[Podcast] "Humans of Magic" -- interviews with players about life & Magic. [Archive]

Plague Sliver

06-07-2016, 05:49 AM

http://i.imgur.com/cdMPaN9l.png

I'm excited to launch a brand new podcast that's been lurking in my head for awhile: Humans of Magic.

HUMANS OF MAGIC: THE BOOK

The book! (COMING SOON) (https://humansofmagic.com/book/)

HUMANS OF MAGIC: THE PODCAST

Subscribe on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/humans-of-magic/id1122286222?mt=2)

Soundcloud page (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic)

THE GUEST LIST

Dan Signorini (https://humansofmagic.com/2017/12/23/humans-of-magic-interview-series-dan-signorini/). The People's Champ. Creator of "Team America" and living legend in these parts.

Martin Juza (https://humansofmagic.com/2017/11/05/humans-of-magic-interview-series-martin-juza/). Hall-of-Famer. One of the greatest Limited players ever.

Noah Walker (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/noah-walker). Legacy grinder, best known for his finishes with Grixis Delver and 4c Control a.k.a. Czech Pile. Gold Level pro.

Tifa Robles (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/tifa-robles). Founder of Lady Planeswalker Society, ex-WOTC employee, gamer extraordinaire, mother.

Will Jonathan (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/027-will-jonathan). Sports psychologist, mental performance coach, and Channel Fireball contributor. Writes about how to mentally excel at the game.

Christian Calcano (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/christian-calcano). Well-known NYC grinder. Finished 2nd at GP Seattle in 2015.

Kai Sawatari (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-025-kai-sawatari). Legacy Storm player with 4th and 17th places at GPs.

Wilson Hunter (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-024-wilson-hunter). Co-host of "The Brainstorm Show" podcast. Several Legacy GP Top 8s and SCG Invitational Top 16s.

Roland Chang (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-023-roland-chang). Mr. Vintage AND Legacy World Champion. Roland's pretty good with the Eternal formats.

Matt "sdematt" Pavlic (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-022-matt-pavlic). Source regular, lover of Siege Rhino, and a true card pimp. Also...power to Porsche.

Gerry Thompson (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-021-gerry-thompson). Gerry is a very, very good Magic player.

Bob Huang (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-020-bob-huang). The 2015 Legacy Champion! Mr. Bob Huang popularized the infamous UR Delver deck with Treasure Cruise, as well as the original BUG Delver with Lilianas and Abrupt Decays. You may have seen those decks before.

Michael Bonde (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-018-michael-bonde). Danish Gold Level pro. 2013 Bazaar of Moxen Vintage champion. Legacy Grand Prix Top 4 with Death and Taxes.

Damon Whitby a.k.a. Parcher (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-017-damon-whitby). Dredge specialist and one of the elder statesman of the 1.5 format.

Alex Majlaton (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-016-alex-majlaton). Affinity specialist and player from the Maryland area. 26 Pro Tour appearances and 8 Grand Prix Top 8's.

Jonathan Alexander: Part 1 (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-013-jonathan-alexander-part-1). Part 2 (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-014-jonathan-alexander-part-2). Part 3 (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-015-jonathan-alexander-part-3). Creator of Grinding Station and 24th place finisher in Grand Prix Prague.

Mike Turian: Part 1 (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-011-mike-turian-part-1). Part 2 (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-012-mike-turian-part-2-life-at-wizards-of-the-coast). Hall of Famer. One of the best Limited players ever.

Bryant Cook (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-010-bryant-cook). Creator of The Epic Storm and one of the original 1.5 players from Syracuse, NY.

Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-009-paulo-vitor-damo-da-rosa). Hall of Famer and one of the best ever.

Rodrigo Togores (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-008-rodrigo-togores). Dedicated Storm specialist and winner of 2016 Grand Prix Prague.

Ben Friedman (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-007-ben-friedman). 3 GP Top 8s, 2 Pro Tour Top 16s, 1 Pro Tour Top 32. 150 Lifetime Pro Points. He plays Legacy.

Thomas Enevoldsen (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-006-thomas-enevoldsen). The Death and Taxes master. 2 Legacy GP Top 8s (including 1 win), Magic World Cup winner, 13 Pro Tours played.

Anh Dao (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-005-anh-dao). Good friend of mine from the Bay Area. Legacy Grinder and Elves enthusiast.

Caleb Durward (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-004-caleb-durward). Remember Vengevine Survival? Yes, Caleb broke the format.

Travis Woo (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/humans-of-magic-episode-003-travis-woo). Magic Thinker and Content Creator.

Julian Knab (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/humans-of-magic-episode-002-julian-knab). Best Legacy Elves player on the planet. Eternal Grinder and Co-Creator of the Legacy Mediocre League.

Jarvis Yu (https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/001-jarvis-yu). Jarvis knows Legacy. Legacy GP Seattle 2015 Winner. Legacy GP Columbus Top 8.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

Traditional Magic: The Gathering podcasts discuss the game itself. What deck should I play this week? How will the new set change the metagame? What happened last weekend in Grand Prix X? Should I invest in card Y? There are a number of podcasts that conduct this analysis exceedingly well.

I'm taking a different approach by focusing on the players themselves. Every player has a story -- their background, origins, and motivations. Every player has goals and experiences to share.

Humans of Magic will focus on highlighting the players' journeys and how they came to be who they are. The game is only the starting point, but conversations can and will flow in multiple directions. The goal is to learn from each guest and hopefully give the audience some new ideas as well.

In some ways, this is a continuation of my book about Magic. In my writing, I shared my personal struggles and experiences with the game. I feel that I've written enough about myself. Now I want to tell other players' stories.

I'm new to podcasting, so I will need lots of feedback on the content in order to improve. I promise that I will get better with time.

THAT'S IT!

Thanks for reading (and listening!).

James

Plague Sliver

06-07-2016, 05:51 AM

Reserved for future updates.

Julian23

06-07-2016, 06:27 AM

I still feel so stupid about my "best Magic experience" answer. OF COURSE it was Team Euroswags 2 week US raid with my friends. Amazing time, would love to do it again! :-)

Plague Sliver

06-07-2016, 10:37 AM

I still feel so stupid about my "best Magic experience" answer. OF COURSE it was Team Euroswags 2 week US raid with my friends. Amazing time, would love to do it again! :-)

We DEFINITELY need a part 2. I haven't even asked you about Mario Kart and Yoshi!

Don't feel bad about missing out on that mention, you've got too many awesome memories.

Stuart

06-07-2016, 10:38 AM

This sounds awesome! It's always good to see another podcast that's less about (e.g.) how to cast Brainstorm, and more lifestyle-oriented. I'll add it to my rotation.

Parcher

06-07-2016, 12:14 PM

Woo. Yu. Hsu.

I'm sensing a theme. No, not that one. Well.....yes that one. But alliteration was what I was referring to.

Plague Sliver

06-07-2016, 12:37 PM

Woo. Yu. Hsu.

I'm sensing a theme. No, not that one. Well.....yes that one. But alliteration was what I was referring to.

You're on to me!

Seriously though, I'd love to know what you think. And knowing that you have an illustrious Magic past, maybe we could even set up a 1:1...

Parcher

06-07-2016, 01:31 PM

You're on to me!

Seriously though, I'd love to know what you think. And knowing that you have an illustrious Magic past, maybe we could even set up a 1:1...

Well I love me some Jarvis. So I will give a listen later. It seems a weird site to be blocked at work. I am probably one of the only ones on The Source that's been playing as long as you.

Stuart

06-07-2016, 03:14 PM

Any chance that you'll be putting this up on Itunes, or is Soundcloud the only option?

Parcher

06-07-2016, 05:11 PM

Listened to the Jarvis one. I loved it! Exactly as described. The whole interview was about Jarvis. And while the central theme of the interview centered around Magic, it wasn't about Magic. It also spilt the difference between a structured questionnaire and a stream-of consciousness conversation between friends perfectly. It was a bit long, but I feel that's necessary for what you want to accomplish with these.

One complaint, and one concern.

The opening intro was pretty bad. The deep announcer's voice with the ultra slow diction made me almost turn it off before I realized that it was just an intro, and not the structure of the interview itself. You were very involved and upbeat throughout the entirety of the discussion, and that short opening was the opposite of that.

My only concern is that Jarvis is a friendly acquaintance of mine, which gave me interest in most of what was said. I don't know that I would have kept interest in the breadth of personal topics covered if it was someone I didn't know or care about. I have no solution for this, just being honest. The appeal of these might get lost on the MtG public in general, since they're not really "getting" anything applicable to the game out of this two-hour podcast. Jarvis is a bit dry, and maybe a more effusive personality who is a stranger might keep me engaged otherwise.

Plague Sliver

06-08-2016, 12:27 AM

Any chance that you'll be putting this up on Itunes, or is Soundcloud the only option?

I will definitely be putting it up on iTunes soon.

The opening intro was pretty bad. The deep announcer's voice with the ultra slow diction made me almost turn it off before I realized that it was just an intro, and not the structure of the interview itself. You were very involved and upbeat throughout the entirety of the discussion, and that short opening was the opposite of that.

I will re-record the intro for new episodes. Failed attempt at gravitas :laugh:

My only concern is that Jarvis is a friendly acquaintance of mine, which gave me interest in most of what was said. I don't know that I would have kept interest in the breadth of personal topics covered if it was someone I didn't know or care about. I have no solution for this, just being honest. The appeal of these might get lost on the MtG public in general, since they're not really "getting" anything applicable to the game out of this two-hour podcast. Jarvis is a bit dry, and maybe a more effusive personality who is a stranger might keep me engaged otherwise.

This is good feedback. I think my show will, by definition, be niche. And I'm OK with that. I want to highlight the personalities of the players and see it both as a personal challenge as well as mission. It's an interview show, not a Magic strategy show.

Having said that, I'm hoping to get better at asking questions and generalizing the guests' learnings in real-time so that there are tidbits of knowledge to be had.

Everything I've done so far -- both book and podcast -- are niche. And it's by design, because I have no intention of doing strategy or game-based content. I like the confessional format, and I like to draw it out of people.

I think the Internet is big enough where this is OK, but we'll see.

/soapbox

Plague Sliver

06-12-2016, 08:40 AM

Aaaaaaand....we have an iTunes podcast link now! Please subscribe because more exciting episodes will be coming!

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/humans-of-magic/id1122286222?mt=2

---

I also want to share a currently-unreleased episode, featuring my friend Anh Dao. Anh plays Legacy Elves and even though he's not well known in the Magic community, I wanted to feature people who were (1) friends of mine and (2) had Magic-related learnings to share. This episode will be added later, but for now you can get the direct MP3 link here:

https://db.tt/cWipPxWj

Plague Sliver

06-16-2016, 11:42 AM

In the latest episode of "Humans of Magic," I interview the one and only Caleb Durward! If you've played Magic in the past five years, chance are you've played with or against one of his sick brews.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-004-caleb-durward

We talk about:
- Caleb's early playing days
- Breaking out at GP Columbus with UG Survival
- Scumbag betrayals
- The true grinder lifestyle
- And much more!

Caleb also made me laugh non-stop with his sense of humor and wicked stories. Check it out!

Parcher

06-16-2016, 03:14 PM

This one was great to compare with the Jarvis interview. They are both very different, but not in the ways I would have thought. Caleb appears to be very outgoing and gregarious normally, to me. While Jarvis is more terse and introverted. But I only know Caleb online, and Jarvis IRL. Caleb is a huge proponent of social media, and shows great personality when running his own show. But seemed to have difficulties with quite a few of the questions. Jarvis posts at most, one sentence responses on social media, but was very forthcoming and open in the interview. I believe it might be as simple as Jarvis, being who he is, fiercely studying the prep questions. As he had obviously thought over his answers at some point before. Even if unrelated to this interview. And Caleb, most likely, had not. That's just my impression.

On a more general note; the vast majority of MtG players are highly analytical, and will respond best to singular, direct questions. Especially when they have time to comfortably form their answers while not on the spot. I think the Jarvis interview was a good example of this. The problem with that tactic is what I saw in this interview, when Caleb kept giving one word replies. Or, had trouble forming a cogent/complete response to the more open-ended and nebulous questions he didn't have pre-conceived answers for. I think this is going to be one of your most difficult tasks considering your chosen targets for interviews. Forming questions direct enough that the analytical mindset can allow for a succinct answer, while leaving both of you enough flexibility in what they may answer with to continue the line of questioning.

I did enjoy it enough to listen for an hour and a half. So it was interesting and entertaining regardless. Please keep it up.

Plague Sliver

06-18-2016, 05:43 AM

Excellent feedback. I think every player is different, and sometimes it's a combination of:

1) Their preparation
2) My preparation
3) Our "on-air" chemistry

I'm still quite new at it and I promise I will work on getting better. In fact, I've been analyzing the recordings, as well as studying how other interviewers do their thing.

Some of my questions have been awkward -- one example being the "introduce yourself" question -- and I'm going to revise them. On one hand, it's awkward. On the other hand, sometimes it draws out interesting answers. I think the key is to go towards what my guests want to talk about.

I also want to keep the recordings largely "organic" -- minimal editing. For example, when I asked Caleb a question which only prompted a "no" answer, I could have easily cut it out of the recording. But I chose to include so that it feels more raw and authentic to our conversation.

Regardless, I must say that I've had fun talking to every single guest on the show, and there will be some more great people appearing very, very soon...so please stay tuned!

Plague Sliver

07-02-2016, 12:50 AM

This week we have Thomas Enevoldsen on the show!

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-006-thomas-enevoldsen

Thomas Enevoldsen is one of the best Danish Magic players on the planet, with two Grand Prix Top 8s, a Magic World Cup win, and 13 Pro Tours played. Thomas talks about his childhood, a lifetime of competition, and what Magic means to him. Along the way, he also talks about a critical friendship that has kept him going strong over the years.

Plague Sliver

07-03-2016, 06:44 AM

Ben Friedman is in the house.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-007-ben-friedman

Parcher

07-04-2016, 11:02 AM

Ben Friedman is in the house.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-007-ben-friedman

I think this one was the most different from the others. Ben almost completely took over the interview. But in a great way. He's another local to me. And while he was always smart and talented, I'm amazed at how far he's matured in the past 2-3 years. This one is a great listen for the younger players, wanting to find balance between chasing the Magic dream, and determining what is actually most important to your life.

Plague Sliver

07-13-2016, 11:41 AM

Rodrigo Togores Moli is in the house! I talk to the Grand Prix Prague champion about winning the biggest event of his life, the dark art of storm, past mastery in other card games, and lots more.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-008-rodrigo-togores

Sloshthedark

07-15-2016, 12:57 PM

is there a problem on my side or why are episodes 3+ unavailable for download?

Plague Sliver

07-16-2016, 12:50 AM

is there a problem on my side or why are episodes 3+ unavailable for download?

Ah, it was on my end. Downloads have been enabled for all episodes now.

---

This week, I'm super excited to have PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA in the house to talk life and Magic.

You won't want to miss it. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-009-paulo-vitor-damo-da-rosa

Parcher

07-16-2016, 03:08 PM

Ah, it was on my end. Downloads have been enabled for all episodes now.

---

This week, I'm super excited to have PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA in the house to talk life and Magic.

You won't want to miss it. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-009-paulo-vitor-damo-da-rosa

This was great. No surprise considering that it's well known how intelligent, kind, and open PV is, in addition to his obvious skill at Magic. I was a bit surprised how ego-driven he is, though. It kept coming up how important it was to him how everyone knows who he is and how well he performs. Either in his writing, or at tournaments. None of that made me think any less of him, since it doesn't change who he is as a person. But I didn't think someone of legitimate HoF stature would still be concerned with the opinions of redditors and his extended family. A lot of pros who are still very competitive don't take their results to heart to that degree. And even fewer stil feel that they have anything to prove to anyone but maybe themselves.

I have mentioned this before, but just to give any example of how to be a good person vs how to be a douche; PV, Calosso and I are chatting in between rounds at GP Indy. A wizards cruises by us. Full on azure furry robe with stars, pointy hat and boots, full white beard. The works. Calosso starts laughing, saying what a dork, etc. He then offers PV $10 to go over an ask the guy if he can take a picture with him. PV looks incredulously at Calosso, asks "Who wouldn't want a picture with him?", proceeds to get one, and chats up the dude for the remaining time. That's the type of person people like, and respect. Regardless of their MtG accomplishments.

Plague Sliver

07-16-2016, 11:22 PM

This was great. No surprise considering that it's well known how intelligent, kind, and open PV is, in addition to his obvious skill at Magic. I was a bit surprised how ego-driven he is, though. It kept coming up how important it was to him how everyone knows who he is and how well he performs. Either in his writing, or at tournaments. None of that made me think any less of him, since it doesn't change who he is as a person. But I didn't think someone of legitimate HoF stature would still be concerned with the opinions of redditors and his extended family. A lot of pros who are still very competitive don't take their results to heart to that degree. And even fewer stil feel that they have anything to prove to anyone but maybe themselves.

I have mentioned this before, but just to give any example of how to be a good person vs how to be a douche; PV, Calosso and I are chatting in between rounds at GP Indy. A wizards cruises by us. Full on azure furry robe with stars, pointy hat and boots, full white beard. The works. Calosso starts laughing, saying what a dork, etc. He then offers PV $10 to go over an ask the guy if he can take a picture with him. PV looks incredulously at Calosso, asks "Who wouldn't want a picture with him?", proceeds to get one, and chats up the dude for the remaining time. That's the type of person people like, and respect. Regardless of their MtG accomplishments.

That's an awesome story! Also, I respect PV for being honest. He's earned the recognition.

----

I'm cranking out episodes FAST.

Just in time for TES 10-year anniversary...an audio interview with the one and only Bryant Cook, on "Humans of Magic."

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-010-bryant-cook

Bryant Cook is the innovator and creator of The Epic Storm deck, which is approaching its ten-year anniversary. He joins me to discuss the origins of the 1.5 format, the strong Syracuse, NY scene, and his earliest tournament successes. We also talk about fun stuff like reading opponents, table banter, and beating a turn 1 Griselbrand. This is one conversation you won't want to miss.

Time stamps:

[01:02] Introduction
[03:28] Family background and origins
[04:52] Earliest gaming experiences
[06:18] Playing sports
[06:52] Playing Magic for the first time
[08:31] His first tournament
[10:34] On never splitting prizes in a tournament
[12:15] Improving as a player and first major tournament success
[15:00] The Syracuse crew
[16:29] The 1.5 scene in New York and origins of The Source
[17:22] Playing combo for the first time
[18:47] The beginnings of “The Epic Storm”
[22:17] The beginning of The Epic Syndicate
[23:54] How Magic friends have helped him in life
[25:15] Applying Magic learnings to life
[25:49] First major success with The Epic Storm
[27:22] Playing in Jupiter Games events and SCG Opens
[30:10] Getting nervous at high-level events
[32:48] Reading opponents
[36:25] The origins of The Epic Storm website
[38:30] Why he writes content
[39:23] Dealing with online trolls and haters
[40:59] Why Magic?
[42:36] Why he is competitive
[43:31] Tournament mindset and habits
[46:35] Table banter with opponents
[48:02] Codes of conduct and ethical gaming
[49:13] Most challenging Magic-related situation
[51:05] Best Magic moments
[55:19] Future evolution of The Epic Storm
[56:38] Magic-related goals
[59:43] Life-related goals
[01:01:19] What would Bryant tell himself if he could go back 5 years?

Bryant Cook

07-17-2016, 08:00 AM

Thanks for having me James! I think it turned out well. I wish my audio was slightly better :(

Plague Sliver

07-22-2016, 02:40 PM

MIKE TURIAN is in the house this week, on "Humans of Magic."

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-011-mike-turian-part-1

"Magic is kind of mind-blowing."

Mike Turian is one of the greatest Limited players ever in the history of the Magic Pro Tour, and a bona fide Hall of Famer. He is also a key driving force within Wizards of the Coast, having held key roles in R&D, Organized Play, Technology, Magic Online, and Magic Duels teams.

In this no-holds-barred conversation, I talk to Mike about both his illustrious playing career (Part 1) and the decade that he's spent at Wizards of the Coast (Part 2). Mike has tons of great stories and learnings to share, so please do come along for the ride!

Time stamps -- Part 1:

[03:21] Introduction
[09:49] Growing up in Pittsburgh
[12:04] Earliest gaming experiences
[15:51] Being competitive with his best friend
[19:42] Playing Magic for the first time
[29:24] Getting hooked on tournaments
[32:40] Booster drafts with two packs, not three
[34:34] The appeal of the Limited format
[36:06] Learning the basics of Limited
[38:45] The outside world through The Duelist magazine
[41:10] Making a splash in larger events
[43:21] Playing against Brian Kibler in Grand Prix Toronto
[45:02] Mike’s first Pro Tour in Chicago
[46:18] Randy Buehler
[50:05] Being part of a team and preparation process
[55:17] Teaming up with Gary Wise and Scott Johns
[1:00:04] Skills learned through team play
[1:01:10] Best Magic memories
[1:03:10] On sportsmanship
[1:04:16] What the Hall of Fame means to him
[1:06:17] Mike’s Hall of Fame achievements
[1:09:25] Focusing on Limited vs. Constructed
[1: 11 :16] Mike’s criteria for Hall of Fame membership

tianyuan2k4

07-22-2016, 08:18 PM

Really enjoy Mike Turian interview. Can't wait to listen part 2 (wotc good stuff).

ESG

07-23-2016, 07:09 PM

Thanks for the time stamps and descriptions. I cherry-picked the Mike Turian episode and enjoyed his recollection of the Wild West era of early tournaments. I was a little surprised that he and I are almost the same age. We started playing around the same time, but he got into tournaments shortly after he started, whereas I was a casual player for at least a year before I had an opportunity to play in structured events. It cracked me up that he got back into a single-elimination tournament after Round 1. The first time I ever played in a tournament, I lost Round 1 in two quick games and thought I was out, so I dejectedly made my way to the door only to be saved by the store owner or clerk, who told me it was Swiss-style and not single-elimination. I knew nothing about the structure of the event I was playing in! That amazes me now, but life was so much different at age 15. Also, I believe single-elimination events were rather unpopular (even though they were the norm at the time), which is probably why Swiss became the standard.

Plague Sliver

07-23-2016, 08:00 PM

Really enjoy Mike Turian interview. Can't wait to listen part 2 (wotc good stuff).

Thanks!

Thanks for the time stamps and descriptions. I cherry-picked the Mike Turian episode and enjoyed his recollection of the Wild West era of early tournaments. I was a little surprised that he and I are almost the same age. We started playing around the same time, but he got into tournaments shortly after he started, whereas I was a casual player for at least a year before I had an opportunity to play in structured events. It cracked me up that he got back into a single-elimination tournament after Round 1. The first time I ever played in a tournament, I lost Round 1 in two quick games and thought I was out, so I dejectedly made my way to the door only to be saved by the store owner or clerk, who told me it was Swiss-style and not single-elimination. I knew nothing about the structure of the event I was playing in! That amazes me now, but life was so much different at age 15. Also, I believe single-elimination events were rather unpopular (even though they were the norm at the time), which is probably why Swiss became the standard.

Thanks for listening, Jeremy. All 3 of us (you, Mike, myself) are basically around the same age. I guess we all went our separate paths, but what I love most about doing the show is being able to listen to stories of nineties Magic. I was playing, albeit not competitively, so it is always fun to live vicariously through someone.

Single elimination feels like such bad value, but I do like hearing about how the game was "tougher" back then.

I think you'll REALLY enjoy the next episode too, where Mike goes into the cards he's designed. You may have heard of some of them. Jace the Mind Sculptor, Tarmogoyf, Stoneforge Mystic. Amongst others :cool:

Plague Sliver

07-29-2016, 09:26 PM

Part 2 with Mike Turian -- all about his work at Wizards of the Coast. Designing cards like Jace TMS, Tarmogoyf, and Stoneforge Mystic.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-012-mike-turian-part-2-life-at-wizards-of-the-coast

Time stamps -- Part 2:

[02:06] How Mike started working at Wizards
[05:22] The most important advice that Randy gave Mike at the beginning
[06:53] Working at Wizards vs. being a competitive player — tough decision?
[09:28] Winning for the community vs. for yourself
[11:08] Summary of Mike’s different roles at Wizards
[11:57] Insights Mike gained from the Market Research team
[14:53] The best way to provide user feedback for Magic Online
[15:58] The Magic expansion sets that Mike led from a development perspective
[16:38] Leaving R&D to drive the Planeswalker Points program
[17:14] How hard was it to leave R&D?
[20:36] Most memorable R&D moments
[23:25] Developing the planeswalker card type
[26:35] “With [Jace, the Mind Sculptor] we wanted to make a card that people loved, and I think we accomplished that.”
[31:09] Favorite cards that Mike’s worked on
[36:23] Advice for folks who want to work in Magic R&D
[42:10] Mike’s current role in the Brand team — what does it involve?
[46:53] Most exciting thing in Mike’s current role
[49:54] Advantages of working in the digital domain
[52:08] Favorite colleagues
[55:27] The unsung heroes of Wizards
[56:48] Personal and career goals — and the one competitive goal he’s yet to achieve
[58:15] The competitive fire, and the purity of tournament Magic

Plague Sliver

08-06-2016, 09:41 PM

This week -- Jonathan Alexander, creator of Grinding Station:

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-013-jonathan-alexander-part-1

What started as an innocent discussion about Magic turned into an epic podcast of sorts. Probably the most fun I’ve had so far recording for this show. At one point we asked each other, 2 hours in, if we wanted to stop or keep going. The answer was an encouraging KEEP GOING. And so we did.

There are 3 parts to this talk, that’s how crazy it was. Unfortunately (fortunately?), our hour-long discussion on hip-hop didn’t make the final cut. Jonathan and I probably need to create our own podcast show at some point.

Jonathan’s web site: http://theweeklywars.wordpress.com/

Time stamps — Part 1:

[03:21] Intro / the metric system
[06:54] Jonathan's own intro
[08:17] Family background and brief personal history
[12:42] There and back again: university in Berlin
[16:04] Homework? What's that?
[18:09] Memorable teenage moments
[23:06] Amsterdam
[26:37] "It's all upside to not drink, in my eyes."
[30:25] Happiness
[31:13] Earliest gaming experiences
[32:31] Playing Magic for the first time, and getting competitive
[36:32] First Legacy deck
[39:09] Local German Legacy scene
[43:26] Initial breakthroughs in competitive Magic, and Mental Misstep
[46:33] All time favorite decks
[47:58] An ode to Canadian Threshold
[51:44] The art of quoting stuff out of context / trolls
[53:08] Good stuff deck vs. tempo deck / why he doesn't play Grixis delver
[56:16] Incredible run at Bazaar of Moxen with Canadian Threshold
[1:05:04] “Don’t be afraid to use your cards as Lightning Bolts.”
[1:07:17] Starting to play Storm and the beginnings of Grinding Station

Plague Sliver

08-10-2016, 08:23 PM

Jonathan Alexander, Part 2.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-014-jonathan-alexander-part-2

Part 2 is all about the evolution of Grinding Station, the beauty of Canadian Threshold, Magic player name-drops, and bromancing. That’s right, folks — it’s everything you ever wanted in an interview podcast, and then some.

Time stamps — Part 2:

[02:32] Grinding Station origins
[04:35] The perfect storm (of a metagame)
[09:23] Putting it to the test with 200+ players
[12:36] The natural Tendrils revelation
[14:38] Card evaluation tendencies
[16:31] “That was only because it was the card I wanted.”
[20:04] The complexity in the game // learning through observation
[21:42] Thoughts on Team America
[24:39] Having a point of view
[26:06] Why Jonathan didn’t play Storm in Prague
[28:59] Shout out to Rodrigo Togores, GP Prague winner
[30:08] Best high-level tournament finishes
[32:02] Prague preparations and changing decks
[34:15] “With Canadian, you’re not playing the matchup lottery that hard.”
[36:35] Minimizing variance / Why Miracles is so good
[38:48] Deck selection and having the right goals
[40:37] “The hard part about Magic is getting X, Y, AND Z right.”
[42:31] The joy of blind Cabal Therapy
[45:41] Pascal Wagner, the fastest Storm pilot ever
[47:38] “Can you tell me about your relationship with Kai Sawatari?”
[52:46] The bromance triangle in Seattle / a debt of gratitude
[54:35] No regrets
[55:35] Going back to Storm
[56:59] Playing Magic Online for the first time / dabbling in the Standard format
[1:00:11] Goals

Stuart

08-17-2016, 12:27 PM

Just finished up Pt 1 of the Jonathan Alexander interview and enjoyed it! Enjoyed Chance the Rapper, too.

Plague Sliver

08-24-2016, 01:34 AM

Just finished up Pt 1 of the Jonathan Alexander interview and enjoyed it! Enjoyed Chance the Rapper, too.

Glad you've enjoyed it!

---

Now we're at Part 3 -- the final chapter -- of my talk with Jona:

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-015-jonathan-alexander-part-3

What does it mean to be the best at Magic? What’s the real life cost of getting too involved in the game? As content creators, why do we do the things that we do? My audio interview with Jonathan Alexander, creator of the Grinding Station deck, concludes with Part 3.

“Humans of Magic” has been slower to release as of late, due to my real-life commitments. Nonetheless, I intend to continue interviewing cool people. Please keep listening and let me know what you think.

Time stamps — Part 3:

[02:48] Legacy goals
[05:41] How he plans to become the greatest
[08:02] On the power level of Miracles, and not playing it
[11:30] Miracles answers: “People are not willing to go far enough”
[13:35] What would happen if the Legacy format had an upheaval?
[16:46] Effort commensurate to success
[18:42] On the recognition of effort and hard work
[22:58] The negative impacts of Magic
[26:12] “I definitely always wanted to do what I wanted to do”
[27:25] The challenges of the grinder lifestyle
[31:31] The best part of competitive Magic
[34:43] “Most of the time, if you did not win the tournament, you did not deserve to win…”
[37:14] The impossibility of complete consistency // X, Y and Z
[40:31] How Jonathan started his blog, The Weekly Wars
[41:24] Coming up with topics for the blog
[46:13] Writing content in an open, accessible manner // Giving back to the community
[49:18] Doing things for the love of it
[51:41] Content for the masses — Jonathan’s criteria for doing it
[53:46] The Storm Box (which has now been updated!)
[55:48] Martin Juza likes Grim Tutor! // Be careful of the card readers

Plague Sliver

09-03-2016, 01:05 AM

This week on Humans of Magic -- Alex Majlaton:

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-016-alex-majlaton

Alex is a pretty darn good Magic player, with 26 Pro Tour appearances and 8 Grand Prix Top 8’s. He is doing solid work as the mathematical mind behind Team East-West Bowl. But more importantly, he’s humble about his status as a player and incredibly passionate about giving back to the community.

Alex and I talk about his early childhood days, forays into competitive Magic, learning from experiences, and more. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to chase Pro Tour dreams, this episode is worth the listen.

Time stamps:

[3:15] Introduction
[5:50] Growing up
[9:02] Childhood hobbies
[10:21] Washington, DC / Maryland / Baltimore
[13:42] How Alex got into Magic
[16:12] Earliest Magic decks
[18:11] Alex’s two favorite cards of all time
[20:37] Getting competitive — the why and how
[27:04] The advantages of being a mathematician
[30:20] The Pro Tour scene / First major success with Affinity
[33:09] Affinity for Affinity (pun intended)
[36:49] Alex’s approach to Magic improvement
[39:11] No sacred cows — a learning breakthrough at the Pro Tour stage
[44:35] Lessons from Pro Tours / Quantitative approach to Limited
[49:46] Maintaining the fire
[51:34] Questions that people ask Alex about
[55:16] Contributing to the community = personal improvement
[57:51] Team East-West Bowl / Breaking the format / Analyzing Limited
[1:01:46] Magic-related goals
[1:04:57] What needs to happen for Magic to advance as a game
[1:07:03] How Alex plans to get from Silver to Gold status
[1:09:23] What would Alex tell himself, if he could go back five years?
[1 : 12 : 58] Shout-outs to Ben Friedman, Team East-West Bowl, the Maryland community, and Andrew Mitchell

Plague Sliver

09-10-2016, 04:56 PM

New this week...

Damon Whitby, a.k.a. Parcher. One of the original proponents of the Legacy, or 1.5, format.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-017-damon-whitby

http://i.imgur.com/WwVx1AQl.jpg

“The most important lesson I’ve learned is letting that which truly does not matter, go.”

Damon Whitby has been advancing the Legacy format for over a decade. These days he can usually be found terrorizing opponents with his Dredge deck, although he has played a wide range of archetypes over the years.

This episode is filled with Damon’s experiences and musings on life. Never one to hold back, he talks about his rough childhood and what lies beneath his gruff exterior. Damon also talks about the mid-Atlantic Magic scene and some of the best players he’s interacted with. In many instances, the discussions verged into personal and life-related observations. The honesty really came through in this conversation.

As someone who grew up with The Source, I hope that I have done Damon justice in representing his views and that you will enjoy this recording.

Time stamps:

[4:33] Introduction
[7:01] Early childhood // family history // Seattle memories
[12:00] Hanging out with the punks
[14:57] Hooked on wargames
[19:58] Joining the army
[20:40] Games Workshop in Maryland
[22:47] Magic first impressions
[27:24] Breaking out of casual play with Pros-Bloom
[30:59] Meeting top local players and pros: Matt Linde, Kyle Rose, Brock Parker
[36:10] How “Huey” Jensen got his nickname
[38:06] Building the White Weenie deck that Linde won Nationals with
[39:47] Mike Long and Tongo Nation
[41:22] The greatest match ever played in Rochester draft
[43:50] Success at ’98 Regionals
[45:59] Transitioning to Extended and Legacy // First contact with The Source
[48:32] The Virginia crew: Anwar Ahmad, The Hatfields, David Gearhart, Dan Signorini, Dave Price, and Jesse Krieger
[53:25] Virgnia vs. Syracuse rivalry
[54:27] Perceptions of Legacy and its legitimacy
[58:06] Alix Hatfield: the best deck builder
[1:02:20] Mental preparation and honing one’s deck over time
[1:05:31] The importance of format knowledge
[1:08:43] The luckiest man in the world with Cabal Therapy?
[1 : 10 : 39] “Where other people have decision trees, I see my job as pruning the trees.”
[1 : 14 : 32] Dredge puts the fear into opponents // Letting opponents beat themselves
[1:20:12] Team Dredge goes on a tear // Keeping things fresh
[1:25:39] “I am my [tournament] record” — a fallacy
[1:27:53] Learning to let go of things that don’t matter
[1:29:23] On being direct
[1:31:47] Perceptions people have of Damon
[1:24:16] On legitimately disliking some people
[1:36:22] “You don’t break somebody else’s rice bowl to refill your own.”
[1:38:04] Origins of the name Parcher
[1:39:22] Dan Signorini
[1:45:32] Helping Dan prepare for PT Honolulu // Shaheen Soorani // Alex Majlaton
[1:47:32] From one generation to the next
[1:48:54] Ben Friedman’s rapid growth as a person
[1:52:10] Jarvis Yu
[1:55:14] “At his heart, Dan is a gigantic nerd” // judging a book by its cover
[1:59:44] Why BBD is a great player
[2:04:50] The power of listening // Signal to noise in the online community
[2:07:10] Generalizing Magic lessons to life
[2 : 12 : 50] How has the game been detrimental to Damon?
[2:17:03] Shoutout to the mid-Atlantic area

Plague Sliver

09-16-2016, 09:35 PM

This week -- Michael Bonde:

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-018-michael-bonde

“When I get a challenge, I really just want to be the best at what I do.”

Michael Bonde is a fixture in the Danish Magic scene, and one of the game’s most outgoing personalities. He created Magic history by becoming the first European player to win a Star City Games Open. He has also enjoyed two Top 4 finishes in Grand Prix events, along with a 17th place finish at Pro Tour Madrid. Through skillful play and collaboration with the game’s top talent, Michael has become a powerful force to be reckoned with.

In this no-holds-barred conversation, I speak to Michael about his lifelong passions for learning, teaching, and competition. He shares his earliest childhood memories, and explains how joining the military contributed to his personal and Magic development. Michael also talks openly about staying true to his goals, and the dedicated life of the grind. The overarching theme is that of self-improvement — Michael is constantly looking to raise the bar, both for himself and others. Tune in for an inside look at one of the game’s fiercest competitors.

Time stamps:

[4:20] Introduction
[7:15] The Pro Tour grind
[9:18] Childhood and family background
[11:15] Sibling rivalry and love of sport
[14:11] Rifle skills // The art of the grind
[17:20] Earliest Magic memories
[21:22] Discipline and the Danish military
[26:33] The power of routine // New experiences
[30:28] A burgeoning military career // Learning to lead
[35:29] Kosovo
[41:11] Transitioning back to civilian life
[43:20] Adjusting to the academic world
[48:02] Balancing life priorities
[49:55] Leveling up in competitive Magic // Love of the game
[55:53] Thomas Enevoldsen, Martin Dang, and the Secret Society of Good Magic Players
[1:01:07] American life and the allure of the Pro Tour
[1:07:26] Playing all the time and its positive impacts
[1:09:32] Magic goals
[1: 11:06] Breakthrough: 17th place at Pro Tour Madrid
[1: 14:56] How Michael plans to further improve his game
[1:17:35] Preferred style of play
[1:20:02] Helping friends succeed
[1:22:40] Detrimental effects of being committed to the game
[1:26:25] “Magic is the place where I want to be”
[1:28:58] Gratitude // Conclusion

Plague Sliver

10-15-2016, 04:13 AM

This week - it's Legacy Champion BOB HUANG!

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-020-bob-huang

http://i.imgur.com/iYR7b09l.jpg

“Everybody’s on their own journey, on their own spiritual path.”

If you follow Magic, chances are you’ve heard of Bob Huang. Bob is the 2015 Legacy Champion and one of the game’s top Eternal format players. He’s put several popular Delver variants on the map and has had a major impact on how the game is played. But what you might not know about Bob is his world view and perspective on life. In this talk, we discuss some of the recent things he’s gone through, the trip of a lifetime that opened his eyes to possibilities, and his changing relationship with competitive Magic. Don’t miss this chance to get to know one of the game’s brightest minds.

Stuart

10-17-2016, 02:41 PM

Great episode! Thanks James and thanks Bob!

Parcher

10-18-2016, 03:09 PM

Great episode! Thanks James and thanks Bob!

Plague Sliver

10-29-2016, 03:51 AM

This week, it's Gerry Thompson.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-021-gerry-thompson

Not much reference to Legacy, other than the fact that he says he sold all his Legacy cards. But there ya go :cool:

-- INTRODUCTION --

“The negative stuff just kind of hits you a little bit harder.”

Gerry Thompson is a consummate pro and all-around good guy. His Magic accomplishments are plentiful. But there is another side to Gerry that he recently opened up about, in a groundbreaking Reddit post: “A Rebuttal: The Lifestyle of the Professional Magic The Gathering Player.” It’s a hard-hitting look at what it means to be a Magic pro. More importantly, Gerry opened up about this lifelong struggle with depression. It’s a great piece and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t done so already.

After reading the article, I knew that I absolutely had to talk to Gerry about the themes he explored in his writing. In this 90-minute conversation, we talk about depression, perspective, life goals, and the power of community. While the topics were heavy, we had fun in the process.

This is not your typical Magic strategy podcast. Rather, it’s about what it means to be human. You won’t want to miss it.

-- SHOW NOTES --

“A Rebuttal: The Lifestyle of the Professional Magic: The Gathering Player” by Gerry Thompson
https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/58slc5/a_rebuttal_the_lifestyle_of_the_professional/

“Gamers and Depression” by Noah Weil
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/print.php?Article=11045

“Leffen: Resurrection” series
http://www.redbull.com/us/en/esports/episodes/1331816544534/cultivation-season-2-leffen-resurrection-episode-1

Parcher

10-29-2016, 10:23 AM

Terrific listen. I was excited for this one, as Gerry is one of the only pro level Magic players that I don't know, but have a great deal of respect for. Completely disregarding his MtG accomplishments.

I was amazed at the total parallels regarding how frustrated he and I get at how friends judge happiness by their record. At the same time, Gerry's perspective made me realize something that should have been obvious. I'm "happy" when I win tournaments, and "upset" when I lose. But that's just a thought process. I don't have any emotional investment either way. Don't truly care. What determines how I actually feel about a Magic event is the interactions with friends and acquaintances. Usually magnified by the cloistered environment of the tournaments, and the new settings that travel to them often brings.

Last, and most importantly, it is wrong to be Calosso. So Gerry, you never need any excuse to avoid contact with him.

Plague Sliver

10-31-2016, 06:08 AM

Terrific listen. I was excited for this one, as Gerry is one of the only pro level Magic players that I don't know, but have a great deal of respect for. Completely disregarding his MtG accomplishments.

I was amazed at the total parallels regarding how frustrated he and I get at how friends judge happiness by their record. At the same time, Gerry's perspective made me realize something that should have been obvious. I'm "happy" when I win tournaments, and "upset" when I lose. But that's just a thought process. I don't have any emotional investment either way. Don't truly care. What determines how I actually feel about a Magic event is the interactions with friends and acquaintances. Usually magnified by the cloistered environment of the tournaments, and the new settings that travel to them often brings.

I'm glad you enjoyed the listen. I also had similar thoughts about what you said in our interview, when I interviewed Gerry.

I must say that Gerry was a great guest. Just all-around great guy, I can say nothing negative about him. He exemplifies what it means to be a true pro.

Last, and most importantly, it is wrong to be Calosso. So Gerry, you never need any excuse to avoid contact with him.

:tongue:

Plague Sliver

11-06-2016, 01:00 AM

We've got a hardcore sourcer this week: Matt "sdematt" Pavlic. Host of Everyday Eternal, lover of the Siege Rhino, and pimp extraodinaire. Also...power to Porsche.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-022-matt-pavlic

http://i.imgur.com/wLNQg2cl.jpg

“And then I decided that’s how I want to conduct myself…and it’s worked out very well for me.”

Matt Pavlic is one of my best friends. He also happens to be the person that led me down the path of competitive Magic. I’ve had almost a decade of amazing gaming memories, in no small part due to Matt’s influence. I could not be where I am today were it not for his steady friendship and support.

Most notably, Matt’s matured a ton over the years. In this conversation, he talks about growing up fast and getting a new outlook on life. He’s worked hard for everything that he has, and as a result, he has a bright future ahead of him. I am truly honored to have my friend on “Humans of Magic” to share his perspective.

Plague Sliver

11-13-2016, 03:06 AM

This week...the man, the legend. Mr. Roland Chang.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-023-roland-chang

http://i.imgur.com/ggrlJlc.jpg

Roland Chang is the only player to have won both the “Magic: The Gathering” Vintage and Legacy format World Championships. He is a mainstay on the East Coast Eternal Magic scene. What you may not know about Roland, however, is that he was close to leaving the game for good. A seriously unfortunate event almost led him down that path, but the power of the community brought him back. Like all of us, he has had his share of adversity and comebacks.

In this 1:1 interview, Roland opens up about his childhood and handling the weight of familial expectations. He talks about his involvement in social activities, seeking life balance, and finding a significant other. Join us for a glimpse inside one of the game’s fiercest competitors.

Plague Sliver

11-21-2016, 11:03 AM

This week...Wilson Hunter of "The Brainstorm Show"!

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-024-wilson-hunter

http://i.imgur.com/OgCUB7N.jpg

Wilson is a co-host of the amazing “The Brainstorm Show” podcast, a father, and an intense competitor. Or to use his words — ultra-competitive! We talk about parenthood, the origins of his competitive drive, and growing up with Magic friends that inspire each other to perform better everyday. Wilson also self-reflects on taking losses hard, working with the community to improve his game, and the guilt that he feels in having a hobby like Magic.

It gets deeply personal in places, and that’s where the learning happens. I’m grateful to know a great competitor and human being like Wilson, and hope that you’ll enjoy the listen.

P.S. HOT DAMN! That's podcast guest #20! Time flies when you're having fun...

Plague Sliver

12-07-2016, 08:31 PM

Question time: if I transcribed all of the existing interviews with my 20 guests, and released it as a book in text format, would you buy it?

"Humans of Magic: Year One" -- featuring Gerry Thompson, Mike Turian, PV, Ben Friedman, Jarvis Yu, Julian Knab, and a whole lot more.

It would be a lot faster to absorb and/or reference in book format. I could also throw in some bonus content and summarized learnings from each player.

Plague Sliver

02-02-2017, 11:21 PM

We are back with the first 2017 episode of “Humans of Magic”! Our first guest of the year is Kai Sawatari.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/episode-025-kai-sawatari

http://i.imgur.com/VakbfLo.jpg

Kai is half-German, half-Japanese, all amazing. He’s a serious Legacy player with 4th and 17th place finishes at Grand Prix events.

This podcast was hilarious. We talk about:
- How Kai’s father would let him win at games!
- Getting destroyed by a Goblin Charbelcher deck when he was 12 years old!
- Irrational confidence!
- Bromance!
- Japanese culture and the crazy smiley guy!
- The biggest mistake Kai ever made as a competitive player! (spoiler: it involves sleeving up Terminus)

Too many exclamation marks, for sure. Hope you enjoy the listen!

ScottW

02-02-2017, 11:40 PM

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks James, looking forward to this.

Plague Sliver

06-26-2017, 06:58 AM

Alright, I've decided that I'm going to:

1. Bring the show back
2. Release a text-transcribed version of the most popular podcast episodes (Gerry T, PV, Jarvis Yu, etc.) and release it in mini-book format

Stay tuned! And if there is a player in particular you'd like me to interview, please let me know.

Plague Sliver

07-04-2017, 04:19 AM

This week...Christian Calcano is on the 'cast.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/christian-calcano

http://i.imgur.com/PCuQOPm.jpg

Christian Calcano is a Gold Level Pro and well-known Magic grinder. If you know Legacy, you may know that he finished 2nd in GP Seattle back in 2015. We go deep into his childhood, leveling up, meeting Brian David-Marshall, and much more.

Plague Sliver

07-12-2017, 10:51 PM

Will Jonathan joins "Humans of Magic":

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/027-will-jonathan

http://i.imgur.com/3m4VOIf.jpg?1

Will Jonathan is a sports psychologist. mental performance coach, and Channel Fireball contributor. The first piece I read from Will was "The Best Way to Win." (https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/the-best-way-to-win/) In this conversation, Will gives me advice on how to improve my mental game. According to him, it is all about focusing on process instead of results. And guess what -- it worked! Right after talking to Will, I Top 4’d a big Magic tournament during the same week! How’s that for some practical advice?

Michael Keller

07-12-2017, 10:56 PM

Great listen - excellent work!

Plague Sliver

08-01-2017, 09:10 PM

I recently recorded a podcast with one of the coolest people around -- Tifa Robles. Tifa wears many hats. She is the founder of the Lady Planeswalker Society, a gamer, and a mother.

http://i.imgur.com/0yzCJHe.jpg?1

Link: https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/tifa-robles

We talk about:
(1) Her day job in gaming and how she brings the passion to gamers on a national level.
(2) Her principles for building inclusive gaming cultures, and the trials and tribulations of starting LPS.
(3) What it is REALLY like to be a mother — and how it has given Tifa greater happiness and joy.

She was an amazing interview. I learned a ton, and hope that you'll give it a listen!

Plague Sliver

08-07-2017, 01:20 AM

Announcing "Humans of Magic: Year One"...the book of interviews with really cool people!

http://i.imgur.com/cdMPaN9l.png

In 2016, I started an interview podcast called “Humans of Magic.” The podcast focuses on deep 1:1 discussions with Magic players and personalities. The goal is to give them a forum to express the things that they care deeply about, that you may not know from their regularly produced strategy content.

For example:
How did Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa grow up playing Magic in Brazil?
What makes it difficult for Gerry Thompson to stay in touch with friends?
Why is Christian Calcano pursuing a career outside of Magic?
What did Bob Huang learn about life, after traveling around the world?
Through these conversations, I want to give you insight as to WHO these people are — and not just what they do when they sit down to play Magic.

Podcasting is a great way to get my guests to open up, but it is not easy to listen to hours upon hours of content. This is why I have decided to transcribe these talks from AUDIO to TEXT so that you can fully enjoy the fruits of our labor. I am launching the Humans of Magic: Year One book anthology in Q4 2017. It will contain a collection of the best interviews.

Whether you are trying to become a better player, or just interested in knowing more about the biggest names in Magic, there is something in here for everyone. I promise that these will be the most in-depth interviews with Magic players that you will ever read.

And we are going to have some amazing Legacy representation. Here is a preliminary list of featured players:

Jarvis Yu
Caleb Durward
PVDDR
Gerry Thompson
Bob Huang
Julian Knab
Bryant Cook
Thomas Enevoldsen
Michael Bonde
Wilson Hunter
Roland Chang
...and more

Here is more information about how you can get on the mailing list to get bonus content about the book. I also have a sneak preview of one of my earliest interviews - with Jarvis Yu:

https://writtenbyjames.com/2017/08/05/jarvis-yu-part-1/

That's it for now -- I hope you will be interested in supporting the interview series!

Best,
James

Plague Sliver

08-09-2017, 07:18 PM

Jarvis Yu interview, Part 2:

https://writtenbyjames.com/2017/08/09/jarvis-yu-part-2/

Jarvis gives a play-by-play of his GP SeaTac win with Lands, ruminates on the future of Organized Play, and provides tips on how to get better at Magic!

Plague Sliver

08-14-2017, 12:51 PM

Gerry Thompson interview -- the chat transcript:

https://writtenbyjames.com/2017/08/14/humans-of-magic-interview-series-gerry-thompson/

Gerry has given his blessing for me to release the full transcript in the upcoming book. Very excited to be working with him and other players on it!

Plague Sliver

09-21-2017, 02:45 AM

Finally...a new podcast episode. It's a conversation with the Grixis master, Noah Walker.

https://soundcloud.com/humansofmagic/noah-walker

https://i.imgur.com/jhKs0EU.jpg

I want to share a conversation that I had with 21-year old wunderkind Noah Walker. Noah is a Magic player, competitor, basketball enthusiast, and...camp counselor?!?

You may know Noah from his exploits with Grixis Delver and 4c Control in Legacy. But there's more to Noah than meets the eye.

In fact, the conversation started off quite slowly. Noah was not quite sure what to make of some stranger asking him questions over Skype.

But once we started talking about his passion for helping kids, and how he is giving back to the same summer camp that he has attended since he was eight years old...

EVERYTHING CHANGED.

We ended up having quite a good talk about everything. Family. Growing up in Massachusetts. Facing defeat and picking yourself back up. The Boston Celtics. The importance of possessing the proper mindset, especially in the heat of competition.

I certainly knew very little about Noah at the beginning of our conversation. But I walked away from our chat extremely impressed. And to think that Noah is only 21 years old -- that is pure awesome!

That is why I am excited to share this recording with you, as part of the "Humans of Magic" series.

feline

09-22-2017, 03:57 AM

I have a request, I would actually like to be on this podcast if you're ever looking for a guest. Life & the meaning of life, what it takes to be happy & individual perspective, knowing we all have our own reality, etc, is something I'm partially obsessed with. Pretty much every waking moment for years now, I can never get out of the back of my mind, the likelihood of my own mortality, & what that means. I also enjoy Meteorology, & have been doing Magic the Gathering alters full time for about 3-4 years now.

Plague Sliver

09-24-2017, 01:29 AM

Plague Sliver

09-29-2017, 07:35 PM

Hello, friends!

I'd like to share my conversation with Wilson Hunter, co-host of the hit podcast "The Brainstorm Show." The interview will be included in my upcoming book, called "Humans of Magic." This was originally a podcast (audio) that I've transcribed into 12,000 words.

https://writtenbyjames.com/2017/09/29/humans-of-magic-interview-series-wilson-hunter/

Though we recorded this conversation a while ago, there are many evergreen topics here, including:

* Wilson's formative years: childhood, elementary and middle school
* The importance of family and balancing it vs. Magical hobbies
* How being introverted helped Wilson discover the competitive nature of Magic
* His problem-solving framework for Magic innovation and excellence
* The origin story of how the podcast began
* The infamous Miracles chat, starring Mr. Jarvis Yu

It's a long conversation--and a long read--but it's well worth your time. Wilson is full of great introspection, and his mental approach to the game is world-class.

Wilson's Magic credentials:

* Co-host of the hit Magic podcast, “The Brainstorm Show”
* Founder and CEO of CardBoard Live, a new streaming platform for card games
* 2 Legacy Grand Prix Top 8s
* 1 Legacy Grand Prix Top 32
* 1 Limited Grand Prix Top 16
* 1 Star City Games Invitational Top 4, and 2 Top 16s
* Qualified for Pro Tour Ixalan

http://i.imgur.com/OgCUB7N.jpg

Thanks,

James

feline

10-14-2017, 12:57 AM

Late 2017/early 2018, just keeping updated, you keep having fun, and I will be happily waiting in line if there is a spot at a later date, till then you keep kicking ass!!! If there isn't a spot in line, then that's ok too, because Life is Amazing for the simple fact, that it's even happening at all! #LifeisAmazing

Plague Sliver

10-16-2017, 07:03 AM

Plague Sliver

11-05-2017, 05:12 AM

This month, the guest is Martin Juza!

https://humansofmagic.com/2017/11/05/humans-of-magic-interview-series-martin-juza/

https://i.imgur.com/ITuuZHa.jpg

Who is Martin Juza?

Platinum level pro and self-proclaimed “Professional Tourist”
The first Czech player to be inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame
Considered one of the best Limited format players in the world
Channel Fireball contributor

What do we talk about?

Martin’s childhood in the Czech Republic
Martin’s first Magic experiences, and how he leveled up as a player
How Martin overcame the odds to turn “pro” and travel the world
Martin’s favorite places to visit — including an active volcano!
Martin’s thoughts on the current state of Limited

Plague Sliver

11-26-2017, 08:48 AM

The inimitable Jarvis Yu returns, for a Thanksgiving double-header recording.

https://humansofmagic.com/2017/11/25/jarvis-yu-double-header-special/

Part 1 — Jarvis’s personal year-in-review

Jarvis opens up about his accomplishments, goals, and insights for the coming year. He is also brutally honest about where he needs to improve in order to reach the next level. As Jarvis plays on the Pro Tour and is a regular on Team Massdrop East, you may find his observations helpful to your own player development.

Part 2 — Legacy Lands mini-primer + Q&A

Straight from the master himself. Jarvis is one of the most accomplished Lands players on the planet—two Grand Prix Top 8 finishes, including 1 win, and a Top 16 finish—and is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject. We cover deck basics, matchups, card choices, and more. Definitely give this episode a listen if you want to unlock the intricacies of the deck.

Thanks for listening!

Plague Sliver

12-24-2017, 06:45 PM

We have a bona-fide legend in our midst this time...Dan Signorini.

https://humansofmagic.com/2017/12/23/humans-of-magic-interview-series-dan-signorini/

https://i.imgur.com/atjAqQW.jpg?1

I am excited to share this conversation with Dan Signorini, a.k.a. Nitewolf9 on MTGTheSource. Dan and David Gearhart created the “Team America” deck, which started off as an elaborate joke and has evolved into the BUG / Grixis Delver decks of today. Chance are, if you have ever played or played against a Delver deck, you have been influenced by Dan’s deck building choices.

Dan is a long-standing member of the North Virginia Legacy community, which includes players such as Alix Hatfield, Jesse Hatfield, Anwar Ahmed, David Gearhart, David Price, Damon Whitby, and many others. Together, the group has developed influential decks such as Canadian Threshold, Solidarity, Dredge, Zoo, and (of course!) Team America. Dan was also one of Bob Huang’s early mentors. Bob has, in turn, popularized the de facto Grixis Delver build that we know so well today. It is no exaggeration to say that Dan and his group have been instrumental to the development of the Legacy format, and “Type 1.5” before that.

Furthermore, Dan has had a strong influence on *me*. When I started playing competitive Magic almost ten years ago, he was the person I learned from. Dan was the one to offer me advice on how to play the “Team America” deck and matchup tips. I would not be creating content today, or playing Magic at all, without his kindness and support.

For these reasons, this episode is very special to me. In true “Humans of Magic” fashion, the discussion touches on everything Dan cares about – family, community, music, martial arts, competitive mindset, and more. Dan speaks openly about a wide variety of topics, and I hope that you enjoy listening to it.

Time stamps
[03:17] Introduction
[09:28] Eternal Weekend
[13:58] Dan’s day job
[16:57] Childhood and family background
[29:33] Dan’s best friend in high school
[33:20] Learning martial arts
[39:48] Diffusing conflict
[44:08] Being curious about life
[46:02] First Magic experience
[48:18] The North Virginia Magic crew
[54:52] On being open-minded
[56:30] From Suicide Black to Team America
[1:05:00] Curio Cavern
[1:07:26] Thoughts on the current Legacy format
[1: 13: 03] The ban of Sensei’s Divining Top – correct?
[1:16:25] Ban Deathrite Shaman?
[1:18:56] Ban Delver of Secrets?
[1:21:21] More thoughts on Legacy
[1:29:37] On playing well in high-level competition
[1:32:50] How Dan has helped other players develop
[1:34:35] What Dan’s learned from the community
[1:36:14] Goals
[1:37:05] Things Dan would tell himself, if he could go back five years
[1:39:22] On happiness
[1:41:26] Things that piss Dan off
[1:46:22] Tips for new competitive players

twndomn

12-31-2017, 12:07 AM

Mind's Desire is what Dan Signorini's thinking.

Plague Sliver

04-22-2018, 12:34 AM

We're back for 2018! First episode of the year features Bryan Gottlieb of GAM Podcast.

https://humansofmagic.com/2018/04/21/humans-of-magic-interview-series-bryan-gottlieb/

I broke my recording hiatus after REALLY getting into the GAM Podcast, one of the finest competitive Magic podcasts around. Bryan Gottlieb co-hosts the show and is a poker-player-turned-bartender-turned-lawyer. So when the opportunity to interview Bryan came up, I knew that I had to go for it.

Our full conversation covers:

Bryan’s childhood
The art of content creation
Career and life choices
Helping others in unorthodox ways
Why Magic is the greatest game ever
…and much, much more!

Hope you enjoy the listen.

Plague Sliver

05-05-2018, 10:34 PM

This is a big one... Alix and Jesse Hatfield. Go listen to it!

https://humansofmagic.com/2018/05/06/humans-of-magic-interview-series-alix-and-jesse-hatfield/

I am pleased to present this conversation with Alix and Jesse Hatfield. The Hatfields have left an indelible mark on the growth and evolution of the Legacy format (previously “Type 1.5”) for well over a decade. They contributed to some of the most influential decks ever built — Enchantress, Threshold, and Cephalid Breakfast, amongst many others.

Alix and Jesse also share stories of how the Northern Virginia community fostered, and continue to foster, a culture of innovation and teamwork.

Time stamps:

[01:55] Introduction

[04:30] Legendary card debates: Stifle vs. Blue Elemental Blast

[10:00] Background: growing up and first contact with Magic

[14:15] Earliest Magic card memories

[15:55] Magic’s initial allure

[19:00] First Type 1.5 tournament at the Lucky Frog

[21:32] First Type 1.5 decks played

[23:03] Mindset: what kept them going back to play

[25:12] The process of winning and tweaking decklists

[29:33] Mark Perez’s impact on the Virginia Type 1.5 community

[31:20] Other key figures: Anwar Ahmad, David Gearhart, Ian McInnes, Matt Elgin, Jack Elgin

[33:18] Anwar’s earliest influences on James as a Legacy player

[36:53] A history of friendly rivalry: Northern Virginia vs. New York / Crashing a Syracuse tournament for the first time / Major car accidents

[44:23] Format evolution, ban lists, and overall player growth

[47:57] Early banned & restricted list announcements

[51:35] The advent of ‘Threshold’ in Legacy

[55:38] Earliest ‘Threshold’ builds and card choices

[57:25] Reading Magic theory and its impact on ‘Threshold’

[59:48] Friends who contributed to ‘Threshold’ deck evolution / How Nimble Mongoose became a card

[1:03:10] Key decks of the format: Threshold, Goblins, Solidarity

[1:05:10] Tweaking ‘Threshold’ builds with different color splashes

[1:06:34] New card printings: Counterbalance and Tarmogoyf

[1:09:15] The Flash Hulk era

[1:11:53] First impressions of Tarmogoyf

[1:13:42] Creating Cephalid Breakfast

[1:15:53] Vintage and Legacy champs at Gen Con / How ‘Canadian Threshold’ came to be

[1:18:50] “Too Much Information” article series: origin, goals, reception

[1:30:51] Thoughts on the Legacy format today: is the metagame balanced and how does data support the conclusion?

[1:40:00] Call to action and shout-outs: data collection in the community

[1:41:01] Going forward, who are the key folks impacting the game in a positive way?

Plague Sliver

06-15-2018, 11:40 AM

Ari Lax is in the house.

https://humansofmagic.com/2018/06/15/ari-lax/

“Humans of Magic” presents: Ari Lax. Ari is the Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir Champion, member of Team Massdrop, and writer for Starcitygames.com.

Here is our full conversation, in which we discuss:

The process of preparing for Pro Tours: before, during, and after
Similarities between preparing for the Pro Tour vs. job interviews
Leveling up as a player
Balance: finding it, or lack thereof
How to have good debates or conversations with people
Advice for new tournament players
…and much, much more!

Enjoy!

Michael Keller

06-18-2018, 11:21 AM