In 2021, a remake of the classic horror film "Nightmare Alley" by Oscar winning director Guillermo del Toro received acclaim from audiences. The tarot cards used in the remake were also redesigned following the Marseille Tarot style, elegant and vintage, which can be considered to be one of the best-looking on-screen tarot of recent years. This deck is mentioned in this article: Tarot, Series and Movies (2) How did this deck come to life? Which version of the Marseille Tarot inspired this deck? Why the 3 pip cards in RWS style? You will find the answers here.
About the Artist
Tomás Hijo, designer and illustrator born in Salamanca, Spain. Previously, he collaborated with Guillermo del Toro in creating Tarot del Toro, his tarot artworks also include: Labyrinth Tarot, Lord of the Rings Tarot and of course, the Nightmare Alley Tarot. In the near future, a new deck is coming to light: Dark Crystal Tarot. Please visit his website for more information: https://tomashijoart.bigcartel.com/
About the Tarot
Size: 66.5x127mm
Package：22 trump cards of Marseille Tarot style+3 bonus pip cards of RWS style+a red box.
This deck was handed out as media gift at the movie premiere in America and UK. However, the packaging seems to be different in these two countries. In America, the box is opened from the top, in UK, the box turns into a case which can be taken off.
According to Mr. Hijo, the design of the cards is inspired by the classic Marseille Tarot, Jean Dodal to be exact which was instructed by the artistic director of the company. The design had to conform to the script, he created 3 additional pip cards because they were meant to be shown on screen. Although in the movie, we can see that Zeena has a thick pile of cards, only 25 cards were created, not the whole deck. Mr. Hijo opinions that there is no plan for commercializing the deck at the moment. (What a pity.)
Deck Review
Despite the charming artwork, the quality of the cards (cardstock and cutting) doesn't seem to be a proper match, but considering this deck was a gift, some compromises had to be made. Comparing to Tarot del Toro, Labyrinth Tarot and the Lord of the Rings Tarot, Nightmare Alley Tarot is my ultimate favorite, not only because it perfectly recreated the Marseille Tarot, but also because of the dark humor that infuses the cards.
Does the egg under the female pope remind you of Jodorowsky's deck? Does the snake beneath the pope remind you of a clergyman who is also tempted by secular temptations? In the Lover card, the man in the middle is blindfolded and the woman to his left has her tongue out as if she were a Succubus, while the Sun becomes Adam and Eve stealing the forbidden fruit.
Conclusion
How do you like this deck? Do you wish to see this deck being mass-produced? Maybe if we make our voices loud enough, they will hear us. Please comment below! And don't forget to follow me on Instagram for more tarot stories.
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