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So while trying to find a picture of Beleg to use as my avatar (and struggling due to the size limitations) I came across this picture of the Valar in playing card form. Am I the only one who now wants a set? Despite not playing cards

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/ ... 646gr3.png

Those are cool! I want some.

Should be Melkor and not Morgoth though

Semantics. If you're going down that road, why is Olorin not present?

Khamul I thought the exact same thing!

Mairon for Sauron too.

Love the images. Thanks for sharing!

I had a snoop after the artist and there are more in his gallery -- mixed in with other things -- at http://gerwell.deviantart.com/gallery/

I do like the use of playing cards as a prop, an alternative or complement to the use of dice. Savage Worlds RPG is the prime example. But it would be distinctly 'metagame' to use playing cards for Middle-earth! Seeing the Valar represented on cards, and perhaps specifically in that artistic style, put me strongly in mind of Zelazny's Princes of Amber...

(Is now the right time to mention the Tarot-like lassë (Q: 'leaves') card divination system devised or discovered by Martin Baker and discussed here: http://alt-tolkien.com/r27taratir.html?)

Cheers,
--Os.

Ewwwww... Tolkien as anime... yeccchhh!

I wouldn't go so far as anime... it'd also technically be manga, since it's not animated

Hiyas:


I'd always thought them Valar & Elfs manga-like in appearance: Big eyes, small mouth - the works. Plus, since they all look alike, so they have to be manga-style!



Ñ
PS: There are already, at least 2 Tolkien "animes": The Hobbit & the Return of the King (by Rankin Bass).

Nice artwork in itself. However IMO manga-style characters are very same-ish... they don't fit my vision of Tolkien's works.
I'd love to see Jon Hodgson's rendition!
Specifics I query (& would change if I was artistically able):
- why is Melian the Queen of Spades? She is neither cohort nor consort of Melkor! I think Ungoliant would suit here
- why is Spades seen as the evil suit? I think Diamonds would also work for Melkor, etc
- Melian is better placed as the Jack of Clubs (being of Yavanna's kin). I'd go further to change Clubs so that Orome is King and Vana is Queen (and whom Melian served)
-if King & Queen are Vala-status figures and Knaves are Maiar from their cadre - then perhaps Olorin should be the Jack of Hearts (quite apt in my view!)
- in keeping with the Vala/Valie/Maia theme, I'd replace Ulmo/Uinen/Osse suit (be it Spades or Diamonds) with Aule/Yavanna/Curumo (Aiwendil or Fangorn would also be appropriate Knaves)

Ok, I acknowledge that Ungoliant is not of the Valar, but if we're keeping an evil suit then she is the only Valar-powered evil female I can think of...
If you remove the evil suit (ie: using a Manwe/Aule/Ulmo/Orome thema) then perhaps you could have Melkor and Ungoliant as the Jokers?

If only I was artistically-gifted, I'd create a Tolkien Tarot deck, with suits more appropriate to Tolkien's themes.
Anyone up for that challenge? Or has this been done already?