Humans of Magic Humans of Magic

Jimmy Wong is an actor, performer, songwriter, and mainstay on The Command Zone, one of Magic's biggest YouTube channels.

0:01:09 Tokyo vacation and thoughts on Japanese culture
0:08:45 Jimmy's Pro Tour Philly experience
0:11:23 James's traveling with cats story
0:17:50 actors living in major hubs like Los Angeles - a necessity?
0:23:18 how Jimmy landed the Mulan role
0:27:26 family influences - sibling rivalry, musical aspirations
0:34:02 Video Game High School
0:35:52 parenthood
0:49:11 "big picture" of social media and where we're headed
1:01:23 negative internet emotions = profit
1:10:12 looking back on the Game Knights legacy
1:18:30 evolution of Commander and Magic content

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sheldon Menery is the godfather of the Commander format and founding member of the Commander Rules Committee.

0:01:30 the convention-going experience - from Gen Con '93 to now
0:10:22 Sheldon's first encounter with Magic - Alpha Edition
0:14:29 why Sheldon joined the Air Force
0:20:47 what Sheldon learned from two decades of military service
0:26:09 Florida's fine dining spots
0:32:39 early Magic judging stories
0:47:11 working with WOTC folks in the early days
0:53:20 Sheldon's life philosophy
0:58:51 on recent health challenges
1:11:10 developing Commander with Toby Elliott and Scott Larabee
1:19:29 fork in the road - Commander vs. judging
1:22:20 Sheldon is a Shakespeare scholar
1:29:26 the moment when Sheldon realized Commander had "made it big"
1:34:25 what would keep Commander going for the long-term?
1:43:52 community engagement and amplifying voices
1:46:45 singing the praises of Rebell Son and Rachel Weeks

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Julian Knab is the host of the Everyday Eternal podcast and creator of the Legacy Premier League.

0:03:11 who is Julian Knab?
0:08:31 the competitive mindset
0:13:37 producing the "Everyday Eternal" podcast
0:20:50 edutainment and authenticity for creators
0:27:41 what is the Legacy format, and who is it for?
0:37:24 Commander's effect on Legacy
0:47:11 fighting perfectionism - and balancing pragmatism
0:53:13 Julian's quality bar for competitive Magic content
1:04:23 looking back on 2022 - podcast highs and lows
1:13:38 why are American Magic tournaments so badly run?
1:25:33 Magic players and Expected Value
1:29:59 Julian's 2022 as a commentator - highs and lows
1:34:13 looking ahead - career moves, life decisions, agency
1:43:00 on self-limiting beliefs
1:48:00 find out what you enjoy...and build around it
1:54:18 James's fear of the new / James wants to reconnect with Magic
2:06:49 James is a new person after the Shanghai lockdown

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Anuraag Das is a Magic streamer specializing in guerrilla Magic tournament coverage. He streams at https://www.twitch.tv/anzidmtg.

0:01:30 "where I am as a content creator has shifted"
0:05:26 from playing Magic to covering Magic
0:09:15 what is "meaningful" when it comes to content?
0:15:39 developing one's streaming brand
0:17:11 monetizing coverage - the harsh reality
0:31:37 sponsorships
0:36:08 the entitlement mindset trap
0:40:17 intrinsic creator motivation
0:47:15 start with YouTube, not Twitch
0:57:12 finding the right business partner
0:58:42 Anuraag's 2022 events coverage retrospective
1:06:40 the challenge of freelancing coverage
1:14:18 commentary - "there aren't enough opportunities"
1:21:27 working without constraints / taking risks as a smaller broadcaster
1:30:49 GP Reid Duke - player as commentator - possible today?
1:34:29 documenting the coverage journey itself
1:40:07 thoughts on where Magic is going

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Reid Duke is the Pro Tour Phyrexia champion and a member of the Magic Hall of Fame.

0:01:30 aftermath of winning the Pro Tour
0:06:23 coming back from a 0-2 deficit in the PT Top Eight
0:10:33 Reid's Pioneer deck - "I had no expectations"
0:14:20 Reid's testing house and making collective judgments
0:16:55 Reid on Kai Budde - "he's superhuman"
0:20:05 key "turning points" of Pro Tour Phyrexia
0:24:32 how does Reid feel about his legacy?
0:30:15 the next milestone - winning Worlds
0:32:49 preparation and the road less traveled - Reid's learnings
0:36:34 on speaking the metaphorical language of your teammates
0:41:10 on Organized Play and the return of the Pro Tour
0:48:56 casual vs. tournament Magic - it's not a competition
0:51:04 how James feels about competitive Magic today
0:55:08 Reid's edge in playing paper tournaments
0:58:00 what makes a truly great player - consistent excellence
1:02:28 Reid's life over the past couple of years

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Jesse Robkin is a writer, filmmaker and Magic player.

Jesse is currently fundraising for her short film STRESS FRACTURE - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/stress-fracture-film

0:01:30 confronting fears
0:10:45 a new spin on a post-apocalyptic story
0:15:21 the impending doom of the future
0:22:18 creative freelancing - one year anniversary
0:25:57 Jesse's new short film - "Stress Fracture"
0:32:46 consistent themes in Jesse's creative work
0:43:50 make the audience think
0:47:58 how did Jesse become a storyteller?
0:54:35 Jesse's writing method
1:08:30 doing the work vs. delivering the work
1:19:57 how to be self-aware in the editing process
1:22:17 Jesse's routines for writing, editing, and doing laundry
1:29:15 professional goals
1:36:20 look backwards as well as forward
1:40:32 how Jesse got good at Magic - crossover with creative process
1:43:45 Jesse's thoughts on Magic storytelling and lore
1:49:44 Jesse's Patreon experience

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic