“The Slayer's Tarot” was a set of tarot cards announced to be released August 13, 2008, by Dark Horse Comics. It has subsequently been cancelled.
The set would have included a 78-card deck, instruction pamphlet, 64-page softcover book, all encased in a reclosable box with magnetic closure. Suggested retail was $14.99.
Synopsis
Lost hundreds of years ago, the Slayer’s tarot is an important artifact from Slayer history that came into existence after a group of women shared a vision of a rogue Slayer who would love a vampire and who would be aided in her fight against evil by a group of mystical allies. The heretical prophecy led to the suppression of the deck by the Watcher’s Council. Written and conceived by Rachel Pollack, author of twelve books on the tarot, including the renowned 78 Degrees of Wisdom, she teams with long-time Buffy artist Paul Lee to create this one-of-a-kind tarot card set.[1]
Cancellation
On March 2008, Dark Horse Comics divulged the following statement,[2] without further explanation:
- “Due to circumstances beyond our control, Dark Horse will not be producing the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but no existing orders will be filled. We appreciate your support of this program, and again apologize to those who placed advance orders and to fans alike.”
Gallery
Preview
Behind the Scenes
- Some unseen cards also had its representations hinted: “The Lovers” with Buffy and Angel, and “The Justice” with Willow. “Willow comes through very strongly in certain cards. They’re all great, really, but the card of Justice is extremely striking,” Rachel Pollack described.[3]
- Pollack talked about the origins of this project: “Actually, I put together some ideas for a possible Buffy tarot deck ten/some years ago. Never really got anywhere, I don’t know if it even got to the eyes of the people in charge of things. But when I heard through a friend that Dark Horse was looking to do a Buffy tarot, and wanted someone to write the text for it, I wrote them immediately and said, ‘I’d love to do this.’”[3]
- The Slayer’s Tarot would include elements from the all seven seasons of the television show, as well as from Buffy Season 8: “Season 8 is extending the story, and extending the ideas, so we’re doing some things there that include some of what happens in Season 8, some of the characters. There are also little hints of what will come, which obviously we can’t talk about now. Hopefully people will be intrigued, and maybe even later on look back on it and say, ‘Oh, so that’s what that card meant.’”[3]
- ↑ "Dark Horse Solicitations for August, 2008". Comic Book Resources, May 09, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ↑ Scott Allie, "A Day in the Life of a Buffy Editor". Dark Horse Comics, June 04, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Emmett Furey, "NYCC: The Slayer’s Tarot: Pollack and Lee talk the “Buffy” Tarot Deck". Comic Book Resources, April 19, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2018.