Tarot Card Proposals

PattiTheWicked

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Hey, all, I've got a question, and I'm not sure where to ask it so I figured I'd start here.

I'd like to design a Tarot deck, as in figure out what art to put on the cards, and then assign the corresponding meanings to them. But here's my dilemma. This deck I've mapped out is actually based on characters and scenes from a television series. I already understand that whole licensing thing, but what I'm curious about is this:

Do you contact a publisher first with the proposal, and hope that they can get the licensing rights? Or do you contact the network first for licensing information, and then try to pitch the proposal to a publisher?

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
 

DeleyanLee

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I'd say have a sample of the product to show both parties before you do anything else. While you're doing that, you can look at the various publishers and track down the people who can actually make the decision (ie: Paramount's a big corporation--finding a name and maybe something about them ups your chances).

This will also give you a taste of how long it takes you to conceive, design and drawn each card and what techniques you want to use to make them. It will also help to remember that you have to make them proportionaly larger than the size you want the actual cards to be, to that could take some trial and error. (My old art teacher, Robin Wood, created a deal some years ago while I was taking lessons from her--I remember her having to go through all that on a deadline 'cause she'd already sold the idea. One of the originals is hanging on the wall over there, so I can attest to the size difference too. ;-) )

Good luck with the project.
 

Carole

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I wish I had something of value to add, but I know nothing about that particular chicken or egg. I do love the idea, though.
 

PattiTheWicked

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I'd say have a sample of the product to show both parties before you do anything else. While you're doing that, you can look at the various publishers and track down the people who can actually make the decision (ie: Paramount's a big corporation--finding a name and maybe something about them ups your chances).

Thanks for the tips -- in an interesting twist of circumstance, it turns out that a friend of mine has a daughter who recently got a job as a producer for the very network in question. Handy stuff indeed :)

Can't wait to see it come to fruition!

Me too! I think what I'll do is just start roughing it out until it's to a point where it's worth showing to people, and then see what happens.

I wish I had something of value to add, but I know nothing about that particular chicken or egg. I do love the idea, though.

Thanks! I'll keep y'all posted!
 

PattiTheWicked

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HBO's "Rome", actually. I think the characters and events from the three seasons make the perfect deck -- Titus Pullo is the Fool, and it only gets better from there :)

A "Sopranos" deck would be interesting... although it would end up being all Swords and no other suits at all!