I collect autographed cards. The hard way, by harassing innocent artists instead of buying and trading. I do own a couple 'purchased' signed cards, but they came from well-meaning friends.
Through no fault of my own I've also come to accumulate miscellaneous Magic stuff like Ice Age and Invasion Starter Deck displays, an original painting, various prints and even a pair of Portal 1 binoculars.
I've always felt 'pimp' is a slightly misleading term.
The goal of Magic players who collect foils, old cards, signatures or misprints simply want something unique. There are millions, probably billions of Magic cards out there, and people need their cards to be special.
It's easy to wag one's finger at others for heading down the road in search of the cards they need to complete a deck or binder, but let's be civilized here. It's a project to collect specific cards and we need projects to keep us normal. Not everyone is out to save the ice caps or clean goop off sea animals. Some folks just really like Magic cards.
I say this as someone who collects autographed cards without giving a damn who does or doesn't think they're 'pimp'. I'm not out to impress you, and no one who collects something should do it for anyone but themselves.
There should be some sort of test in place that precludes people who aren't phonetically cogent from buying boosters so the rest of us, who speak perfect English can cluck our tongues from inside the warm walls of our favorite gaming store decorated as a classic Mercian meadhall, while people who don't make the cut gaze from windows frosted with falling snow and their warm, wistful exhalations.
Planeswalker and Plainswalk? I mean, really. Why can't Wizards of the Coast teach our children how to read? I wager I could take any FNM player struggling with his vowel sounds and pass him off as a Japanese Pro inside of six months. Whether or not I become accustomed to his face depends on the whereabouts of my slippers.
I don't get it. People reference Hurloon Minotaur all the time. It's a friggin' vanilla. What's happening? Why is this card so beloved? Why are there so many references to it, like in Mark Rosewater's article today?
I feel that I should speak up on behalf of those of us who started before Innistrad and point out that Wizards's love affair with Hurloon Minotaur was not reciprocated by players. Regardless of its use as a mascot, the card was never taken seriously. It was pretty, and that's all.
But I'll never understand why people remember Hurloon Minotaur's time as mascot and forget literally every other one Magic had. Juzam Djinn was used to promote The Duelist, and he wasn't exactly a slouch.
Then came the epoch when mtg was able to pay notable artists with real skill - which I believe started around Mirage block.
This is getting slightly off-topic, but Magic has used professional artists as far back as Legends. While several early contributors were art students or recent graduates, it also had work from artists like Dan Frazier, Liz Danforth and Ed Beard who'd been illustrating for decades.
Not only that, many of the 'name' artists who later worked for Magic chose to do so only when roleplaying game illustration opportunites began to dry up.
It was never a question of money, but the sudden presence of Magic and hundreds of other card games aping it that occurred in the late 90s.
When I said I would most likely not do VS in the future, it was not because someone hurt my delicate sensibilities. I genuinely think I'm not the right person for that kind of job and there are people that would do a better job here. I was not happy with Elspeth vs Tezzeret and I am not happy with this one. Both are okay on a technical level, but nothing more, despite my efforts. I could do three normal illos in that time and both produce better content and have more fun doing it.
So if I pass a VS gig in the future, I'll do it because I have certain professional obligations towards my employer and towards myself. If I feel I can't fulfil them, I'll skip the job. Nothing to do with people having opinions on a public forum.
Up until this point, I didn't really care one way or another about the illustration or its artist because I haven't actually bought a Duel Deck since Knights Vs. Dragons. Having read this just now, I am compelled, practically forced, to give my computer screen a standing ovation, shouting "Class! Class!"
This is how an artist, regardless of his talent, genre or medium, should think. Igor Kieryluk is a True Sport, above and beyond any opinion of his work.
I like to think that this Duel Deck captures something far more fascinating than its description suggests.
See, Jace Beleren is out for his daily morning jog around the Implicit Maze. He's waving to Teysa stringing freshly laundered Orzhov robes along the clotheslines tied across her church's spires, throws Niv-Mizzet a high-five as the dragon flies off to tell yet another group of impressionable Izzet novices about that time he totally killed all the Nephilim by himself, a nice, normal day on the new Ravnica.
Meanwhile, deep in the shadows of the Undercity, is Vraska, and she's unhappy. Vraska finds it horribly unfair that nobody takes her seriously. She cornered Gideon that once, but he was all, "You think you know from tentacles? Let me tell you about Zendikar...", and on Theros? Vraska's got better things to do than attend yet another of Xenagos's "Gorgons Drink Free" orgies. Moreover, Visara the Dreadful filed that lawsuit against her, claiming a "plagarism of patented gorgon mannerisms", and Vraska's lawyer is begging her to settle. It's times like this she wishes she really was unseen.
So Vraska's sulking in the darkness, when Jace Beleren goes trotting by, and she figures "Hey, this guy's pretty popular. Maybe he can help me out." So she emerges from beneath the walkway, but Jace spots her before she can get close and he is majorly pissed. I mean, you don't just step up on the Living Guildpact like you know the man. And now Vraska realizes Jace thinks she's just another violent Golgari monster, and it gets to her deep because she knows she's not a bad person. She may have snakes for hair, trail thick, poisonous smoke when she walks and kill people for money, but Vraska doesn't think that makes her bad.
And they go at it across Jace's jogging route, churning up ancient cobblestones, knocking over pillars and all because of a simple misunderstanding. This is what the artist and accompanying Duel Deck has captured; two planeswalkers in the midst of a heated battle on a bright, sunny morning.
But if they just stopped to listen to each other, see things through a different lens, perhaps Jace and Vraska could instead share a table at a Rakdos living-puppet theater, throwing back glasses of thrull milk and laughing at life's little mishaps.
Personally though, I would've prefered Duel Decks: Tamiyo vs. Nissa: Lingerie Pillow Fight Across the Multiverse.
Is it just me, or does the art for Rubinia Soulsinger look more like Rubinia Soulsigner? Wonder if the artist misread the name of the card when she started on the piece.
Actually, back in the Pre-Ice Age days of Magic, rumors used to float that Rubinia's last name was supposed to be Soulsigner, based on her ability, and that it was misprinted because her whole name was changed right before Legends went to print. The card was originally named Titania, Queen of the Faeries, after the character from Midsummer Night's Dream.
Since a majority of the legends came from D&D characters the designers played, I imagine only they know the truth.
The new art is nevertheless amazing. I would love to see all the reprintable Legends reimagined at some point. Sir Shandlar of Eberyn needs a Duel Deck!
I cannot conceive of a situation where hands wouldn't be shaken after a game of Magic. Both players, regardless of winning or losing, should fight to be the first in offering a firm handshake.
If we all just stood around with our hands in our pockets waiting for the other player to offer a handshake, we would grow old in waiting. Time colliding to a halt as everyone looked off into the distance, wondering when dignity and respect left this lofty pursuit called Magic.
While I admit to meeting players who are... reluctant to offer a handshake, it is understable and tolerable in that not everyone is made of strong stuff and it falls to those of us who are to show these wilting lilies what it takes to call oneself a Magic player.
Refusing a handshake, however, is an act so morally pernicious that any player who even allows the notion to enter their mind may as well sell their collection, kiss their girl and/or boyfriend goodbye and embark on a world-length journey to rediscover their purpose in the universe.
I can't recall an Arabian Nights rare worth less than five dollars from late '94 onward, even those reprinted in Chronicles and 4th. I don't know where that website gets their figures, but Shahrazad has never been less than twenty dollars. EDIT: Tha Gunslinga's website has proven me wrong. It was cheap at one point, but that was a long time ago.
Is it the most expensive non-tournament legal card? Chaos Orb and the Holiday promos probably have it beat. But Shahrazad's unique effect and lovely illustration means people want it bad anyway.
As with most Magic cards, if you're looking to get in on the ground floor, buy a time machine.
Jace and a Snapcaster Mage walk into a bar. They've been arguing for hours that they both want to play Magic, but neither wants to use a premade deck. This continues as they reach the bartender, behind whom are a row of beer taps and shelves of bottled liquor.
"I need a drink," Jace insists wearily.
"Make it two," The Snapcaster agrees.
"All right," The bartender says, gesturing to the beer taps and bottles. "Draft or sealed?"
He should've asked Lord Zedd for a better weapon because Elspeth is clearly getting ready to power up her White Tigerzord.
Through no fault of my own I've also come to accumulate miscellaneous Magic stuff like Ice Age and Invasion Starter Deck displays, an original painting, various prints and even a pair of Portal 1 binoculars.
Okay, only the person who gets my cards will suffer. But still.
The goal of Magic players who collect foils, old cards, signatures or misprints simply want something unique. There are millions, probably billions of Magic cards out there, and people need their cards to be special.
It's easy to wag one's finger at others for heading down the road in search of the cards they need to complete a deck or binder, but let's be civilized here. It's a project to collect specific cards and we need projects to keep us normal. Not everyone is out to save the ice caps or clean goop off sea animals. Some folks just really like Magic cards.
I say this as someone who collects autographed cards without giving a damn who does or doesn't think they're 'pimp'. I'm not out to impress you, and no one who collects something should do it for anyone but themselves.
Planeswalker and Plainswalk? I mean, really. Why can't Wizards of the Coast teach our children how to read? I wager I could take any FNM player struggling with his vowel sounds and pass him off as a Japanese Pro inside of six months. Whether or not I become accustomed to his face depends on the whereabouts of my slippers.
I feel that I should speak up on behalf of those of us who started before Innistrad and point out that Wizards's love affair with Hurloon Minotaur was not reciprocated by players. Regardless of its use as a mascot, the card was never taken seriously. It was pretty, and that's all.
But I'll never understand why people remember Hurloon Minotaur's time as mascot and forget literally every other one Magic had. Juzam Djinn was used to promote The Duelist, and he wasn't exactly a slouch.
This is getting slightly off-topic, but Magic has used professional artists as far back as Legends. While several early contributors were art students or recent graduates, it also had work from artists like Dan Frazier, Liz Danforth and Ed Beard who'd been illustrating for decades.
Not only that, many of the 'name' artists who later worked for Magic chose to do so only when roleplaying game illustration opportunites began to dry up.
It was never a question of money, but the sudden presence of Magic and hundreds of other card games aping it that occurred in the late 90s.
Up until this point, I didn't really care one way or another about the illustration or its artist because I haven't actually bought a Duel Deck since Knights Vs. Dragons. Having read this just now, I am compelled, practically forced, to give my computer screen a standing ovation, shouting "Class! Class!"
This is how an artist, regardless of his talent, genre or medium, should think. Igor Kieryluk is a True Sport, above and beyond any opinion of his work.
See, Jace Beleren is out for his daily morning jog around the Implicit Maze. He's waving to Teysa stringing freshly laundered Orzhov robes along the clotheslines tied across her church's spires, throws Niv-Mizzet a high-five as the dragon flies off to tell yet another group of impressionable Izzet novices about that time he totally killed all the Nephilim by himself, a nice, normal day on the new Ravnica.
Meanwhile, deep in the shadows of the Undercity, is Vraska, and she's unhappy. Vraska finds it horribly unfair that nobody takes her seriously. She cornered Gideon that once, but he was all, "You think you know from tentacles? Let me tell you about Zendikar...", and on Theros? Vraska's got better things to do than attend yet another of Xenagos's "Gorgons Drink Free" orgies. Moreover, Visara the Dreadful filed that lawsuit against her, claiming a "plagarism of patented gorgon mannerisms", and Vraska's lawyer is begging her to settle. It's times like this she wishes she really was unseen.
So Vraska's sulking in the darkness, when Jace Beleren goes trotting by, and she figures "Hey, this guy's pretty popular. Maybe he can help me out." So she emerges from beneath the walkway, but Jace spots her before she can get close and he is majorly pissed. I mean, you don't just step up on the Living Guildpact like you know the man. And now Vraska realizes Jace thinks she's just another violent Golgari monster, and it gets to her deep because she knows she's not a bad person. She may have snakes for hair, trail thick, poisonous smoke when she walks and kill people for money, but Vraska doesn't think that makes her bad.
And they go at it across Jace's jogging route, churning up ancient cobblestones, knocking over pillars and all because of a simple misunderstanding. This is what the artist and accompanying Duel Deck has captured; two planeswalkers in the midst of a heated battle on a bright, sunny morning.
But if they just stopped to listen to each other, see things through a different lens, perhaps Jace and Vraska could instead share a table at a Rakdos living-puppet theater, throwing back glasses of thrull milk and laughing at life's little mishaps.
Personally though, I would've prefered Duel Decks: Tamiyo vs. Nissa: Lingerie Pillow Fight Across the Multiverse.
Actually, back in the Pre-Ice Age days of Magic, rumors used to float that Rubinia's last name was supposed to be Soulsigner, based on her ability, and that it was misprinted because her whole name was changed right before Legends went to print. The card was originally named Titania, Queen of the Faeries, after the character from Midsummer Night's Dream.
Since a majority of the legends came from D&D characters the designers played, I imagine only they know the truth.
The new art is nevertheless amazing. I would love to see all the reprintable Legends reimagined at some point. Sir Shandlar of Eberyn needs a Duel Deck!
If we all just stood around with our hands in our pockets waiting for the other player to offer a handshake, we would grow old in waiting. Time colliding to a halt as everyone looked off into the distance, wondering when dignity and respect left this lofty pursuit called Magic.
While I admit to meeting players who are... reluctant to offer a handshake, it is understable and tolerable in that not everyone is made of strong stuff and it falls to those of us who are to show these wilting lilies what it takes to call oneself a Magic player.
Refusing a handshake, however, is an act so morally pernicious that any player who even allows the notion to enter their mind may as well sell their collection, kiss their girl and/or boyfriend goodbye and embark on a world-length journey to rediscover their purpose in the universe.
I can't recall an Arabian Nights rare worth less than five dollars from late '94 onward, even those reprinted in Chronicles and 4th. I don't know where that website gets their figures,
but Shahrazad has never been less than twenty dollars.EDIT: Tha Gunslinga's website has proven me wrong. It was cheap at one point, but that was a long time ago.Is it the most expensive non-tournament legal card? Chaos Orb and the Holiday promos probably have it beat. But Shahrazad's unique effect and lovely illustration means people want it bad anyway.
As with most Magic cards, if you're looking to get in on the ground floor, buy a time machine.
"I need a drink," Jace insists wearily.
"Make it two," The Snapcaster agrees.
"All right," The bartender says, gesturing to the beer taps and bottles. "Draft or sealed?"