Can you believe Clueless turns 30 this year? I’m totally buggin’ and I am not the only one. The 30th anniversary of this pop culture icon is being celebrated with a variety of fresh new collectibles, including new Barbie dolls of Cher and Dionne, a Babbel glossary of the movie’s most iconic slang, a Polly Pocket Compact, Funko Pops, Loungefly mini-backpacks and, of course, an Official Clueless Tarot Deck and Guidebook from Insight Editions.
There is perhaps no other movie that sums up the entire vibe of the 90s than Clueless. As such, ever the nostalgic millennial, I knew from the moment it was announced by Insight Editions, that this tarot deck would be joining my collection and I needed to talk about it. Who better to share my enthusiasm than the author of its guidebook, Erica Davis? With previous licensed titles like House of the Dragons and the Wizard of Oz on her tarot-writing resume, Erica says the Official Clueless Tarot Deck was actually her first official gig with Insight Editions, despite the order of its release. “My editor approached me – this was going on three or four years ago now – and there was a project nobody had claimed yet,” she recalls. “It was a Clueless tarot deck, and I said 1000% yes! It’s the first one I wrote for them, but it’s the third one to come out, and it was amazing.”
Not only was she charged with writing the guidebook but, despite it being her first official project with the publisher, Erica was tasked with making all the card assignments as well. “I think my editor trusted me based on what I had already submitted,” she says, referencing her original pitch to the publisher for a tarot deck that, for licensing reasons, has yet to manifest. At the time, she was still unfamiliar with the collaboration process and was surprised to find that she would be making decisions that would dictate not only the guidebook but the cards as well. “I thought the artist would tackle everything first, but they had questions for me about what they were illustrating – who to put on what card – and so, I just started with the major, and that’s a third of the battle.”
According to Erica, choosing the right aspects of a character or scene to match up to the appropriate tarot theme is as intuitive as it is scientific, especially regarding traditional tarot themes. “The Rider-Smith version was so overwhelming and intimidating to me,” she recalls of her earliest experiences with tarot, noting it was not until she stumbled upon the Labyrinth deck that she began to reconsider. “I know Labyrinth; I could recite that movie. This, I could get on board with – Jareth, Sarah, the worm. If they are applied to even one author’s or artist’s version of those 78 unknowable images, then I can access it that way.”
In no time at all, Erica had built her own collection and, soon enough, began reverse engineering her decks to better understand the patterns and concepts at the heart of the Rider-Smith system. “As intuitive and witchy as I am, this is all very scientific for me; it’s deductive logic.” Moreover, it can be applied to different source material the same way and still be unique every time, especially when different intellectual property owners have different restrictions. “My soul craves structure, and my creative process didn’t have that. Working with Insight Editions was one of the first times I had some, and it’s not micromanaging. It’s more that we could be beholden to, say, Paramount, to stay honorable to these characters, these people.”
Indeed, the Clueless Tarot Deck stays true, not just to the characters and the film, but to the overall vibe of the mid-90s. Of course, channeling that energy meant revisiting an old friend…over, and over, and over. “I got to watch Clueless, like, 73 times,” Erica recalls, “and I looked for different things every watch. I took notes. It’s a weird, organic blend of gut impression and fan obsession.” She adds, “And when I was stuck on something in Clueless, or in choice paralysis, I just went back to Emma – Jane Austen’s Emma – and asked myself: What would Emma do?”
“That’s what I’m most excited about,” she says, mostly in jest, “that I have essentially contributed to the Jane Austen canon.” For those unfamiliar, Clueless is (or was?) a modern adaption of Jane Austen’s novel, Emma, originally written in 1815. The tarot, Erica says, is just another form of adaptation and, yes, a bit of fan service. “Any fandom-based deck, it exists because somebody loves that intellectual property.” She adds, “The Clueless Tarot is for fans who are already interested in tarot; it’s for Clueless fans who have no idea what tarot is. It’s for tarot people who have never seen the movie Clueless but are huge Jane Austen fans.” And, she adds, it’s a little bit for her, too. “It’s for my 15-year-old self who was in awe of the film. Like any piece of pop culture, any piece of fandom, you get whatever you want out of it.”
For those who are fans of Clueless, however, there is indeed much to look forward to, from three custom spreads that center around some of the film’s most iconic moments, to the stunning artwork that brings even the smallest details from the movie into focus. “One of the spreads that I am so happy about – I wasn’t sure they were gonna go for it – is Party in the Val.” Erica explains, showing her original mockup to me during our interview via screen share. “There’s five cards, and this is the clog flying through the air that knocks Tai out in the movie.” Other spreads include the Makeover, a three-card spread, and a seven-card pull called Epiphany at Electric Fountain.
In the artwork, she adds, fans will also find a host of references, some recognizable and others that are more obscure. Erica gives an example. “One of the cards is the Buns of Steel shot on the TV, when they’re in the fireplace room, and Tai says, ‘My buns don’t feel like no steel anymore,’ in that New York drawl.” None of the “easter eggs” were intentional, she notes. “I know that movie so well; I did not hurt my brain [coming up with] easter eggs. It was just…if it stuck out to me, you know? And the artist also knows the film. So, there might be stuff they threw in, too!”
Not one to shy away from discourse, Erica says, her DMs are open. “For any fans of the deck, tag me on Instagram or especially in YouTube comments. I’m @dorkwitchery on both.” She adds, “Reach out if you want more info about how I did something.” There is also a chance that she will address popular questions in an upcoming episode of her podcast, the Dorklist.
As for her next collaboration with Insight Editions, Erica says that information is classified, for now! “I’m on a non-disclosure but, keep an eye out.” She adds, excitedly, “I can’t wait to share – it’s so good!”