This deck was designed by a Swiss artist, Otto Spalinger. https://www.spalingerkunstart.com/sonstiges
I met Otto Spalinger at an exhibition once and he told me the story behind the deck. I found the info that he'd told in a post I'd written that was buried deep on Aeclectic.
Otto Spalinger had previously done some artwork for AGMuller (a Swiss company). They contacted him to ask him whether he would draw a new Tarot of Marseilles that they could put on the market. Otto wasn't into Tarot when they contacted him. He accepted their offer (they paid him a most ridiculously low fee - nearly fell of my seat when he told me.)
Otto then got to studying the Tarot and based his deck on the Conver. However, there was no point in copying the Conver 100%, as this deck already existed, so he added his own special touch in the actual drawings. He also told me that he had to be very careful due to existing copyright laws. (I wish people would stop copyrighting the Tarot of Marseilles. It's very vulgar
). Anyway, not being an esoterist or such-like, he decided not to add anything strange or odd to the deck (like adding eggs à la Camoin or head-scratching additions à la Rodez-Sanchez). He sort of stuck to tradition.
Otto did a fine job I think. Most people seem to like his deck in spite of its weaknesses. But is little used all the same. Maybe not many people own it anyway. And possibly the rather short and squat figures are not so appreciated, but he has not strayed into any wild imaginings and he didn't design his deck due to an ego-trip.
He earned at the time he told me about 1 dollar for each deck sold. AGMuller pockets the rest.
I remember Otto as a charming person and a gentleman. At the time he told me he remained interested in the Tarot of Marseilles which he had discovered through his work and really grew to respect it and have a certain reverence for it. I can't remember how much time AGMuller gave him to draw it - it was either two or four years.
Am pleased to own a signed deck. It's very special to me. "A Diana de Otto, 7 avril 2005, avec mon coeur".
(He's Swiss German so his French is a bit wonky.)
