Inkwell Looter

Get in the Vault

2012-01-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

In case you don't know about Innistrad's party rock, Doug Beyer explains the Helvault for ya.

What's youth culture like on Innistrad? It's got that special mix of hopelessness and bogus authority figures to spawn an incredible underground scene.

Make mine Markov.

2012-01-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Sister,

I trust that you are well and still a player of cards despite your previously expressed (and, as I said before, somewhat blasphemous) feelings on the werewolf mechanic of Innistrad. I have partaken of the checklist cards and find them to be quite sufficient. Ah, but let us not dwell on old rancor.

Rather, I suggest we rejoice at the coming of the so-called Dark Ascension. Many fine preview cards rampage through our lands and I find myself counting the days until the prerelease. In particular I'm looking forward to commanding Sorin, Lord of Innistrad so that I may reveal my freshly-hewn emblem:

Is your excitement similar, sister? Will you join the Markov?

Fondly,
Inkwell Looter

*****

Brother Inkwell,

I would like nothing more than to liberate your teeth with a tire-iron for again trumpeting your flippy-card claptrap while neglecting to ask about mother, father, the crops, the fire damage or my sickly quintuplets. Yet that image does much to stay my wrath. Is it real? How may I gain possession of an emblem such as this? Make with the details or write no more.

Faith Looter, Grand Representative of Gleepglorp Customer Service

*****

Sister,

I assure you, it's as real as Uncle Bruce's third nipple. Sleeved:

With creepy candelabra:

And here's a PDF for your printing pleasure.

From the grotto with love,
Inkwell Looter

Circle of Stuff: Black

2012-01-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

The first in a series of images I'm working on illustrating the colors of Magic. There will be five, eh?

Sleigh of the Wicked

2011-12-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

Hey, happy holidaze from the Inkwell Looter family to yours!

So, what does this card do? Is it an artifact that taps to give target vampire, werewolf and zombie haste and banding? Is it a creature that taps for "target player gains control of a permanent you control and takes 5 damage"? You probably can do better than that.

And here's the pun spoiler for those not in the know: Slayer of the Wicked.

Re-elect the Mayor

2011-12-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

I wonder what daily life is like in these terrible, monster-packed places where Magic takes place. Is there anywhere to buy stuff on Grixis? Are you just immediately flayed on New Phyrexia or can you chill a bit first? Who elects a werewolf mayor? What's his platform? Where does he stand with regard to the inappropriate influence of glaziers?

Worlds 2011 brain dump

2011-11-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

I’d intended to produce elaborate coverage of the Magic World Championship event in San Francisco last week but I feel the moment passing so will instead jumble together a bag of miscellaneous items from my sojourn in Magical Magic-land.

Out come the wolves
I had these aggressive token/business cards made right before Worlds and was pressing them upon everyone around me:

People seemed to like them. Some howled.

The Pro Tour
It’s weird to attend a world championship stocked with every big-name pro plus a healthy roster of hall-of-famers and have no frickin’ idea what is going on in the main event. Yet that was me and most of the civilians in attendance. The top 8 was shown on a big screen but the previous three days of competition took place behind barn-proof barriers and to spectate required a dangerous amount of neck-craning. By the middle of the day two I absorbed the vibe that Conley Woods had transformed into an invincible cyborg warrior. This surely had nothing to do with the freshly-available Conley in Bazaar of Baghdad token I drew for Channel Fireball:

... on the other hand, it didn't hurt! Otherwise, I chose to enjoy all of the main event coverage online back at the Grotto, pants off, drink in hand, as the Internet was meant to be appreciated.

For points and packs
The official side events I played were a big Innistrad sealed, a big Two-Headed Giant Innistrad sealed, and some Standard 8-player single-elimination quickies.

In the unlikely event that you find yourself in a big Innistrad sealed 2HG event I advise you to pack whatever answers you have for Invisible Stalker (Rolling Temblor, your own better Stalkers, etc). ‘Nuff said on that.

I almost never play Standard offline these days but at the eleventh hour I decided make a deck just in case. I shovelled together a $15 Standard goblins pile that was surprisingly well-suited to the 8-man metagame. Yep, this:

4 Goblin Arsonist
4 Goblin Fireslinger
4 Goblin Wardriver
4 Goblin Chieftain
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Stormblood Berserker
3 Spikeshot Elder
4 Goblin Grenade
4 Brimstone Volley
4 Incinerate
2 Galvanic Blast
19 Mountain
Sideboard: uhhhh ...

I have no delusions that this is a “good” deck but for that weekend at least it feasted on slow, defenseless prey. It also delivered several priceless opponent expressions of surprise/disgust after “turn one, Fireslinger, go.”

For kicks
My casual gaming experience at Worlds was a steaming platter of fun with a side of logistical headache. I got plenty of duels but bigger games like casual drafts and multi-player Commander were hard to come by. It seemed like people trying to get casual group games together had to scrap to extract participants from lucrative planeswalker-point-earning events. Or maybe *sniff* I don’t have enough friends? Anyway ...

Adam Styborski ended up being my casual game guide for the weekend. Upon arrival at the event site I met up with Adam to give him his snappy new cards and ended up in his Serious Fun column. I subsequently got in on Adam’s Ravnica block star draft and the Community Cube draft. Dude knows how to have fun.

I feel like a wide-eyed freshman in the cold halls of Commander having played exactly once before (at the Commander product release event) but I’d had fun stripping and rebuilding my The Mimeoplasm pre-con and was ready to see what was what. I give myself an ‘incomplete’ on this task. I had some satisfying one-on-one games but never found the cool Commander table. I’m sure it was there somewhere. Wrong places, wrong times.

Get your filth on
As for Filth Casserole, I’m afraid I get another ‘incomplete.’ I should have organized this a little beyond “hey, make a deck and find me somewhere in Fort Mason.” Regardless, I did get a bunch of games in against my buddy and the good news is that they were awesome! Here’s the Naya aggro-loamish-sweeperiffic list I ran:

1 Path to Exile
1 Noxious Revival
1 Edge of Autumn
1 Explore
1 Life from the Loam
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Lightning Helix
1 Naya Charm
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Firespout
1 Beast Within
1 Harrow
1 Tuktuk the Explorer
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Countryside Crusher
1 Seismic Assault
1 Swans of Bryn Argoll
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Stuffy Doll
1 Creeping Renaissance
1 Caldera Hellion
1 Worm Harvest
1 Wildfire
1 Predator Dragon
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Savage Twister
1 Arid Mesa
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Verdant Catacomb
1 Naya Panorama
1 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Grounds
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Temple Garden
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Treetop Village
3 Forest
3 Mountain
2 Plains

I’m going to continue working on the format so don’t expect me to shut up about it anytime soon.

Ookubo
It was incredible to see long-time 3-D card alterer Seishiro Ookubo’s work in person. For most of Worlds Ookubo displayed hundreds of cards while sitting behind his table meticulously cutting and gluing new work. His table was a pleasant oasis in the grindy Magic tournament chaos and all weekend long passers-by would stop and gaze at his table with slack-jawed wonder. Whatever happens with high-level organized play next year I hope that Wizards finds a way to keep Ookubo (and other artists/craftsmen) in the mix. His presence elevated the Worlds experience.

Peops
While all that other stuff was superb, meeting people from up and down the Magic community is the best thing about a big event like this. Attendees have tremendous access to the full cross-section of our great, big Magic family. I mean, I got to stand outside at the food trucks chatting and shivering with Mark Rosewater! The only negative here was all of the people I had near misses with or nodded “hi” to intending to circle back later but for whatever reason didn’t see again. If I name-drop all the cool people I got to hang with here I’ll end up feeling stupid when I leave someone out so let me just say that rad times were had and I wish I’d had time for even more.

In conclusion, I rate Worlds 2011 ten bittersweet Looter smooches (out of ten). Bittersweet because from now on Pro Tour events will be closed to the public. I’m glad I got to see the last one. Hopefully the new Grand Prix plan and further undisclosed organized play changes will preserve the concept of a big inclusive event that attracts the entire community. Hopefully I’ll see you there.

All class

2011-11-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

Some of the best to have ever turned 'em sideways:

Click to see bigger version

I'm glad that our game has players like these.

Here's a PDF if you want to print and use as player cards/tokens.

Order of the Fiery Pen

2011-11-13T21:44:00.000-08:00

They say that the pen is mightier than the sword. Yet others say, "How 'bout gimme BOTH!"

That there is a business card/token I did for Adam Styborski, writer of Serious Fun, Pauper Cube papa, new main man over at Gathering Magic (congrats, Adam!), and owner of one all-around sweet life. Adam will be flashing these cards around Worlds in San Francisco so be sure to seek him out. I'd yield my sword to him first if I were you.

Brass knuckles in an oven mitt

2011-11-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

BE THERE!

Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood.

2011-11-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

You smell that? Crisp night air heavy with the intoxicating aroma of fat, juicy, slow prey!

Wolf tokens are here. Join my pack.

Get the high-res PDF.

Get in the casserole, again.

2011-11-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

I wrote up a much more complete introduction to the Filth Casserole format which has been published by the fine folks over at Gathering Magic. The article includes reasoning, deck lists, fashion tips and more, and I urge you to check it out.

I'll be ramping up the Filth Casserole activity and decided I didn't want it distracting from the art focus of this blog. Thanks to Trick Jarrett of Gathering Magic for providing the platform. I'll be talking more about the format on my Twitter as well as the Gathering Magic forums.

Get in the casserole.

2011-10-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Recently I got a hankering down in my guts for a new Magic format. Something with the variety and freedom of Commander deck construction but, I dunno, easier to shuffle? Something unapologetically about the reduction of a single opponent's life total to zero. A juicy, non-rotating card pool that won't deck my bank account. Yeah, that's what I want. Now gimme!

At first I named it Impudent Goblin Highlander but the Looter marketing staff basically had a cow, so we changed it to something they felt would have more mainstream appeal: FILTH CASSEROLE.

Here's whatcha gotta do to get in the Casserole:

1. Decks are a minimum of fifty (50!) cards.

2. Decks can only have a single copy of a card other than basic lands.

3. Legal card sets and banned cards are the same as for the Modern format.

4. No sideboards.

5. All the other usual stuff applies. 20 life, mulligans, blah blah blah.

So, it's 50-card Modern singleton, yeah? I think a majority of the cards banned for Modern would be fine in Filth Casserole but I want to keep things simple. Version 2.0 might get some unbannings, but let's leave Jace in the cooler for now.

Filth Casserole FAQs

Where do I play this appetizing new format?

Anywhere you want, I suppose, but specifically at Worlds in San Francisco. I'll be there, stalking the hall with a Casserole in my oven mitts, looking for victims.

Additionally, I'm going to organize some MTGO sessions via Twitter. Stay tuned!

How will I recognize fellow Casserole chefs?

They will be clearly-labeled with the above insignia. Help yourself to this high-resolution PDF file, print and deploy. I'll post some examples of how to proudly display the Casserole insignia in the coming weeks.

OK, that's it for now, but expect more soon. Commence deck construction, and may all of your casseroles be filthy!

Civilized Nerd/Homicidal Jock

2011-10-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

See Michael C. Hayes' Civilized Scholar/Homicidal Brute here.

Once again, I impose the '80s teenage comedy logic. And we all know someone who transforms after a drink, right?

I like your shamble

2011-09-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

In the near future some of us will need 13 zombie tokens. Yay, right? And what better way to enjoy your sudden army of rotting meat than with 13 different Inkwell Looter zombie tokens. Count 'em:

Exhume the printable PDF here.

Gideon's Posse

2011-08-31T23:47:00.000-07:00

It was immediately after I finished this comic when the phrase "Gid-a-long Gang" came to me. Oh well.

Juicy tidbits

2011-08-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hey, no funny drawings today but wanted to comment on a few items:

LSV tokens
I drew illustrious professional magician Luis Scott-Vargas vacationing in an exotic locale (a land of our ancestors but I cannot recall its name) for Channel Fireball, who did it up bigtime by printing it on tokens. You can see a photo of them in this excellent column by LSV. The LSV cards debuted at Gencon and sat at real LSV's elbow while he casually made yet another Nationals top 8. And now they're available from Channel Fireball for free when you place an order. Sweet!

Card Kingdom visit
A Looter family trip had me chilling in Washington state this past week, including a couple days in Seattle. Now, listen to me people: if you are in Seattle do not fail to make your pilgrimage to Card Kingdom! That would be some intense failure on your part. Not only is it overpacked with every game you'd want, excellent displays, abundant play areas, private game rooms, Magic tournaments, etc. no, no, forget that dusty box of Skittles near the cash register, NO! Card Kingdom has a cafe right in the store with a fine menu of prepared food and adult beverages!

I showed up on Friday night as FNM was winding down and the place was a-rockin'. Dan Tharp of the Kingdom gave your humble shadowy internet personality some VIP treatment, showing me around and introducing me to locals. I got to see their impressive Magic singles backroom (they sell singles in-store and online) and beautiful fixtures hand-painted by CK's own Joe Vollan. There was plenty of Magic on the tables but the board games got a good workout too. I hung out with Magic community people I'd previously known online (shoutouts to Zaiem Beg, Marshall Sutcliffe and Ryan Spain), ogled uncut sheets of Guru lands, swapped war stories and generally floated on a cloud of awesome energy provided by the amazing venue. Seriously, check it out.

Sorry about the lack of images in this update. I suck at camera.

They also do windows

2011-08-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

Color pie lawyers: I know that blue is not really the color of chore matrices. But Jace just seems like that roommate, so please bear with a little bleed.

Looter Report: Magic at SDCC 2011

2011-07-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

I've been home from the San Diego Comic-Con for almost 48 hours yet am still waiting for my new digestive implants to fully absorb the husk. So while I float in this vat of regenerative goo I will dictate a ground-level account of the Magic element at the big show.

My Comic-Con experience centered on a table in the small press area where I peddled my non-MTG art wares. As such, I spent a lot of time planted there in a growing hobo-nest of food wrappers and promotional freebie trash. I darted out into the show when I could, but this report is far from comprehensive.

Booth
The official Magic booth was a modest affair crammed with consoles demoing Duels of the Planeswalkers. If you hung around long enough you could score an M12 sample deck. There was also a gigantic Jace statue, looking way mind-sculpty and not at all banned. That was about it. I heard some grousing about the minimal nature of the booth but having been personally involved in exhibits of all sizes at SDCC I understand that the lavish, goodie-laden mega-booths are often hungry furnaces that consume only money and dispense only garbage and sorrow. The Wizards approach these past few years seems to be to establish a floor presence focused on their most accessible product without turning the whole thing into a gold-plated foie gras jacuzzi limo.

Dealers
Despite the recent influx of Hollywood glitz a good chunk of the show floor is still a flea-market hodge-podge of collectibles merchants. There was a smattering of tables selling singles, boosters and pre-cons but nothing remarkable. If you need fixins for some post-con gaming you'll find what you need. It's probably not the best place to find an elusive card or an awesome deal.

Artists
On the other hand if you're after original art, artist proofs, signed cards and close encounters with elite fantasy painters then Comic-Con is it for you. My herky-jerky aisle-scrambling revealed impressive set-ups from Steve "Slave of Bolas" Argyle, Todd "Sun Titan" Lockwood and Stephan "Dark Depths" Martiniere. Plus Magic's Senior Creative Art Director (and one helluva painter as well) Matt Cavotta was in the house. Plus I heard I missed rk post and Christopher Moeller. I did not interact with any of these artists purely out of dumbstruck aww-garsh-ness! They were all very accessible.

Panel
The jewel in the crown of Magic at Comic-Con was the Wizards-hosted Magic panel on Friday night. This year's panel featured Matt Cavotta, Aaron Forsythe, Scott Larabee, Mark Purvis and Mark Rosewater. I enjoyed last year's panel (write-up here) and had circled this year's with red Sharpie flames in the Comic-Con program. I even wrote "¡Caliente!" next to it. Not to be missed.

So I started sweating comical oversized droplets when I showed up what I thought was a safe hour early and there were already hundreds of people in line. Quite different than the previous year, but in line (ha) with the overall arc of Comic-Con. Each year I hear more woeful tales of people waiting in line for hours to see a panel only to be turned away when there isn't enough space/oxygen in the room. The True Blood line was adjacent to the Magic panel line and those poor bastards looked wilted and hopeless, like they'd been robbed of their vitality by vampires and left with no choice but to queue up until they died. Now, Comic-Con works quite well for such a sprawling, resource-taxing event. Some of the panels simply attract larger audiences than can be accommodated. Still, it seems bad for peoples' convention experiences to be waiting in line all day gnawing granola bars only to have their dream of glimpsing the top of Robert Pattinson's hair crushed when they don't get in. It's possible that those lines are a clever crowd-control mechanism designed to keep the show floor from locking up at any given time, but as an exhibitor I'd like to see the sad line people and their wallets unleashed. Maybe some Disneyland-style spot reservation system? Science?

Anyway, the Magic panel line got lively when Mark Rosewater started working it--signing cards, shaking hands, posing for photos and chatting. When MaRo approached I said hi and handed him a Phyrexian buck. He stopped and we talked for a few minutes and I don't think I drooled too hard, and sheesh, NICE GUY!

The doors opened and I made it in. Whatta relief! I'm not sure how many didn't. Rosewater took the podium and led the crowd through an ooh-and-aah-inducing slide presentation of the coming products including From the Vault: Legends, Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas, Innistrad and Dark Ascension. For the substance of the presentation (including lots of spoilers) check out this summary by Greg Haenig at GatheringMagic.com. Innistrad feels nostalgic for me because some of the early sets (Legends, The Dark) had lots of classic horror flavor. In the Q&A Forsythe revealed that they'd be moving forward with the smaller-than-Legacy but non-rotating format Modern, which seems smart. As with last year, passion for the game was obvious on both sides of the microphone, from the Wizards guys and from the fans. They juiced the Q&A by giving out crazy prizes including a Worlds invite, an Arabian Nights pack, the original painting of the art for a future card and a Beta pack. The pack recipients giddily succumbed to the crowd's call to, "Open it!" And then, before we knew it, the excitement ended and we were flushed back out into general convention flow.

Gaming
A ballroom in the hotel adjacent to the convention center hosted open Magic and organized play all day and late into the night. I made it over for a chill-out mini-master (start with 2 packs of M12, 25 card decks, single-elimination, add a pack and increase deck size each round) after the show floor closed on Friday night. I lost in round 3. It was a relaxing time and just what I needed after a long day of art hustle (plus, hey, a Grave Titan).

Throughout the convention--in the game room, the panel, the booth--it was clear that many of the players were new to the game. Sure, there were the hardened vets nodding "obv" to each other but the quantity of wide-eyed questions and comments gave the impression that this was indeed the Duels of the Planeswalkers generation taking up the real cards. Old-timers on notice!

Procession
Wizards gave out a bunch of mana symbol shirts in all five colors and on Saturday they rallied a horde of beshirted Magic fans to march through the convention center lobby. I joined in despite not usually being a fan of chanting mobs. It was fun and light and ended with some trivia questions and giveaways. I correctly answered the question: "Who here has been playing Magic forever and is now super-old?" Answer: "Me."

Personal
Meeting cool people is the best part of these conventions and this one was a doozy. After reading his column and watching his coverage for years it was surreal to hang out with Pro Tour Historian and Raconteur Brian David-Marshall. I gabbed with Mike, Elicia and John at the Wizards booth. And several determined Inkwell Looter fans found me at my table where I proceeded to talk their ears off like an attention-starved lunatic who maybe was suffering from a poor convention diet. Only one person brought a card template for me to draw on (see right) but I enjoyed doing that one. Next time, people! Free one-of-a-kind art! O.K.

And now I must turn up my vat's nutrient drip to hasten my emergence from post-convention recovery. Good thing I have the new Kate Beaton book to help pass the time, way before any of you all will get it, nyaaahh! Looter out.

Looter at San Diego Comic-Con

2011-07-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'll be exhibiting at the San Diego Comic-Con, July 20-24. The items I'm selling are not Magic-related, but they're by me and also totally cool. You can read about what I'll have and how to find me at the show in this non-Magic post.

I'd love to meet some Looter fans, and if seeing my true, secret face is not enough incentive to get you to swing by, how about this: free, original drawings. That's right! In the land of six-dollar nachos I'm giving away one-of-a-kind artwork! Here's the deal:

1. Download (right-click, save) and print this PDF. This is my official convention sketch template.

2. Bring that paper to my table at the show. I will draw on it for you.

Restrictions: One drawing per fan. I will not draw proxies of actual cards. If I'm out getting coffee or whatever be nice to my tablemates. Whatever other restrictions I think of, blah blah blah.

That's it. Pretty crazy, huh? Nevertheless, I do not plan to wear a colander on my head. Meet me. Get art.

Standard Prison Blues

2011-07-10T20:33:00.001-07:00

Could I resist? No, I could not. Stay strong, Mr. The Mind Sculptor!

More substantial posts are in the works (including much more of the Spark House gang) but I've been buckling down for a little thing called the San Diego Comic-Con. Stay tuned for more details!

Close quarters

2011-06-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've gotten steadily more excited about the 2012 core set since the Gather Your Allies video appeared. I have interpreted allies to mean: roommates. More Spark House comics to come.

At your command

2011-06-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

I've kept my distance from EDH/Commander in the past. I'd regularly read articles about the format by writers I enjoy, but in general (har har) playing Commander did not fit into my personal Magic universe in any logical way. But I cannot escape the gravity of these Commander pre-cons from Wizards. Their hooks are in deep. So many cool cards. Must. So, I will cleanse my palate, remove my fancy hat and dive in.

Meanwhile, how about some Commander-oriented art items? Phelddagrif is a pretty popular general, or something, so I hear, huh? How 'bout a hippo token to lull your opponents into a cuteness coma:

You can print your own lil' green cuties with this handy high-resolution PDF.

Personally, I'm excited to try out Zedruu the Greathearted. But with permanents being donated willy-nilly, it seems like there should be a way to see which ones are gifts from the antelope. Some kind of marker to make the battlefield read well and hey, it wouldn't hurt to remind the other players who specifically is their daddy. Something like:

Print out some Zedruu gift markers from this high-resolution PDF. And if you see me at the launch party, be gentle!

They don't call me 'the Greathearted' for nothin', boys!

NOTE: If the PDFs aren't working when you click on them you might want to try right-clicking and "Save Link As." For some reason that's working better when I try it. I'll investigate.

Use your illusion

2011-06-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a Meloku illusion token I did for the Third Power podcast. Anthony and Usman, the show's hosts, think more about MTG cube before breakfast than you've thought about breakfast in your entire life, or something. They live cube, OK? Give them a listen.

Praetor? I hardly know her!

2011-05-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

New Chillaxia

2011-05-06T00:16:00.000-07:00

Not sure a bro-speaking Beast Within is what this world needs but I guess I'm willing to check. I'll have more New Phyrexia goodies for you in the weeks to come. Here's a PDF if you're inclined to use the bro within for your beast tokens at the prerelease.

And to really celebrate the Phyrexian victory in style see:

32 Jaces

2011-04-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

So, places one through fourteen of Grand Prix Dallas all played four of the big blue planeswalker. This prompted Ted "the Pageview Sculptor" Knutson (who knows a pool of gasoline when he sees it and always carries matches) to publish this doozy calling for a ban. Then the internet turned inside-out, goats gave birth to cats and there were seven days of blood rain. Teeth were gnashed. Some good rebuttals were written during those days of pandemonium (see Alexander Shearer, Lauren Lee). I maintained sanity by scrawling out these thirty-two Jaces.

Everybody say "yeah" (a lot)

2011-04-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hey, I had a great time talking with Justin Treadway on the most recent episode of his Super Friends podcast. I say "yeah" too much but I also say a bunch of other stuff and so does Justin and so, yeah, check it out! Yeah.

Wrap it before you tap it.

2011-04-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Check out my sexy, new card box:

Note: there are not actually any Looter sleeves. It is just a graphic.

We make the Great Work work!

2011-03-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

For some background see this, this and this.

What are Phyrexian Monitors? I don't really know. To me it looks like they do the low-level tasks that are the backbone of any insatiable, virulent society. They keep the flesh flowing and the vats bubbling. And who values unity more than a Phyrexian? All will be one.

This got me thinking about how I consume the flavor and story of Magic. I'm a big fan of the material, of course, which I absorb through the cards as they cross my path. The resulting loose tapestry of characters, places and narrative makes a strong impression but is riddled with gaps. "Who's this guy?" "Who actually won this war?" "Why do Monitors have popsicle-stick teeth and no eyes? And do they have dental, vision, collective bargaining power, etc?" Yes, those are some sweet, juicy gaps.

The gaps offer me two paths:

Research it further if I am sufficiently intrigued. Fun.

Fill the gaps with my own imagination. Also fun.

It's a kick-ass way to be submerged in a fantasy world. I wouldn't be as thrilled by Magic's flavor if I had the full picture. What I get via the cards piques my interest and inspires me.

I appreciate that the flavor writers sweat the details backstage to make a consistent, coherent world and then judiciously distribute tantalizing nuggets of that work to the cards. I'm a big fan of Doug Beyer's weekly journeys to flavor country. And I hope that these creators would not be too appalled if they happened to see some dude from the internet tweaking and re-interpreting their creations for his own weird kicks.

Not a morning(tide) person

2011-03-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

See Jim Nelson's original faerie rogue token here.

Like a lot of us, faerie rogues are not at full speed the second they fall out of their Bitterblossom. I sure have a touch of summoning sickness this morning. I was up late, partying with Oona.

But seriously, when your battlefield is laden with faerie rogue tokens it might help to have a special token for the new recruit with a hangover. Here's a high-resolution PDF. Keep the shades down and the coffee flowing.

Summoning sick faerie rogue token idea was proposed to me by two great Magic thinkers: Alexander Shearer and Arthur Halavais.

Bird is the word

2011-03-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

I think that this is the first time I've illustrated a specific deck's key interaction (also the first time I've used a dip pen in a while, if anyone out there is interested in how I make this sausage). That deck is of course the Stoneforge Mystic/Squadron Hawk/swords blend that propelled so many to the top in Paris including Ben Stark for the win then shortly thereafter helped Gerry Thompson nab the cup at SCG DC. Some call the deck "Caw-Blade," and I've also heard "Angry Birds." Whatever the name, this is one sublime pile of cardboard.

Back when M11 was new someone from Wizards (possibly Aaron Forsythe) asked the community via Twitter to name their favorite card from the set. Without hesitation I repsonded with Squadron Hawk. I therefore demand credit for all of the card's recent success. I kid, but there is truth in my love for the birds.

This deck has great appeal beyond the usual pack of control freaks. Aside from just being good it makes great use of two lovable mechanics: tutoring and equipment. Who doesn't like flipping through the library to find just the right card for the job? Who doesn't like turning mice into monsters with reusable gadgets? Soulless monsters, that's who.

If you are a devotee of the Hawks then you should most definitely order up Justin Treadway's excellent S.H. team shirt.

Bag of miscellaneous items

2011-03-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

I should have a post with some new art up for ya in roughly the next 24 hours, give or take, depending on the tides and the benevolence of the overlords. In the meantime, I have a bag of miscellaneous items that have been gathering on the edge of my drawing board.

1. Check out Magic Pro Tour historian Brian David-Marshall representing Inkwell Looter on Day 1 of the recent Paris Magic Weekend, while his coverage partner Rich Hagon looks on!

This was amazing for me since the passion and ability Rich and Brian bring to their work are what made me care about the Pro Tour in the first place. Plus it's like I got to be a part of the biggest match in Magic history, kind of! Paris! See more Paris coverage and the Unfinished Business player-of-the-year shirt.

2. Remember these Wurm tokens I did for the Yo! MTG Taps guys? They've been handing them out at events but now you can get them here (while supplies last).

3. I'm a guest judge of the Second Chance for a Prerelease contest over at Quiet Speculation and am kicking in one of the original pen/ink drawings from my site for the prize pool. Step right up!

Ugh, my voice

2011-02-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

Robert and Chris from the Men of Magic podcast lured me from my grotto for an interview. If you want to hear me ramble about art and passion and blogs and stuff ... check it out.

Trade ya my Koth for your Brad?

2011-02-21T07:33:00.000-08:00

For a few years Wizards was putting pro player cards into tournament packs (or were they still called starter decks at the time? I don't remember) to promote the faces of the Magic Pro Tour. These went away after a few years but people use them as tokens, and I always kind of liked the idea of kids trading to get the "Jelger Wiegersma with the red-striped sweater" or whatever, so here's an Inkwell Looter pro player card for your 2010 Magic Player of the Year. Nicely done, Mr. Nelson.

If you're inclined to print 'n' play, here's a high-resolution PDF with the card front and back.

My life as a weapon

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

The weaponized boogers of Mirrodin Besieged are depressing. These sad sacks have no choice in the matter--they exist only to wear the diabolical technology of Phyrexia. They do not go home to chill with their germ families and friends. They cannot decide to go back to school or become a paralegal. If only they'd been spawned with a single point of toughness! They could have the carefree life of a plant or a goat. But no, their role is to sit behind the controls of a low-level war toy, wiggling their fetal arms and hoping for the sweet release of oblivion.

Download and print this high-resolution, printable PDF of the germ token to bring the bummer to your own battlefield.

Also, I still have some of the limited edition of myr pattern prints available, but they're going semi-fast. Don't miss out.

We got wurms!

2011-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

The fellas behind the excellent YO! MTG Taps podcast wanted some special business cards. We got to talking and ba-da-boom here we have some Inkwell Looter-designed Wurmcoil Engine tokens featuring the hosts of YMTGT, Joey and Bighead Joe.

These are hot off the presses and in the hands of the Taps boys. More details will emerge soon about how they might be transferred to your very own hands.

Class up that game cave with some art.

2011-02-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

My Twitter followers (@inkwell_looter) got a sneak peek of this a couple weeks ago: a small screen-print I made of my myr tile pattern. Now they're for sale.

These prints were each made by hand using the Gocco screenprinting system. They're 5"x6" on high-quality, textured art paper. The ink is bright red and each print is unique due to the mercurial (but awesome) printing process. This is a limited-edition print. I've signed and numbered 25, which is all that I will be selling.

SOLD OUT! Thanks everyone. I'll do another print sometime soon.

Here's the print in a not-quite-the-right-size frame I had laying around (not included with purchase, ha). I think it looks pretty nice:

Your acid sacs are beautiful in this light

2011-01-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of overheated rhetoric from the Mirran-dominated media lately, regarding the so-called "invaders." They say that Phyrexians are villains, the "bad guys." They characterize Phyrexian partisans as overfed suburban cowards with boredom-induced death fetishes.

Let's take a step back from that, everyone. We all have rights on this artificial plane. Different does not mean evil. Phyrexians put on their biomechanical patchworks one appendage at a time, like anyone else. They love their vat-children. So the next time you meet a Phyrexian, try to see the world through their eyes or eye-like structures and extend a friendly hand. At worst you'll be reconstituted in service of the Great Work (not so bad, really) and, who knows, you might just make a friend.

Should this design be on a t-shirt? Do horrors wear t-shirts?

Unfinished Business, the shirt

2011-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted a design promoting the big Magic Player of the Year grudge match in Paris. And now it's on a shirt! You can buy one!

The shirts are available in a variety of styles and sizes. They're printed and shipped as they're purchased by a company called Spreadshirt. The printing technique used for print-on-demand does not produce as bright or durable results as traditional screenprinting, but I ordered a test shirt for myself (see photo) and I declare that it's a fine choice for repping the big show in Paris. I actually tweaked the colors a bit brighter in the design and reduced the design size a bit after seeing the test shirt. The ones for sale now should be even better. So, proceed to the Unfinished Business Player of the Year shirt store!

Hey big fella, can't you do anything right?

2011-01-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

So: Phage the Untouchable playing cards with Marit Lage and hazing the latest one-hit wonder, Blightsteel Colossus.

The online grumbleverse has been hazing the ever-lovin' necrogen out of the big fella too. An overflowing smorgasbord of violations includes flavor, elegance, power-level, historical precedent, playability, story, melodiousness and on and on. The outcry seems disproportionate to me, but I guess this is what happens every time the designers decide to ruin the game forever.

I will admit that the healthy colossus debuted during a time when I was chilling in the void with Tanihwa, so some of the cultural impact is lost on me. For me, Darksteel Colossus was one of the M10 mythics you didn't want to see in limited. Still, I dunno, new guy seems cool. I'm curious to see what he does in the wild.

And I am certain that a generation of kids will open their first packs, see this card, and be infected for the rest of their lives.

Casual Friday

2011-01-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I make tokens that correspond to hot, new cards. And then there's today.

When Marshall from the Limited Resources podcast (a must-listen if you play limited) mentioned needing bribery counters for his Gwafa Hazid Commander deck I tried to resist. But it was as though Gwafa himself compelled me, with his icy stare and bags of money. Whatever you say, sir!

First attempt:

A sack of loot with Gwafa's traditional insignia: a bored and irritated eye.

"Everyone has a price!"

Then I decided I wanted a counter with more heft that provided that distinctive clink of under-the-table commerce. So I cut some fabric from an old t-shirt, bundled up some pennies and tied it off with some bright thread. Now I'm bribing with style!

"Yo ugly, go buy yourself something nice ... like a new face!"

"No time to attack or block. I gotta get to Hot Topic before they close!"

Here's a printable, high-resolution PDF of the first version. The second version will take a bit more work on your part.

With Gwafa out of the way, I remembered that ages ago someone requested Sand Warrior tokens to go with Hazezon Tamar. I don't know, what the hell is a Sand Warrior? Good old Legends! Hey, whoever you are, is this what you had in mind?

And then we went to the beach.

Here's the high-res, printable PDF. Looter out!

I got myrs for years

2011-01-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Started with one ...

Then it brought some pals ...

... and now it's out of control.

So yo, WotC, let's get together and make some premium Mirrodin neckties!

Oh, and for everyone with printers and scissors, here's a high-resolution PDF myr token sheet and a similarly high-res myr pattern sheet. Get to work!

When control thugs cry

2011-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

I thought my new tattoo looked badass but the fellas are now calling me Jace Face so I might have to get it zapped.

More substantial posts soon. Been working on stuff.

Unfinished business

2010-12-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed some Worlds coverage this past weekend. The top 8 broadcast entertained (despite the overwhelming Jace-iness) as I'd gladly listen to Rich Hagon and Brian David-Marshall narrate a slow day of ice fishing. It was satisfying to see Grave Titan finally claim its obvious place of dominance, dropping meat all over the field.

And then there was all the Player of the Year excitement. Go read the mothership coverage if you want the details but basically Guillaume Matignon's win tied him with Brad Nelson in the standings. The tie will be broken by a single match between them at Pro Tour Paris. Almost three months to plan for and promote a single match! Wizards should be talking to Michael Buffer.

UPDATE: You can now get this design on a shirt. Check it out.

Get in the vat.

2010-12-02T23:10:00.000-08:00

Mimic Vat (original card art by Matt Cavotta here)

Not entirely sure where this image came from. I guess I have a habit of re-casting cards as elements of a wacky teenage comedy. Or maybe I was thinking of Phil Foglio's Ice Age jacuzzi Sulfurous Springs? This much is certain: I drafted a Mimic Vat online a few nights ago and every time the tub got hot I cackled, "Get in the vat!" at the creature I wanted. When a vat party happens across the table you best make with the Shatter.

(Won the draft, B/G infect, Sylvok Replica gone wild in a Mimic Vat, 8 more packs for clan Limited Resources! VAT PARTY!)

Turkey Myr

2010-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

Inkwell Looter wishes you a happy Thanksgiving, and hopes that your dinner does not have infect. And thanks for all the support with my lil' blog here.

For example: Jim Baker of South Bend, IN went down to GP Nashville and brought along his Inkwell Looter supplies. He played a GP bingo card with his friends and then got it signed by excellent pro card slingers Brad Nelson and Conley Woods. Check it out:

Thanks for sending this, Jim!

We like the cards with the cars that go BOOM!

2010-11-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

A survey of goblin hot-rods: Oxidda Daredevil, Boggart Ram-Gang and Goblin War Buggy (original card art by Pete Venters, Dave Allsop and DiTerlizzi).

Tigra, Bunny and I all like the cars that go BOOM. The artists clearly had fun with these card images, but maybe had to ride the brake a bit to keep from turning out full-on Ed "Big Daddy" Roth hot-rods.

And Boggart Ram-Gang is one of my favorite creatures of all time -- the epitome of aggro. Mmm, all of those 3's ... power, toughness, mana of either color who cares, just pay it (or better yet Bloodbraid it) to send a hasty block of muscle hurtling across the red zone. Oh yeah, wither too ... yes. Sweet ride.

Also, if you're one of these sickos playing a Kuldotha Rebirth deck, I once made a trio of rock 'n' roll goblin tokens you should probably get. They're from back when three goblins were a siege-gang but are suitable for any occasion that requires some little, red rockers.

Do the robot

2010-11-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing serious, just having some fun with myr. As I've been having fun with Scars limited. Losing a lot, but having fun.

Here's a mana myr hypothetical situation for you:
You're given a Scars of Mirrodin limited pool with two obviously good colors (equal number of playables in each), 3 useless colors (no playables) and a bunch of playable artifacts. You have access to as many of the common mana myr as you want, like basic lands. How many myr and how many land do you play in your deck? I realize that the situation is a little bogus, but I'm still curious to hear what you think.

Nice pecs but that shoulder magma could use some work.

2010-11-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Oof, Koth, I mean, don't you Vulshok ever, like, exfoliate? Because those glowing fissures are gonna make me retch if I look too close. Yeah, yeah, I know you're into rock and ore and all that crap but appearances matter if you want people to take you serious -- what's that? You're dropping five loyalty? Mountains do whaat???

Once his emblem hits the table Koth can planeswalk the hell over to a bangin' pool party on Ravnica he heard about 'cause this duel is done!

Here's a high-resolution PDF. Print 'n' destroy! And to complete the set, check out the official Looter Elspeth and Venser emblems.

Phyrexian fashion invasion

2010-10-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

Contagion Clasp (original card art by Anthony Palumbo here)

This card has given me a fearsome bout of Johnny-itis. I badly want for those pincers to hold together an abusive proliferate machine but so far it's amounted to toothless, counter-diddling nonsense. If you have to play me in the next couple of weeks, please understand, it's a sickness. Try to summon a little patience for those of us who must Grindclock + Bloodchief Ascension. Just close your eyes and think of Jace. Victory will be yours shortly.

Oh, and here's what that lil' bastard looks like with a face:

Speaking of counters, Adam Richards sent me these photos from a Scars of Mirrodin release event at PBKW Comics in Cornelius, NC:

That's Jason Hargett (of screamingenergy.com) uncomfortable with his sudden wealth of Phyrexian poison bucks. Thanks for sending the photos, guys!

Venser, the Sideburner

2010-10-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

You just subtracted eight loyalty from your pretty-boy planeswalker but your opponent barely flinches. What's with this guy? Has he not read Venser? Does he not comprehend the inescapable control cocoon in which he's been so thoroughly wrapped?

No. You need to drop the emblem:

BOOM! Target opponent just proliferated in his pants.

Here's a high-resolution PDF. Don't ultimate Venser without it! And for those late to this whole party, here's an Elspeth emblem for ya too.

More like Cute-refax

2010-10-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

Chimeric Mass, Fume Spitter and Putrefax (original card art by David Palumbo, Nils Hamm, and Steve Belledin)

This isn't the first time I've noticed a subtext of monstrosity romance in a new set. Or maybe it's just me. Scars of Mirodin certainly has a high percentage of creatures that look like wads of gum rolled in trash. Nothing wrong with that.

This week while I was daydreaming about hot, sloppy, horror-on-horror action I got a package of awesome items from Dan Tharp of Card Kingdom including this bonkers playmat and set of clockwork squirrel tokens by artist Joe Vollan. Check it out:

Whaaaaat? Dan, Joe, you guys made my week!

That's all I've got for now, but more Scars fun is on the way. Otherwise, if you want some high-quality, cute-as-hell plant tokens to aid in the avenging of olden Zendikar, those are still quite available.

Every Rosewater Has Its Thorn

2010-09-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, congratulations to design chief Mark Rosewater for completing his nearly decade-and-a-half quest to bring poison back to Magic. He must have felt like some kind of badass last weekend as planeswalkers across the land got the toxic beatdown. Kudos!

Unable to leave the Looter Grotto for a pre-release, I had plenty of time to consider the aesthetics of poison delivery. So, if you're not feeling the stock "green swirls" poison counter, I have a couple of options for you. First, straight cash poison:

Yeah, homie, you just took damage from one of my bugs, so take the money.

Here's what it looks like to be rich and dead:

Here's the poison money PDF for your printing and cutting pleasure. I could only fit six on a page at the proper size, so you're going to have to print two if you actually want to close the deal.

But if you're an infect connoisseur with a flair for the dramatic nothing compares to the relentless ticking of the Inkwell Looter Poison Clock.

This is gonna look sweet in that little alcove in the downstairs hallway ...

... but should we be concerned about the snake hand?

*URK*

And here's the PDF for the clock, with some hastily written instructions included. Even if you can follow the instructions, you really just need to figure out a way to stick a clock hand on a clock face in a way that it rotates nice and smooth.

NOW GO FORTH, INFECT AND PROLIFERATE!

Attention Khalni Gardeners

2010-09-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

THESE ARE NOW SOLD OUT, but you can still download and print your own here.

I had these plant tokens done up by a professional printer. Bright color, heavy paper, rounded corners ... the works. They're real nice. I gave a bunch away at GP Portland but have leftovers. So I'm selling them here while the gang is still Khalni gardening and avenging Zendikar.

The meta-game

2010-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

How many will you spot at your next major Magic event?

... but seriously, I had a fantastic time at GP Portland, playing cards and meeting people. I was going to write up a comprehensive report laden with wit and misplays but it's a week after the fact and Scars of Mirodin is breathing down my neck and I'm going to let a snide bingo card be the statement.

Dream big, little Jace.

2010-08-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

Even the mightiest of planeswalkers has to start somewhere. Based on Ryan Pancoast's original Mind Control card art.

And in unrelated news, I got a bunch of these plant token business cards printed up real nice:

The worst day skyfishing is better than the best day working

2010-08-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Kor Skyfisher (original card art by Dan Scott here)

Some days you wake up, look in the mirror and realize that you're down a deep well of late-blooming Kor Skyfisher infatuation.

I've been wanting to post decklists because everyone loves decklists and I love these particular deckslists -- and they both have 4 Kor Skyfisher. I'm sorry. It's a sickness, but I like it.

You know the feeling. Blissed-out comfort with a deck, the nuances that materialize through familiarity, little surges of love each time you cast a faithful old spell. Maybe it's not the most powerful list or the best overall choice, but you know what it takes to pilot it to a win. You've got one-ofs that make no sense to anyone else yet you know in your bones that it's right. And you just like to listen to the engine hum. That's where I'm at in Pauper and Standard. The pauper deck is actually very good against the relevant matchups with a well-tuned sideboard and a lot of maindeck catch-all cards to mop up the randoms. The standard deck, well, it's a tier down, but it's been excellent in the uneven landscape of MTGO's tournament practice room. I know, weak, but hey, that's love!

PAUPER:

4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Aven Riftwatcher
4 Guardian of the Guildpact
4 Wall of Hope
2 Blind Hunter
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Twisted Abomination
4 Pestilence
4 Castigate
4 Unmake
3 Wrench Mind
1 Grim Harvest
4 Kabira Crossroads
4 Terramorphic Expanse
3 Orzhov Basilica
2 Bojuka Bog
6 Swamp
5 Plains
Sideboard:
4 Duress
4 Echoing Decay
3 Prismatic Strands
2 Benevolent Unicorn
2 Leave No Trace

STANDARD:

4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Emeria Angel
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Student of Warfare
4 Pilgrim's Eye
2 Sun Titan
1 Baneslayer Angel (exactly how many I own)
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Path to Exile
2 Adventuring Gear
2 Brave the Elements
1 Journey to Nowhere
4 Arid Mesa
4 Marsh Flats
4 Tectonic Edge
2 Gargoyle Castle
10 Plains
Sideboard:
Leyline of Sanctity plus a fluctuating bunch of situational removal

Let's split!

2010-08-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick custom ooze token update here. The idea originated with some Comic-con nachos.

Get the printable PDF, make like an ooze and split.

... and her sister, Shauna Farman.

2010-08-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Fauna Shaman

Not much to say on this one. When the card was first spoiled my first thought was, "Awesome." My next thought was, "She seems like a classic pet hoarder."

See Steve Prescott's original card art here. Or see a bigger, differently-cropped version at the end of this Mike Flores article.

Indestructible gold star

2010-07-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

The latest kerosene poured on the community bonfire: emblems. It's a new thingie to clutter up the command zone representing an in-game rules change. The only card that produces an emblem is Elspeth, Knight Errant. But ... what does an emblem look like? An emblem must have a visible, physical representation. What happens the next time I ultimate my Elspeth? Do I add a penny, a peanut, a scrap of paper with emblem scrawled on it, to my command zone? I have no frickin' idea how I will remember that my stuff is indestructible! AAaaaaaahhhh!!!!

Hush. The Looter has it covered:

You did it, buddy! Thumbs up!

Here's a high-resolution PDF, so that you can print a big, gaudy emblem for all of your Elspeth-maxing needs. And if you ever slap this thing down in a game, please take a photo of your opponent's bewildered expression and send it to me.

Otherwise, I had the opportunity to be breathed upon by 150,000 fellow nerds ...er, popular arts enthusiasts ... at this year's San Diego Comic-con, and particularly enjoyed the Magic panel. Alex Shearer posted an excellent summary (with photos) of the numerous announcements and spoilers. On the qualitative beat, I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the Wizards guys. It should come as no surprise that they love the game but to see their excitement about upcoming products and their obvious concern for the player experience in person reinforced my feeling that this game is in good hands. And I was similarly impressed by the players who asked reasonable questions throughout the audience Q&A, traditionally a brutal, unbearable, awkward component to panel presentations. Shearer noted the support group confessional way that all of the questioners introduced themselves, giving their names and personal Magic histories up front. This was hilarious but also somewhat heart-warming. Everyone there had a lot invested in Magic and great respect for the guys on stage. Except for all of the bored significant others fiddling with their smartphones. And those of us seething with EMBLEM RAGE.

Bash Brothers

2010-07-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Manic Vandal and War Priest of Thune

I'm highly appreciative that the official MTG style guide now mandates enter-the-battlefield destroy effects be depicted with spiked bats. And like some other Bash Brothers, these two seem to have ingested some powerful, uh, dietary supplements. Can't wait to play some M11 limited with these sluggers.

See the original card art for Manic Vandal by Christopher Moeller and War Priest of Thune by Izzy.

My other phylactery is a dirty Econoline van.

2010-07-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

If you're seeking a bold t-shirt choice for an upcoming Magic event, allow me to suggest the following design:

Get it here.

Keep Magic weird

2010-07-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Juggernaut

An Alpha original is back in M11 with new art and flavor text. Good ol' Juggs ... it sets me rolling on a destructive trip down memory lane.

When I started playing, back at the dawn of this game, cards were not readily available. I was lucky enough to purchase the last three starter decks in town and for a while my friends and I cobbled together games with that extremely limited pool. Eventually more cards were printed and I was able to play against a friend with cards of his own. New cards I'd never seen before! In those days there was no visual spoiler. In fact, Magic debuted a couple years before web browsers became widespread. Imagine that! Sure, I tried to trawl UNIX-based message boards for card info, but the card pool beyond my own was essentially mysterious. So I was mentally unprepared when my pal paid 4 to drop a relentless machine that bashed away quarters of my starting life total until there was none left. It was a formative moment, a stark lesson in price, power and tempo. We played the hell out of Juggernaut for years.

When I saw that there was new Juggernaut art I had to turn it into a real moment. Poured a beverage, dimmed the lights in The Looter's Grotto, put on an appopriate playlist (Judas Priest, Turbonegro, Andrew WK, etc), and called up the Magic Arcana with Juggy's new face. After soaking it in for a while I concluded that I don't get what is being depicted and I love that! A pinecone and a VW Bug had a baby in a zombie mosh pit. Weird and awesome!

I have a lot of affection for the art of Alpha. The riot of styles, straight-laced depiction alongside bizarre abstraction, and the seeming lack of overall direction made for a scrappy, memorable experience. After the game's initial success there was an effort to sand off the rough edges and standardize the look. This led to sets with more traditional fantasy art, restricted palettes ... boring. There were still highlights, you know, Mark Tedin never went away, but my memory of those middle years is of muddy, bland card art.

But then someone in charge got it and a beam of hot light parted the gray. That period gave way to the current era of strong art direction married to risky, fun, and weird art. Each new set blows me away. Beautiful painting! Art that tells stories! Humor! But the key for me is: weird. Give me those images that perplex, disturb and stick in my memory. Keep Magic weird!

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and Mark Hyzer for this crazy, new Juggernaut.

Want the original drawing?

Looters draw but they also discard, so I'm giving away the pen/ink drawing for the Juggernaut piece above. How do you win?

1. Follow me on Twitter.

2. Post a comment below including your Twitter name and some original flavor text to go along with the drawing. Whatever you think goes best with the drawing. Humor is not mandatory but will probably help.

If I like your flavor text suggestion the best I will send you the drawing. Contest ends July 16 at noon PST. Any questions?

Welcome to the Jungle

2010-06-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

Next up in the 0/1 token series:

PLANT!

I sleeved some up:

... but then I had to equip my Trusty Rusty Exacto and go all papercraft on it:

I'm hoping for a strong goat presence in Scars of Mirodin.

Here's a high-resolution PDF file of the plant tokens. Print and enjoy!

Didn't see that coming

2010-06-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

Seismic Assault

I've always been partial to Seismic Assault (along with its ancestor) and am hoping it has a brief surge of relevance in the newly-announced Extended format. Oh, that was quite an announcement, huh? We, the Magic community, gliding along, la-di-da, Archenemy, yay, M11 spoilers, feelin' groovy, tra-la-la BAM! LAVA FIST! And then 24 hours of speculators chain-chugging foul energy drinks while trying to lock up every underpriced Mistbind Clique they could lay hand or mouse on.

Having never really had bandwidth for Extended, I like the change. Previously, if an Extended GP happened in my backyard I would not play in the main event. With the more digestible card pool, I might.

See Greg Staples' original card art here.

TT and the Grunts

2010-06-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

"Have you seen them live? Halfway through the gig the lead guitarist disappears and comes back as some kinda freaky stone golem thing! Yes way, man!"

Yeah, I made some custom goblin tokens. Now that's a Siege-Gang that knows how to party!

UPDATE - Here's a high-resolution PDF to download if you want to print and use these tokens:
3 goblins token PDF
Print 'em up on some nice paper, cut 'em out and game!

Piles of lettuce

2010-06-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

Vengevine

I didn't want to let all the mythic rage pass unmentioned. Without getting into whether mythic rarity is good or bad, it's clear that people aspiring to compete in Standard now must be a lot more aware of their own personal collections of little, green rectangles.

See Raymond Swanland's original card art here.

Don't be an Arrogant Bloodlord

2010-05-27T11:13:00.001-07:00

See the original Arrogant Bloodlord with art by Mike Bierek here.

Arrogant Bloodlord's flavor has amused me, in that "equip Reinforced Bulwark with Warmonger's Chariot" sort of way. So, it's a 4/4 badass knight that dies to a plant token, with the silly flavor text: "I would rather take my own head than be thwarted by a presumptuous wretch with a shield and a dream." He rides around on a big ant. Is "arrogant" the right word for this? Maybe it should be Ludicrous Bloodlord? It's vexing.

Yet ... this odd mish-mash of flavor did remind me of someone. Who, who, who ... and then it hit me: this same guy rage-quitted on me last night in MTGO! So, bravo, Wizards! You've perfectly captured the demented persona of the card-slinging crybaby who believes himself to be superior to all yet constantly loses to perceived bad beats. I love this card.

Heartbreaker of Bala Ged

2010-05-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Beastbreaker of Bala Ged

"Helloooo, ladies. Uh huh. Yeah, that's right, these aren't gym muscles. Maybe you've noticed all the broken beasts around here, in Bala Ged? I did that. But I can also be oh-so-gentle."

See Karl Kopinski's original card art here.

Oops, you fizzled.

2010-05-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Counterspell. See Mark Poole's original art here.

The original Counterspell art always cracks me up. Not only is this wizard failing to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but he is an absolute fashion emergency. Between the mullet, triple-prong goatee, garish Marvel comics ensemble and egregious over-accesorizing, the statement this art makes is cautionary: "Don't be this schmuck mage who gets his crap countered!"

And I thought of Counterspell because I've been playing a bit of my favorite eternal format, pauper. Here's the list:

4 Mulldrifter
4 Aven Riftwatcher
4 Calcite Snapper
4 Counterspell
3 Mystical Teachings
2 Soul Manipulation
2 Force Spike
2 Doom Blade
2 Agony Warp
2 Remove Soul
1 Wail of the Nim
1 Into the Roil
1 Grim Harvest
1 Echoing Decay
1 Disfigure
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Capsize
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Bojuka Bog
2 Esper Panorama
1 Dimir Aqueduct
10 Island
4 Swamp
1 Plains
SIDEBOARD:
3 Duress
3 Vedalken Outlander
2 Benevolent Unicorn
2 Prismatic Strands
2 Echoing Decay
1 Coffin Purge
1 Serrated Arrows
1 Negate

It works well but I'm thinking about an aggro alternative for when I'm not in the mood for an hour-long match.

Pimp My Brood

2010-05-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

I love 0/1 token creatures. Plants. Goats. Even a homunculus, sometimes. So you know I'm all over these Eldrazi spawn. I decided to make myself a new, custom token:

Yup, this Eldrazi rolls deep:

UPDATE - Here's a high-resolution PDF to download if you want to print and use these tokens:
4 Spawn token PDF
Print 'em up on some nice paper, cut 'em out and game!

Auras: now with 100% more "suck it!"

2010-04-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I played in a Rise of the Eldrazi release event on Sunday, and decided ahead of time that I'd illustrate whichever card stepped up as the MVP of my sealed pool. I went 3-1 with a lot of help from ...

Drake Umbra. See Howard Lyons' original art here.

It was my first chance to play with this set, and after shucking/sorting the boosters the strange, new landscape left me woozy. When the fog cleared I chose a black/white build heavy on removal and levelers. I had some spawn action in two Dread Drones and a Corpsehatch which made me feel OK about including a tag team of cheaper Eldrazi: Crushy and Artsy. An Evolving Wilds and Prophetic Prism prompted me to ask the pool: is there anything off-color here worth splashing? A card with only a single colored mana in its cost, good for mid to late game, with enough pop to justify mussing up my land a bit?

A large chunk of wins came from the singleton splash - some loser creature suited up all sleek and blue, burying the opponent's earthbound defenses in mountains of steaming drake feces. And that's why Drake Umbra was my Old Spice Player of the Game!

Othwerwise, I was able to cast the bigs when I got them, but they only came up a few times and were quickly neutralized. Runner-up MVP was Gloomhunter. It turns out flying is still pretty good!

I like this set a whole lot.

Eldrazi love triangle

2010-04-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

It That Betrays (with special guest appearances from Hand of Emrakul and Kozilek, Butcher of Truth)

Aww, Kozilek! You fell for It, and then It annihilated your heart. But come on, Kozi, baby: you shoulda known better than to fool around with It That Betrays in the first place.

See Tomasz Jedruszek's original art here.

Chopped liver

2010-04-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

Serra Angel

Why is she so pissed? I don't read angel swear runes, but I suspect it has something to do with the new girl.

See Douglas Schuler's original art here.

What am i doing here? Who are you guys?

2010-04-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Bestial Menace

See Andrew Robinson's original art here.

And here's a standard deck list I've been gaming with:

4 Bestial Menace
4 Conqueror's Pledge
4 Overrun
4 Rampant Growth
4 Trace of Abundance
4 Wildfield Borderpost
3 Path to Exile
2 Wolfbriar Elemental
2 Pilgrim's Eye
2 Martial Coup
2 Day of Judgment
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Ajani Goldmane
1 Sigil Blessing
4 Khalni Garden
4 Stirring Wildwood
6 Forest
6 Plains
sideboard:
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Luminarch Ascension
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Day of Judgment
2 Celestial Purge
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Path to Exile

Ain't no artifact like a continuous artifact cuz a continuous artifact don't stop.

2010-04-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

A couple takes on Winter Orb:

See Mark Tedin's original art here.

Winter Orb was one of my first rares, and one of the first cards that made me think, "This game right here might just be craaaazy."

And I hope someday Wizards prints a polar bear, say 2/2 for WW, with "When Runeclaw Polar Bear enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact." Give the polar bears their revenge!