Humans of Magic

Raphael Levy is a Magic Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Toulouse, France. He holds the record for most consecutive Magic Pro Tours played. 0:00 Intro 0:43 Playing 90-plus Pro Tours in a row 9:40 Happiness, finding balance 13:38 How Raph’s PT streak ended 19:05 Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) journey 28:20 All-in…or all-out 31:18 BJJ mental game, big guy vs. small guy theory 40:26 How Raph ran his first marathon 53:42 State of today’s competitive Magic 1:03:42 COVID-19 and the Magic Pro League 1:09:23 Magic vs. parenthood

Maria is a Magic competitor and streamer based in Germany. 0:00 Intro 1:20 Content creator origin story 5:52 Competitive gamer origin story 9:42 Discovering Magic The Gathering 12:31 Success in competitive Magic and the gender barrier 20:17 The Venus and Mercury League (VML) 25:14 Misconceptions about VML and inclusiveness 31:42 Maria’s stream audience and how she focuses 40:11 Creator goals and finding balance 50:20 A Magic family 59:57 The Queen of Midrange 1:07:19 Balancing content with family duties 1:10:13 Peer recognition from other creators

Arthur King is a Chinese-American Magic player based in Shanghai, China. Arthur's podcast is called "The BingKing Podcast." Find it at https://www.youtube.com/@LookitCrows 0:00 Intro 1:03 Arthur’s origin story 8:53 Playing Magic during college 13:35 Moving to China 17:49 Getting into Commander 22:07 A fork in the road 29:09 Dancing in public spaces 36:14 Why Arthur stopped drinking 44:30 Life in China (as an ABC) 48:56 People want connection 54:23 Happiness 1:00:11 Has data ruined everything? 1:05:40 Doing hobbies for the wrong reasons 1:13:44 Building Commander decks 1:17:32 Nobody cares about the Magic story 1:21:00 Magic’s failure in the China market 1:30:17 Shanghai EDH rocks 1:33:12 How Arthur would fix Magic 1:38:45 The Magic social contract 1:41:55 Magic needs to be more watchable

Sierkovitz is a Limited Magic aficionado, data analyst and host of the Magic Numbers podcast. He is a long-time collaborator with 17Lands.com and focuses on making data accessible to Magic players of all skill levels. 0:00 Intro 0:35 Biggest trap with using data and win rates 9:56 Content creation goals and norms 17:51 “Limited is just a very small field” 22:03 The audience for advanced Magic data analysis 30:21 About the Companion mechanic 35:16 Advice for novice or returning Limited players 52:31 Building vs. playing Limited decks 56:54 If you’re frustrated with Magic Arena or losing in general, do this 1:02:37 Common pitfalls (that players can’t get out of) 1:06:55 Giving Sam Black his flowers 1:11:05 Where is the ultimate introductory course for Limited? 1:19:21 Positioning Limited in physical and digital Magic 1:27:51 Are we in the Golden Age of Limited? 1:30:52 Sierkovitz’s Magic origin story

Niv Shmuely is a Magic player and medical doctor from Israel. He has played in three Magic Pro Tours and the World Magic Cup as a member of the Israeli team. 0:00 Intro 3:30 How Niv got into competitive Magic 7:37 Pro Tour Valencia and the flood 11:50 Worlds Team Tournament - Israeli national team 15:52 Med school, Legacy format, COVID years 18:34 Pro Tour Philadelphia 24:23 Challenges to being an Israeli Magic pro 27:08 How family shaped Niv's Magic career 35:05 Why Niv chose med school (and changed careers) 43:37 Prague, Amsterdam and European transport 48:10 Present Israel situation, October 7 memories 55:57 Putting October 7 into perspective 1:04:54 Israel's military retaliation 1:12:00 Western reactions - now vs. Oct 1:19:05 American public sentiment towards Israel 1:24:40 "Hamas is not a government" 1:29:34 Be well-informed, thoughtful and supportive 1:36:32 Negotiation challenges 1:40:16 What needs to happen to achieve peace? 1:46:39 Anti-Zionism and anti-semitism 1:56:50 Palestine needs a state

Justine Jones, a notable figure in the magic community, joins an impressive lineup including Hall of Famers like Jon Finkel and Kai Budde, along with influential voices like Gabriel Nassif and Reid Duke. They share memorable moments and conversations from their time at Magic Con Amsterdam. The discussions emphasize the importance of community, personal connections, and the excitement of rekindling passion for Magic. The group reflects on fan interactions and future engagement plans, celebrating the deep ties within the magic scene.

Gabriel Nassif is a Magic Pro Player and Hall of Famer from Paris, France. Interview was recorded at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, during Magic Con Amsterdam. 0:00 Intro 0:54 Pro Tour Amsterdam and Worlds 3:52 Tournament recap - key decisions 7:18 Fond Amsterdam (and PT) memories 12:07 Getting back on the Magic grind 15:01 Streaming competitive events 16:35 Thoughts on Magic organized play 19:17 What keeps Gab motivated? 22:13 Playing basketball 27:37 Gab’s brother, American sports, Lebanese culture 32:59 Goals for second half of 2024

Kurohitsuki is a Magic content creator and streamer from Buffalo, New York. Interview was recorded at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, during Magic Con Amsterdam. 0:00 Intro 1:10 "Kurohitsuki" name and persona 7:15 Kuro's background 10:32 A very special gift 11:27 Becoming a creator 14:58 Favorite creature type 18:13 Getting into Commander and Spelltable 21:57 Deckbuilding - "I'm a Vorthos at heart" 28:04 Favorite Commander of all time 31:33 Favorite Magic card of all time 38:16 Creative consistency - finding balance 44:58 Reaching one's potential 48:43 Wrapping up 2024

ZBexx is a Magic content creator and cosplayer from Portland, Oregon. Interview was recorded at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, during Magic Con Amsterdam. 0:00 Intro 0:57 Exploring Amsterdam and Dutch culture 6:11 Traveling as a Magic couple 8:35 Choosing a Magic content lane 11:19 Branching outside of Magic 16:09 Keeping up with Magic set releases 19:12 Positive self-talk, confidence, role models 24:02 Hardest time as a creator 29:22 Dedication to the cosplay craft 32:19 Fan feedback and connection 34:06 Birds of Paradise 36:57 On working with brands 40:43 Lorcana at major conventions 44:04 Disney sponsorship - what if?

Vitalii "V" Ponomariov is a Ukrainian Magic player, LGS owner, and IT professional. He currently lives in Lviv, Ukraine. V and I first connected in 2022 when he shared his perspective on Ukrainian Magic on the Magic The Gathering Subreddit. He introduced me to his friends in the Ukrainian Magic community, which allowed me to make the Humans of Magic feature "This Ukrainian Life." I am fortunate to have V on again to tell his story. 0:00 Intro 1:03 Opening an LGS in Ukraine 8:03 Ukrainian Magic scene 18:56 Outlaws of Thunder Junction...in Lviv 26:40 Finding meaning in an existential threat 35:52 "It is a luxury to be able to prioritize myself" 41:22 Russia, geopolitics, destroyed opportunities 51:51 The indecisive West 1:00:41 Magic and tabletop games as mental relief 1:02:59 Music, creativity, guiding principles 1:10:20 "Fear of Missing Out" in Magic 1:18:54 Lord of the Rings and Universes Beyond Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic