The Shadow of Oz - A Tarot Deck

The Shadow of Oz is a full 78-card tarot deck that merges the iconic world of L. Frank Baum's Oz with the archetypal symbolism of tarot. Created by Illogical Associates, the deck features characters from Dorothy and the Lion to the Nome King and Kiki Aru, each carefully assigned to a Major or Minor Arcana card to reflect their inherent archetypal qualities. The project was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2014, raising $28,611 from 401 backers.

Mark Anthony Masterson, author of the modern Oz comic series "Dorothy," penned the accompanying text and tarot interpretations, ensuring a cohesive narrative and insightful guidance for readers. The deck aims to provide a fresh perspective on both the Oz mythology and tarot, inviting users to explore their own stories and the "titanic symbols" within the cards. The campaign highlights the deck's versatility, suggesting it can be used for traditional tarot readings, exploring the Oz universe, or even playing card games like Cribbage.

The unique aspect of this deck lies in its collaborative artistic approach, bringing together a roster of talented comic book artists. This anthology style results in a visually dynamic deck where each card offers a distinct interpretation of the Oz characters and tarot meanings. The creators, Anna and Mark, drew upon their background in comics to connect the "78-panel comic" nature of a tarot deck with the storytelling potential of Oz.

The artwork for The Shadow of Oz is an anthology, featuring contributions from numerous comic book artists, resulting in a diverse range of styles. While the primary image provided is a black and white logo, the campaign story and other embedded images (like the card designs from Emonic and Kori Thompson) show full-color illustrations. The styles range from clean, dynamic action-hero aesthetics to more grunge or apocalyptic influences, reflecting the varied talents of the contributing artists. This multi-artist approach means there isn't a single, unified visual style, but rather a collection of interpretations, all centered around the Oz theme. The campaign explicitly mentions "apocalyptic grunge oil squids" as one of the styles, indicating a darker, more mature take on the classic Oz imagery than typically seen.

This deck is ideal for tarot enthusiasts who appreciate diverse artistic styles and enjoy pop culture-themed decks, particularly fans of L. Frank Baum's Oz books and comic art. It appeals to readers looking for a deck that combines familiar narrative elements with profound archetypal insights. The collaborative art style and the connection to a modern Oz comic series make it suitable for collectors interested in unique, artist-driven projects.

Illogical Associates, composed of Anna and Mark, previously published a successful seven-issue comic series titled "Dorothy," based on the Wizard of Oz, which was later collected into a trade paperback. Their experience in the comic book world and their love for bringing art and stories to life led them to realize the strong parallels between Oz imagery and traditional tarot symbols. The idea for The Shadow of Oz tarot deck emerged from these connections, prompting them to collaborate with various comic book professionals they had met through Anna's shop, Illusive Comics & Games, and other industry contacts.