Humans of Magic

Chase "Manacurves" Carroll is a Commander content creator and video editor. -- 0:04:00 nicknames and alts 0:07:25 life in a North Carolina college town 0:10:41 Chase's Magic collection / the Magic origin story / getting into Commander 0:20:33 funny deckbuilding gaffes / Kokusho and rules changes 0:26:37 personal backstory / Chase LOVES the "Dead or Alive" fighting game 0:35:30 path to content creation 0:44:53 Chase studied to be a social worker / being open with mental health 0:59:31 getting serious with Magic content / the art of collaborative deckbuilding 1:09:49 advice for creators: "do what feels right" 1:19:13 working with EDHRec / meeting the Command Zone crew / Post Malone & Joe Manganiello 1:40:27 putting yourself out there as a creator - pros and cons 1:52:19 on parasocial relationships 1:57:54 how Chase sees the future of Magic 2:02:55 rapid-fire questions - Magic wishlist, fave EDH product of 2022, "it's not for you" 2:18:58 Chase's love of the band "Ghost" -- opening track: The New Fools / We'll Do It All / courtesy of epidemicsound.com Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

We talk to some of the best Magic content creators in the business about... THE CREATIVE VOICE! -- 0:02:24 [Finding The Voice] Evart "aspiringspike" Moughon 0:06:24 [Finding The Voice] The Asian Avenger 0:07:54 [Finding The Voice] Rebell Son 0:10:59 [Finding The Voice] Pleasant Kenobi 0:13:02 [Finding The Voice] Sam of Rhystic Studies 0:17:09 [Authentic Voice] Taalia Vess 0:20:16 [Authentic Voice] Tappy Toe Claws 0:27:48 [On Speaking Out] Alan of Mental Misplay 0:30:05 [On Speaking Out] Pleasant Kenobi 0:33:59 [On Speaking Out] Veggie Wagon 0:37:06 [On Speaking Out] Tappy Toe Claws -- Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Jamie Topples is a Magic content creator and painter. Jon Rigatti is a Magic player and musician. Together, this incredible couple makes sweet Magic happen. -- 0:03:30 Jon is a musician / Jamie likes to sing and dance 0:11:29 Jon introduced Jamie to Magic 0:19:12 how Jamie started streaming Magic 0:27:15 Jamie's first draft and LGS end boss 0:31:44 Jamie's streaming motivation 0:33:08 Jon's current relationship with Magic 0:36:19 MTGO vs. Magic Arena 0:41:47 2020 meetups - Taalia Vess, Lady Lavinias, Ben Wheeler and Hunter Pence 0:46:20 "the last GP" and table talking with Jaberwocki, aka Logan Nettles 0:48:43 shout-out to Melvin the Muppet 0:50:59 how Jamie joined The Ponder Podcast 0:52:20 Jamie was a massage therapist / Steve Rubin / talking Magic at weddings 0:57:26 how Jamie and Jon first met (**MUST LISTEN**) 1:04:44 joint passions: music, video games, card games 1:07:48 sacred cows in Magic / Jamie goes IN on 17Lands.com 1:18:24 spontaneity makes Magic drafts great 1:20:05 balancing watchability vs. winning as a streamer 1:24:42 losing gems SUCKS - James can relate 1:28:07 Limited Resources, Marshall Sutcliffe and Luis Scott-Vargas 1:33:10 Jamie had a dream about Marshall Sutcliffe...as Hoard Dragon 1:39:26 the time Jamie registered 41 cards 1:41:08 Jamie does painting commissions! 1:48:50 Jamie's favorite band - Coheed and Cambria 1:52:58 rapid-fire Q&A -- opening track: Eoin Mantell / Whimsical Stroll / courtesy of epidemicsound.com Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Alex "Higher" Heyer is a content creator specializing in the Competitive Elder Dragon Highlander (CEDH) format. He is a member of the Playing With Power collective. -- 0:03:30 parenthood 0:10:54 communication as parents 0:16:05 Higher's social work and philosophy for mentoring youth 0:25:00 Higher's childhood / getting into Magic 0:36:24 how Yu-Gi-Oh influenced Higher's Magic deckbuilding 0:42:30 multiplayer Magic: threat assessment and brewer's advantage 0:52:24 getting better at multiplayer Magic & CEDH 0:57:19 high-level post-game CEDH analysis: does it exist? 1:03:55 why CEDH? it started with Selvala 1:06:12 embracing Kenrith in CEDH 1:07:54 playing online, leveling up and mindset 1:16:05 on brewing decks and leaving a deckbuilding legacy 1:21:20 value of human connection above value of content metrics 1:22:50 the point when Higher became a content creator 1:28:35 "competitive" EDH - what does it actually mean? 1:33:30 content creator advice for collaborating with others 1:36:34 joining the Playing With Power collective 1:41:57 collaborating with The Professor for Shuffle Up And Play 1:46:54 Higher's creator goals 1:48:40 current relationship with Magic 1:50:58 Higher is a beatboxer - the LIVE performance 1:58:06 Higher makes music 1:59:05 why "Higher" as the name? -- opening track: Matt Large / High Drama / courtesy of epidemicsound.com Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Rebell Son is a content creator, YouTuber, and UX designer. 3:20 playing 1v1 formats 8:03 on group-think and the need to play the cards to evaluate them 12:02 content creators are not incentivized to break formats 14:15 roots in the Modern format / competitive gaming issues 16:18 Rebell's first time playing Commander / playing Magic creates stories 19:02 attraction to puzzles 20:55 why Rebell gets angry as a gamer / Overwatch vs. MTG 25:30 Rebell's father 37:18 Rebell's mother 41:06 the concept of 'face' in families, the self, and Asian culture 47:14 on the complications of Asian-American identity 55:28 Rebell's accidental road to content creation: 1-minute CEDH games 1:04:37 breaking through: pushing the content 'envelope' further 1:10:19 expect the unexpected / experimentation vs. mastery 1:11:31 advice for content creators: "it's an endurance game" 1:23:37 Rebell's trans identity / the transition journey, as a creator and person 1:37:08 forays into the vtuber route: Rebell AI vs. human person 1:44:10 the intersection of business and content strategy 1:46:50 the "Untitled" project: it's all about the people 2:02:39 upgrading "Untitled": leveling up as a director and producer 2:07:31 more advice for creators: "always expect that this is NOT going to be the thing" 2:11:46 Rebell's relationship with the community / CEDH community evolution 2:20:51 Rebell on objectivity and problem-solving: go wide 2:22:58 what Rebell brings to the Commander Advisory Group (CAG) 2:30:05 the value of diversity of thought opening track: DJ DENZ The Rooster / Christmas Morning Cartoons / courtesy of epidemicsound.com Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Brian Kibler is a Magic Hall of Famer, pro gamer, game designer and broadcaster. 3:30 a day in the life of a Hearthstone streamer 7:02 why Brian has stayed with Hearthstone for streaming 14:48 how Brian views and experiences Commander 24:05 Post Malone convinced Brian to play Commander 32:09 James's first encounter with the Kibler playmat 37:07 there is a Brian Kibler impersonator out in the wild 40:02 Brian explains Live Action Role Playing (LARP) 47:20 what Brian enjoys about LARP 51:52 Brian's history with pets 53:49 Brian's current relationship with Magic 55:07 how Brian feels about the new Magic Organized Play system 58:38 Magic is not a spectator sport - it's meant to be experienced 1:04:19 how Brian feels about Magic coverage (or lack thereof) 1:07:28 competitive Magic has a marketing/content problem 1:12:14 Magic products should focus on the less competitive player base 1:14:28 removing the "Pro Tour" name was a big mistake 1:15:33 games are fun when they contain randomness 1:19:18 designing the "VS System" card game - and why it failed 1:23:11 why Steam's Artifact failed 1:23:41 game incentives: legitimacy vs. prize pool 1:27:28 Brian's greatest Magic tournament ever 1:28:50 how Brian feels about his Magic career 1:31:34 how Brian strengthened his mental game 1:34:40 Brian's Hall of Fame induction ceremony 1:35:26 the time Brian trolled Harvard college admissions opening track: Sture Zetterberg / Praying for Love (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of epidemicsound.com Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Alan of Mental Misplay is a content creator, kung fu practitioner, and student of gonzo journalism. 2:42 structuring content and accountability 10:10 streaming an EDH game: challenges & considerations 15:50 the hard reality of being a full-time creator 18:30 Alan's Magic and EDH origin story 24:35 Ramp Gang, Rebell Son and "let's record these games" 31:44 where Alan's showmanship comes from 38:41 did Alan play other constructed formats? 40:03 Alan breaks down CEDH and multiplayer dynamics 48:38 blurring the line between competitive and casual 55:42 the evolution of Alan as a player and personality 1:00:01 how the pandemic impacted Alan 1:03:56 Alan worked in sales for over a decade 1:09:00 Alan's parents 1:13:57 Alan's kung fu training and philosophy 1:29:25 James's forays into Buddhism and keeping an open mind 1:33:40 Temporal Extortion deck tech videos 1:41:27 the Mental Misplay aesthetic / Rebell is an innovator 1:45:52 gonzo performative chaos: doing floor coverage 1:57:39 Alan studied art, photography and industrial design 2:04:27 "breaking through" with content 2:08:55 Alan's mission: the travel and coverage show 2:22:05 the underlying motivation 2:32:10 has Alan ever performed stand-up comedy or improv? opening track: Jett Everill / "Different Times" / courtesy of epidemicsound.com Show notes: humansofmagic.com Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Michael Sinclair II is a tabletop RPG performer, voice actor, and Magic content creator. 2:30 intro / career aspirations 5:03 Michael's critique of computer science 9:11 Michael recently moved back to the Pacific Northwest 15:00 what Michael loves about the Pacific Northwest 17:56 formative experiences in the US Navy 24:55 exploring communities: kink, BDSM and marginalized folks 35:55 Michael's multicultural childhood 48:47 life coaching: experience & takeaways 1:00:05 how Michael feels about his identity and roots 1:03:40 how Michael became a content creator through Dungeons & Dragons 1:10:37 the process of becoming a D&D character 1:19:32 the voice acting origin story 1:23:26 Michael's source of empathy 1:26:06 family dynamics 1:28:28 Michael's D&D career highlights 1:32:06 what Michael would tell folks who've never played D&D before 1:38:44 how Michael got into Magic: "interesting and scary" / Rakdos gang 1:47:19 working with The Professor, Jesse and Skyler 1:52:51 Michael's creator progression & the future Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Taalia Vess is an actor and multimedia content creator. 3:06 intro 6:10 Taalia's coffee routine 10:26 Taalia's diet 11:27 life of a creator: upcoming events 12:53 Taalia is opening up her own LGS 14:57 from Twitch to Whatnot 20:48 what will Taalia's LGS be like? 24:39 leaving the comfort zone as a creator 29:26 authenticity 33:15 parasocial relationships 35:59 being around toxic and controlling people 37:27 how Taalia started making Magic content 42:43 Taalia was an actress 43:59 early streamer growth: how Taalia did it 47:42 finding a support network: then vs. now 50:01 being in male-dominated communities 53:24 the internet makes us misbehave 57:39 working with ZBexx and other female creators 1:02:37 is there an endgame for equality and equal representation? 1:08:13 being in control as a content creator 1:12:39 how Taalia deals with burnout 1:19:16 Hunter Pence and the witches store 1:23:23 first time playing Magic 1:24:46 Taalia loves anime and horror films 1:29:28 how Taalia got into the horror genre 1:34:27 Taalia wanted to be a model 1:39:25 k-drama talk 1:41:54 Taalia's anime recommendations 1:48:44 Taalia's watching these TV shows 1:54:29 rapid-fire Q&A: Pokemon, video games, fashion, dogs 2:11:34 why the name "Taalia Vess"? Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Ben Seck is an Australian Magic: The Gathering player and Creative & Game Design Director. Ben is one of the top Limited format players in the game, and the only player to have won a Grand Prix in Africa. 2:58 intro 7:24 Seattle vs. Barcelona lifestyle 14:47 career progression in the American tech industry 18:58 Ben's parents / Asian upbringing / finding Magic 23:16 landing on a game design career / nature of learning 27:46 Magic's rise alongside the early World Wide Web 35:53 ethical play in Magic 38:13 Australian Magic community 40:17 nature of offenses / societal rules / inclusion 47:38 casual vs. competitive gaming communities 51:25 what would cause Magic to fail 58:57 inside Wizards of the Coast 1:02:36 "Magic is one of the best ways to self-actualize" 1:09:14 game design goals / digital ownership / mental models 1:18:57 behavioral psychology of players / moral obligations in design 1:22:34 how to have BALANCED game discourse 1:30:14 "Magic is getting too expensive" 1:37:53 meeting Brian David-Marshall / boat ride with BDM / cooking competition 1:47:51 cooking origin story / game design gig at Upper Deck 1:52:26 game design aspirations: "auditioning" for Wizards of the Coast 2:01:52 biggest learning at Upper Deck: listen first 2:10:02 how Ben views EDH / Magic as game engine 2:19:53 creating Limited content with LSV and Marshall Sutcliffe: planning & execution 2:26:57 Marshall Sutcliffe is the BEST at what he does 2:33:52 takeaways from recording "reverse set reviews" Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic