Q: "Do you believe that Magic has become more mainstream in the past few years?
--Jensen Bohren
A: From Tyler Bielman, Research & Deevelopment:
"Thanks for your interesting question, Jensen. Fantasy as a genre has certainly become more mainstream in the past few years. The popularity of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings has validated fantasy as a 'mainstream' choice for all entertainment. But at its best, Magic is a product that challenges people's perception of fantasy. A look at Alpha tells that story. There's the Llanowar Elves, for example, with his skull tattoo and goggles. The artists used in Alpha brought a style to fantasy art that was unheard of at the time. Other non-fantasy mainstream properties like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! owe a great deal to Magic. We invented the 'kids battling with collections of creatures and/or cards' setting that all the hottest kid shows revolve around. To be honest, I believe that in recent years Magic hasn't become more mainstream, I think the mainstream has become more like Magic."
