James (Yimin) Zhi is a professional Magic player and streamer from Shanghai, China. He has one Pro Tour Top 8 and four Grand Prix Top 8s. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Soos_MTG is a Magic content creator and artist from Italy. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Marshall Sutcliffe is the creator of Limited Resources (the premier Limited format podcast for Magic The Gathering) and Wristwatch Revival (a wristwatch restoration YouTube channel). Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Alex Bertoncini is a Magic The Gathering competitor who rose to prominence via the Star City Games tournament circuit. Alex was suspended from competitive Magic play in 2011, 2014, and 2019 - with the last suspension culminating in a lifetime ban. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Sam Black is a professional Magic The Gathering player with three Pro Tour Top Eight finishes. He runs a weekly Limited podcast called "Drafting Archetypes." Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
James Hsu is the creator of the Humans of Magic podcast. James is interviewed by Matej Zatlkaj, a Slovak Magic: The Gathering pro player and commentator. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Evan Ferrante is an actor, producer, and the World's Biggest Tom Cruise impersonator. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Kai Budde is a professional Magic The Gathering player. He was inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame in 2007. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Christian Calcano is a Magic and poker pro from New York. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
Seth, probably better known as Saffron Olive, is a full-time Magic content creator for MTGGoldfish. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic
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,...
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 motiv...
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 l...
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 ...
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...
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 a...
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 ...
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...
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 com...
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 - rat...
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...
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...
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 ...
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:...
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 ...
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 ...
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 -...
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 podcas...
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 p...
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 ...
