EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’re new to the After MaRo series (I haven’t done anything like this in a while so you might be), I sometimes have “conversations” with Mark Rosewater. These conversations AREN’T real; I make them up in my head. I know I’ve been posting some info lately that has been more “journalistic” and I wanted to re-visit this column again. If/When I do have real information about something like this, it will be done in a serious manner. Sorry for the confusion.
It’s been a while since I called MaRo. Let’s see what he’s up to.
(Picking up phone) Hello, Mark Rosewater.
Hello Mr. Rosewater, this is Robby from MtG Color Pie.
No comment.
But, I’m not the press.
No comment.
What’s going on?
I’m not talking about Priceless Treasures.
Okay… I wasn’t calling about that.
(Surprised) Really?
No, I wanted to talk to you about your article on Monday, how you said no one liked Odyssey.
Yeah, people didn’t get the point of the article and think that I don’t like Odyssey. I love Odyssey. I have a shrine in my house and write Odyssey love letters every week.
You do?
(Beat) No. But a majority of people didn’t like it. Research shows.
Ah October. Time for another set to roll in and a block to roll out. Just a friendly reminder: Extended rotates as well. No More Onslaught block nor 8th edition. See my B&R list for the full details. New month also means new mailbag. Let’s see what’s in here.
What’s up with all the talk about Twitter? It’s not the world’s greatest invention, so why is it always “Twitter” this and “Twitter” that I read on your blog. I don’t have twitter so there.
The question should be why don’t you have Twitter? You know who Tweets? Mark Rosewater. Aaron Forsythe. Evan Erwin. Mike Flores. Patrick Chapin. Bill Stark. Kelly Reid (QuietSpeculation.com). Me. That’s hardly everyone who tweets, just some of the names you might have hear or read some of their stuff. When I went to the Zendikar prerelease, I met MaRo who knows of me from Twitter, yet we met for the first time. I also met Jacob from GatheringMagic there where he also talked to MaRo, and I met bccarlso, someone I met over Twitter. I’ve traded posts with Jay from Magic: the Blogging (where yes the title of this post also “steals” that idea from him as well but come on, it’s an obvious one). I got to see Mike Flores and other pro players tweet it out to see if Lotus Cobra is the best 2 drop ever comparing it to Dark Confident and Tarmogoyf. This whole “Priceless Treasures” thing play out on both the rumor site and on Twitter. Continue reading “Monthly Mailbag – Magic: The Twittering”
If you follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/mtgcolorpie), you knew that I was at the Zendikar pre-release in Seattle. And you also know I met Mark Rosewater (or MaRo for the uninitiated) who is kind of a big deal (he smells of rich mahogany). Let me say that (mono-tone voice) Mark Rosewater is the smartest man alive. He can do no wrong. You are unable to stop him and his tyrannical reign upon Magic. (Yelling, shaking head violently) Ah, free from that mind control serum he gave me. I’m on to you sir.
We were having a conversation with Brian Tinsman (another high-profile R&D member) and another player (sorry, I forgot your name). And out of this conversation, I learned some things about Mr. “I’m the face of Magic to the internet crowd.” I’m willing to share these things with you, out of the goodness of my heart. Plus, if you ever meet him either at an event or somewhere else, you can have a hand up on him.
1. He reads all his tweets, e-mails and threads. This isn’t something he says, he actually does it. He really wants to know what you’re thinking. Sometimes when there’s a controversial topic he’s going to talk about (Mythic Rares) he knows he’s going to get people pissed off. Thinking that there’s a certain group of players out there who hates everything he does, MaRo knows he’s going to get that mail. He has yet to name said demographic (may I suggest a Jason, who created the much beloved Web Comic “UGMadness” and his character Fanboy). If you want to tell him how you’re feeling about something, do e-mail or tweet him (twitter.com/maro254).
2. Four young children walk ahead of MaRo ripping up Power 9 cards so his feet never touch the ground. After he walks by two more children walk after him to clean up the ripped up cards so that no one can use them again. Continue reading “After MaRo – Meeting the Man Himself”
Editor’s Note: This Magic Celebrity Commercial will contain NSFW language. I don’t do many posts with profanity because it’s not all that professional. Not that I’m getting paid, but I don’t need to use course language in my blog. But on the other hand since this is a Celebrity Commercial, and if I use this celebrity without language then it wouldn’t work (“Fighting a stranger in the Alps” aside). If anything might offend you, this is your warning and come back for the next post. Thank you.
INT – WIZARDS OF THE COAST MEETING ROOM – MORNING
TIM and CARL are talking to themselves as three Wizards of the Coast employees people enter the room, Mark Rosewater, known as MaRo, Mark Purvis, known as Purvis, and Aaron Forsythe, who obviously goes by Aaron. As they sit down, both Purvis and Aaron look at MaRo.
PURVIS
Are these the ad agency guys who keep coming in with horrible ideas for commercials.
MARO
One and the same.
AARON
But why are they here?
MARO
Do you know what a running joke is?
PURVIS
What is it with you and Roseanne?
MARO
Excatly.
Standing up, Tim straightens out his tie.
TIM
Welcome gentlemen to today’s pitch. As you know, I’m Tim and this is my business partner, Carl.
Carl waves and smiles. Tim picks up a pack of Planechase.
TIM
(Cont’d)
What we’ve come here to do today is to talk to you about advertising your new product, Planechase. As you know, we get famous celebrities to pitch your product to have your fans love the ad and buy it.
PURVIS
Shouldn’t that be the point of any advertising?
CARL
Yes, but we do it with flair!
AARON
Planechase is selling out all over the place, stores aren’t keeping them in stock. Why do we need to waste money by advertising it.
Carl stands up and joins Tim in the front of the room. Grabbing another pack of Planechase, Carl walks over and sit on the table right infront of the trio.
CARL
What a handsome-looking question, sir. What you’ll get is geek cred.
MARO
But that’s what you’ve been saying the past couple of times.
TIM
(Pointing at MaRo)
You sir, remember pretty well. Yes, that’s what we do. We create viral videos that get clicked, tens maybe hundreds of times on FewTube.
PURVIS
YouTube.
CARL
(Throws his hands up)
Hey mister techno-babble guy, we just give it to our nerds locked on our basement to put it on the interweb and bam!, there it is.
MARO
(Sighing)
What do you have for us this time?
TIM
After opening up these packs and playing around with it…
He puts his hand up next to his mouth like he’s telling them a secret.
TIM
(Cont’d)
…but it was hard to understand with all of the words and the pictures…
Carl fake laughs as to go along with the joke.
TIM
(Cont’d)
…we heard the name and after a few brainstorm sessions we got the celebrity and the script. One celebrity who would be perfect for this product of yours.
MARO
And can this commerical be shown on TV?
CARL
Well, the FCC doesn’t like some of the words we’re using so we’re using this as one of those virus video type of things.
PURVIS
Viral.
AARON
What? Have you already shot this thing?
MARO
Yes, it’s something they do. Luckily we don’t have to pay them unless we buy it.
TIM
So you’ve got that going for you, which is nice.
TIM and CARL are setting up their projector and laptop when three Wizards employees enter the room: PAUL, MARK ROSEWATER and RICHARD GARFIELD. Paul looks in amazement at the two men setting up.
TIM
You did, but we were given another chance by Mr. Rosewater over there.
Paul and Richard look at Mark confused. Mark shrugs his shoulders.
MARK
What?
CUT TO:
INT – THE PIT – AFTERNOON
Mark is sitting at his desk in the pit on the phone with his feet on the desk.
MARK
You want to hear about that time I worked Roseanne? Alright, I can do that…
TITLE CARD
2 Hours Later
MARK
(cont’d)
To make a long story short, that’s when I discovered I should leave Hollywood and do something greater with my life. Say, you guys seem like a nice bunch and listening to me, why don’t you come in with a different pitch.
CUT TO:
INT – WIZARDS OF THE COAST MEETING ROOM – MORNING
The two men are finishing up their set up as the three men from Wizards sit at the opposite end.
PAUL
(Sighing)
Alright, what do you got?
TIM
I know that last commercial we showed you was a little too risky for American audiences.
CARL
But it test markets great over in Europe. Don’t ask me, it’s different standards about having violence and whatnot on their TV.
MARK
But we don’t want to have that commercial at all…
TIM
(Cutting him off)
Exactly, which is why we went ahead and filmed another commercial with another actor with tons and tons of Geek cred.
RICHARD
Why are you guys filming the commercials before we even approve them? That doesn’t make any sense, you’re throwing money out the window.
CARL
(Sarcastically)
Well, excuse me. What are you, some kind of doctor?
RICHARD
Why yes, I have a P.h.D. in Mathematics…
TIM
(Cutting him off)
Fascinating. Listen, you don’t understand how Hollywood works.
Mark raises his hand and smiles.
MARK
I do! Why, I even…
TIM
(Rolling his eyes)
We know we know. I mean, people make movies without approval or even scripts all the time. Look at G.I. Joe.
PAUL
G.I. Joe is owned by Hasbro.
CARL
You’re point being?
MARK
We’re owned by Hasbro.
TIM
Still not following you…
CARL
We’re getting off track. Anyway, this guy is a real geek icon and I think it would suit the Magic brand well if we had him on board. Without further ado, our new commercial.
MTG Color Pie 