The Black Ibis Project

The Black Ibis Project is a unique creative venture by artist Bethalynne Bajema, designed to bring her graphic novel series, "The Black Ibis," to life alongside a complementary tarot deck. The Kickstarter campaign, launched in 2011, aimed to secure funding for the printing of "Book I: The Secret London" and to support the development of the associated tarot deck. This dual approach allows the narrative and its symbolic underpinnings to be explored through both sequential art and divinatory tools.

The project's aesthetic, as suggested by the available imagery, leans into a dark, elegant, and somewhat gothic fantasy style, reminiscent of Victorian-era occultism or steampunk. The graphic novel provides the rich lore and character development, while the tarot deck is intended to offer a divinatory system deeply integrated with this narrative world. This integration suggests that the tarot deck would not only function as a standalone reading tool but also as an immersive artifact for fans of the graphic novel.

Successfully funded by 63 backers, the project demonstrates a community interest in Bajema's distinctive artistic vision and storytelling. The combination of a graphic novel and a tarot deck offers a comprehensive experience for those who appreciate intricate narratives and symbolic systems, allowing them to engage with "The Black Ibis" universe on multiple levels.

The artwork, as seen in the project's cover image, features a sophisticated blend of photographic elements and digital manipulation, creating a dark and elegant aesthetic. The central figure, a woman with an elaborate, almost sculptural headdress, holds a decorative birdcage, suggesting themes of confinement or preciousness. The background depicts a shadowy, ornate cityscape, likely representing the 'Secret London' mentioned in the graphic novel's title. The color palette is muted, dominated by sepia tones, deep browns, and desaturated golds, contributing to a vintage, slightly eerie, and mysterious mood. Intricate scrollwork and decorative borders frame the composition, enhancing the sense of a meticulously crafted, fantastical world.

This project is ideal for collectors of unique, artist-driven tarot decks and graphic novels, particularly those who appreciate dark fantasy, gothic, or steampunk aesthetics. It will appeal to readers who enjoy immersive storytelling and wish to engage with a narrative world through both visual art and symbolic divination. Fans of Bethalynne Bajema's previous work or those interested in cross-media storytelling will find this project particularly compelling.

Bethalynne Bajema embarked on The Black Ibis Project to bring her intricate graphic novel series and a corresponding tarot deck to fruition. The Kickstarter campaign was a crucial step in funding the initial printing of "Book I: The Secret London" and supporting the development of the tarot deck. Her vision was to create a cohesive universe that could be explored through both a detailed narrative and a symbolic card system, allowing for a deeper engagement with the story's themes and characters.