Question

I

Ihsans Shade

Guest
Does anyone know what that symbol in front of the cards with flash back is? I'm thinking its something like the coalation symbol in the kicker art.

Just wondering, I am...
Ihsan's Shade
 
Z

Zadok001

Guest
It's supposed to be a gravestone, but I consider it just distracting.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Right on both counts: gravestone, and distracting.

What gets me is the expansion symbol. Someone told me that it was supposed to be a crystal ball (Mirari, maybe?). What a HORRIBLE job!
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...

I haven't been following the whole Magic scene at all, but I know the card Mirari - I think it's interesting - but the fact that it's the symbol that represents the whole set, does that mean it plays a major, major part of the storyline or something?

Is there even a story?
 
M

MrXarvox

Guest
they still held on to the concept of spoiling the art with prescribed symbols?

sheesh.... whoever came up with that should be hit over the head with a paper towel roll repeatedly.
 
E

EricBess

Guest
Yes, the Mirari plays a prominant role in the story line. In fact, it appears on a number of cards as well. All of the common "...'s desire" card show those characters peering into the Mirari.
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...Wow. I think I'll buy the book and attempt to read it - Mirari is a cool card. For some reason, Odyssey as a whole reminds me of Legends...does anyone get that feeling? It even, somehow, reminds me of Arabian Nights...I dunno...
 
M

Mr.Gnome

Guest
The gravestone is put on cards with flashback so that when you look at your graveyard you can quikly tell if you have any flashback cards that you can perhaps play again. Not a bad idea at all, but it kind of irratates me more then helps me.
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...

The "gravestone" sign is so pointless!

I'm sure that when you build a deck, you know what cards have what kind of things. I'm sure you know exactly what has echo, fading, buyback, and stuff...

...when you put a Flashback card in your deck, I'm sure you'll be able to just look at the name in the graveyard...tada! Doesn't even take 5 seconds...

They tried to be "unique," I guess...they were hungry for something different...
 
T

theorgg

Guest
It helps when you glance down at your graveyard and see the fog that keeps you from dying.

:)

How many times have you not realized that a card in hand would hep you?

Now how many times have you looked into your grave to see what would help you(assuming you're not Mike Long.)? :rolleyes:
 
F

FoundationOfRancor

Guest
I was playing an pure Odys game the other day, and they actually help searching through your graveyard.

Personally, I find it annoying changing when they put stuff on a card thats NOT in the text box, but oh well.
 
Y

Yawgmoth

Guest
You all are right but i read that all flashback spell are a ancent spell that no one has found out about utill now. It alows its controler to get away with using the spell twice and than you can never use it agane.
 
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
MrXarvox: I agree with you. Unfortunately it's part of a scheme they've been doing since Weatherlight to make all the art specifically representative of the story. That scheme is stupid, because by necessity it prevents all that weird art like the art on Stasis and Dan Frazier's early stuff.
They're hiring artists who can draw but who aren't very creative. This policy annoys me too.
 
M

MrXarvox

Guest
yeah... me being fresh out of art school, I've seen enough work to know when something looks like an assignment...
 
H

Hetemti

Guest
Originally posted by Thallid Ice Cream Man
MrXarvox: I agree with you. Unfortunately it's part of a scheme they've been doing since Weatherlight to make all the art specifically representative of the story. That scheme is stupid, because by necessity it prevents all that weird art like the art on Stasis and Dan Frazier's early stuff.
They're hiring artists who can draw but who aren't very creative. This policy annoys me too.
I LOVE the old Frazier stuff, if you don't then send your Moxen my way, and Stasis is THE BEST PICTURE EVER.

C'mon, try to envision STASIS. Envision something that is unchangable nothing. Now, what do you want? A guy in a forcefield-thingie, or The Guy in the Dunce Hat on a teeter-totter offering a fingerpull to a bindfolded jackal with a small beach ball being watched over by a crecent moon and an easel?

I'm so glad Stasis wasn't reprinted...there's no way to top that art.
 
Z

Zadok001

Guest
Hetemti, you have summed up my one reason for liking Stasis with that brilliant art summary.
 
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
If they ever make Unglued II, they should get really creative with the art.

There could be a card called "Hey! Ugly!" with a mirror in the art box. :D
Or some card about darkness with an entirely black picture.

It seems that the only reason Wizards wants multiple artists to do the art is that they don't want the story people to have to draw the pictures and because they don't want to tire the artists. This is a really bad reason.
In older sets you could tell straight off the bat who made a picture - the style of each artist would be unique.
Ever since Weatherlight, when they forced people to start standardizing what certain characters looked like, the art has become less and less unique.
Now the only art styles that stand out are those of Rebecca Guay and rk post (other people like Jeff Miracola and Bob Eggleton survived to about Urza's Saga and then stopped making as much), and I'm pretty sure they're on the decline.

The ONLY thing about the current Magic art scene that I like is that they aren't pulling a Pokémon and removing uniqueness entirely (Pokémon art is done by about 3 people total. 3! ).

I'm almost glad that the person who did Stasis never did anything else - it shows that there are still people whose creativity hasn't be hampered by the anal-retentive philosophy of Wizards' art direction.

(In case it was confusing, I LIKE the weird art.)
 
C

Chaos Turtle

Guest
1. I don't mind the gravestone flashback symbol.
2. Magic art is in fact rather stale lately. After awhile, it all starts to look alike.
3. The art for Stasis is in fact the coolest art ever put on a Magic card.
4. I miss Richard Kane Ferguson's art.
 
M

MrXarvox

Guest
Stasis is zveeeeeet-u!

I, too, miss Richard Kane Ferguson's art. I love that style of blending multiple jagged parts into a coherent form that still remains a conglomerate... it's purty! :D
 
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