This is my week for SCG Daily. As Ted found out a couple of weeks ago, since this site is about Magic, the pieces really should focus on some aspect of Magic… And this week, I chose art.
High-strung tournaments players typically don’t care about the art on the cards. They only care about what the cards do. I can understand that philosophy, but I don’t agree with it or embrace it. I like the art. Period. I’ve been known to reach over and look at a card I haven’t seen before — not because I didn’t know what the card did, but because I wanted to see the picture.
Yesterday, I took a very biased look at some of the hottest of the recent Magic hotties. Today, I’m running down a list of my favorite art. I’m only going back as far as the current Extended-Legal sets go. Why? Because this is my column. Nyah.
The Bestest of the Bestest
Many of you think I’m a hard-nosed, investigative reporter. Truth is, though, I’m a bit wishy-washy. Sometimes. I was going to put these in order of bottom to top as with the Hot Hot Hotties from yesterday, but I kept changing my mind. It all depended on what mood I was in when I got to that card on the list. Then, I decided not to decide and went with alphabetical order.
Acorn Harvest
I like rabid squirrels. Come on. Who doesn’t?
Awe Strike
Scott M. Fischer really hit one out with this one. That is one tough cookie on the floor there in total supplication. Awe? Yeah, I’d say so.
Circu, Dimir Lobotomist
I don’t know who Cyril Van Der Haegen is, but he sent chills down my spine with this one.
Devouring Strossus
As I said yesterday, I love D. Alexander Gregory’s art. His stuff borders on Impressionist, and I’m a big fan of that style. I love how this behemoth comes out of the smoke. If you were there, you’d be peeing your drawers, too.
Dimir Machinations
Give me a good, scary, nasty picture of someone doing nothing and looking evil doing it, and I’m happy. It takes real talent to pull that off.
Festering Goblin
Possibly I’m just hooked on Festy, but how can you argue with a Goblin that looks just like its name?
Flight of Fancy
When I saw this, I was reminded of a moose that had fallen in love with a decoy in the Northern U.S. or Southern Canada a few years ago. He had to be airlifted away because he just wouldn’t leave the thing alone. Some comedian made the joke that the poor moose was gonna think, “Hey, I’m Supermoose! I can fly! Look at me guys!” The look on that Goblin’s face reminds me of what that moose must have been thinking: love is grand, but flight is grander.
Hearth Kami
I wasn’t a big fan of a lot of the Spirit art in Kamigawa Block. Most of it simply had too much going on for me. This guy was different. Maybe it’s because he reminds me of a parade dragon; whatever it is, I like him.
Hell’s Caretaker (9E)
As I was writing this on Friday, I thought, “man, I hope they make this into official wallpaper soon.” Turns out they had done just that on that very morning.
As I said above, it takes talent to make someone who’s doing nothing look evil. It’s easy to make an active subject look evil. Show him loping off a head, or show her ripping someone’s heart out. But just sitting there, oozing badness? Greg Staples: he’s got that.
Hypnotic Specter (9E)
Note to Matt Cavotta: just turn over the letter “H” to Greg Staples, willya?
Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot
“Huh? What’s this doing on this list?” Look at it. Okay, now look at it again, more closely. Now, you know why I like this one so much.
Lose Hope
There’s sadness. “Oh, I didn’t get any dual lands in my two boxes of Ravnica. Boo hoo.” Then there’s complete and utter despair. There’s not question that this guy has come completely unraveled.
Moroii
I almost feel sorry for this guy. Is there anything worse than being turned into a vampire when you’re old and crotchety? This guy can barely stay aloft.
Mutilate
The lady in the middle looks exactly like I did every time someone cast that on me.
Oversold Cemetery
Every time that I look at this, I see something new. That is one of the hallmarks of great art.
Pemmin’s Aura
Kinda like Flight of Fancy — that flying Goblin is just so precious! Heck, I can see it now: a line of Precious Flying Goblin porcelain figurines from Hasbro. Awwww, that’d be soooo cute!
Pianna, Nomad Captain
For years, I’ve been trying to put my finger on why this one grabs me. I still can’t. Am I inspired by the leader? Am I afraid of being their target? I still don’t know, but I love it.
Platinum Angel
I was a big fan of Copper-Leaf Angel. This is the next logical step. She just looks intimidating enough to completely warp the rules of the game. “You will not lose as long as I’m on your side. And that dork sure ain’t gonna win, either.”
Polymorph
“Silly rabbit. Trix are for kids!” That look is priceless.
Pristine Angel
She didn’t make the hotties list because, to be honest, I can’t see enough of her. The entire picture, though, is like Christmas to me.
Promise of Bunrei
Artists impress me when they can convey a subject’s emotional state without showing the subject’s face. Well done, Mr. Tappin.
Questing Phelddagrif
Come on — it’s a flying purple hippo! You know you love it, too.
Roofstalker Wight
I can easily imagine that this thing is flying over the rooftops of foggy London right around the time that Jack the Ripper was making his rounds. Hmmmm . . . .
Rootbreaker Wurm
I wish Richard Kane Ferguson would do more Magic cards. I’m fascinated by his media. Is that oil or watercolor or both? There’s always a bit of an otherworldly feel to his stuff that grabbed me like no one except for Adam Rex.
Sakura-Tribe Elder
I like this because he looks like Mr. Hanky, the Christmas Poo.
Sanctum Guardian
I tell ya what; with Bubba Monk there guarding the temple, I’d feel safe, too. (Yep — The Ferrett)
Savra, Queen of the Golgari
“Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Both.
Siege-Gang Commander
This one always makes me giggle, except when I’m playing across the table from it. I love how the SGC carries around a portable catapult (Gob-a-pult?) like a backpack and extra Goblins, too. I imagine him reaching into his bag like an archer reaching into a quiver for an arrow and pulling out a Goblin of some sort to load up for two damage.
*tee hee*
Soul Collector
Tell that this isn’t Cabaret in Hades.
Squirrel Nest
Honest to goodness, the other day, this squirrel was running up a tree with some sort of blanched nut, and I laughed out loud. Luanne asked what I was so tickled by. I called up this card. She said, “That’s disgusting.” I said, “I know. Ain’t it great?”
Surprise Deployment
I wonder who’s more surprised: the guy, or the lion?
Telling Time
Another wonderfully realized piece by Mr. Fischer. I was quite pleased when this was wallpaperized even before the card was released.
Threaten (9E)
How can Goblins be so tough and so funny at the same time?
Time Stop
See also: Telling Time.
Vulturous Zombie
I’ve never thought of a flying plant as scary — but Greg Staples to the rescue! Now I’m afraid to go into the woods for fear of what might fall on my head.
One thing that you may have noticed was that there aren’t any Kev Walker pieces on here, and I claim to be a huge Kev Walker fan. I am. So big, in fact, that, as I was making my list, I noticed that about half of the cards were Walker cards. In his honor, Mr. Walker gets his very own day, the best weekday: Friday.
Tomorrow: The Bestest Art on the Worstest Cards and the Worstest Art on the Bestest Cards