard deck composition and symbolism and becomes one of the ways in which the deck is unique. Ironically, I didn’t think I would draw this card like this after signing the contract. Once that happened, everything became official, and I think in doing so, I lost some of the looseness of the card.
About the Five of Pentacles: Of course, once I signed the contract, it was no longer a whimsical drawing, but I was definitely going to finish drawing all 78 cards, and there was a deadline. I consider all major Arcana cards to be heavyweights. They’re the ones you see in James Bond movies and stuff. People would have them tattooed on their arms. In a way, they become easier because of it. Coming up with ideas for Lovers, Devils and Judgment felt easier than for something like Five of Pentacles . Basically, I would sit down with a sketchbook and start scribbling what kind of image would capture the theme of the card, and in the case of the pentagram, the difficulty, either being in it, or overcoming it (which can be said a lot) about each cards, so this is the briefest explanation), I try to think of images that capture these ideas, but also images that can be reversed in some way. With this card I thought of “dust devils”, the idea of shopping carts, full and empty, or used by homeless people, but I couldn’t find an idea that really clicked in terms of internal and external relationships. But then there was this idea of how troops leave and return from war, and the juxtaposition felt right.
Unveiled tarot cards Jesse Lonergan’s work is now available for pre-order!
