The Power in the Panel: An Exploration of Tarot and Comic Books
There is a unique relationship between comic books and Tarot, as they both embody sequential storytelling using symbolic art and natural language.
Referencing several comic book series, including sequences from instructor B. Earl’s Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Daredevil and Echo, and Werewolf by Night, we will explore how the two seemingly disconnected art forms actually flow from the same fountain.
Superhero comics in particular entered the mainstream in the mid-1900s and really found their stride in the 1960s with series such as The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and of course Spider-Man. This was also around the same time that Tarot began to enter into the popular mainstream with counter-culture communities engaging “new age” ideas. Humans have always needed stories,but as science began to more deeply explore the psyche with luminaries such as Carl Jung, science and stories began to emerge with archetypes that helped people better understand themselves. Comic books, especially superhero comics, have always explored these archetypes that are ever-present in Tarot’s Major Arcana.
The obvious difference between the two is that a comic book is a curated series of panels telling a specific story through the lens of the author and artist, while a Tarot spread is a seemingly random series of panels that becomes a mirror for the querent. This modular storytelling system allows for the Self to more deeply intuit meaning through the cards’ random articulation. Unlike comic books, it is up to the reader to interpret the story through the spread of the panels. In this workshop we will take sequences from specific comic books and peel back the layers to better understand the intention of the creative team. By understanding this form of sequential storytelling, we will then apply this same technique to different configurations of Tarot spreads. This unique method of storytelling will allow us to use the symbols and keys provided by Tarot to unlock stories not only in comic books, but also in our everyday lives.
Speaker Bio:
Ben Earl is a comic book writer and editor known for his contributions to Marvel Comics. He has worked on stories that expand the publisher’s superhero mythos, blending action-driven narratives with grounded character development. His work is recognised within the industry for its attention to continuity and its collaboration with major artists across several series.
Key facts
Earl began contributing to Marvel Comics during a period of renewed focus on both legacy characters and diverse storytelling voices. He has been involved in the writing and editorial process for various titles that bridge classic and contemporary Marvel eras. His storytelling often emphasises moral conflict, legacy, and the human cost of heroism, themes that resonate with modern audiences while remaining faithful to the company’s traditional tone.
Curated & Hosted By:
Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience
don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day
