Killerpancake Illustration is the cursed tarot decks and fine art horror prints for feminist goths and queer folx created by Genevieve Barbee-Turner in Pittsburgh, PA.
Genevieve uses tarot is a medium to explore the cyclical pattern of history and fear—thinking about how it haunts us today. She strives to represent the world she sees today in her cards and dig up history buried under patriarchal bullshit.
Killerpancake Illustration creates reactionary art about society's disdain for women and queer autonomy. Inspired by a history soaked in fear over "hysterics" and "misfits," my work embraces the "dark side"—or as I like to see it, the path of body autonomy and honoring the dignity in people regardless of what they look like and who they love.
I use tarot as an artistic medium to explore a variety of topics including portraits of mental health, the queer body, and the effects of late-stage capitalism.
My next project is up for pre-order right now! Go here.
Absolutely! There's a tradition of being gifted your first deck. That's fine but to me a little gatekeepy. I include a guide with all of my decks with meaning and insight into the drawings.
I design all my decks in the Rider-Waite-Smith format so you can easily google meanings too and interpret them as you like.
Very likely no. I use tarot as a medium to communicate about things I care about. Underneath the surface, each of my decks is about the cycle of history, trauma, and fear.
Unless you are a tarot publisher... then we can talk. hello [at] killerpancakeillustration.com
I draw everything you see on this website. I don't use AI to create my work. Occasionally I use photobashing techniques but I really love to draw. I use Procreate on an iPad Pro!
I draw in my sketchbook after reading something interesting and then use Procreate on my iPad Pro to create a tarot card. I only use Photoshop and InDesign at the very end to make a PDF for a printer or the guidebook.
You can't. Maybe second hand? I saw one on eBay once! I only print in small batches and then that's it! Don't worry, I'm always making another deck.
I did. I dunno, that's up to you!
At first glance tarot appears to be a very opaque subject but I want to change that. Read the new series of blogs about my tarot journey and start yours.
This is for the deposit! Questions? Message me with the contact form underneath.
This experience was so fun. From the beginning of the process of pics and personal objects and learning who were Karen’s familiars. Then came the end product. I was so psyched to see how you put everything together and the Appalachian Witch came alive. I imagine she is putting a spell on me as I stare at this portrait on our fireplace mantle. I highly recommend others to delve into this co-creative process and see what comes alive for them.
Figure drawing sessions are a low cost and low barrier event for artists of all skill levels to practice translating the human figure from the 3D to the 2D plane. Killerpancake has a list of all the sessions in the Pittsburgh region here.
