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Humans of Magic
Humans of Magic

Humans of Magic

Conversations with the Magic The Gathering community. https://humansofmagic.com/

Available Episodes 10

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

Magic Con Amsterdam: June 28-30, 2024. 0:00 Intro 0:38 Why I went to Amsterdam 3:59 General experience 9:06 Notable moments 14:19 Memorable conversations 27:48 Takeaways Memorable conversations: - Justine Jones - Will Hall & Matej Zatlkaj - ZBexx - Josh Lee Kwai - Spice8Rack - Andrea Mengucci - Gabriel Nassif - Kai Budde & Jon Finkel - Rhystic Studies - Reid Duke

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

Sam, a.k.a. Rhystic Studies, creates videos about the art, history, and culture of Magic: the Gathering. 0:00 Intro 1:50 Podcast monologues, Twitter bios 7:31 Discord fan interactions 10:39 Recent interviews 14:08 On being a solo act 16:02 Collaboration opportunities 18:41 Creative choices and financial viability 21:17 The indie game developer 22:57 Hbomberguy and taking on epic projects 27:59 Confidence (and experience) trumps fear 34:29 Level-ups as a creator 38:21 "The guitar is the ultimate feedback machine" 41:26 Keeping oneself creatively honest 45:07 What Rhystic Studies is really about 47:57 On being misunderstood 49:27 Guitar talk 54:32 Heat in Austin, TX 56:26 Podcasting in one take 59:35 Productivity systems and removing friction 1:05:02 Planning for future events (and a wedding) 1:08:55 Getting security for events Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Rob Bliss is an artist and illustrator for Magic The Gathering. Rob is also a concept artist and has worked on productions such as Harry Potter, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Dark Knight. 0:00 Intro 1:00 Speaking engagements 5:08 How Rob developed his style 12:30 Early life as artist 15:23 Imitation breeds uniqueness 20:21 Strength of initial arrogance 23:34 "Making it" as a young artist 30:38 The 2000 AD comic book experience 38:29 Moving into concept art 39:29 Illustrating Magic cards 47:04 Phallic images - setting the record straight 59:32 "I'll quit something because I hate doing it" 1:04:36 On conforming as a creative 1:15:50 Working on the Harry Potter movies 1:21:43 Working with Guardians of the Galaxy 1:28:11 On humor and opening up to people 1:33:28 Playing records as a DJ 1:40:16 On public speaking Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

An introduction to the Israel-Palestine conflict with Spice8Rack, Magic YouTuber and political activist. 0:00 Intro 3:00 Ground rules and expectations 6:47 Resources - journalists 9:07 Resources - coordination 10:32 Resources - education 11:15 Resources - books 22:26 How do we know if a resource is legitimate? 32:12 How do we know if an influencer is legitimate? 40:32 Social media has real value (but use it wisely) 49:52 Be well-informed - and take action 53:10 It's okay to be emotional (on the internet) 58:59 Willful ignorance and team mentality 1:03:18 Why the Israel-Palestine conflict is important 1:09:52 Campus protests and institutional response 1:16:15 Student protesters should be commended 1:19:23 anti-Zionism vs. anti-Semitism 1:27:04 Scale of what's happening, business interests 1:35:46 Use of force - the Israeli state's position 1:44:59 Definition of "Nakba" 1:49:44 What needs to happen next? 1:58:25 Israeli government and American dependency 2:08:28 Managing expectations with the West 2:16:38 Final words - call for action --- Spice8Rack's recommended resources: [JOURNALISTS] - WizardBisan1 - on Instagram & TikTok - Eye on Palestine, Middle East Eye - on Instagram & TikTok [COORDINATION] - National Students for Justice in Palestine - on Twitter & Instagram - BDS (Boycott Divest & Sanction) - Palestine Action - Jewish Voice for Peace - Palestine Solidarity Campaign [EDUCATION] - Dr. John Duncan - "JohntheDuncan" on YouTube [BOOKS] - S. Englert - "Settler Colonialism: An Introduction" - R. Khalidi - "The Hundred Year’s War on Palestine" - S. Awad, & B. Bean - "Palestine: A Socialist Introduction" - B. Bashir, & A. Goldberg - "The Holocaust & the Nakba" - A. Lowenstien - "The Palestine Laboratory" - A. Davis - "Freedom is a Constant Struggle" - F. Fanon - "The Wretched of the Earth" - J. Abusalim, J. Bing & M. Merryman Lotze - "Light in Gaza" In the conversation, we referred to Kyle Hill as "Phil" -- sorry, Kyle!