Our latest interview is with Marco Rocchi and Fabio Maggio, the dual creators of Catomancy - The Kitten Tarot Deck - an adorable kitten-themed tarot deck.
Marco is an Italian artist, illustrator, and comic book writer/artist with many publications under his belt, however, Fabio has designed the art for this deck.
Kickstarter -Catomancy
Where in the world do you call home?
Mario:
I was born in Florence, in Italy, and have always lived in this wonderful city, so much that I have become anesthetized to its charm. Currently, my home continues to be here, but I would really like to take some time off and travel the world.
Fabio:
I was born in Marsala, in Sicily, but for both the purpose of study and work I recently moved to Florence. Despite I have been welcomed with open arms, I can't but continue to call home my native land, Sicily.
What was your first experience with tarot?
Mario:
My father has always been passionate about esotericism and in his collection, he owned several decks and books for reading tarot cards. I must admit, however, that I have never been involved in the same way as my father. Personally, I love more the aesthetic and playful aspect of tarot cards even if I confess to being fascinated by the meaning they bring with them.
Fabio:
Honestly, this is my first experience with tarot, both as a creator as well as a simple user, I was involved mainly as an artist rather than as an expert on the topic.
What would you say is unique about your deck?
Mario & Fabio
We know we are not the first to create a cat tarot deck but we tried to put our effort into creating something unique as an interpretation of the tarot card with particular attention to the kitten cuteness.
What cardstock and finish will be used?
Mario & Fabio:
The paper stock will be 330gsm black core, smooth finish with natural gloss, premium quality, on the card. There is not an extra lamination layer, the paper processing creates a surface smooth and looks a little bit glossy. Everything is FSC certified (CE marking certified).
How long has it taken you to create this deck?
Mario:
The idea of creating a tarot deck dedicated to cats came to me a long time ago. I cannot keep cats at home because of the allergy of my partner, but I live in a block really full of cats. They have always given me the idea of being the guardians of the neighborhood. Hence the desire to create an artifact, the tarot deck, that assigns them a role as "guardians of destiny".
Mario & Fabio:
The deck is still a work in progress even if we have already created all the designs. Both of us are professional artists and we could not totally stop our activities so we are waiting for the end of the Kickstarter to finish it. Maybe the longest part has been the ideation phase which took at least three months.
The art is absolutely adorable. What made you choose this style for your cards?
Mario:
When I chose Fabio to create the designs I knew he was good, but he still managed to outdo my hope. For the style of the drawings I had some ideas that I shared with him and he was able to express them even better than my expectations.
Fabio:
As for the research of the style, I honestly started drawing kittens on kittens, following my instinct and letting my inspiration flow until I found the shape that best represented the idea we had of this deck.
What card are you most proud of and why?
Mario:
My favorite card is The hanged because for me is the emblem of this deck, cute and unconventional, and the first card that Fabio redesigned after we started working together.
Fabio:
For me The hermit, because I love sphinxes and grumpy cats. And he has the pullover, he looks like an old man! Oh... he's adorable!
What impact would you like your deck to have on its readers?
Mario & Fabio:
We want to give to the readers only good vibes consulting our tarot deck.
We also wanted cat owners to recognize their beloved furry ones within the arcana of this deck, their behaviors, and habits.
This deck is a joint effort – how did you find working as a team?
Mario:
Originally I was supposed to create this deck by myself but unfortunately at Christmas, I had an accident involving my right arm just before I went into the making phase and I had no way of being able to work independently. Out of this misfortune came the idea of asking Fabio if he would be interested in giving me, literally, a hand. The project has changed because he did not lend himself only as a designer, but we have reinvented everything to better suit his style and I am convinced that CATOMANCY has only gained. So I was mainly involved in managing the Kickstarter campaign. However, I decided not to completely withdraw from the artistic process and I still remain the author of the colors. Fabio:
I enjoyed working with Marco very much, we were very much in sync regarding the ideas we had, although he was the creator of the deck he left my work flowing, he was always open to discussing and accepting any changes to meet my artistic vision.
What have been your challenges in creating this deck?
Mario & Fabio:
I think that the most challenging part was the creation of the Kickstarter campaign because it was our first attempt as tarot deck creators and the impossibility to completely dedicate to it because of our work commitments.
We also decided to pay particular attention to the environment using only sustainable raw materials and certified manufacturing companies.
How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?
Mario & Fabio:
We will only take a breath for a while, relaxing with a celebration dinner between us just before we start the next project in the pipeline!
What is on offer for people who pledge?
Mario & Fabio
We created several pledges in addition to the tarot deck, 2 wooden stickers, a wooden pin, a reading cloth, a poster, a T-shirt, and some more limited edition rewards like personal commissions from the artist and a personal fortune-telling from your neighborhood CATOMANCER.
To add some adorable fluff-ball kittens to your collection, pledge here:
Kickstarter -Catomancy