Tinker's Damn Tarot & Mantegna: Unique Decks in New Editions

The Tinker's Damn Tarot is a 78-card deck by graphic artist Doug Thornsjo, known for his distinctive style in decks like "Tarot of the Zirkus Magi" and "Trick or Tarot." This edition, launched in 2018, represents a remastered and more affordable version of his original creation. The deck is characterized by its "Cranky, Steam Age Soul" and "fusty, dusty Edwardian flavor," offering a visual language that is entirely original while maintaining card meanings derived from Golden Dawn and Waite-Smith traditions.

Thornsjo emphasizes that despite its unique aesthetic, the Tinker's Damn Tarot is designed as a functional working pack for both practitioners and novices. The remastering process involved brightening, clarifying, and sharpening the card images, with approximately a dozen cards receiving entirely new designs to give the deck a fresh start. This new edition was produced in quantity by Shenzhen Wangjing Printing Company, Ltd., aiming to make the deck more accessible than its previous print-on-demand iteration.

Beyond the standard 78-card tarot, a Limited Special Edition was offered, pairing the Tinker's Damn Tarot with a second 78-card deck: the Tinker's Damn Mantegna. This companion deck expands on the ancient Mantegna Cosmology system by incorporating Zodiac, Moon Phase, and Totem Animal cards, designed to be used either standalone or combined with the tarot for an extensive 156-card reading experience. Both decks are printed on 330 gsm German black core paper and include a 16-page LWB.

This deck is ideal for experienced tarot readers and collectors who appreciate unique, art-driven decks with a strong thematic identity. Its blend of Golden Dawn and Waite-Smith traditions with an original visual language makes it suitable for those familiar with traditional systems but seeking a fresh, non-standard interpretation. Enthusiasts of steampunk, Edwardian aesthetics, or historical occultism will particularly resonate with its "Steam Age Soul." It also appeals to readers who enjoy complex, symbolic imagery that encourages intuitive interpretation alongside established meanings.

Doug Thornsjo is a graphic artist, writer, and cartoonist with over 35 years of experience. He successfully funded his first tarot deck, "Tarot of the Zirkus Mägi," three years prior to this campaign, and has since created several other popular tarot, oracle, and Lenormand packs. Thornsjo's creative process for his award-winning decks involves blending the fabulous and fanciful with a careful eye towards traditional tarot themes and symbols. He launched this Kickstarter to transition from pricier print-on-demand models to more affordable, quantity-printed editions, making his work more accessible to a wider audience.