Humans of Magic

Niv Shmuely is a Magic player and medical doctor from Israel. He has played in three Magic Pro Tours and the World Magic Cup as a member of the Israeli team.

0:00 Intro

3:30 How Niv got into competitive Magic

7:37 Pro Tour Valencia and the flood

11:50 Worlds Team Tournament - Israeli national team

15:52 Med school, Legacy format, COVID years

18:34 Pro Tour Philadelphia

24:23 Challenges to being an Israeli Magic pro

27:08 How family shaped Niv's Magic career

35:05 Why Niv chose med school (and changed careers)

43:37 Prague, Amsterdam and European transport

48:10 Present Israel situation, October 7 memories

55:57 Putting October 7 into perspective

1:04:54 Israel's military retaliation

1:12:00 Western reactions - now vs. Oct

1:19:05 American public sentiment towards Israel

1:24:40 "Hamas is not a government"

1:29:34 Be well-informed, thoughtful and supportive

1:36:32 Negotiation challenges

1:40:16 What needs to happen to achieve peace?

1:46:39 Anti-Zionism and anti-semitism

1:56:50 Palestine needs a state

Magic Con Amsterdam: June 28-30, 2024.

0:00 Intro

0:38 Why I went to Amsterdam

3:59 General experience

9:06 Notable moments

14:19 Memorable conversations

27:48 Takeaways

Memorable conversations:

- Justine Jones

- Will Hall & Matej Zatlkaj

- ZBexx

- Josh Lee Kwai

- Spice8Rack

- Andrea Mengucci

- Gabriel Nassif

- Kai Budde & Jon Finkel

- Rhystic Studies

- Reid Duke

Gabriel Nassif is a Magic Pro Player and Hall of Famer from Paris, France.

Interview was recorded at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, during Magic Con Amsterdam.

0:00 Intro

0:54 Pro Tour Amsterdam and Worlds

3:52 Tournament recap - key decisions

7:18 Fond Amsterdam (and PT) memories

12:07 Getting back on the Magic grind

15:01 Streaming competitive events

16:35 Thoughts on Magic organized play

19:17 What keeps Gab motivated?

22:13 Playing basketball

27:37 Gab’s brother, American sports, Lebanese culture

32:59 Goals for second half of 2024

Kurohitsuki is a Magic content creator and streamer from Buffalo, New York.

Interview was recorded at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, during Magic Con Amsterdam.

0:00 Intro

1:10 "Kurohitsuki" name and persona

7:15 Kuro's background

10:32 A very special gift

11:27 Becoming a creator

14:58 Favorite creature type

18:13 Getting into Commander and Spelltable

21:57 Deckbuilding - "I'm a Vorthos at heart"

28:04 Favorite Commander of all time

31:33 Favorite Magic card of all time

38:16 Creative consistency - finding balance

44:58 Reaching one's potential

48:43 Wrapping up 2024

ZBexx is a Magic content creator and cosplayer from Portland, Oregon.

Interview was recorded at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, during Magic Con Amsterdam.

0:00 Intro

0:57 Exploring Amsterdam and Dutch culture

6:11 Traveling as a Magic couple

8:35 Choosing a Magic content lane

11:19 Branching outside of Magic

16:09 Keeping up with Magic set releases

19:12 Positive self-talk, confidence, role models

24:02 Hardest time as a creator

29:22 Dedication to the cosplay craft

32:19 Fan feedback and connection

34:06 Birds of Paradise

36:57 On working with brands

40:43 Lorcana at major conventions

44:04 Disney sponsorship - what if?

Vitalii "V" Ponomariov is a Ukrainian Magic player, LGS owner, and IT professional. He currently lives in Lviv, Ukraine.

V and I first connected in 2022 when he shared his perspective on Ukrainian Magic on the Magic The Gathering Subreddit. He introduced me to his friends in the Ukrainian Magic community, which allowed me to make the Humans of Magic feature "This Ukrainian Life."

I am fortunate to have V on again to tell his story.

0:00 Intro

1:03 Opening an LGS in Ukraine

8:03 Ukrainian Magic scene

18:56 Outlaws of Thunder Junction...in Lviv

26:40 Finding meaning in an existential threat

35:52 "It is a luxury to be able to prioritize myself"

41:22 Russia, geopolitics, destroyed opportunities

51:51 The indecisive West

1:00:41 Magic and tabletop games as mental relief

1:02:59 Music, creativity, guiding principles

1:10:20 "Fear of Missing Out" in Magic

1:18:54 Lord of the Rings and Universes Beyond

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sam, a.k.a. Rhystic Studies, creates videos about the art, history, and culture of Magic: the Gathering.

0:00 Intro

1:50 Podcast monologues, Twitter bios

7:31 Discord fan interactions

10:39 Recent interviews

14:08 On being a solo act

16:02 Collaboration opportunities

18:41 Creative choices and financial viability

21:17 The indie game developer

22:57 Hbomberguy and taking on epic projects

27:59 Confidence (and experience) trumps fear

34:29 Level-ups as a creator

38:21 "The guitar is the ultimate feedback machine"

41:26 Keeping oneself creatively honest

45:07 What Rhystic Studies is really about

47:57 On being misunderstood

49:27 Guitar talk

54:32 Heat in Austin, TX

56:26 Podcasting in one take

59:35 Productivity systems and removing friction

1:05:02 Planning for future events (and a wedding)

1:08:55 Getting security for events

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Rob Bliss is an artist and illustrator for Magic The Gathering. Rob is also a concept artist and has worked on productions such as Harry Potter, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Dark Knight.

0:00 Intro

1:00 Speaking engagements

5:08 How Rob developed his style

12:30 Early life as artist

15:23 Imitation breeds uniqueness

20:21 Strength of initial arrogance

23:34 "Making it" as a young artist

30:38 The 2000 AD comic book experience

38:29 Moving into concept art

39:29 Illustrating Magic cards

47:04 Phallic images - setting the record straight

59:32 "I'll quit something because I hate doing it"

1:04:36 On conforming as a creative

1:15:50 Working on the Harry Potter movies

1:21:43 Working with Guardians of the Galaxy

1:28:11 On humor and opening up to people

1:33:28 Playing records as a DJ

1:40:16 On public speaking

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

An introduction to the Israel-Palestine conflict with Spice8Rack, Magic YouTuber and political activist.

0:00 Intro

3:00 Ground rules and expectations

6:47 Resources - journalists

9:07 Resources - coordination

10:32 Resources - education

11:15 Resources - books

22:26 How do we know if a resource is legitimate?

32:12 How do we know if an influencer is legitimate?

40:32 Social media has real value (but use it wisely)

49:52 Be well-informed - and take action

53:10 It's okay to be emotional (on the internet)

58:59 Willful ignorance and team mentality

1:03:18 Why the Israel-Palestine conflict is important

1:09:52 Campus protests and institutional response

1:16:15 Student protesters should be commended

1:19:23 anti-Zionism vs. anti-Semitism

1:27:04 Scale of what's happening, business interests

1:35:46 Use of force - the Israeli state's position

1:44:59 Definition of "Nakba"

1:49:44 What needs to happen next?

1:58:25 Israeli government and American dependency

2:08:28 Managing expectations with the West

2:16:38 Final words - call for action

---

Spice8Rack's recommended resources:

[JOURNALISTS]

- WizardBisan1 - on Instagram & TikTok

- Eye on Palestine, Middle East Eye - on Instagram & TikTok

[COORDINATION]

- National Students for Justice in Palestine - on Twitter & Instagram

- BDS (Boycott Divest & Sanction)

- Palestine Action

- Jewish Voice for Peace

- Palestine Solidarity Campaign

[EDUCATION]

- Dr. John Duncan - "JohntheDuncan" on YouTube

[BOOKS]

- S. Englert - "Settler Colonialism: An Introduction"

- R. Khalidi - "The Hundred Year’s War on Palestine"

- S. Awad, & B. Bean - "Palestine: A Socialist Introduction"

- B. Bashir, & A. Goldberg - "The Holocaust & the Nakba"

- A. Lowenstien - "The Palestine Laboratory"

- A. Davis - "Freedom is a Constant Struggle"

- F. Fanon - "The Wretched of the Earth"

- J. Abusalim, J. Bing & M. Merryman Lotze - "Light in Gaza"

In the conversation, we referred to Kyle Hill as "Phil" -- sorry, Kyle!

Alison Luhrs is a creative writer and worldbuilder for Magic The Gathering. She was also the creative lead for Baldur's Gate 3, and is currently the narrative director for Destiny 2.

0:00 Intro

1:00 Doing improv

6:49 Improv's learning curve, embracing failure

12:23 Connecting with the audience

15:37 "Book Club"

19:21 Getting into the games industry

21:46 Career at Wizards of the Coast

24:25 Ixalan

25:38 Magic storytelling evolution

29:27 Writing the Thunder Junction epilogues

32:29 Why Alison left her name off the Ixalan stories

38:12 Subverting expectations

39:50 Research and writing frameworks

43:23 Magic storyline starter kit

46:13 Collaborative writing with friends

49:30 Advice for folks entering the games industry

54:56 Living through the COVID era

56:53 "Badass wilderness woman" (and "Lost" commentary)

1:03:25 Alison's friendship philosophy

1:10:11 Legendary Kaladesh PAX improv event

1:13:15 Being the Baldur's Gate 3 creative lead

1:21:54 Lightning round Q&A

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic