Humans of Magic

DeQuan "PowrDragn" Watson is a Magic YouTuber and content creator. 0:01:15 does DeQuan experience Magic content "burnout"? 0:03:47 the creator deckbuilding process 0:08:05 "I monitor everything" 0:10:46 don't do the same thing and expect a different result 0:12:57 DeQuan's creator origin story 0:16:44 on doing the work - streamer research 0:19:25 YouTube primary, Twitch secondary 0:25:56 YouTube monetization - celebrate it! 0:27:24 on being results-oriented as a creator, and finding your own way 0:31:02 growing on YouTube in the early stage 0:35:30 is DeQuan the same on-camera vs. off-camera? 0:38:35 things DeQuan tried that didn't quite work 0:41:06 the "PowrDragn" name 0:43:19 new Lord of the Rings set - general impressions 0:45:40 new Lord of the Rings set - race and representation 0:53:56 "how do we get out of our own heads?" 1:01:31 being a gaming nerd in black culture 1:08:51 DeQuan's upbringing --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Filipa Carola is a Portuguese MTG caster and content creator. 0:01:40 jack of all (Magic) trades 0:08:22 Filipa's creator origin story 0:16:20 on attracting a competitive audience 0:19:45 on changing goals, careers and countries 0:23:51 Filipa's evolution and approach as a caster 0:31:45 working with Will Hall and HarryMTG 0:36:38 how to grow as a streamer (at the very beginning) 0:44:15 Twitch vs. YouTube - community vs. virality 0:47:47 content creation as a full-time vs. part-time job 0:57:22 what's it REALLY like to be a female Magic player? 1:07:51 "I felt like an outcast" / paying it forward in a positive way --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Zan Syed is a game designer and entrepreneur. He was the 2019 Star City Games Player of the Year and Captain of Team Lotus Box. 0:01:15 reminiscing about Atlanta 0:07:48 Zan's multicultural background 0:12:21 how Zan's Magic journey began 0:20:14 the level-up process and mindset 0:26:35 on outworking the competition 0:30:52 why Zan is creating a new card game 0:42:02 making a new game - the challenges ahead 0:48:06 skill-based vs. variance-based game design 0:57:53 why Flesh and Blood (and Lost Ark) succeeded as games 1:05:20 lessons from the startup life 1:12:35 "Magic has the essence of something that needs to exist" 1:16:15 is Zan still involved with Magic? --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Mani Davoudi is an Esports and MTG Caster from Vancouver, Canada. 0:01:15 when James first met Mani 0:06:51 growing up in Vancouver, Canada 0:14:20 university life, ADHD, and lacking direction 0:25:21 getting out of a funk / leaving Magic 0:33:04 playing Magic with a new mindset 0:38:01 WINNING a Modern Grand Prix with some unlikely help 0:46:39 what Mani would tell his younger self 0:53:21 becoming a Magic caster 1:00:12 getting better at casting 1:06:07 preparation for Pro Tours as a caster 1:15:13 on putting the work in - and being a team player 1:20:56 future casting goals 1:26:59 Mani and Maria's new show - Desk After Dark --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sahar Mirhadi is a Magic player, games researcher, and founding member of the European Legacy Masters invitational series. 0:00:45 "can be heard before being seen" 0:05:57 Sahar's Iranian heritage 0:13:51 James's background and language talk 0:17:46 Magic origin story 0:22:26 a career in marketing (and why she had to leave) 0:30:53 going 9-0 in Day 1 of a GP 0:39:45 James's dalliance with Legacy 0:47:32 accessibility and representation in older Magic formats 1:06:21 on tying one's identity with an online persona 1:15:38 picking up a new Legacy deck 1:18:07 European Legacy Masters 1:31:33 the ELM task force model 1:41:00 regarding niche Magic formats --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Alex "KessWylie" Kessler is the CEO and founder of Kess.co, a kick-ass toy company. He is also a Magic creator and the host of the Masters of Modern podcast. 0:01:30 the "hourly rate in life" concept 0:06:57 Tik Tok is the new Yelp 0:08:41 Tik Tok 101 for creators 0:15:37 content evolution - effort vs. results 0:18:35 Alex's content goals 0:23:24 Alex's love for the Magic storyline 0:29:15 "podcasting has the ability to be freeform" 0:37:10 Lord of the Rings and 90's nostalgia 0:41:46 One Piece and the joy of expanded universes 0:46:44 fatherhood 0:58:44 Magic - Greatest Game Storyline of All Time? 1:10:58 how Alex sees things differently as a toy industry insider 1:18:37 The Lord of the Rings set for Magic 1:26:45 diversity and representation in the LOTR set 1:44:48 Alex's toy company - kess.co --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Hugh Watanabe is a Japanese-American pro basketball player who plays for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan's B.League. He is also an Olympian and a member of the Japanese National basketball team. 0:01:25 from Hawaii to Japan 0:08:37 transition from high school to college ball 0:12:19 fighting through mental setbacks and multiple injuries 0:21:35 a freak accident injury 0:23:56 getting into Magic The Gathering 0:26:38 Limited Magic is like basketball 0:33:10 American vs International basketball - cultural differences 0:39:09 fun stories from Japan 0:42:42 what Hugh has learned from his teammates 0:49:32 "everyone here is ridiculously good at Magic" 0:53:42 Japanese culture, applied to pro sports and general life 1:01:29 James really enjoys long distance running 1:07:13 Limited is the most skill-intensive Magic format 1:09:32 greatest basketball player of all time? (The GOAT) 1:17:04 looking forward to the future --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

HarryMTG is a Magic YouTuber. 0:00:37 Harry's self-intro 0:06:12 how Harry started making YouTube videos 0:09:29 the two millionaire brothers story 0:11:06 why Harry moved from Twitch to YouTube 0:14:47 influences - Ludwig and Mr. Beast 0:20:18 on being clickbait-y 0:24:04 how Harry stepped up his YouTube game - "it's like cooking" 0:28:12 the YouTube algorithm 0:33:09 creator goals, incentives and methodology 0:37:39 the Midweek Metagame podcast 0:43:10 podcasting with Gab Nassif 0:46:10 podcasting with Pat Robertson 0:49:37 learning Mandarin and (possibly) moving to China 0:53:17 the wonderful world of Bilibili 1:01:49 VR Chat as Mandarin practice --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Jimmy Wong is an actor, performer, songwriter, and mainstay on The Command Zone, one of Magic's biggest YouTube channels. 0:01:09 Tokyo vacation and thoughts on Japanese culture 0:08:45 Jimmy's Pro Tour Philly experience 0:11:23 James's traveling with cats story 0:17:50 actors living in major hubs like Los Angeles - a necessity? 0:23:18 how Jimmy landed the Mulan role 0:27:26 family influences - sibling rivalry, musical aspirations 0:34:02 Video Game High School 0:35:52 parenthood 0:49:11 "big picture" of social media and where we're headed 1:01:23 negative internet emotions = profit 1:10:12 looking back on the Game Knights legacy 1:18:30 evolution of Commander and Magic content --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sheldon Menery is the godfather of the Commander format and founding member of the Commander Rules Committee. 0:01:30 the convention-going experience - from Gen Con '93 to now 0:10:22 Sheldon's first encounter with Magic - Alpha Edition 0:14:29 why Sheldon joined the Air Force 0:20:47 what Sheldon learned from two decades of military service 0:26:09 Florida's fine dining spots 0:32:39 early Magic judging stories 0:47:11 working with WOTC folks in the early days 0:53:20 Sheldon's life philosophy 0:58:51 on recent health challenges 1:11:10 developing Commander with Toby Elliott and Scott Larabee 1:19:29 fork in the road - Commander vs. judging 1:22:20 Sheldon is a Shakespeare scholar 1:29:26 the moment when Sheldon realized Commander had "made it big" 1:34:25 what would keep Commander going for the long-term? 1:43:52 community engagement and amplifying voices 1:46:45 singing the praises of Rebell Son and Rachel Weeks --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic