The Agatha Christie Tarot.

luxshine

While researching for the Rock Odyssey Tarot (I might know the Odyssey very well, but metal 80's rock, not that much) and looking for where did I left my copy of the Odyssey to take notes, I had a sudden epiphany about an Agatha Christie themed Deck.

Now, I know Dame Christie's plays and works are still under copyright, but I'm doing the deck for myself first, I believe there's some leeway for a very limited run (have to investigate how doujinka work in Japan for that) and.... well, if there's any interest from more people, I do plan to look ahead and figure out what is needed to actually license it from Dame Christie's state. What can I say? I like to think big.

Given that she has so many great novels, and so many great characters, I decided that each suit would be dedicated to one novel that has no 'famous' detective, to leave Poirot, Mrs. Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Colonel Race, and Adrianne Olivier for the majors (And the Orient Express, of course. Parker Pyne, and Mr. Quinn may make an appearance, but I'm not quite sure of that yet. It will depend as how I finish ordering the majors. Not surprisingly, I have a lot of candidates for both the Devil and the Death cards)

The novels for the suits would be as follow:

Ordeal by Innocence = Pentacles
Crooked House = Chalices
Murder is Easy = Wands
And then there were none = Swords.

I am really excited about this one, and I already have some sketches for the Knaves... Which I'll share as soon as tumblr cooperates so I have a link to show you all.

Eta: Tumblr cooperated. They're just my preliminary thumbnails, as I still have a couple of things to decide before I go and start drawing seriously, but here are the sketches for the Knave of Pentacles, mr. Arthur Calgary. http://threeofcups.tumblr.com/post/110885013999/ive-been-sick-which-is-why-i-havent-done-any
 

Nemia

A great idea! I always felt that the Jane Austen tarot was such a wasted opportunity - but an Agatha Christie tarot sounds wonderful. I'll keep an eye on your progress!
 

Alta

Great idea. She wrote 82 books plus plays. In the past two years I have been slowly working my way through her entire output, she is an excellent writer.
 

SixDegrees

Finally, a literary deck I can get behind!

Crooked House is a marvelous (if dark) selection for the suit of Cups. All of the family drama in that story seems highly appropriate for the watery, emotional cards. And Then There Were None is also an inspired choice for the Swords. The only other non-primary detective novel that I can think of which could make for an appropriate selection for an entire suit would be The Sittaford Mystery (sometimes published under the title Murder at Hazelmoor). The wintery setting of the story--plus the murderer's eventually revealed motivation--could make it an appropriate selection for Pentacles. But, that's just a suggestion, of course. I haven't yet read Ordeal by Innocence, so I have no idea how they compare.

Mr. Quinn seems highly appropriate for The Magician, no? : ) And (oh!) Hastings for The Fool!

Clearly, I'm very excited to see where this goes...
 

Padma

Awesome idea :)

Maybe Miss Lemon could be the High Priestess! ;)
 

luxshine

Nemia: Thanks! As a coincidence, I saw today the Austen Tarot (Well, just the box, since at 150 dlls is... prohibitive for my budget unless I get really lucky soon), and I really wonder how they used her novels to organize the suits. (then again, maybe it'll get reprinted if Pride, Prejudice and Zombies ever gets made? Just as a logical marketing ploy?)

Alta: Thanks! I've got almost all her novels... I think I'm only missing 10 or so. Thankfully Kindle has them all :)

Six Degrees: Yes! The family drama and the whole situation made me think of the dark side of the Cups suit, which is why I chose Crooked House. I considered The Sittaford Mystery, as I really liked Emily, same as Why didn't they ask Evans? Since Bobby Jones is one of my favorites, but at the end... well, you'd have to read Ordeal by Innocence, but I think it's a very 'earthly' kind of mystery and motive.

I have to admit, Quinn is one of my main candidates for the Magician, that is, if I don't fall on to the temptation of a female Magician, using Dame Christie herself. After all, she's the one behind everything (of course, under that logic, she'd also be the World, no?) And Hasting was my first choice for the Fool... until I remembered... well, he and his Cinderella are also a very good fit for the Lovers... same as Tommy and Tuppence, while Tuppence would be a perfect fool too. (Seriously, the major Arcana are my biggest headache right now, that's why I started with the pentacles)

As soon as I have more avances, I'll be posting them here.

PAdma: Miss Lemon is certainly first in my list to be the High Priestess (Especially if I put Poirot as the Hierophant) although I'm also somewhat partial to make her the Moon, given her hidden depths in Hickory Dickory Death. (And how every adaptation transplants Dame Christie's interest in the occult into her)

I am now doing material tests, to see if I'll do it in prismacolor or in watercolors (Although the cost of the paper is what stops me a bit for the second choice)
 

Padma

I think Tommy and Tuppence make better Lovers! Fool is *so* Hastings...imo ;)

Interesting about Miss Lemon and Moon. Though in her character, I myself am unable to see the primordial longings - perhaps because they are so severely repressed - so you may certainly be on to something there!

Poirot could certainly be Hierophant, as well as Emperor...though I can see why you chose Hierophant.

Forgive me my ramblings - I cut my teeth on these books :) from age 11 to 12, her books were my thing! And I have since watched many of the Poirot mysteries, as well as reread the books. Timeless, and unforgettable! A Christie tarot would be amazing :heart:

How expensive is the watercolour paper, btw? Just curious! (I paint in acrylic on canvas)
 

luxshine

I have like... three different ideas for a Tommy and Tuppence lover's card (although, given how we know them in all their stages of life, they could also be The Wheel. A, choices, choices, and I'm a Libra)

As I said, Hasting will probably end up as the Fool. After all, if one puts the Poirot novels in chronological order until Curtain... it is also a trip of learning for mon ami Hastings.

Miss Lemon is a very intriguing character for me. I think watching the different approach to her in the miniseries, where we see her as repressed but also get to see small glimpses of humanity, was what started me on maybe getting her as my Moon.

Poirot is between the Hierophant and the Hermit, given his love for the little grey cells, since for the Emperor, I was thinking maybe Race, or Japp.

It's the same with the Tower. Part of me wants to use The Orient Express... the other part thinks that perhaps Styles Court would be more appropriate, given the significance of the place to Poirot.

(Ramble away. I also have been a fan of Dame Christie since I was a child, and thus, squeeing about her is a great time for me)

Watercolor paper varies. There's some cheap blocks that are about 25 dlls for 10 sheets, a bit bigger than letter paper, but the really good one (Which would be necessary for this, to be honest) are 50 dlls for 10 sheets. And I think I might be able to get 2 cards per sheet, which means... I'd need at least 4 blocks, and that's 200 dlls.
 

Padma

Have you thought about crowdfunding or something like that? Though I think that only works if you are selling a lot of decks...paper seems expensive there.

Wow, I love the idea of the Orient Express for the Tower! You have obviously really thought about this - a lot - and your ideas are really good! :thumbsup: I would not have thought of Tommy and Tuppence as the Wheel. Who will you be having as Death? Will it be Norton?

It is true that the series was so well done (at least, the one with David Suchet as Poirot) that you can truly see a deeper dimension to Miss Lemon, along with a saucy kind of interest in things that she doesn't really convey so much in the books.

Anyways. I can't wait to see this is progress! :)
 

SixDegrees

I like the idea of Tommy & Tuppence as The Wheel, and especially the idea of Poirot as The Hierophant. His unyielding faith in his method seems fitting for that card. Plus, it seems like there are plenty of other old men in Christie's body of work that can fulfill The Hermit (Jason Rafiel comes to mind).

Another idea just popped into my head--Raymond West as The Chariot! So successful, and yet so distant for the majority of the time.

(I hope that you don't mind us chiming in and making suggestions, luxshine. This kind of speculation is just so much fun!)

P.S. Perhaps The Tower can be a scene from The Big Four? Because personally, that book dealt a mighty blow to my perception of Christie as an able storyteller. Took a while to recover from that one... :)