Patrick Scalisi's Blog, page 2
December 28, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: Nightmare
I’ve always loved Nightmare as a great one-off and never realized it was part of the larger Armada continuity until much later. I guess that’s what makes it such a fun story: It can be read without any prior knowledge of the comic series or as a small side plot of the overall narrative.
Nightmare technically takes place sometime during the events of Wayfarer, but since I’d rather not split the entry for Wayfarer into two parts, I’ll just cover Nightmare now. What’s important, after all, is that one reads it before the final issues of Wayfarer.
Nightmare was published in November 1995.
STORY SYNOPSIS
The Nightmare Caliphear returns from battle on a distant plane to discover that all has not been right in her homeland during her absence — a discovery that threatens the entire east of Corondor.
CREATIVES
Hilary Bader wrote the issue. Bader was an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter who transformed her love of Star Trek into a career writing for the show. She penned episodes for The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. In addition to her work on Star Trek tie-in books and video games, Bader also wrote for Batman Beyond, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Nightmare was her debut comic book. Tragically, Bader passed away in 2002 from breast cancer at age 50.
Anthony Castrillo (credited here as M. Anthony Castrillo) did the pencils. Castrillo worked with Marvel and Valiant in the 1990s, notably on the latter’s Bloodshot and Timewalker titles. According to several internet forums, Castrillo ran into trouble in 2012-13 when he allegedly failed to deliver on “several thousand dollars” worth of personal commissions. On one board, he commented that all of the outstanding work had either been rescheduled or refunded. He continues to work as a freelance illustrator for several companies.
Anibal Rodriguez served as inker. Rodriguez worked with DC and Valiant in the 1990s, notably on Magnus, Robot Fighter. I can’t find much info on what he’s been up to lately, so if you have any information, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Mark Csaszar (The Legend of Jedit Ojanen) provided the painted color.
(This issue features some great non-traditional panels in the same vein as The Legend of Jedit Ojanen.)
Melissa Benson provided the cover art. Benson was the logical choice because she illustrated the corresponding art for the Nightmare card in the game itself. Benson illustrated more than 60 cards for Magic during her time with Wizards of the Coast and was a gaming mainstay for many years. Today, she focuses on freelance work and fine art, particularly pieces with pagan, mythological, or fantastic themes.
LORE
Shadow Mage issue 3 gives the year as autumn of 1280 by the reckoning of the Sages of Minorad. Issue 4 takes place three months after the events in issue 3. Assuming that “autumn” is approximately September, the events in issue 4 occur in December. Nightmare takes place in 1281, so we’re firmly into Jared Carthalion’s time as a wayfarer.
Whereas Arathoxia is located on the west coast of Corondor, Caliphear’s home in the Salt Marshes is located in the east.
Though not pictured on the map in Shadow Mage issue 4, the Plains of Coloni from which Altair hails is part of Golthonor. Coloni is also known as the Darkling Plains and was the setting for the Fallen Angel comic. Notably, this area of Corondor produced no less than three famous white mages: Eskil the White, Mangara of Corondor, and Altair himself.
At one point, Altair notes that he has a farm — a clue as to what he’s been up to in the years since the enchantment that nullifies his Planeswalker powers was placed on him.
MISCELLANEOUS
Nightmare is a great character study, in that it provides a fascinating insight into the relationship between Planeswalkers and the creatures they summon. Indeed, Caliphear and Jamil seem to have a relationship, even if the nature of that relationship is one of servant and master. By the end of the story, this relationship is flipped when Altair — a powerful Planeswalker in his own right — fulfills his promise to be Caliphear’s servant for 10 years.
Even at this stage in Magic’s creature design, there was a strong delineation between dragons and drakes. Notably, dragons have four sets of limbs — “arms” and “legs” — as well as wings, whereas drakes have wings (sometimes with claws) in place of arms, much like a bat. A humorous moment in the comic occurs when Laconia wrongly identifies the Azure Drake as a dragon and Caliphear corrects him.
At one point, Caliphear utters the oath, “Sol’Kanar’s horns,” which is a nice callback to the Dakkon Blackblade comic.
Are the “Marked Clerics” a distant offshoot of the Marked Ones we met in the Ice Age comics? As we don’t learn much about the Marked Clerics, it’s impossible to tell.
After Altair’s enchantment is destroyed, Coldraith calls Altair a “godling” — a true indicator of the power of pre-Mending Planeswalkers.
The biography of Melissa Benson misspells Hamden, Conn., as “Handen.” Paier College of Art still exists, and I have several friends and acquaintances who have attended the school.
The rear pages of the comic feature an alternate painting of the Nightmare by Leo Liebelman, who was working for Valiant comics on Turok: Dinosaur Hunter at the time.
Editors Jeff Gomez and Jeof Vita supposedly make a cameo appearance somewhere in the comic’s artwork — but I couldn’t find them! :-(
Nightmare technically takes place sometime during the events of Wayfarer, but since I’d rather not split the entry for Wayfarer into two parts, I’ll just cover Nightmare now. What’s important, after all, is that one reads it before the final issues of Wayfarer.
Nightmare was published in November 1995.
STORY SYNOPSIS
The Nightmare Caliphear returns from battle on a distant plane to discover that all has not been right in her homeland during her absence — a discovery that threatens the entire east of Corondor.
CREATIVES
Hilary Bader wrote the issue. Bader was an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter who transformed her love of Star Trek into a career writing for the show. She penned episodes for The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. In addition to her work on Star Trek tie-in books and video games, Bader also wrote for Batman Beyond, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Nightmare was her debut comic book. Tragically, Bader passed away in 2002 from breast cancer at age 50.
Anthony Castrillo (credited here as M. Anthony Castrillo) did the pencils. Castrillo worked with Marvel and Valiant in the 1990s, notably on the latter’s Bloodshot and Timewalker titles. According to several internet forums, Castrillo ran into trouble in 2012-13 when he allegedly failed to deliver on “several thousand dollars” worth of personal commissions. On one board, he commented that all of the outstanding work had either been rescheduled or refunded. He continues to work as a freelance illustrator for several companies.
Anibal Rodriguez served as inker. Rodriguez worked with DC and Valiant in the 1990s, notably on Magnus, Robot Fighter. I can’t find much info on what he’s been up to lately, so if you have any information, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Mark Csaszar (The Legend of Jedit Ojanen) provided the painted color.
(This issue features some great non-traditional panels in the same vein as The Legend of Jedit Ojanen.)
Melissa Benson provided the cover art. Benson was the logical choice because she illustrated the corresponding art for the Nightmare card in the game itself. Benson illustrated more than 60 cards for Magic during her time with Wizards of the Coast and was a gaming mainstay for many years. Today, she focuses on freelance work and fine art, particularly pieces with pagan, mythological, or fantastic themes.
LORE
Shadow Mage issue 3 gives the year as autumn of 1280 by the reckoning of the Sages of Minorad. Issue 4 takes place three months after the events in issue 3. Assuming that “autumn” is approximately September, the events in issue 4 occur in December. Nightmare takes place in 1281, so we’re firmly into Jared Carthalion’s time as a wayfarer.
Whereas Arathoxia is located on the west coast of Corondor, Caliphear’s home in the Salt Marshes is located in the east.
Though not pictured on the map in Shadow Mage issue 4, the Plains of Coloni from which Altair hails is part of Golthonor. Coloni is also known as the Darkling Plains and was the setting for the Fallen Angel comic. Notably, this area of Corondor produced no less than three famous white mages: Eskil the White, Mangara of Corondor, and Altair himself.
At one point, Altair notes that he has a farm — a clue as to what he’s been up to in the years since the enchantment that nullifies his Planeswalker powers was placed on him.
MISCELLANEOUS
Nightmare is a great character study, in that it provides a fascinating insight into the relationship between Planeswalkers and the creatures they summon. Indeed, Caliphear and Jamil seem to have a relationship, even if the nature of that relationship is one of servant and master. By the end of the story, this relationship is flipped when Altair — a powerful Planeswalker in his own right — fulfills his promise to be Caliphear’s servant for 10 years.
Even at this stage in Magic’s creature design, there was a strong delineation between dragons and drakes. Notably, dragons have four sets of limbs — “arms” and “legs” — as well as wings, whereas drakes have wings (sometimes with claws) in place of arms, much like a bat. A humorous moment in the comic occurs when Laconia wrongly identifies the Azure Drake as a dragon and Caliphear corrects him.
At one point, Caliphear utters the oath, “Sol’Kanar’s horns,” which is a nice callback to the Dakkon Blackblade comic.
Are the “Marked Clerics” a distant offshoot of the Marked Ones we met in the Ice Age comics? As we don’t learn much about the Marked Clerics, it’s impossible to tell.
After Altair’s enchantment is destroyed, Coldraith calls Altair a “godling” — a true indicator of the power of pre-Mending Planeswalkers.
The biography of Melissa Benson misspells Hamden, Conn., as “Handen.” Paier College of Art still exists, and I have several friends and acquaintances who have attended the school.
The rear pages of the comic feature an alternate painting of the Nightmare by Leo Liebelman, who was working for Valiant comics on Turok: Dinosaur Hunter at the time.
Editors Jeff Gomez and Jeof Vita supposedly make a cameo appearance somewhere in the comic’s artwork — but I couldn’t find them! :-(
December 24, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: The Shadow Mage
This is where it all began — both for me and for the Armada comics line. Though The Shadow Mage was the first comic series published, it occurs almost last in the comic line’s chronology.
Which is why saving it until this point is so satisfying.
I try to separate myself from the nostalgia, but The Shadow Mage really is the pinnacle of the Armada MTG comic line. The story is fantastic and well-paced, and the art is so cinematic in scope, it could have been storyboarded by Martin Scorsese.
The best part is that Wizards of the Coast allowed Armada the breathing room to create their own lore in a small corner of Dominaria. Not reliant on a set with an established story, The Shadow Mage was able to blaze its own path while drawing from all corners of the card game for inspiration and — for eagle-eyed readers — little Easter eggs.
The Shadow Mage was published July through October 1995. Issue 1 included a promo copy of Fireball, while issue 2 included a promo copy of Blue Elemental Blast. Issues 3 and 4 included sets of heavy cardboard tokens.
STORY SYNOPSIS
After being orphaned at the Battle of Aster Fall, the young prince Jared Carthalion grows up impoverished on the streets of Arathoxia while training for vengeance under the guidance of his father’s spell squire, Ezer.
CREATIVES
Jeff Gomez (Fallen Empires) wrote the entire series.
Val Mayerik did the pencils and inked issue 2. Mayerik began working in comics in the 1970s and is most famous for co-creating the character Howard the Duck for Marvel. He has worked for practically every publisher there is. In the 1990s, he segued into gaming and advertising, though he has recently returned to comics on a limited basis. In addition to his commercial work, Mayerik produces a good deal of personal images, often with Western or pop culture themes. He also enjoys acting and is an avid horseman.
James Pascoe inked issue 1. Rick Bryant and Gonzalo Mayo inked issue 3, while Bryant inked issue 4 solo. All are career comic artists who have worked for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Valiant.
Mark Csaszar (The Legend of Jedit Ojanen) served as colorist for all four issues.
In addition to his interior artwork, Mayerik painted all four covers.
LORE
Jared Carthalion does not have the crescent moon mark of the elder druids on his cheek before Ravidel casts Syphon Soul on the Carthalion army at the Battle of Aster Fall. Though we’re dealing with pre-Mending Planeswalkers, is it possible this near-death event is what ignited Jared’s spark? And if so, is there precedence for someone ascending as a baby?
(Jared before, left, and after the Syphon Soul spell.)
Jared is less than six months old at the Battle of Aster Fall.
In issue 2, the Hurloon minotaur Eusomone, also known as Sings Two Ways, refers to a “boon” he received from Adam Carthalion. There’s apparently an entire back story to this line that isn’t mentioned in the comic and, indeed, I have no idea where it’s sourced from. From the MTG Wiki:
“Adam once traveled in the Domains to find a Dwarven Hold, which was rumored to contain enough mana to enable him to become a planeswalker. He dueled against the planeswalker Marduk Blackwater, and as [Marduk] shifted away, [Marduk] cleared [Adam’s] mind. Adam ended up in the Hurloon Mountains with no memory of his past, but was befriended by the minotaur Eusomone; when they came across Marduk in the mountains, Adam regained his memory and, using the mana from the Dwarven Hold in the mountains, drove the planeswalker away. He gave his sword, Foecleaver, to Eusomone as a gift of friendship. Eusomone then granted Adam permission to summon him as needed.”
It was also during his return from this expedition that Adam discovered a Black Lotus, which the Scarlet Vizier’s wife (really Liana) rightly describes as “House Carthalion’s most powerful relic.” This part of the story — the finding of the Lotus — is described in issue 4.
There are intimations that the Scarlet Vizier, the caretaker of House Carthalion in Arathoxia, is working with Ravidel behind Adam’s back. (“I’ve played both sides … and I’ve paid,” he says on his deathbed.) It’s possible that Ravidel installed the Vizier as a kind of failsafe in case Adam backed out of the bargain he made with Ravidel — which Adam eventually did at the Battle of Aster Fall. Upon Adam’s death, the Vizier becomes the head of the house under Ravidel. In this role, the Vizier ensures that Jared and Ezer are kept in poverty in Arathoxia, powerless and poor. He also works with Ravidel’s lieutenant, Narok, to reinstate House Scarlet as one of the five ruling houses of Arathoxia, a bargain the Grand Sultan ultimately rejects.
At one point in issue 2, Liana exclaims that Ravidel has “defied the Treaty of the Shard,” but there’s no indication as to what this means, especially since at this point in history The Shard is no longer in existence. (See also: Ice Age )
The only house lord to survive the razing of Arathoxia is the black mana-aligned Lord of House Khone.
In issue 4, Ezer notes that Ravidel “answered to a higher force — one that is bent on snuffing the very stars from the sky.” Is he referring to the vengeful Taysir, who at this point has probably been slain on Ulgrotha by Feroz? (See also: Homelands )
MISCELLANEOUS
As a Planeswalker, Ravidel doesn’t need his “planar barge” (which is built from the body of his old friend, the Elder Dragon Chromium Rhuell) to move between the Blind Eternities. But I suppose he likes to travel in style.
At one point, Lady Verdenth invokes Freyalise in an oath, indicating that green mages still revere her centuries after the World Spell that ended the Ice Age.
Is the Scarlet Vizier a pedophile? Consider his deathbed confession in issue 3 (which also confirms that Liana is a shapeshifter): “Be you girl-child or noble matron, Liana, you’ve always reshaped yourself to appease my selfish whims.”
In issue 4, the Grand Sultan states that there is a mysterious and powerful civilization hidden in the White Woods. Is he referring to the Quirion Elves?
The House Carthalion has accumulated many powerful artifacts over the centuries, as is evidenced by the items in Castle Melmerth’s throne room. Among them are a Jade Monolith, a Draconian Cylix and a Candelabra of Tawnos.
Ravidel exclaims, “Rhuell!?!?” when Jared summons the Shivan Dragon. This reference doesn’t make much sense unless one has read the Ice Age comic first.
In a note in the back of issue 1, Editor-in-Chief Bob Layton talks about how Armada Comics was launched as a division of Acclaim Comics to handle licensed properties. “Other comic companies have treated licensed products as ‘third-class citizens,’ producing them with second-string talent and little fanfare. Not us,” wrote Layton. As is evident by the artists and writers hired throughout the MTG comics run, Armada certainly achieved this goal.
Corondor was originally created by Jeff Gomez as a personal Dungeons & Dragons campaign before becoming an official part of the MTG canon in the Armada comics. In a note at the end of issue 2, it’s explained that Wizards of the Coast granted Armada special permission to develop Corondor specifically for the comics. In a fun coincidence, WOTC would go on to purchase TSR, the original publisher of D&D, just two years later in 1997.
At the end of issue 2, Narok is identified as “a vicious alien being.” Creature Type – Alien?
Notes at the end of issue 2 indentify all the lands on Dominaria that had been identified in lore sources and the game to that point. These include Sarpadia, the Domains, Terisaire, and Upper Videnth.
Issues 1 and 2 were published with special promo cards. Issue 1 included a copy of Fireball, while issue 2 included a copy of Blue Elemental Blast. These cards were white bordered and closely resembled their Fourth Edition counterparts. However, the copyright for these promo cards is 1994, whereas Fourth Edition carries a 1995 copyright.
Ads for the Ice Age comic suggest that they were published by Acclaim Comics when they were in fact published by Acclaim’s subsidiary, Armada.
Which is why saving it until this point is so satisfying.
I try to separate myself from the nostalgia, but The Shadow Mage really is the pinnacle of the Armada MTG comic line. The story is fantastic and well-paced, and the art is so cinematic in scope, it could have been storyboarded by Martin Scorsese.
The best part is that Wizards of the Coast allowed Armada the breathing room to create their own lore in a small corner of Dominaria. Not reliant on a set with an established story, The Shadow Mage was able to blaze its own path while drawing from all corners of the card game for inspiration and — for eagle-eyed readers — little Easter eggs.
The Shadow Mage was published July through October 1995. Issue 1 included a promo copy of Fireball, while issue 2 included a promo copy of Blue Elemental Blast. Issues 3 and 4 included sets of heavy cardboard tokens.
STORY SYNOPSIS
After being orphaned at the Battle of Aster Fall, the young prince Jared Carthalion grows up impoverished on the streets of Arathoxia while training for vengeance under the guidance of his father’s spell squire, Ezer.
CREATIVES
Jeff Gomez (Fallen Empires) wrote the entire series.
Val Mayerik did the pencils and inked issue 2. Mayerik began working in comics in the 1970s and is most famous for co-creating the character Howard the Duck for Marvel. He has worked for practically every publisher there is. In the 1990s, he segued into gaming and advertising, though he has recently returned to comics on a limited basis. In addition to his commercial work, Mayerik produces a good deal of personal images, often with Western or pop culture themes. He also enjoys acting and is an avid horseman.
James Pascoe inked issue 1. Rick Bryant and Gonzalo Mayo inked issue 3, while Bryant inked issue 4 solo. All are career comic artists who have worked for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Valiant.
Mark Csaszar (The Legend of Jedit Ojanen) served as colorist for all four issues.
In addition to his interior artwork, Mayerik painted all four covers.
LORE
Jared Carthalion does not have the crescent moon mark of the elder druids on his cheek before Ravidel casts Syphon Soul on the Carthalion army at the Battle of Aster Fall. Though we’re dealing with pre-Mending Planeswalkers, is it possible this near-death event is what ignited Jared’s spark? And if so, is there precedence for someone ascending as a baby?
(Jared before, left, and after the Syphon Soul spell.)
Jared is less than six months old at the Battle of Aster Fall.
In issue 2, the Hurloon minotaur Eusomone, also known as Sings Two Ways, refers to a “boon” he received from Adam Carthalion. There’s apparently an entire back story to this line that isn’t mentioned in the comic and, indeed, I have no idea where it’s sourced from. From the MTG Wiki:
“Adam once traveled in the Domains to find a Dwarven Hold, which was rumored to contain enough mana to enable him to become a planeswalker. He dueled against the planeswalker Marduk Blackwater, and as [Marduk] shifted away, [Marduk] cleared [Adam’s] mind. Adam ended up in the Hurloon Mountains with no memory of his past, but was befriended by the minotaur Eusomone; when they came across Marduk in the mountains, Adam regained his memory and, using the mana from the Dwarven Hold in the mountains, drove the planeswalker away. He gave his sword, Foecleaver, to Eusomone as a gift of friendship. Eusomone then granted Adam permission to summon him as needed.”
It was also during his return from this expedition that Adam discovered a Black Lotus, which the Scarlet Vizier’s wife (really Liana) rightly describes as “House Carthalion’s most powerful relic.” This part of the story — the finding of the Lotus — is described in issue 4.
There are intimations that the Scarlet Vizier, the caretaker of House Carthalion in Arathoxia, is working with Ravidel behind Adam’s back. (“I’ve played both sides … and I’ve paid,” he says on his deathbed.) It’s possible that Ravidel installed the Vizier as a kind of failsafe in case Adam backed out of the bargain he made with Ravidel — which Adam eventually did at the Battle of Aster Fall. Upon Adam’s death, the Vizier becomes the head of the house under Ravidel. In this role, the Vizier ensures that Jared and Ezer are kept in poverty in Arathoxia, powerless and poor. He also works with Ravidel’s lieutenant, Narok, to reinstate House Scarlet as one of the five ruling houses of Arathoxia, a bargain the Grand Sultan ultimately rejects.
At one point in issue 2, Liana exclaims that Ravidel has “defied the Treaty of the Shard,” but there’s no indication as to what this means, especially since at this point in history The Shard is no longer in existence. (See also: Ice Age )
The only house lord to survive the razing of Arathoxia is the black mana-aligned Lord of House Khone.
In issue 4, Ezer notes that Ravidel “answered to a higher force — one that is bent on snuffing the very stars from the sky.” Is he referring to the vengeful Taysir, who at this point has probably been slain on Ulgrotha by Feroz? (See also: Homelands )
MISCELLANEOUS
As a Planeswalker, Ravidel doesn’t need his “planar barge” (which is built from the body of his old friend, the Elder Dragon Chromium Rhuell) to move between the Blind Eternities. But I suppose he likes to travel in style.
At one point, Lady Verdenth invokes Freyalise in an oath, indicating that green mages still revere her centuries after the World Spell that ended the Ice Age.
Is the Scarlet Vizier a pedophile? Consider his deathbed confession in issue 3 (which also confirms that Liana is a shapeshifter): “Be you girl-child or noble matron, Liana, you’ve always reshaped yourself to appease my selfish whims.”
In issue 4, the Grand Sultan states that there is a mysterious and powerful civilization hidden in the White Woods. Is he referring to the Quirion Elves?
The House Carthalion has accumulated many powerful artifacts over the centuries, as is evidenced by the items in Castle Melmerth’s throne room. Among them are a Jade Monolith, a Draconian Cylix and a Candelabra of Tawnos.
Ravidel exclaims, “Rhuell!?!?” when Jared summons the Shivan Dragon. This reference doesn’t make much sense unless one has read the Ice Age comic first.
In a note in the back of issue 1, Editor-in-Chief Bob Layton talks about how Armada Comics was launched as a division of Acclaim Comics to handle licensed properties. “Other comic companies have treated licensed products as ‘third-class citizens,’ producing them with second-string talent and little fanfare. Not us,” wrote Layton. As is evident by the artists and writers hired throughout the MTG comics run, Armada certainly achieved this goal.
Corondor was originally created by Jeff Gomez as a personal Dungeons & Dragons campaign before becoming an official part of the MTG canon in the Armada comics. In a note at the end of issue 2, it’s explained that Wizards of the Coast granted Armada special permission to develop Corondor specifically for the comics. In a fun coincidence, WOTC would go on to purchase TSR, the original publisher of D&D, just two years later in 1997.
At the end of issue 2, Narok is identified as “a vicious alien being.” Creature Type – Alien?
Notes at the end of issue 2 indentify all the lands on Dominaria that had been identified in lore sources and the game to that point. These include Sarpadia, the Domains, Terisaire, and Upper Videnth.
Issues 1 and 2 were published with special promo cards. Issue 1 included a copy of Fireball, while issue 2 included a copy of Blue Elemental Blast. These cards were white bordered and closely resembled their Fourth Edition counterparts. However, the copyright for these promo cards is 1994, whereas Fourth Edition carries a 1995 copyright.
Ads for the Ice Age comic suggest that they were published by Acclaim Comics when they were in fact published by Acclaim’s subsidiary, Armada.
November 23, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: Homelands
Homelands is often panned as Magic: The Gathering’s worst release ever. MTG creator Richard Garfield allegedly did not want it to go to press, and Mark Rosewater has described Homelands as “a poorly designed set.”
That having been said, Homelands is often praised is for its worldbuilding and flavor. Considerable thought went into its top-down design. And since this blog is about one specific segment of Magic’s storyline, that’s what we’ll be focusing on.
Homelands, both the set and the titular comic, introduced a number of intriguing and enduring characters: Sandruu, Serra, and Baron Sengir, among others. These characters would go on to influence Magic’s story for many years, and may even again someday. Moreover, the Homelands comic has not been retconned, meaning it is still part of the set’s “official” story.
Like the Serra Angel comic, Homelands features a confluence of amazing artistic talent, namely an entire comic once again illustrated by the unequaled Rebecca Guay.
Homelands was printed in February 1996 and included one of three cards: Apocalypse Chime, Baron Sengir, or Feroz’s Ban.
STORY SYNOPSIS
A wandering Planeswalker named Feroz stumbles upon the damaged plane of Ulgrotha, which he tries to restore with the help of fellow Planeswalker Serra, with whom he falls in love.
CREATIVES
D.G. Chichester wrote the issue. Chichester was a prominent writer and editor for comics in the 1980s and 90s, with credits that include Nick Fury and Daredevil. After working with almost every major publisher through the late-90s, Chichester left comics to join the Ogilvy & Mather ad agency. He currently serves as chief digital officer of the TBWA\WorldHealth agency.
[Edit 11/28/2017: Thanks to Mr. Chichester himself for the edits to his biography!]
Rebecca Guay (Serra Angel) provided art for the entire issue. She also illustrated the rear cover.
The Brothers Hildebrandt illustrated the front cover. The workings of Greg Hildebrandt and his late brother, Tim, was one of the most famous artistic pairings of the late-Twentieth Century. In addition to their extensive work in publishing — particularly with the Tolkien estate — the Brothers Hildebrandt are best known for producing the poster for the UK release of Star Wars in 1977. Both Greg and Tim also provided plenty of art for Magic: The Gathering.
LORE
Ravi — who goes on to become Grandmother Sengir — is a member of the Tolgath faction that is fighting against the Ancients on Ulgrotha. Both groups are said to consist of Planeswalkers, though the definition of Planeswalker was still a bit fuzzy at this point. Ravi is identified as a “magician,” presumably apprenticed to an experienced Planeswalker. This is still the point in MTG’s lore where one could “learn” to be a Planeswalker. (See also: Ice Age )
Feroz is fiercely against summoning creatures, which is a great piece of character-building since the fundamental mechanics of Magic: The Gathering almost always require the player to summon creatures for use in battle. Feroz seems willing to break this rule, though, when it comes to artifact creatures.
Serra as a character is a bit confusing. There’s the goddess of Dominaria and the human Planeswalker who was named after this goddess. Serra the Dominaria goddess is, I believe, only a fringe character in the game’s worldbuilding lore. Serra the human Planeswalker is a bigger player in the pre-Mending lore and the character that appears in this comic. To further complicate things, though, is the fact that both have “Serra Angels” associated with them and that Planeswalker Serra was revered as a goddess in Ulgrotha. Whew!
Feroz says that Sandruu has “great potential as a Planeswalker.” Today, we would say that Feroz recognizes Sandruu’s Planeswalker “spark.” However, in the comic, Sandruu “learns” to become a Planeswalker after much study.
Baron Sengir is acknowledged as the progenitor of the Sengir vampire race in THIS excellent article. It’s notable that he is almost definitely not a Planeswalker, though he has visited many planes from having been summoned into battle over countless centuries.
The planar gate that exists beneath Castle Sengir is an object of some speculation. It’s described as a one-way road, and some MTG fans believe it — and Baron Sengir — will appear again in a future set, even thought Ulgrotha currently ranks 9 on the Rabiah Scale.
Taysir and Ravidel’s role in Homelands is … confusing as best. There’s a lot that happens off-page, and without knowing this information it makes the narrative almost nonsensical. The last we saw of Ravidel in the comics, he was cursing Taysir and Kristina for bringing him back to life in Ice Age. And the last we saw of Taysir, he and Kristina were attending Freyalise’s casting of the World Spell in the same series.
According to the MTG Wiki entry for Taysir, he and Kristina parted ways after she refused to help him get back to Rabiah when the Shard was repaired. It was also during this time that Taysir took on Ravidel as an apprentice — an odd choice considering Ravidel’s hatred for Taysir and Kristina. Still, we don’t learn many of these details until the “Taysir’s Tale” text story at the end of the comic.
Taysir also apparently dies in this comic, though his return is hinted at on the page. This is later confirmed in “Taysir’s Tale.”
Feroz dies a bit of an ignoble death. For such a powerful Planeswalker, his slip with a Fire Elemental seems a little silly.
Serra’s death is a continuity knot that I won’t even try to explain.
MISCELLANEOUS
Feroz uses the Didgeridoo to unwittingly summon the minotaur Sandruu — which is indeed what the card does in the game.
The artwork and dialog on page 20 contain a great reference to a rather macabre MTG card: Feast of the Unicorn.
Grandmother Sengir — who was Ravi — wears the Apocalypse Chime around her neck.
The Homelands timeline in the back of the comic notes that Sandruu has the “planeswalking spark.” This may be the first reference to the Planeswalker spark in the MTG comics, though I can’t be certain.
The “Brief History of Dominaria” in the back of the comic again omits any reference to the Golgothian Sylex in regards to the cataclysm that ended the Brothers’ War.
The description of Veldrane of Sengir says that it is unknown if he is human or undead, but the oracle text for his official card lists him as a “human rouge.” This kind of settles it for me.
Eron the Relentless has been assassinated more than two dozen times.
On page 9, the contraction “I’m” in the sentence “I’m Sandruu of the Anaba Minotaurs” is missing its apostrophe.
On page 16, the line “Agony under the charger’s sparking hooves” should be a plural possessive (i.e. chargers’).
In the biography of Rebecca Guay, the word “sites” is used instead of “cites.”
That having been said, Homelands is often praised is for its worldbuilding and flavor. Considerable thought went into its top-down design. And since this blog is about one specific segment of Magic’s storyline, that’s what we’ll be focusing on.
Homelands, both the set and the titular comic, introduced a number of intriguing and enduring characters: Sandruu, Serra, and Baron Sengir, among others. These characters would go on to influence Magic’s story for many years, and may even again someday. Moreover, the Homelands comic has not been retconned, meaning it is still part of the set’s “official” story.
Like the Serra Angel comic, Homelands features a confluence of amazing artistic talent, namely an entire comic once again illustrated by the unequaled Rebecca Guay.
Homelands was printed in February 1996 and included one of three cards: Apocalypse Chime, Baron Sengir, or Feroz’s Ban.
STORY SYNOPSIS
A wandering Planeswalker named Feroz stumbles upon the damaged plane of Ulgrotha, which he tries to restore with the help of fellow Planeswalker Serra, with whom he falls in love.
CREATIVES
D.G. Chichester wrote the issue. Chichester was a prominent writer and editor for comics in the 1980s and 90s, with credits that include Nick Fury and Daredevil. After working with almost every major publisher through the late-90s, Chichester left comics to join the Ogilvy & Mather ad agency. He currently serves as chief digital officer of the TBWA\WorldHealth agency.
[Edit 11/28/2017: Thanks to Mr. Chichester himself for the edits to his biography!]
Rebecca Guay (Serra Angel) provided art for the entire issue. She also illustrated the rear cover.
The Brothers Hildebrandt illustrated the front cover. The workings of Greg Hildebrandt and his late brother, Tim, was one of the most famous artistic pairings of the late-Twentieth Century. In addition to their extensive work in publishing — particularly with the Tolkien estate — the Brothers Hildebrandt are best known for producing the poster for the UK release of Star Wars in 1977. Both Greg and Tim also provided plenty of art for Magic: The Gathering.
LORE
Ravi — who goes on to become Grandmother Sengir — is a member of the Tolgath faction that is fighting against the Ancients on Ulgrotha. Both groups are said to consist of Planeswalkers, though the definition of Planeswalker was still a bit fuzzy at this point. Ravi is identified as a “magician,” presumably apprenticed to an experienced Planeswalker. This is still the point in MTG’s lore where one could “learn” to be a Planeswalker. (See also: Ice Age )
Feroz is fiercely against summoning creatures, which is a great piece of character-building since the fundamental mechanics of Magic: The Gathering almost always require the player to summon creatures for use in battle. Feroz seems willing to break this rule, though, when it comes to artifact creatures.
Serra as a character is a bit confusing. There’s the goddess of Dominaria and the human Planeswalker who was named after this goddess. Serra the Dominaria goddess is, I believe, only a fringe character in the game’s worldbuilding lore. Serra the human Planeswalker is a bigger player in the pre-Mending lore and the character that appears in this comic. To further complicate things, though, is the fact that both have “Serra Angels” associated with them and that Planeswalker Serra was revered as a goddess in Ulgrotha. Whew!
Feroz says that Sandruu has “great potential as a Planeswalker.” Today, we would say that Feroz recognizes Sandruu’s Planeswalker “spark.” However, in the comic, Sandruu “learns” to become a Planeswalker after much study.
Baron Sengir is acknowledged as the progenitor of the Sengir vampire race in THIS excellent article. It’s notable that he is almost definitely not a Planeswalker, though he has visited many planes from having been summoned into battle over countless centuries.
The planar gate that exists beneath Castle Sengir is an object of some speculation. It’s described as a one-way road, and some MTG fans believe it — and Baron Sengir — will appear again in a future set, even thought Ulgrotha currently ranks 9 on the Rabiah Scale.
Taysir and Ravidel’s role in Homelands is … confusing as best. There’s a lot that happens off-page, and without knowing this information it makes the narrative almost nonsensical. The last we saw of Ravidel in the comics, he was cursing Taysir and Kristina for bringing him back to life in Ice Age. And the last we saw of Taysir, he and Kristina were attending Freyalise’s casting of the World Spell in the same series.
According to the MTG Wiki entry for Taysir, he and Kristina parted ways after she refused to help him get back to Rabiah when the Shard was repaired. It was also during this time that Taysir took on Ravidel as an apprentice — an odd choice considering Ravidel’s hatred for Taysir and Kristina. Still, we don’t learn many of these details until the “Taysir’s Tale” text story at the end of the comic.
Taysir also apparently dies in this comic, though his return is hinted at on the page. This is later confirmed in “Taysir’s Tale.”
Feroz dies a bit of an ignoble death. For such a powerful Planeswalker, his slip with a Fire Elemental seems a little silly.
Serra’s death is a continuity knot that I won’t even try to explain.
MISCELLANEOUS
Feroz uses the Didgeridoo to unwittingly summon the minotaur Sandruu — which is indeed what the card does in the game.
The artwork and dialog on page 20 contain a great reference to a rather macabre MTG card: Feast of the Unicorn.
Grandmother Sengir — who was Ravi — wears the Apocalypse Chime around her neck.
The Homelands timeline in the back of the comic notes that Sandruu has the “planeswalking spark.” This may be the first reference to the Planeswalker spark in the MTG comics, though I can’t be certain.
The “Brief History of Dominaria” in the back of the comic again omits any reference to the Golgothian Sylex in regards to the cataclysm that ended the Brothers’ War.
The description of Veldrane of Sengir says that it is unknown if he is human or undead, but the oracle text for his official card lists him as a “human rouge.” This kind of settles it for me.
Eron the Relentless has been assassinated more than two dozen times.
On page 9, the contraction “I’m” in the sentence “I’m Sandruu of the Anaba Minotaurs” is missing its apostrophe.
On page 16, the line “Agony under the charger’s sparking hooves” should be a plural possessive (i.e. chargers’).
In the biography of Rebecca Guay, the word “sites” is used instead of “cites.”
October 18, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: The Legend of Jedit Ojanen
The Legend of Jedit Ojanen is a bit of an outlier among the other “Legends” stories in the Armada comic line. While titles like Dakkon Blackblade and Elder Dragons take place in Dominaria’s deep history, this one occurs 400 years after the end of the Ice Age.
That’s the comic’s setting, in any case. I point this out because this title was completely retconned by the Legends cycle of books that were released between 2001 and 2002. And since this comic is once again related by an omniscient narrator, there’s no arguing that it could be an alternate account penned by an unreliable storyteller.
Even so, The Legend of Jedit Ojanen isn’t packed with a lot of lore to begin with, and my understanding is that the books written by Clayton Emery actually add a good deal of flesh to what is a bare-bones story in the comics. (I haven’t read the books yet.)
What is here for fans is some fantastic art by David Boller. In lieu of using traditional panel layouts for this two-part series, many of the pages are designed with intriguing graphic elements or details pulled from the story itself. The result is a rather dynamic page design in which the layout actually adds nuance to the story.
Issue 1 of The Legend of Jedit Ojanen was packaged with a Chronicles printing of Johan. Issue 2 did not include any kind of insert.
STORY SYNOPSIS
The impetuous young cat warrior Jedit Ojanen gets more adventure than he bargains for when he ventures outside his secluded home, ultimately crossing paths with some of the most notable sorcerers and warriors of the age.
CREATIVES
Kenn Bell wrote both issues. Bell was a computer graphics artist at Acclaim / Armada when he pitched the story of Jedit Ojanen to Jeff Gomez and Wizards of the Coast. It would be his only comic writing credit. He soon left the industry to begin a career in advertising, though he reunited with Gomez as a videographer, writer, and director for Gomez’s Starlight Runner Entertainment. In the early 2000s, Bell founded GraphicPlanet Creative and began to expand his work in film and television. He also launched the video series and website called Dog Files, which he runs from Orlando, Fla.
David Boller provided both pencils and inks. Boller, who is based in Switzerland, has been a presence in the comic industry since the early 1990s and once shared a studio with the Brothers Hildebrandt. He’s worked for all of the major publishers on titles as varied as Batman, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Elf Quest, and Witchblade. He’s also done advertisement art for clients like Porsche, BMW, Ikea, Kodak, Samsung, and more. In 2014, he transitioned his comic publishing platform Zampano into a full-on comic media agency called Virtual Graphics that also offers workshops and mentorships for up-and-coming artists. Boller chronicled his time in the United States in an autobiographical graphic novel titled Endless Sky.
Mark Csaszar served as colorist. Csaszar worked on several of the Magic titles and then went on to have a prolific career with Valiant Comics throughout the 1990s. He is described at the end of issue 2 as “an accomplished painter in his own right.” The Legend of Jedit Ojanen was the last comic he did for Armada. Unfortunately, Csaszar seems to have dropped off the radar in recent years, and I can’t find much about what he’s been up to lately. Feel free to leave a comment with more information.
(How cool are these panel designs?!)
Tony Harris did the cover art for issue 1. He collaborated with Ray Snyder on the cover for issue 2.
Harris is an Esiner Award-nominated comic artist who has done extensive work for Marvel and DC, as well as stints with indie luminaries Brian K. Vaughn and Mark Millar. He also co-created the Starman character for DC with James Robinson. Unfortunately, Harris courted controversy in 2012 when he posted a sexist rant on Facebook about female cosplayers in the comic fan community.
Snyder is a career comic artist who has produced a tremendous amount of work for DC. He is considered one of the best inkers in the industry, with recent runs on Supergirl and Wonder Woman titles.
LORE
Unlike other stories in the comic line, which take place in Terisaire or Corondor, The Legend of Jedit Ojanen takes place in Jamuraa.
Jedit’s mother is Musata. His father is Jaeger.
Adira and Hazezon were once married.
MISCELLANEOUS
Jedit rides a mount called a monox, but this creature does not appear on any printed MTG card.
Jedit’s village is attacked by barkworms, which are described as “huge snakey beasts with big teeth. In the months before mating season, the males get together in packs and travel in straight lines, devouring anything in their path.” Barkworms also do not appear on any printed MTG card.
Finally, Jedit refers to creatures called Lankaars, which do not appear on any printed MTG card.
Though many of the legends from this comic (Jedit, Johan, Hazezon Tamar, etc.) have been printed on various cards, Adira Strongheart has not appeared on any MTG card.
Though Johan very clearly states that he killed Jaeger, the last page of the issue is focused on Jedit leaving to find his father. It’s unclear if (a.) Johan was lying; (b.) this was a setup for an eventual sequel to this story; or (c.) was simply an error.
Much like Elder Dragons, issue 2 had a serious misprint in which pages 24 and 26 were transposed. This completely interrupts the flow of the story and makes it almost nonsensical until the reader realizes the error.
The back of the issue features a full-page piece of art by Mark Csaszar that was meant as a "goodbye" painting, since this was the last Armada comic he worked on.
That’s the comic’s setting, in any case. I point this out because this title was completely retconned by the Legends cycle of books that were released between 2001 and 2002. And since this comic is once again related by an omniscient narrator, there’s no arguing that it could be an alternate account penned by an unreliable storyteller.
Even so, The Legend of Jedit Ojanen isn’t packed with a lot of lore to begin with, and my understanding is that the books written by Clayton Emery actually add a good deal of flesh to what is a bare-bones story in the comics. (I haven’t read the books yet.)
What is here for fans is some fantastic art by David Boller. In lieu of using traditional panel layouts for this two-part series, many of the pages are designed with intriguing graphic elements or details pulled from the story itself. The result is a rather dynamic page design in which the layout actually adds nuance to the story.
Issue 1 of The Legend of Jedit Ojanen was packaged with a Chronicles printing of Johan. Issue 2 did not include any kind of insert.
STORY SYNOPSIS
The impetuous young cat warrior Jedit Ojanen gets more adventure than he bargains for when he ventures outside his secluded home, ultimately crossing paths with some of the most notable sorcerers and warriors of the age.
CREATIVES
Kenn Bell wrote both issues. Bell was a computer graphics artist at Acclaim / Armada when he pitched the story of Jedit Ojanen to Jeff Gomez and Wizards of the Coast. It would be his only comic writing credit. He soon left the industry to begin a career in advertising, though he reunited with Gomez as a videographer, writer, and director for Gomez’s Starlight Runner Entertainment. In the early 2000s, Bell founded GraphicPlanet Creative and began to expand his work in film and television. He also launched the video series and website called Dog Files, which he runs from Orlando, Fla.
David Boller provided both pencils and inks. Boller, who is based in Switzerland, has been a presence in the comic industry since the early 1990s and once shared a studio with the Brothers Hildebrandt. He’s worked for all of the major publishers on titles as varied as Batman, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Elf Quest, and Witchblade. He’s also done advertisement art for clients like Porsche, BMW, Ikea, Kodak, Samsung, and more. In 2014, he transitioned his comic publishing platform Zampano into a full-on comic media agency called Virtual Graphics that also offers workshops and mentorships for up-and-coming artists. Boller chronicled his time in the United States in an autobiographical graphic novel titled Endless Sky.
Mark Csaszar served as colorist. Csaszar worked on several of the Magic titles and then went on to have a prolific career with Valiant Comics throughout the 1990s. He is described at the end of issue 2 as “an accomplished painter in his own right.” The Legend of Jedit Ojanen was the last comic he did for Armada. Unfortunately, Csaszar seems to have dropped off the radar in recent years, and I can’t find much about what he’s been up to lately. Feel free to leave a comment with more information.
(How cool are these panel designs?!)
Tony Harris did the cover art for issue 1. He collaborated with Ray Snyder on the cover for issue 2.
Harris is an Esiner Award-nominated comic artist who has done extensive work for Marvel and DC, as well as stints with indie luminaries Brian K. Vaughn and Mark Millar. He also co-created the Starman character for DC with James Robinson. Unfortunately, Harris courted controversy in 2012 when he posted a sexist rant on Facebook about female cosplayers in the comic fan community.
Snyder is a career comic artist who has produced a tremendous amount of work for DC. He is considered one of the best inkers in the industry, with recent runs on Supergirl and Wonder Woman titles.
LORE
Unlike other stories in the comic line, which take place in Terisaire or Corondor, The Legend of Jedit Ojanen takes place in Jamuraa.
Jedit’s mother is Musata. His father is Jaeger.
Adira and Hazezon were once married.
MISCELLANEOUS
Jedit rides a mount called a monox, but this creature does not appear on any printed MTG card.
Jedit’s village is attacked by barkworms, which are described as “huge snakey beasts with big teeth. In the months before mating season, the males get together in packs and travel in straight lines, devouring anything in their path.” Barkworms also do not appear on any printed MTG card.
Finally, Jedit refers to creatures called Lankaars, which do not appear on any printed MTG card.
Though many of the legends from this comic (Jedit, Johan, Hazezon Tamar, etc.) have been printed on various cards, Adira Strongheart has not appeared on any MTG card.
Though Johan very clearly states that he killed Jaeger, the last page of the issue is focused on Jedit leaving to find his father. It’s unclear if (a.) Johan was lying; (b.) this was a setup for an eventual sequel to this story; or (c.) was simply an error.
Much like Elder Dragons, issue 2 had a serious misprint in which pages 24 and 26 were transposed. This completely interrupts the flow of the story and makes it almost nonsensical until the reader realizes the error.
The back of the issue features a full-page piece of art by Mark Csaszar that was meant as a "goodbye" painting, since this was the last Armada comic he worked on.
October 7, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: Serra Angel
Serra Angel is described on its cover as “A Fable of Dominaria,” so its standing within the broad universe of Magic: The Gathering lore need not be disputed. As a fictional story set within a fictional world, it contains practically no substantive lore and presents no canonical quandaries. The introduction to the comic states that the tale’s provenance is unknown, but that “most scholars agree that it occurred some time [sic] after the World Spell which ended the Ice Age.”
Though the story is rather straight forward, it is nonetheless heavy with creative intent. Drawn by Rebecca Guay and written by Margaret Weis, Serra Angel represents a pairing that would today be considered earth-shattering: two titans in their respective fields coming together to create something beautiful.
And Serra Angel is beautiful. As Guay’s many, many fans can attest, her artwork is like little else in both the worlds of imaginative realism and fine arts. To see her paint an entire comic is something to behold.
Serra Angel was published in August 1996 and was packaged with an oversized version of Guay’s Serra Angel card. Of note is that this card is the most valuable of all those that were included with the Armada comics: near-mint copies can sell for $75 or more.
STORY SYNOPSIS
After losing his stronghold to a wizardly usurper, the magician Aldon summons a powerful Serra Angel to help him reclaim his domain — only to learn a heartbreaking lesson about love and loss before realizing his goal.
CREATIVES
Margaret Weis wrote the issue. Weis is a New York Times bestselling author of fantasy and roleplaying books whose titles have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. As a member of TSR’s creative team in the 1980s, Weis and co-author Tracy Hickman laid the underpinnings for the Dragonlance world. She has since gone on to collaborate with Hickman on more than 30 books, in addition to her stand-alone works like the Star of the Guardians series and the Dragonvarld Trilogy. Her newest project is the Dragon Corsairs series with Robert Krames.
Rebecca Guay served as artist for the entire issue. Guay’s contributions to Magic: The Gathering are near legendary. In addition to providing art for more than 150 unique cards, Guay also served as artist for two of the Armada MTG comics: Serra Angel and Homelands. This isn’t particularly surprising since she started her professional career as a penciler for Marvel and DC. These days, Guay is focusing almost entirely on her fine arts career and on mentoring upcoming artists. In 2017, she mounted a solo show titled “Crush” at Site:Brooklyn in partnership with R.Michelson Galleries.
LORE & MISCELLANEOUS
(Since there isn’t a lot to cover with this particular comic, I’m going to combine these two sections for this blog entry.)
There’s a nice reference to Palladia Mors, demonstrative of how the Elder Dragons are so tightly woven into Dominaria legend.
There is also a reference to the kingdom of Shikar, which is taken from “The Dragon War” short story at the end of the Dakkon Blackblade comic. Elves apparently inhabit part of the kingdom called Calthyn.
The Serra Angel faces a creature called “Arachnia,” but this doesn’t seem to refer to any in-game card or monster.
The Fallen Angel in this comic is likely not Trine from the Fallen Angel comic. Shawn Carnes later confirms this in his “Seer Analysis” column.
This was the first comic book that Margaret Weis had ever written.
In an interview at the end of the comic, Weis had some unkind words for author Andre Norton, who wrote the first Dungeons & Dragons tie-in novel based on a concept by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax. “It was not a very good book,” Weis said.
The illustration of Weis that accompanies her interview is not credited.
Rebecca Guay was the first artist to move from working on the MTG comics to the game itself. She was hired to illustrate her first cards based on her portfolio for the Homelands comic.
It’s pretty amazing to trace Guay’s comic art from more than 20 years ago to the fine art she’s doing now. Lots of similarities, huh?
(Top: A panel from the Serra Angel comic in 1996. Bottom: “Little Fish” by Rebecca Leveille-Guay, 2013-15. Image © Rebecca Leveille-Guay)
The back of the issue has a section titled “Convocations II,” a spinoff of an art-centric issue that Armada had put out in January 1996. All of the art in the gallery was drawn by students at the School of Media Arts in Los Angeles, a magnet school founded by Johan and Norma Klingler to pull gang kids off the street and train them to be artists for film. Johan Klinger was himself a longtime animator for Walt Disney Studios.
Though the story is rather straight forward, it is nonetheless heavy with creative intent. Drawn by Rebecca Guay and written by Margaret Weis, Serra Angel represents a pairing that would today be considered earth-shattering: two titans in their respective fields coming together to create something beautiful.
And Serra Angel is beautiful. As Guay’s many, many fans can attest, her artwork is like little else in both the worlds of imaginative realism and fine arts. To see her paint an entire comic is something to behold.
Serra Angel was published in August 1996 and was packaged with an oversized version of Guay’s Serra Angel card. Of note is that this card is the most valuable of all those that were included with the Armada comics: near-mint copies can sell for $75 or more.
STORY SYNOPSIS
After losing his stronghold to a wizardly usurper, the magician Aldon summons a powerful Serra Angel to help him reclaim his domain — only to learn a heartbreaking lesson about love and loss before realizing his goal.
CREATIVES
Margaret Weis wrote the issue. Weis is a New York Times bestselling author of fantasy and roleplaying books whose titles have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. As a member of TSR’s creative team in the 1980s, Weis and co-author Tracy Hickman laid the underpinnings for the Dragonlance world. She has since gone on to collaborate with Hickman on more than 30 books, in addition to her stand-alone works like the Star of the Guardians series and the Dragonvarld Trilogy. Her newest project is the Dragon Corsairs series with Robert Krames.
Rebecca Guay served as artist for the entire issue. Guay’s contributions to Magic: The Gathering are near legendary. In addition to providing art for more than 150 unique cards, Guay also served as artist for two of the Armada MTG comics: Serra Angel and Homelands. This isn’t particularly surprising since she started her professional career as a penciler for Marvel and DC. These days, Guay is focusing almost entirely on her fine arts career and on mentoring upcoming artists. In 2017, she mounted a solo show titled “Crush” at Site:Brooklyn in partnership with R.Michelson Galleries.
LORE & MISCELLANEOUS
(Since there isn’t a lot to cover with this particular comic, I’m going to combine these two sections for this blog entry.)
There’s a nice reference to Palladia Mors, demonstrative of how the Elder Dragons are so tightly woven into Dominaria legend.
There is also a reference to the kingdom of Shikar, which is taken from “The Dragon War” short story at the end of the Dakkon Blackblade comic. Elves apparently inhabit part of the kingdom called Calthyn.
The Serra Angel faces a creature called “Arachnia,” but this doesn’t seem to refer to any in-game card or monster.
The Fallen Angel in this comic is likely not Trine from the Fallen Angel comic. Shawn Carnes later confirms this in his “Seer Analysis” column.
This was the first comic book that Margaret Weis had ever written.
In an interview at the end of the comic, Weis had some unkind words for author Andre Norton, who wrote the first Dungeons & Dragons tie-in novel based on a concept by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax. “It was not a very good book,” Weis said.
The illustration of Weis that accompanies her interview is not credited.
Rebecca Guay was the first artist to move from working on the MTG comics to the game itself. She was hired to illustrate her first cards based on her portfolio for the Homelands comic.
It’s pretty amazing to trace Guay’s comic art from more than 20 years ago to the fine art she’s doing now. Lots of similarities, huh?
(Top: A panel from the Serra Angel comic in 1996. Bottom: “Little Fish” by Rebecca Leveille-Guay, 2013-15. Image © Rebecca Leveille-Guay)
The back of the issue has a section titled “Convocations II,” a spinoff of an art-centric issue that Armada had put out in January 1996. All of the art in the gallery was drawn by students at the School of Media Arts in Los Angeles, a magnet school founded by Johan and Norma Klingler to pull gang kids off the street and train them to be artists for film. Johan Klinger was himself a longtime animator for Walt Disney Studios.
October 1, 2017
I've Signed a Publishing Contract!
Well, the news is out. After several months of edits, discussions, and phone calls I'm proud to announce that I have signed with Owl Hollow Press to release Abe Titterman and the Key to the Universe (final title subject to change) as a middle-grade novel. The book will be published in the spring of 2019.
The announcement for the book appeared in this week's Publishers Weekly news blast, and excitement is already running high. There's lots to do over the next 18 or so months, but I'm through the roof with excitement.
While I don't have much more information to share yet, you can be sure that I'll be posting details as they become available both here and on my Facebook page.
In the meantime, you can check out my official author page on OHP's website and the book's temporary landing page.
I'll also be working on my other writing initiatives, including a new epic fantasy novel and my MTG Comics Reread Project.
Happy reading!
The announcement for the book appeared in this week's Publishers Weekly news blast, and excitement is already running high. There's lots to do over the next 18 or so months, but I'm through the roof with excitement.
While I don't have much more information to share yet, you can be sure that I'll be posting details as they become available both here and on my Facebook page.
In the meantime, you can check out my official author page on OHP's website and the book's temporary landing page.
I'll also be working on my other writing initiatives, including a new epic fantasy novel and my MTG Comics Reread Project.
Happy reading!
September 18, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: Shandalar
Armada’s Shandalar series was meant to serve two purposes for two wildly different products. On the one hand, it continued the narrative that began in Ice Age issues 3 and 4, showing what happened to Faralyn, Tevesh Szat, Leshrac, and Lim-Dul after the events in that series. On the other hand, it was meant to serve as a prequel of sorts to the Magic: The Gathering Microprose video game, which was hyped with some intensity in both issues of Shandalar.
The plane Shandalar, itself, has always held a unique place in Magic’s multiverse. With the exception of Core Sets and peripheral products like Planechase, no Magic block has ever truly taken place on Shandalar. Nonetheless, important events that happened there continue to impact MTG characters and stories to this day.
So Shandalar is kind of an important place for the influence it exerts on other stories (see: the Chain Veil), but the narrative told both in the comic and the video game are largely ignored or forgotten — despite the fact that both are seemingly still canon.
And, to be sure, a few important events occur in this two-part series, the most notable of which is the death of Faralyn. Long considered one of the most powerful pre-Mending Planeswalkers, able to best Elder Dragons in single combat, Faralyn is destroyed in the opening pages of Shandalar. Talk about an ignoble end!
Yet, these kind of stakes are often what is so critically missing from Magic’s storyline today. Shandalar is easily one of the most “adult” comics in the Armada MTG line. There’s profanity! There’s violence! There’s death! Two main characters (Faralyn, Ravash Mog) actually die over the course of the story, and two others (Lim-Dul, Kenan Sahrmal) appear to die. Despite the fact that these latter two suffer “comic book deaths,” the preceding elimination of Faralyn and Ravash is enough to give a first-time reader pause: Wait, did the writers just actually decapitate Lim-Dul?! This makes for some suspenseful storytelling, and today’s Magic writers would do well to study the history found here.
Shandalar was published between March and April 1996.
STORY SYNOPSIS
Faralyn, Tevesh Szat, Leshrac, and Lim-Dul attempt to invade the mana-rich plane of Shandalar, only to find it defended by powerful magic, stalwart warriors, and another accomplished Planeswalker.
CREATIVES
David Quinn wrote the entire series. Quinn is a Stoker Award-nominated writer who is best known for Faust, a groundbreaking creator-owned series targeted toward adult readers. In addition to co-creating Faust with artist Tim Virgil, Quinn has also written for Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider and Lady Death.
Bo Hampton provided artwork for both issues. Hampton worked in comics for many years before diversifying to a career doing storyboards. He’s worked on multiple animated series, films, and ad campaigns. He still dabbles in comics as his schedule allows.
The entire issue was colored by a digital firm called Digital Chameleon, and boy do the colors pop! Digital Chameleon, like Atomic Paintbrush, was one of the first companies to popularize the use of Adobe Photoshop in the comics industry. Though the company closed in 2003, it provided services to many major publishers.
Finally, Zina Saunders did the covers of both issues. Saunders is a world-renowned artist, writer, animator, and educator. The daughter of pulp legend Norman Saunders, Zina began her career illustrating book covers, magazines, and trading cards (including MTG). In 2005, she pivoted to reportage illustration. In addition to publishing a book titled Overlooked New York, she’s done a variety of fantastic U.S. political satire.
LORE
Shandalar is bookeneded by two major pieces of lore. Issue 1 begins with the death of Faralyn. Kenan Sahrmal sends an Astral Dragon to investigate Faralyn’s arrival on Shandalar, but when Faralyn attacks the dragon, it overwhelms the Planeswalker by flooding him with magic. This leads to Faralyn’s seemingly permanent demise.
Issue 2, meanwhile, ends with Lim-Dul’s invasion of Shandalar. This leads directly into the Microprose video game. As far as I can tell, both the comic itself and the video game are still considered canonical, though they are mostly ignored today. For a great rundown of the Microprose video game, visit the excellent Multiverse in Review
Faralyn refers to Lim-Dul as a Planeswalker. He is not. This isn’t so much an error, though, as a reflection of the fuzzy definition of what being a Planeswalker meant at the time, as discussed in the Ice Age entry.
In issue 2, Szat says, “I threw down a dozen empires across Sarpadia and Terisaire.” This gives some indication as to how widely traveled he was after the events in the Fallen Empires comic.
Also in issue 2, Leshrac bemoans the fact that he made Lim-Dul “a swamp-king to rival Sol’Kanar himself.” We of course know Sol’Kanar from the Dakkon Blackblade comic, but the significance of becoming a “swamp-king” is less clear.
MISCELLANEOUS
Kenan Sahrmal is referred to both by his full name and as simply “the Sahrmal,” indicating that “Sahrmal” may be a title or honorific.
Bani Bakur and Ravash Mog seem to appear exclusively in this comic. To my knowledge, they have never been printed or referenced on any MTG card. Though Kenan Sahrmal has appeared in other story sources, he too has never been printed or referenced on any MTG card.
Among his accolades, Kenan Sahrmal burnt El-Aman and is the author of The Book of Rings. Interestingly, the M13 Core Set, which was set partially on Shandalar, features a cycle of ring cards corresponding to locations on the plane. See, Ring of Evos Isle, et al.
Bani has chiroptophobia — a fear of bats.
Leshrac and Szat reference Lim-Dul’s Keep and the artifacts stockpiled there — a possible reference to Tresserhorn.
Lim-Dul is depicted as holding a Jester’s Cap in issue 1. Strangely, it is never seen again.
(See the red circles above.)
The Astral Dragon is referred to as “Astral Dragon” in the main comic but is called “Faerie Dragon” in the notes at the end of issue 1.
At one point in issue 2, Kenan Sahrmal exclaims, “By Ahrian-Rad’s Lunar Harp!” This doesn’t seem to refer to any known character or artifact.
Issues 1 and 2 contain full-page ads for a card game called The Great Dalmuti, designed by Magic creator Richard Garfield and illustrated by MTG artist Margaret Organ-Kean. Issue 2 contains a full-page ad for another Richard Garfield game: Robo Rally.
The notes at the end of both issues devote plenty of ink to the Microprose CD-ROM game. The predecessor to all of Magic’s digital products, the game enjoyed some popularity and a number of expansions. Once again, for more information head over to Multiverse in Review
The end of Issue 2 contains a page-length depiction of Lim-Dul titled “The Pale Face of Death” by Kenneth Martinez. Martinez was a computer graphics designer for Armada at the time, though I can’t find anything about what he’s been up to lately.
The plane Shandalar, itself, has always held a unique place in Magic’s multiverse. With the exception of Core Sets and peripheral products like Planechase, no Magic block has ever truly taken place on Shandalar. Nonetheless, important events that happened there continue to impact MTG characters and stories to this day.
So Shandalar is kind of an important place for the influence it exerts on other stories (see: the Chain Veil), but the narrative told both in the comic and the video game are largely ignored or forgotten — despite the fact that both are seemingly still canon.
And, to be sure, a few important events occur in this two-part series, the most notable of which is the death of Faralyn. Long considered one of the most powerful pre-Mending Planeswalkers, able to best Elder Dragons in single combat, Faralyn is destroyed in the opening pages of Shandalar. Talk about an ignoble end!
Yet, these kind of stakes are often what is so critically missing from Magic’s storyline today. Shandalar is easily one of the most “adult” comics in the Armada MTG line. There’s profanity! There’s violence! There’s death! Two main characters (Faralyn, Ravash Mog) actually die over the course of the story, and two others (Lim-Dul, Kenan Sahrmal) appear to die. Despite the fact that these latter two suffer “comic book deaths,” the preceding elimination of Faralyn and Ravash is enough to give a first-time reader pause: Wait, did the writers just actually decapitate Lim-Dul?! This makes for some suspenseful storytelling, and today’s Magic writers would do well to study the history found here.
Shandalar was published between March and April 1996.
STORY SYNOPSIS
Faralyn, Tevesh Szat, Leshrac, and Lim-Dul attempt to invade the mana-rich plane of Shandalar, only to find it defended by powerful magic, stalwart warriors, and another accomplished Planeswalker.
CREATIVES
David Quinn wrote the entire series. Quinn is a Stoker Award-nominated writer who is best known for Faust, a groundbreaking creator-owned series targeted toward adult readers. In addition to co-creating Faust with artist Tim Virgil, Quinn has also written for Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider and Lady Death.
Bo Hampton provided artwork for both issues. Hampton worked in comics for many years before diversifying to a career doing storyboards. He’s worked on multiple animated series, films, and ad campaigns. He still dabbles in comics as his schedule allows.
The entire issue was colored by a digital firm called Digital Chameleon, and boy do the colors pop! Digital Chameleon, like Atomic Paintbrush, was one of the first companies to popularize the use of Adobe Photoshop in the comics industry. Though the company closed in 2003, it provided services to many major publishers.
Finally, Zina Saunders did the covers of both issues. Saunders is a world-renowned artist, writer, animator, and educator. The daughter of pulp legend Norman Saunders, Zina began her career illustrating book covers, magazines, and trading cards (including MTG). In 2005, she pivoted to reportage illustration. In addition to publishing a book titled Overlooked New York, she’s done a variety of fantastic U.S. political satire.
LORE
Shandalar is bookeneded by two major pieces of lore. Issue 1 begins with the death of Faralyn. Kenan Sahrmal sends an Astral Dragon to investigate Faralyn’s arrival on Shandalar, but when Faralyn attacks the dragon, it overwhelms the Planeswalker by flooding him with magic. This leads to Faralyn’s seemingly permanent demise.
Issue 2, meanwhile, ends with Lim-Dul’s invasion of Shandalar. This leads directly into the Microprose video game. As far as I can tell, both the comic itself and the video game are still considered canonical, though they are mostly ignored today. For a great rundown of the Microprose video game, visit the excellent Multiverse in Review
Faralyn refers to Lim-Dul as a Planeswalker. He is not. This isn’t so much an error, though, as a reflection of the fuzzy definition of what being a Planeswalker meant at the time, as discussed in the Ice Age entry.
In issue 2, Szat says, “I threw down a dozen empires across Sarpadia and Terisaire.” This gives some indication as to how widely traveled he was after the events in the Fallen Empires comic.
Also in issue 2, Leshrac bemoans the fact that he made Lim-Dul “a swamp-king to rival Sol’Kanar himself.” We of course know Sol’Kanar from the Dakkon Blackblade comic, but the significance of becoming a “swamp-king” is less clear.
MISCELLANEOUS
Kenan Sahrmal is referred to both by his full name and as simply “the Sahrmal,” indicating that “Sahrmal” may be a title or honorific.
Bani Bakur and Ravash Mog seem to appear exclusively in this comic. To my knowledge, they have never been printed or referenced on any MTG card. Though Kenan Sahrmal has appeared in other story sources, he too has never been printed or referenced on any MTG card.
Among his accolades, Kenan Sahrmal burnt El-Aman and is the author of The Book of Rings. Interestingly, the M13 Core Set, which was set partially on Shandalar, features a cycle of ring cards corresponding to locations on the plane. See, Ring of Evos Isle, et al.
Bani has chiroptophobia — a fear of bats.
Leshrac and Szat reference Lim-Dul’s Keep and the artifacts stockpiled there — a possible reference to Tresserhorn.
Lim-Dul is depicted as holding a Jester’s Cap in issue 1. Strangely, it is never seen again.
(See the red circles above.)
The Astral Dragon is referred to as “Astral Dragon” in the main comic but is called “Faerie Dragon” in the notes at the end of issue 1.
At one point in issue 2, Kenan Sahrmal exclaims, “By Ahrian-Rad’s Lunar Harp!” This doesn’t seem to refer to any known character or artifact.
Issues 1 and 2 contain full-page ads for a card game called The Great Dalmuti, designed by Magic creator Richard Garfield and illustrated by MTG artist Margaret Organ-Kean. Issue 2 contains a full-page ad for another Richard Garfield game: Robo Rally.
The notes at the end of both issues devote plenty of ink to the Microprose CD-ROM game. The predecessor to all of Magic’s digital products, the game enjoyed some popularity and a number of expansions. Once again, for more information head over to Multiverse in Review
The end of Issue 2 contains a page-length depiction of Lim-Dul titled “The Pale Face of Death” by Kenneth Martinez. Martinez was a computer graphics designer for Armada at the time, though I can’t find anything about what he’s been up to lately.
September 10, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: Ice Age
Now we’re in the thick of it. When I think about comics that made me truly come to love Magic: The Gathering, Ice Age is usually what comes to mind. This series and Shadow Mage are among my favorite titles in the line. And even though the Ice Age comic has been completely retconned by the Ice Age cycle of novels by Jeff Grubb, it still holds a special place in my heart.
Unlike Antiquities War and The Urza-Mishra War, there’s no amount of mental gymnastics I can do to justify that this comic may still be canon. It’s presented by an omniscient narrator, and there’s no reason to think the information we’re given as readers is unreliable.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a ton to love about Ice Age. This story’s narrative is particularly strong among Magic’s tie-in materials, and the design is absolutely stunning. From the way spellcasting is depicted to the costume and character designs, everything about Ice Age is a feast for the eyes and the imagination.
(One example of spellcasting using arcane designs corresponding to the spell’s color and usually transitioning from one panel to the next.)
(Freyalise in all her battle-scarred glory.)
(Zaraya’s outfit is just one of many intricate costume designs.)
Like other parts of Armada’s MTG comic line, Ice Age is partially incomplete in that a sequel of sorts was planned in the form of an Alliances prestige one-off. Based on a synopsis found in issue 2 of The Urza-Mishra War, we know that the story would have followed Jaeuhl Carthalion and Kaysa, who fall in love during their later adventures together. Something was also meant to occur that would have caused a rift between Kristina and Taysir, leading all the way up to the Planeswalker War. To see screengrabs of this synopsis, head on over to the entry for The Urza-Mishra War.
Still, since Ice Age is a complete narrative in and of itself, I don’t have too much to complain about.
Ice Age was published between July and October 1995. Issue 1 included a copy of the card Bone Shaman. Issue 2 included a copy of the card Chub Toad. Issues 3 and 4 included sets of heavy cardboard tokens.
STORY SYNOPSIS
Over the course of 500 years, the Planeswalker Freyalise acquires allies and adversaries while trying to end Dominaria’s Ice Age.
CREATIVES
Jeff Gomez (Fallen Empires) wrote the entire series.
Rafael Kayanan provided pencils for the entire series. Kayanan is an entertainment industry veteran, having worked for nearly every comic company under the sun. He’s provided artwork for Conan: The Adventurer, Turok, Firestorm, Spider-Man, and Star Wars. He’s also done concept work for video games, Broadway shows, and film, as well as art for tie-in collector cards. Perhaps most interesting is that Kayanan is also a martial arts and bladed weapons master! He’s trained actors and designed fight and stunt choreography for films such as The Hunted and John Carter of Mars.
Rodney Ramos (Arabian Nights) served as inker.
Eric Hope provided painted color for the issues. In addition to Ice Age, Hope worked on several other Valiant titles in the 1990s.
Charles Vess did the covers of all four issues, continuing the streak of Armada hiring legendary genre artists to produce their MTG comic covers. Vess is a multiple award-winning sci-fi and fantasy artist who has worked in books, comics, and the fine art scene. He’s collaborated with Neil Gaiman and Charles de Lint, and has been the subject of art exhibitions held around the world.
LORE
It’s interesting to see the idea of “Planeswalkers” in pre-revisionist storytelling, before the idea of becoming a Planeswalker was standardized, per se. One gets the sense from Ice Age (and other titles) that a wizard could become a Planeswalker through hard work and study, and not by a quirk of genetics or the mysterious Planeswalker “spark.”
Likewise, a wizard who tried casting a powerful spell prior to “becoming” a Planeswalker risked endangering his or her own life. This happens to Zilgeth of Clan Ruby when he sacrifices himself to Incinerate a Johtull Wurm.
Early in issue 1, we learn that Freyalise is considered a Planeswalker both before and after her death. Death itself is termed “walking the ether planes.”
Both Jason Carthalion and Freyalise are orphans, though Jason presumably married at some point and fathered children to continue the Carthalion line. Jason’s parents are said to have died “to the cold,” though we only learn this from the notes at the end of issue 2.
Jason’s descendant, Jaeuhl Carthalion, is depicted as part-Elf, and the synopsis for the unpublished Alliances comic describes him as “elven.” Since Jaeuhl begins a relationship with the Elvish druid Kaysa, it’s safe to assume that the Carthalion line intermingled with Elves both before and after Jaeuhl’s time.
The kingdom of Kjeldor is named for Oriel Kjeldos, the shaman of Clan Emerald, who led her people and others away from the crumbling kingdom of Storgard.
Prince Darian exists in both pre-revisionist and revisionist stories. Here, he is the prince of Kjeldor. In the Ice Age cycle of books, he is King Darian. Of particular note is the role he plays in issue 2 in making diplomatic overtures to the Balduvians, since Kjeldor will go on to unite with Balduvia at the end of the Ice Age to form New Argive. Darian is depicted on the card Darian, King of Kjeldor.
Issue 3 is absolutely packed with lore, so much so that it could almost be its own entry. Let’s begin with the setting: Dominaria’s Null Moon. The moon plays an important narrative role not only in this story, but also in The Thran by J. Robert King and in the Weatherlight Saga.
The Shard is described by Faralyn as a dozen planes that have been splintered from a “continuum of a trillion worlds.” However, we known of only two (possibly up to four) planes that make up The Shard, and this information is likely gleaned from the Ice Age comic. The first, of course, is Dominaria. The second is Azoria, where Freyalise and Tevesh Szat fight part of their duel. As the MTG Wiki points out, if the Null Void is a plane, it would be the third of the 12. Only one other has possibly been identified (read on).
In the opening panel of issue 4, Szat indicates that he’s familiar with Phyrexia. This isn’t particularly surprising in and of itself, seeing that Szat is at least 2,500 years old and may have even traveled there at one point. What’s more notable is Phyrexia’s potential role as part of The Shard. This is never explicitly stated, but it would make sense. Szat seems to have access to a Priest of Yawgmoth from Phyrexia, and the priest later threatens to banish Jaeuhl there — something that shouldn’t be possible if Phyrexia wasn’t among the 12 worlds of The Shard.
[EDIT 9/12/2017: After I started this project, I was introduced to the excellent Multiverse in Review, in which blogger Berend is reading and reviewing every MTG tie-in story ever produced. Since he's already covered the Armada comics, I try not to read his analysis of the issues until after I've written my own so as to avoid any unintentional influence, the appearance of plagiarism, etc. In any case, Berend points out in his Ice Age entry that Phyrexia is NOT part of The Shard. Head over to Multiverse in Review to see why!]
Ravidel states that he comes from one of the 12 planes within The Shard. Since we don’t know the identity of 8-10 of these planes, we never learn his place of origin. Ironically, Kristina also notes that Ravidel is “pure at heart” and “a student of the plains” — quite a contrast from what he becomes in later comics.
Rhuell’s inclusion in issue 3 is extremely important. Szat specifically identifies Rhuell as “an Elder Beast,” so it’s safe to assume that Rhuell is the Chromium Elder Dragon. As I noted in my entry for the Elder Dragons comic cycle, we know that Nicol Bolas is one of only five Elder Dragons still alive.
Vaevictus Asmadi may or may not have been killed in issue 2 of Elder Dragons. That’s one.
Chromium Rhuell meets his end in Ice Age issue 3. That’s two.
Before Rhuell’s death, though, Ravidel explains, “Leshrac forcibly summoned Rhuell’s brother into a duel -- the dragon was destroyed by Leshrac’s opponent.” Rhuell had two brothers among the other Elder Dragons: Bolas and Arcades Sabboth. Since Bolas is still very much alive, this may be how Sabboth met his end. That’s three.
Perhaps Palladia Mors is still buried on Dominaria.
The Labyrinth of Raynor at Soldev in issue 4 is a callback to the glacier that was pressing down on Storgard in issue 2.
MISCELLANEOUS
During the riots in Storgard in issue 1, a warrior who appears to have a hook for a left hand exclaims, “By the Ebon Hand, this quarrel must end.” This is interesting for a few reasons. First, it means that all remnants of the Order of the Ebon Hand were not wiped out by the Thrulls during the Fallen Empires era. Second, it means that some vestige of dedication to Tourach existed in the early years of the Ice Age. Of course, the Ice Age comics are no longer canon, so we can only speculate as to whether this was a flavorful addition by the writer or simply a continuity error.
Jason Carthalion’s nickname for Freyalise is Alise. Her nickname for him is Jace.
In his “Seer Analysis” column at the end of issue 1, Shawn Carnes writes, “It’s also cool to see some of the legends referred to in the upcoming Ice Age expansion (King Miko and his Staff of Ice Lords, Kjeldos, and the Kingdom of Storgard itself, to name a few).” As far as I can tell, neither King Miko nor a “Staff of Ice Lords” is referenced on any game card. However, by issue 4, it is clarified that Staff of the Ice Lords was changed to Staff of the Ages prior to the printing of the Ice Age card set. King Miko was perhaps cut entirely.
The shaman Bolar, introduced in issue 2, never has his race or species identified. He has quite a unique design, in that he has a bald head, pointed Elven ears, and two small arms growing from his chest. In the notes at the end of issue 2, he is further described as, “An aspiring Planeswalker caught in the Shard, who has chosen to make his home on Dominaria.” Given the shaky definition of Planeswalker at this point, it’s possible that Bolar is indeed a Planeswalker of a species that, nearly 25 years later, we still haven’t met.
In issue 2, Onala calls on Oriel as “grandmother.” However, since issue 2 takes place 500 years after issue 1, this is likely an error.
Kailo utters the oath, “Miko’s blood!” in reference to King Miko of Storgard
Zaraya is seemingly given two artifacts by the Marked Ones: the Nova Pentacle, which was printed in the Legends expansion, and the “Reflecting Star,” which seemingly doesn’t refer to any printed card. It is only in issue 4 that it’s clarified that these are two names for the same artifact.
Disa the Restless and her husband Kolbjorn are introduced as minor characters in issue 3. Kaysa is their adoptive daughter. Kolbjorn appears on the Ice Age printing of Elder Druid, while Disa is quoted in the flavor text of no less than 20 individual cards.
Kaysa would not be printed on a card until the Alliances set. She appears on a card that bears her namesake. Likewise, Jaeuhl Carthalion appears on the card Juniper Order Advocate in the same set — albeit looking significantly different than he does in the comic.
In issue 2, Zaraya uses the enchantment Katabatic Winds on Lim-Dul, and Carnes identifies this as a card in his “Seer Analysis” column at the end of the issue. However, Katabatic Winds would not be printed until the release of the Visions expansion in February 1997. In the notes at the end of issue 4, the editors explain that Katabatic Winds was renamed Freyalise’s Winds. So the name was originally considered for the Ice Age expansion, was changed, and was then recycled for Visions.
Faralyn seems to think that by repairing The Shard, Taysir can return to Rabiah. Neither seems to realize that Nailah has closed the plane so that Taysir can never return. This also means that Rabiah is not within The Shard.
Faralyn has interfered in the lives of at least three Elder Dragons.
Being an ante card, Amulet of Quoz is banned in all formats.
At the end of issue 1, Editor Jeff Gomez mentions that he learned to play Magic at Chameleon Comics in Queens, N.Y. Interesting, that shop is still a thriving comic and hobby store!
Issue 3 includes a piece of concept art depicting Storgard by C.R. Lister. Lister was a penciler for Valiant Comics at the time, though he never produced any art for MTG.
Even though the Magic comics were not published under the Valiant masthead (but instead by a subsidiary of a subsidiary), Valiant used the MTG titles as part of its “Birth-Quakes” advertising campaign.
Issue 4 has two copy errors: On page 18, the word “their” is repeated in the sentence, “Some arrive by sorcery, others upon their fastest steeds -- all to offer of their their personal mana, to the efforts of Goddess Freyalise.” On page 29, the word “has” is missing from the sentence, “At press time, the M:TG Ice Age expansion finally been released!”
Unlike Antiquities War and The Urza-Mishra War, there’s no amount of mental gymnastics I can do to justify that this comic may still be canon. It’s presented by an omniscient narrator, and there’s no reason to think the information we’re given as readers is unreliable.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a ton to love about Ice Age. This story’s narrative is particularly strong among Magic’s tie-in materials, and the design is absolutely stunning. From the way spellcasting is depicted to the costume and character designs, everything about Ice Age is a feast for the eyes and the imagination.
(One example of spellcasting using arcane designs corresponding to the spell’s color and usually transitioning from one panel to the next.)
(Freyalise in all her battle-scarred glory.)
(Zaraya’s outfit is just one of many intricate costume designs.)
Like other parts of Armada’s MTG comic line, Ice Age is partially incomplete in that a sequel of sorts was planned in the form of an Alliances prestige one-off. Based on a synopsis found in issue 2 of The Urza-Mishra War, we know that the story would have followed Jaeuhl Carthalion and Kaysa, who fall in love during their later adventures together. Something was also meant to occur that would have caused a rift between Kristina and Taysir, leading all the way up to the Planeswalker War. To see screengrabs of this synopsis, head on over to the entry for The Urza-Mishra War.
Still, since Ice Age is a complete narrative in and of itself, I don’t have too much to complain about.
Ice Age was published between July and October 1995. Issue 1 included a copy of the card Bone Shaman. Issue 2 included a copy of the card Chub Toad. Issues 3 and 4 included sets of heavy cardboard tokens.
STORY SYNOPSIS
Over the course of 500 years, the Planeswalker Freyalise acquires allies and adversaries while trying to end Dominaria’s Ice Age.
CREATIVES
Jeff Gomez (Fallen Empires) wrote the entire series.
Rafael Kayanan provided pencils for the entire series. Kayanan is an entertainment industry veteran, having worked for nearly every comic company under the sun. He’s provided artwork for Conan: The Adventurer, Turok, Firestorm, Spider-Man, and Star Wars. He’s also done concept work for video games, Broadway shows, and film, as well as art for tie-in collector cards. Perhaps most interesting is that Kayanan is also a martial arts and bladed weapons master! He’s trained actors and designed fight and stunt choreography for films such as The Hunted and John Carter of Mars.
Rodney Ramos (Arabian Nights) served as inker.
Eric Hope provided painted color for the issues. In addition to Ice Age, Hope worked on several other Valiant titles in the 1990s.
Charles Vess did the covers of all four issues, continuing the streak of Armada hiring legendary genre artists to produce their MTG comic covers. Vess is a multiple award-winning sci-fi and fantasy artist who has worked in books, comics, and the fine art scene. He’s collaborated with Neil Gaiman and Charles de Lint, and has been the subject of art exhibitions held around the world.
LORE
It’s interesting to see the idea of “Planeswalkers” in pre-revisionist storytelling, before the idea of becoming a Planeswalker was standardized, per se. One gets the sense from Ice Age (and other titles) that a wizard could become a Planeswalker through hard work and study, and not by a quirk of genetics or the mysterious Planeswalker “spark.”
Likewise, a wizard who tried casting a powerful spell prior to “becoming” a Planeswalker risked endangering his or her own life. This happens to Zilgeth of Clan Ruby when he sacrifices himself to Incinerate a Johtull Wurm.
Early in issue 1, we learn that Freyalise is considered a Planeswalker both before and after her death. Death itself is termed “walking the ether planes.”
Both Jason Carthalion and Freyalise are orphans, though Jason presumably married at some point and fathered children to continue the Carthalion line. Jason’s parents are said to have died “to the cold,” though we only learn this from the notes at the end of issue 2.
Jason’s descendant, Jaeuhl Carthalion, is depicted as part-Elf, and the synopsis for the unpublished Alliances comic describes him as “elven.” Since Jaeuhl begins a relationship with the Elvish druid Kaysa, it’s safe to assume that the Carthalion line intermingled with Elves both before and after Jaeuhl’s time.
The kingdom of Kjeldor is named for Oriel Kjeldos, the shaman of Clan Emerald, who led her people and others away from the crumbling kingdom of Storgard.
Prince Darian exists in both pre-revisionist and revisionist stories. Here, he is the prince of Kjeldor. In the Ice Age cycle of books, he is King Darian. Of particular note is the role he plays in issue 2 in making diplomatic overtures to the Balduvians, since Kjeldor will go on to unite with Balduvia at the end of the Ice Age to form New Argive. Darian is depicted on the card Darian, King of Kjeldor.
Issue 3 is absolutely packed with lore, so much so that it could almost be its own entry. Let’s begin with the setting: Dominaria’s Null Moon. The moon plays an important narrative role not only in this story, but also in The Thran by J. Robert King and in the Weatherlight Saga.
The Shard is described by Faralyn as a dozen planes that have been splintered from a “continuum of a trillion worlds.” However, we known of only two (possibly up to four) planes that make up The Shard, and this information is likely gleaned from the Ice Age comic. The first, of course, is Dominaria. The second is Azoria, where Freyalise and Tevesh Szat fight part of their duel. As the MTG Wiki points out, if the Null Void is a plane, it would be the third of the 12. Only one other has possibly been identified (read on).
In the opening panel of issue 4, Szat indicates that he’s familiar with Phyrexia. This isn’t particularly surprising in and of itself, seeing that Szat is at least 2,500 years old and may have even traveled there at one point. What’s more notable is Phyrexia’s potential role as part of The Shard. This is never explicitly stated, but it would make sense. Szat seems to have access to a Priest of Yawgmoth from Phyrexia, and the priest later threatens to banish Jaeuhl there — something that shouldn’t be possible if Phyrexia wasn’t among the 12 worlds of The Shard.
[EDIT 9/12/2017: After I started this project, I was introduced to the excellent Multiverse in Review, in which blogger Berend is reading and reviewing every MTG tie-in story ever produced. Since he's already covered the Armada comics, I try not to read his analysis of the issues until after I've written my own so as to avoid any unintentional influence, the appearance of plagiarism, etc. In any case, Berend points out in his Ice Age entry that Phyrexia is NOT part of The Shard. Head over to Multiverse in Review to see why!]
Ravidel states that he comes from one of the 12 planes within The Shard. Since we don’t know the identity of 8-10 of these planes, we never learn his place of origin. Ironically, Kristina also notes that Ravidel is “pure at heart” and “a student of the plains” — quite a contrast from what he becomes in later comics.
Rhuell’s inclusion in issue 3 is extremely important. Szat specifically identifies Rhuell as “an Elder Beast,” so it’s safe to assume that Rhuell is the Chromium Elder Dragon. As I noted in my entry for the Elder Dragons comic cycle, we know that Nicol Bolas is one of only five Elder Dragons still alive.
Vaevictus Asmadi may or may not have been killed in issue 2 of Elder Dragons. That’s one.
Chromium Rhuell meets his end in Ice Age issue 3. That’s two.
Before Rhuell’s death, though, Ravidel explains, “Leshrac forcibly summoned Rhuell’s brother into a duel -- the dragon was destroyed by Leshrac’s opponent.” Rhuell had two brothers among the other Elder Dragons: Bolas and Arcades Sabboth. Since Bolas is still very much alive, this may be how Sabboth met his end. That’s three.
Perhaps Palladia Mors is still buried on Dominaria.
The Labyrinth of Raynor at Soldev in issue 4 is a callback to the glacier that was pressing down on Storgard in issue 2.
MISCELLANEOUS
During the riots in Storgard in issue 1, a warrior who appears to have a hook for a left hand exclaims, “By the Ebon Hand, this quarrel must end.” This is interesting for a few reasons. First, it means that all remnants of the Order of the Ebon Hand were not wiped out by the Thrulls during the Fallen Empires era. Second, it means that some vestige of dedication to Tourach existed in the early years of the Ice Age. Of course, the Ice Age comics are no longer canon, so we can only speculate as to whether this was a flavorful addition by the writer or simply a continuity error.
Jason Carthalion’s nickname for Freyalise is Alise. Her nickname for him is Jace.
In his “Seer Analysis” column at the end of issue 1, Shawn Carnes writes, “It’s also cool to see some of the legends referred to in the upcoming Ice Age expansion (King Miko and his Staff of Ice Lords, Kjeldos, and the Kingdom of Storgard itself, to name a few).” As far as I can tell, neither King Miko nor a “Staff of Ice Lords” is referenced on any game card. However, by issue 4, it is clarified that Staff of the Ice Lords was changed to Staff of the Ages prior to the printing of the Ice Age card set. King Miko was perhaps cut entirely.
The shaman Bolar, introduced in issue 2, never has his race or species identified. He has quite a unique design, in that he has a bald head, pointed Elven ears, and two small arms growing from his chest. In the notes at the end of issue 2, he is further described as, “An aspiring Planeswalker caught in the Shard, who has chosen to make his home on Dominaria.” Given the shaky definition of Planeswalker at this point, it’s possible that Bolar is indeed a Planeswalker of a species that, nearly 25 years later, we still haven’t met.
In issue 2, Onala calls on Oriel as “grandmother.” However, since issue 2 takes place 500 years after issue 1, this is likely an error.
Kailo utters the oath, “Miko’s blood!” in reference to King Miko of Storgard
Zaraya is seemingly given two artifacts by the Marked Ones: the Nova Pentacle, which was printed in the Legends expansion, and the “Reflecting Star,” which seemingly doesn’t refer to any printed card. It is only in issue 4 that it’s clarified that these are two names for the same artifact.
Disa the Restless and her husband Kolbjorn are introduced as minor characters in issue 3. Kaysa is their adoptive daughter. Kolbjorn appears on the Ice Age printing of Elder Druid, while Disa is quoted in the flavor text of no less than 20 individual cards.
Kaysa would not be printed on a card until the Alliances set. She appears on a card that bears her namesake. Likewise, Jaeuhl Carthalion appears on the card Juniper Order Advocate in the same set — albeit looking significantly different than he does in the comic.
In issue 2, Zaraya uses the enchantment Katabatic Winds on Lim-Dul, and Carnes identifies this as a card in his “Seer Analysis” column at the end of the issue. However, Katabatic Winds would not be printed until the release of the Visions expansion in February 1997. In the notes at the end of issue 4, the editors explain that Katabatic Winds was renamed Freyalise’s Winds. So the name was originally considered for the Ice Age expansion, was changed, and was then recycled for Visions.
Faralyn seems to think that by repairing The Shard, Taysir can return to Rabiah. Neither seems to realize that Nailah has closed the plane so that Taysir can never return. This also means that Rabiah is not within The Shard.
Faralyn has interfered in the lives of at least three Elder Dragons.
Being an ante card, Amulet of Quoz is banned in all formats.
At the end of issue 1, Editor Jeff Gomez mentions that he learned to play Magic at Chameleon Comics in Queens, N.Y. Interesting, that shop is still a thriving comic and hobby store!
Issue 3 includes a piece of concept art depicting Storgard by C.R. Lister. Lister was a penciler for Valiant Comics at the time, though he never produced any art for MTG.
Even though the Magic comics were not published under the Valiant masthead (but instead by a subsidiary of a subsidiary), Valiant used the MTG titles as part of its “Birth-Quakes” advertising campaign.
Issue 4 has two copy errors: On page 18, the word “their” is repeated in the sentence, “Some arrive by sorcery, others upon their fastest steeds -- all to offer of their their personal mana, to the efforts of Goddess Freyalise.” On page 29, the word “has” is missing from the sentence, “At press time, the M:TG Ice Age expansion finally been released!”
September 4, 2017
MTG Comics Reread: Fallen Empires
Since the Armada MTG comics were not published in chronological story order, there is a gap of about 140 years between the end of the Brothers’ War and when Fallen Empires takes place. As I alluded to in my last entry, this means we miss the sylex blast that eventually causes Dominaria’s climate to change and instead skip ahead to the Fallen Empires story.
As I recently learned, Fallen Empires takes place within a larger era known as Dominaria’s Dark Age. (I previously thought these two eras were distinct from one another.) According to the generally accepted timeline, this period begins with the sylex blast in 64 A.R. (Argivian Reckoning) and ends when the Ice Age commences in 450 A.R. According to John Tynes’ essay in the back of issue 1, the Fallen Empires comic takes place 100 years after the sylex blast, making it about 165-170 A.R.
There were no comic titles planned (to my knowledge) that would have covered the rest of the Dark Ages leading up to the Ice Age.
Interestingly, the Fallen Empires comic is still considered canon. Unlike the Brothers’ War, no stories were later published to override what happens here. That makes this an important title because it serves as a quasi-origin story for the villain Tevesh Szat.
Fallen Empires was published in September and October 1995. Issue 1 was packaged with a full booster pack of Fallen Empires. Issue 2 included a set of heavy cardboard tokens.
STORY SYNOPSIS
The warrior Tymolin Loneglade becomes the lynchpin of a conflict that will not only bring about the fall of the tribal communities of Sarpadia, but also a war between Planeswalkers that will last millennia.
CREATIVES
Armada Editor Jeff Gomez co-wrote this series with Kevin Maples.
Following his editorial stint at Acclaim’s comic book division, Gomez co-founded Starlight Runner Entertainment with Mark Pensavalle in 2000. This production company transforms intellectual property into transmedia franchises — such as toys, animation, or videogames titles — that extend the narrative across multiple platforms. In this role, Gomez has worked on such universes as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron; Microsoft’s Halo; James Cameron’s Avatar; Hasbro’s Transformers; and Mattel’s Hot Wheels.
Maples was a brand manager at Wizards of the Coast from 1994-99 before moving into teaching. He is currently a religious instructor in Kentucky.
Alex Maleev (Arabian Nights) did the pencils, which were inked by Rodney Ramos (Arabian Nights).
Michael Tuccinard (Arabian Nights) served as colorist.
Anson Maddocks painted the covers of both issues. Maddocks was one of the original 25 Magic: The Gathering artists and contributed more than 100 pieces of card art during his tenure with the company. While he no longer actively works on the game, he keeps in touch with the community through GPs and personal commissions.
LORE
Fallen Empires focuses mostly on Tymolin Loneglade and her brother Tev. Tev Loneglade, who goes on to become the villain Tevesh Szat, is a Planeswalker. Tymolin is not. She has, however, enjoyed an extremely extended lifespan thanks to a powerful enchantment cast by Tev.
Based on dialogue cues from the story, we know that Tymolin is the younger of the two siblings. Tymolin and Tev grew up together near the Sarpadian coast. They are both at least 2,000 years old at the time of this story.
At the start of the comic, Tymolin is in a romantic relationship with the dwarf Kaylen of the Sarpadian Mountains. Some outside sources identify them as husband and wife, but there is no mention of this in the comic.
Tymolin also had a love affair with the religious zealot Oliver Farrel sometime in the past. Their breakup prompted Farrel to begin spreading rumors that Tymolin was the living incarnation of the dark god Tourach and that she should be killed. Farrel takes being jilted to the next level.
At one point, Tev mentions that he could have interfered in the conflict between Urza and Mishra. “I should have forced those two upstarts to throw their tantrums elsewhere,” he says.
This strikes me as particularly interesting because it not only gives us a clue as to Tev’s level of power, but also means that a Planeswalker was present on Dominaria, knew about the Brothers’ War and chose to do nothing about it.
The last piece of really interesting lore concerns one of the side characters: Master Scout Loren of the Havenwood Elves. Loren’s father, who is not identified by name in the comic, is credited with creating the race of Thallids. That means that Loren’s father is Thelon of Havenwood.
MISCELLANEOUS
The amulet that Farrel claims to have taken from a member of the Order of the Ebon Hand matches the shield on the Ron Spencer printing of that card’s namesake.
Issue 1 features a full-page ad for The Duelist magazine.
In his essay on the history of Fallen Empires at the end of issue 1, John Tynes writes, “[The development team] designed Fallen Empires to cluster around the median of card power, and to avoid both spoiler cards and useless cards. This design reflects their philosophy: that Magic: The Gathering should be a game of subtle cunning and constant transformation, rather than a mindless slam-happy game of brute force, where the player with the biggest wallet always wins.” I’ll let others debate how well they succeeded.
Issue 2 features ads for both the Ice Age and Chronicles expansions, which had been released a few months earlier in the summer of 1995.
Issue 2 includes a note to join the official Magic fan club: the Duelists’ Convocation. The cost to join was $18. The Duelists’ Convocation International would later become simply DCI, the official sanctioning body of competitive MTG play. It’s unclear if this fee was for a “Legends Membership,” which was supposedly $30 at the time.
Issue 2 features a full-page piece of art by Carlos Phoenix Jimenez. Jimenez is a classically trained illustrator who originally produced freelance sci-fi and fantasy art before moving into marketing, social media, and online content creation. He is also the brand ambassador for the Georgia Latino Film Festival.
As I recently learned, Fallen Empires takes place within a larger era known as Dominaria’s Dark Age. (I previously thought these two eras were distinct from one another.) According to the generally accepted timeline, this period begins with the sylex blast in 64 A.R. (Argivian Reckoning) and ends when the Ice Age commences in 450 A.R. According to John Tynes’ essay in the back of issue 1, the Fallen Empires comic takes place 100 years after the sylex blast, making it about 165-170 A.R.
There were no comic titles planned (to my knowledge) that would have covered the rest of the Dark Ages leading up to the Ice Age.
Interestingly, the Fallen Empires comic is still considered canon. Unlike the Brothers’ War, no stories were later published to override what happens here. That makes this an important title because it serves as a quasi-origin story for the villain Tevesh Szat.
Fallen Empires was published in September and October 1995. Issue 1 was packaged with a full booster pack of Fallen Empires. Issue 2 included a set of heavy cardboard tokens.
STORY SYNOPSIS
The warrior Tymolin Loneglade becomes the lynchpin of a conflict that will not only bring about the fall of the tribal communities of Sarpadia, but also a war between Planeswalkers that will last millennia.
CREATIVES
Armada Editor Jeff Gomez co-wrote this series with Kevin Maples.
Following his editorial stint at Acclaim’s comic book division, Gomez co-founded Starlight Runner Entertainment with Mark Pensavalle in 2000. This production company transforms intellectual property into transmedia franchises — such as toys, animation, or videogames titles — that extend the narrative across multiple platforms. In this role, Gomez has worked on such universes as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron; Microsoft’s Halo; James Cameron’s Avatar; Hasbro’s Transformers; and Mattel’s Hot Wheels.
Maples was a brand manager at Wizards of the Coast from 1994-99 before moving into teaching. He is currently a religious instructor in Kentucky.
Alex Maleev (Arabian Nights) did the pencils, which were inked by Rodney Ramos (Arabian Nights).
Michael Tuccinard (Arabian Nights) served as colorist.
Anson Maddocks painted the covers of both issues. Maddocks was one of the original 25 Magic: The Gathering artists and contributed more than 100 pieces of card art during his tenure with the company. While he no longer actively works on the game, he keeps in touch with the community through GPs and personal commissions.
LORE
Fallen Empires focuses mostly on Tymolin Loneglade and her brother Tev. Tev Loneglade, who goes on to become the villain Tevesh Szat, is a Planeswalker. Tymolin is not. She has, however, enjoyed an extremely extended lifespan thanks to a powerful enchantment cast by Tev.
Based on dialogue cues from the story, we know that Tymolin is the younger of the two siblings. Tymolin and Tev grew up together near the Sarpadian coast. They are both at least 2,000 years old at the time of this story.
At the start of the comic, Tymolin is in a romantic relationship with the dwarf Kaylen of the Sarpadian Mountains. Some outside sources identify them as husband and wife, but there is no mention of this in the comic.
Tymolin also had a love affair with the religious zealot Oliver Farrel sometime in the past. Their breakup prompted Farrel to begin spreading rumors that Tymolin was the living incarnation of the dark god Tourach and that she should be killed. Farrel takes being jilted to the next level.
At one point, Tev mentions that he could have interfered in the conflict between Urza and Mishra. “I should have forced those two upstarts to throw their tantrums elsewhere,” he says.
This strikes me as particularly interesting because it not only gives us a clue as to Tev’s level of power, but also means that a Planeswalker was present on Dominaria, knew about the Brothers’ War and chose to do nothing about it.
The last piece of really interesting lore concerns one of the side characters: Master Scout Loren of the Havenwood Elves. Loren’s father, who is not identified by name in the comic, is credited with creating the race of Thallids. That means that Loren’s father is Thelon of Havenwood.
MISCELLANEOUS
The amulet that Farrel claims to have taken from a member of the Order of the Ebon Hand matches the shield on the Ron Spencer printing of that card’s namesake.
Issue 1 features a full-page ad for The Duelist magazine.
In his essay on the history of Fallen Empires at the end of issue 1, John Tynes writes, “[The development team] designed Fallen Empires to cluster around the median of card power, and to avoid both spoiler cards and useless cards. This design reflects their philosophy: that Magic: The Gathering should be a game of subtle cunning and constant transformation, rather than a mindless slam-happy game of brute force, where the player with the biggest wallet always wins.” I’ll let others debate how well they succeeded.
Issue 2 features ads for both the Ice Age and Chronicles expansions, which had been released a few months earlier in the summer of 1995.
Issue 2 includes a note to join the official Magic fan club: the Duelists’ Convocation. The cost to join was $18. The Duelists’ Convocation International would later become simply DCI, the official sanctioning body of competitive MTG play. It’s unclear if this fee was for a “Legends Membership,” which was supposedly $30 at the time.
Issue 2 features a full-page piece of art by Carlos Phoenix Jimenez. Jimenez is a classically trained illustrator who originally produced freelance sci-fi and fantasy art before moving into marketing, social media, and online content creation. He is also the brand ambassador for the Georgia Latino Film Festival.
August 25, 2017
GenCon 50 Wrap-Up
If anyone actually reads this blog (!) you may have noticed that I had to take a brief hiatus from The Great Magic:The Gathering Comics Reread project. And for good reason — I had the chance to attend GenCon 50!
For those who may not be familiar with this particular convention, GenCon was originally founded in 1968 as the Lake Geneva Wargaming Convention. The first GenCon was organized by Gary Gygax, the legendary co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, and was focused mostly on tabletop war games.
Over the past five decades, GenCon has evolved to become “the best four days in gaming.” Magic: The Gathering famously debuted at GenCon in 1993, and the event has helped popularize other bestselling games like Settlers of Catan and Pokemon. Today, GenCon welcomes gamers and game developers of every stripe — not to mention artists, authors, and more — to enjoy hours of time-tested favorites and yet-to-be-released gems.
I had the unique opportunity to attend GenCon 50 as both a vendor and visitor. Earlier this year, Original Magic Art was surprised to receive a booth at the event after originally being waitlisted, and owner Josh Krause needed assistance in running the venture over four days. So on Wednesday, Aug. 16, I jumped on my flight to Indianapolis to assist with setup, sales, and takedown for the long weekend.
The first thing you need to know about GenCon is that it’s enormous. The event has since outgrown even the Indianapolis Convention Center and now overflows into both the Westin hotel next door and Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts play. I could have spent another four days at the event and still not felt like I had seen everything.
But what I did see was spectacular.
From cosplay to charity auctions, from creative workshops to Cardhalla, the amount of things to see, do, and play was staggering.
And the games! Board games, tabletop RPGs, miniatures, deckbuilders, CCGs, mobile apps — even the most hardened buzzkill could find something to not only play, but also enjoy at GenCon.
For such a massive undertaking — more than 60,000 people attended in 2016, and 2017 sold out completely — I found GenCon to be extraordinarily well run. As a vendor, we had access to a section lead who was responsible for all the vendors in our little corner of the convention hall. Kim stopped by every morning and every evening to make sure we had everything we needed. The bathrooms were kept spotless and stocked. The food wasn’t outrageously overpriced. And for how many people were in attendance, I never felt squished in an aisle like rush hour riders on the Tokyo subway.
Helping Josh at the OMA booth gave me a unique perspective on the show. I got to meet, interact with, and talk to countless people. I also got to see people taking in the show from a perspective other than that of a fellow attendee.
As a first-time GenCon attendee, going with a vendor was a very favorable way to see the show. With the OMA booth, I always knew I had a home base to return to after seeing one part of the convention hall. Josh, meanwhile, was more than happy to share his expertise on the best things to see and do.
Through Josh, I met a great number of wonderful new friends, many of whom were also GenCon veterans. It’s no exaggeration to say that they took me under their wing in terms of nighttime activities and in simply sharing stories about years past. I got to play a Powered Old School cube (meaning, a cube that sourced Magic cards from 1993-95, including the incredibly potent Power 9) as well as several games of Vintage Artist Constructed. And I got my butt handed to me in two games by a bonafide member of Wizards of the Coast’s R&D staff. (I mean, if you’re gonna lose, it might as well be to someone who, you know, designs the game!)
Possibly the best thing I did, however, was visit a recreation of the Lake Geneva Horticultural Hall, where the first GenCon was held in 1968. Situated in one corner of Lucas Oil Stadium, the exhibit was meant to mimic the size of the venue where the first GenCon occurred.
In addition to serving as a striking comparison of how much the show has grown, the exhibit also had displays of midcentury games that influenced Gygax and his contemporaries, as well as rare first editions of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. I even got to speak briefly to Gary Adkinson, the father of former Wizards of the Coast CEO Peter Adkinson.
Coming home on Monday was a bittersweet experience. It had been an exhausting weekend, and I was desperate to see my loved ones and sleep in my own bed. But I was also sad to be leaving the adrenalized world that allowed me to play games until 2 a.m., work cheerfully on four hours of sleep, and just be among the kindness and welcoming spirit that is the hallmark of so many gamers.
On the other hand, the fact that I can return to these games, especially my new GenCon acquisitions, with friends and family any time I choose is perhaps the winningest prize of all.
By the way, if you'd like to learn more about Gary Gygax, GenCon, and the birth of Dungeons & Dragons, I can't recommend Empire of Imagination by Michael Witwer enough. Enjoy!
For those who may not be familiar with this particular convention, GenCon was originally founded in 1968 as the Lake Geneva Wargaming Convention. The first GenCon was organized by Gary Gygax, the legendary co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, and was focused mostly on tabletop war games.
Over the past five decades, GenCon has evolved to become “the best four days in gaming.” Magic: The Gathering famously debuted at GenCon in 1993, and the event has helped popularize other bestselling games like Settlers of Catan and Pokemon. Today, GenCon welcomes gamers and game developers of every stripe — not to mention artists, authors, and more — to enjoy hours of time-tested favorites and yet-to-be-released gems.
I had the unique opportunity to attend GenCon 50 as both a vendor and visitor. Earlier this year, Original Magic Art was surprised to receive a booth at the event after originally being waitlisted, and owner Josh Krause needed assistance in running the venture over four days. So on Wednesday, Aug. 16, I jumped on my flight to Indianapolis to assist with setup, sales, and takedown for the long weekend.
The first thing you need to know about GenCon is that it’s enormous. The event has since outgrown even the Indianapolis Convention Center and now overflows into both the Westin hotel next door and Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts play. I could have spent another four days at the event and still not felt like I had seen everything.
But what I did see was spectacular.
From cosplay to charity auctions, from creative workshops to Cardhalla, the amount of things to see, do, and play was staggering.
And the games! Board games, tabletop RPGs, miniatures, deckbuilders, CCGs, mobile apps — even the most hardened buzzkill could find something to not only play, but also enjoy at GenCon.
For such a massive undertaking — more than 60,000 people attended in 2016, and 2017 sold out completely — I found GenCon to be extraordinarily well run. As a vendor, we had access to a section lead who was responsible for all the vendors in our little corner of the convention hall. Kim stopped by every morning and every evening to make sure we had everything we needed. The bathrooms were kept spotless and stocked. The food wasn’t outrageously overpriced. And for how many people were in attendance, I never felt squished in an aisle like rush hour riders on the Tokyo subway.
Helping Josh at the OMA booth gave me a unique perspective on the show. I got to meet, interact with, and talk to countless people. I also got to see people taking in the show from a perspective other than that of a fellow attendee.
As a first-time GenCon attendee, going with a vendor was a very favorable way to see the show. With the OMA booth, I always knew I had a home base to return to after seeing one part of the convention hall. Josh, meanwhile, was more than happy to share his expertise on the best things to see and do.
Through Josh, I met a great number of wonderful new friends, many of whom were also GenCon veterans. It’s no exaggeration to say that they took me under their wing in terms of nighttime activities and in simply sharing stories about years past. I got to play a Powered Old School cube (meaning, a cube that sourced Magic cards from 1993-95, including the incredibly potent Power 9) as well as several games of Vintage Artist Constructed. And I got my butt handed to me in two games by a bonafide member of Wizards of the Coast’s R&D staff. (I mean, if you’re gonna lose, it might as well be to someone who, you know, designs the game!)
Possibly the best thing I did, however, was visit a recreation of the Lake Geneva Horticultural Hall, where the first GenCon was held in 1968. Situated in one corner of Lucas Oil Stadium, the exhibit was meant to mimic the size of the venue where the first GenCon occurred.
In addition to serving as a striking comparison of how much the show has grown, the exhibit also had displays of midcentury games that influenced Gygax and his contemporaries, as well as rare first editions of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. I even got to speak briefly to Gary Adkinson, the father of former Wizards of the Coast CEO Peter Adkinson.
Coming home on Monday was a bittersweet experience. It had been an exhausting weekend, and I was desperate to see my loved ones and sleep in my own bed. But I was also sad to be leaving the adrenalized world that allowed me to play games until 2 a.m., work cheerfully on four hours of sleep, and just be among the kindness and welcoming spirit that is the hallmark of so many gamers.
On the other hand, the fact that I can return to these games, especially my new GenCon acquisitions, with friends and family any time I choose is perhaps the winningest prize of all.
By the way, if you'd like to learn more about Gary Gygax, GenCon, and the birth of Dungeons & Dragons, I can't recommend Empire of Imagination by Michael Witwer enough. Enjoy!
