Humans of Magic

Jonathon "Nikachu" Zaczek is a Magic YouTuber and Modern Merfolk Master. 0:00:10 who is Nikachu - from Merfolk master to all-around YouTuber 0:10:10 why Nikachu is so committed to Merfolk 0:16:00 difference in playstyle - Magic, poker and chess 0:19:45 edges to be gained in Magic from playing Merfolk 0:25:05 tournament notoriety and the YouTube tipping point 0:35:30 the YouTube endgame - how much is enough? 0:39:15 forks in the road - choosing to make videos above all else 0:45:09 on work ethic, time management, and complacency 0:49:44 "your number one priority is to make AMAZING videos" 0:54:21 shuffling PSA - mana weaving IS cheating 1:05:05 on controversy, hateful comments and why Mox Opal should stay banned 1:17:11 with platform comes responsibility 1:24:07 on the integrity of Magic judges 1:33:44 Nikachu doesn't like short-form video - here's why 1:35:56 why Nikachu is a 'lone wolf' creator --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Kupla is a musician, producer and Magic player from Finland. 0:01:20 who is Kupla? 0:05:52 how Kupla started playing piano 0:09:57 90's musical nostalgia 0:13:05 teenage musical style and influences 0:15:51 experiencing Magic The Gathering in Finland 0:21:04 James and Kupla grew up on 90's Magic (and InQuest Magazine) 0:25:22 the appeal of older Magic formats 0:31:59 making the transition to full-time musician 0:43:16 how to improve at making music? (the creative spark) 0:51:30 maintaining motivation // flow state 0:57:11 "growing and learning is quite painful" 1:02:46 Kuala's songwriting process 1:12:35 music as time machine // Smashing Pumpkins love 1:17:10 on balancing nostalgia and the future 1:19:42 on fatherhood 1:25:35 a musician's perspective on Spotify 1:29:58 the effect of technology and AI on creativity --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Eric "Efro" Froehlich is a Magic Hall of Famer and poker pro. 0:00:48 recent health situation 0:09:27 the day of the surgery 0:14:58 family reliance 0:21:50 after the operation 0:27:51 the role of memory - in life and Magic 0:32:33 loyalty, obligation and regret minimization 0:35:36 has Eric changed after this life-or-death experience? 0:41:51 Eric's online persona - "brick-wall defense mechanism" 0:53:24 a fateful conversation with Patrick Sullivan 1:00:03 looking back - Eric's reputation and legacy 1:20:53 what does it take to be great at Magic? 1:29:51 key people who helped Eric on his Magic journey 1:35:41 current relationship with Magic and WOTC 1:49:17 corporate governance - how things work at WOTC 1:53:38 Gab Nassif and the evolution of global Magic teams --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Justine Jones is an artist and illustrator. She started illustrating Magic cards with her Secret Lair interpretations of iconic cards: Reaper King, Sliver Overlord and The Ur-Dragon. For Magic art-related inquiries, including ordering Justine's artist proofs: Donald.Caltrider@gmail.com 0:01:00 moving from Baltimore to Philly 0:04:49 Justine and James are both avid runners 0:15:23 who is Justine Jones, the artist? 0:21:25 doing artist proofs during the pandemic 0:29:54 on dabbling in digital art and coloring 0:37:21 on being an MTG artist - "the Ur-Dragon IS me" 0:48:46 the initial Secret Lair assignment 1:00:02 Justine's creative 'arc' and artistic influences 1:13:05 Dark Souls and World of Warcraft 1:16:55 the Magic community is pretty darn cool 1:20:48 Justine interviews James 1:27:10 "I can't NOT do art" - on creative motivation 1:36:01 creativity involves consistent (and monotonous) output 1:40:40 open-ended creativity vs. art commission requests --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Elba is the creator of the Fazendo Nerdice ("Doing Nerdy Stuff") YouTube channel, which specializes in Magic and all kind of wonderful games. 0:01:00 YouTube channel origin story 0:08:56 psychology in YouTube 0:12:07 advice for beginning YouTubers 0:19:16 balancing a full-time vs. YouTube career 0:27:54 negative vs. positive content? "choose your words" 0:36:59 mindset and behavioral changes as a full-time YouTuber 0:48:27 avoiding burnout (is very hard) 0:54:16 Elba's secret weapon as a creator 1:00:29 the process of diversifying into different games 1:07:27 content (and life) goals 1:25:20 the Brazilian MTG community 1:44:22 WOTC, sanctioned events and the LGS eco-system 1:59:00 the state of paper Magic in Brazil 2:08:24 the story behind the Anson Maddocks interview 2:15:17 the 'Olá!' origin story 2:22:09 parasocial interactions --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Will Hall is an MTG streamer and caster. 0:01:30 the Ukraine stream happened by accident 0:09:36 legal drama with Will's 24/7 Ukraine stream 0:16:28 wanting to give to others - where does that come from? 0:23:10 on injustice and stopping robberies 0:27:18 how Will became a Royal Marine 0:39:09 the YouTube grind - what works, what doesn't 0:52:58 Will's caster origin story 1:00:35 life goals 1:10:23 grinding content - "consistency is the key" 1:15:07 James's Humans of Magic grind 1:21:26 Will's advice for James 1:29:36 Will's casting "low" 1:35:09 does Will have imposter syndrome? --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Anna Margaret is a scientist, cosplayer, and content creator. 0:00:45 setting boundaries and people-pleasing 0:04:06 from Disney party princess to content creator 0:08:48 on being bubbly and happy 0:11:41 science - and talent - runs in the family 0:22:56 postgraduate aspirations and forks in the road 0:28:44 misconceptions about content creation 0:33:51 people in Magic are awesome / representation in Magic 0:35:57 the initial creator "spark" 0:43:23 the cosplay mindset 0:52:10 internet virality and negative feedback loops 0:58:02 focusing too hard on "content" numbers 1:00:11 Anna Margaret's content goals 1:11:47 Star Trek fandom (impromptu Star Trek podcast ALERT) 1:35:45 what you want as a creator vs. what your audience wants --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sean Brown is a designer, musician and writer from Australia. 0:00:40 Sean's Australian-Filipino roots 0:08:33 spirituality vs. personal responsibility 0:14:02 current relationship with Magic 0:29:51 exploring a new career direction 0:40:01 "the progress is the point" 0:48:42 Sean's current career - the good, bad, ugly 0:56:52 James's current relationship with the Legacy format 1:00:38 on journaling and trying new things 1:05:08 Sean's music career and current artistic influences 1:11:23 today's music discovery process - is the mystique gone? 1:16:29 an alternative to "basic" content consumption - intentional curation 1:21:26 new AI technologies - ChatGPT and Midjourney - what does it mean for us? --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Lexi McQueen is a performer, world builder and dungeon master. She is known for her creative work in the Tabletop RPG space. 0:01:25 selfish vs. selfless Saturdays 0:06:01 growing up as a black Christian 0:10:56 how Lexi's parents influenced her 0:18:42 Lexi's current spiritual beliefs 0:20:49 optimizing for the self // this anime gets DEEP 0:26:12 hinge-points (forks in the road) 0:34:47 college 0:40:34 on coming out 0:56:00 religion as a community-builder 1:02:49 complicit participation in communities and platforms 1:12:06 why Lexi chose to be a TTRPG creator 1:17:03 commoditizing ourselves // internet sensory overload 1:25:43 why James is a creator 1:27:20 "taking back storytelling for myself" 1:31:17 how Lexi became a storyteller 1:43:38 subverting expectations as a Dungeon Master 1:50:40 leading a playgroup or campaign 1:56:54 being a queer black woman in the TTRPG space --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Michael "Cliffy" Clifford is a Magic player and full-time poker professional. 0:01:45 who is Cliffy - his Magic origin story 0:09:54 Cliffy and James's shared love of the Legacy format 0:13:25 how to learn (and improve at) Storm Combo in Legacy 0:21:35 Lurrus the Storm Combo GOAT! and other super-broken cards 0:24:20 dropping out of college to pursue full-time poker 0:34:54 poker level-ups - game selection and immersive study 0:41:14 working as a casino money-counter 0:52:02 worlds collide - rational vs. irrational gamblers 1:00:06 online vs. paper Magic - are they the same game? 1:05:58 on exploitative gameplay and "action" tells - in poker and Magic 1:13:23 game theory optimal in poker - what is it? 1:22:38 can a bot "beat" poker? 1:29:30 poker cheating accusations - Mike Postle, Garrett vs. Robbi --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic