Humans of Magic

Alex "KessWylie" Kessler is the CEO and founder of Kess.co, a kick-ass toy company. He is also a Magic creator and the host of the Masters of Modern podcast.

0:01:30 the "hourly rate in life" concept

0:06:57 Tik Tok is the new Yelp

0:08:41 Tik Tok 101 for creators

0:15:37 content evolution - effort vs. results

0:18:35 Alex's content goals

0:23:24 Alex's love for the Magic storyline

0:29:15 "podcasting has the ability to be freeform"

0:37:10 Lord of the Rings and 90's nostalgia

0:41:46 One Piece and the joy of expanded universes

0:46:44 fatherhood

0:58:44 Magic - Greatest Game Storyline of All Time?

1:10:58 how Alex sees things differently as a toy industry insider

1:18:37 The Lord of the Rings set for Magic

1:26:45 diversity and representation in the LOTR set

1:44:48 Alex's toy company - kess.co

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Hugh Watanabe is a Japanese-American pro basketball player who plays for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan's B.League. He is also an Olympian and a member of the Japanese National basketball team.

0:01:25 from Hawaii to Japan

0:08:37 transition from high school to college ball

0:12:19 fighting through mental setbacks and multiple injuries

0:21:35 a freak accident injury

0:23:56 getting into Magic The Gathering

0:26:38 Limited Magic is like basketball

0:33:10 American vs International basketball - cultural differences

0:39:09 fun stories from Japan

0:42:42 what Hugh has learned from his teammates

0:49:32 "everyone here is ridiculously good at Magic"

0:53:42 Japanese culture, applied to pro sports and general life

1:01:29 James really enjoys long distance running

1:07:13 Limited is the most skill-intensive Magic format

1:09:32 greatest basketball player of all time? (The GOAT)

1:17:04 looking forward to the future

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

HarryMTG is a Magic YouTuber.

0:00:37 Harry's self-intro

0:06:12 how Harry started making YouTube videos

0:09:29 the two millionaire brothers story

0:11:06 why Harry moved from Twitch to YouTube

0:14:47 influences - Ludwig and Mr. Beast

0:20:18 on being clickbait-y

0:24:04 how Harry stepped up his YouTube game - "it's like cooking"

0:28:12 the YouTube algorithm

0:33:09 creator goals, incentives and methodology

0:37:39 the Midweek Metagame podcast

0:43:10 podcasting with Gab Nassif

0:46:10 podcasting with Pat Robertson

0:49:37 learning Mandarin and (possibly) moving to China

0:53:17 the wonderful world of Bilibili

1:01:49 VR Chat as Mandarin practice

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

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

Spice8Rack (it/them) is a Magic content creator.

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0:01:30 origin of the Spice8Rack name

0:04:05 from bussing tables to YouTube "overnight" success

0:13:17 Spice's performance and poetry background

0:15:04 learning the YouTube meta / being in front of the camera

0:22:50 feeding off the audience's energy

0:28:52 humor and comedic timing in videos

0:33:35 Spice's content goals / playing the YouTube "game"

0:41:59 community feedback

0:50:39 Spice's writing process

0:58:44 the struggle with Patreon and Discord

1:04:16 making content - self-fulfillment vs. finding an audience

1:17:11 does Spice enjoy making the videos? (it depends)

1:24:40 Spice's political beliefs and its practical impacts

1:37:05 events that shaped Spice's political beliefs

1:41:34 dialectical materialism

1:51:32 Spice's yearly in-person conversation ritual / nature of online discourse

2:01:18 how Spice selects new books to read

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Show notes: https://humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic