Deck Review: Alcott's Horror Tarot

Todd Alcott, Horror Tarot. Brooklyn, NY: The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, 2022. (link to publisher).

Genre: Tarot decks

Subgenre: horror, pulp

Format: kit with little white book and deck

Source: I own this one. 

Strength-VIII card

I first used this deck in September 2024 as a bit of a warm up for the Halloween season. If you enjoy pulp style horror, you will likely enjoy this deck that you can use any time of the year. 

The kit comes in a book-shaped box that measures about 6 inches by 4 inches. It does look nice on a shelf. Inside you get a little white book (LWB) and the 78-card deck. The LWB is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. Describes the concept of the deck and its structure. Each suit has a different graphic style: 
• Major Arcana. Old and classic horror movie posters. 
• Wands. Paintings inspired by horror artist Basil Gogos, who drew portraits of classic monsters in the 60s and 70s for various magazines. 
• Cups. Horror paperbacks art. 
• Swords. Tribute to EC Comics.
• Pentacles. Horror pulp magazines such as Uncanny Tales. 
• Side note: For the styles and art, the author creates a fictional horror publisher to keep the theme. This include fictional stories of horror studios, writer groups, etc. that published the works featured in the cards. The LWB is worth reading just for these tales. 
• Major Arcana. You get a brief introduction then the card entries. Each card entry gives a brief history of its "movie" with a brief interpretation. 
• Minor Arcana. Entries are shorter than the Major Arcana, and they also combine a bit of story and interpretation. 

Seven of Pentacles card

This is an LWB you do want to read. Alcott develops a whole pulp horror lore for the deck, and the LWB explains it. Can you read the cards without the LWB? Probably, but why miss out on the stories and additional information? I read it and enjoyed it; it enhanced my experience with the cards. 

The cards are very nice. We get some good quality art with careful attention to detail. These may be fictional horror media artworks, but they feel very much like the real thing. The cards touch a bit on Rider Waite Smith (RWS), but it is not a clone. Many of the cards do their own thing. The art is colorful, expressive, and varied. Some of these cards would make good quality posters. 

But how do they read?  They read very well. There is enough for the intuitives and traditional readers to draw upon. The cards often have a bit of extra text, say a movie tagline, that can also help readers along. 

I really enjoy looking through the cards and using them for readings. It is a fun deck, but don't be fooled for it can deliver some deep readings. This is a great choice for the Halloween season, but as I said, use it any time. I'd say it can be a great gift for the horror fan in your life. 

The cards measure about 4 3/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches. They have a very soft glossy finish, and they shuffle easily. The card stock is a bit thick but flexible. The deck can be a bit heavy on the hands. The card back art is reversible. 

Overall, I love this deck. This is one I would get a back up copy as I would not want to be without it. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

On a final note, I recently saw Alcott is releasing a Sci Fi Tarot. If you liked the previous decks,  you may like that one. I will be getting it as soon as I can, and when I do, stay tuned for a review here.