Eternal Durdles

This week, Zac sits down with legendary Magic illustrator Donato Giancola to discuss his remarkable career, from illustrating Thran Tome, Steel Golem, Chrome Mox, Mirari, and Shivan Dragon, to painting book covers for Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Along the way, Donato shares stories about breaking into the industry, his creative process, the influence of comics and fantasy art, and why Magic has always been just one part of a much larger artistic journey.
We discuss:
Breaking into Magic during Mirage
The story behind Thran Tome
Steel Golem and Chrome Mox
Painting Magic packaging art
Working on Lord of the Rings and classic novels
Comic book inspirations including Walt Simonson and Bill Sienkiewicz
Why Donato stepped away from Magic
The changing relationship between artists and Wizards of the Coast
Advice for aspiring illustrators
What makes great fantasy art timeless
If you grew up with Magic during the Mirage through Mirrodin era, this conversation is packed with nostalgia, incredible stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the game's most beloved artwork.
#MagicTheGathering #MTG #FantasyArt #DonatoGiancola #MagicArtist
00:00 Introducing Donato Giancola
00:48 The Story Behind Thran Tome
02:30 Hidden Details in the Box Set Artwork
03:25 Discovering Fantasy Art
05:20 First Professional Illustration Jobs
09:58 Breaking Into Magic: The Gathering
12:31 Working with Wizards of the Coast
14:07 Artist Rights & Leaving Magic
15:15 Life Beyond Magic Illustration
16:50 Painting Tolkien's Middle-earth
20:47 Getting Started with Magic Art
22:05 Construct of Time & Chrome Inspirations
25:45 Steel Golem Memories
29:29 Comic Book Influences
32:31 Painting Mordenkainen & Modern Magic
34:16 Favorite Magic Illustrations
36:46 Advice for Aspiring Artists
38:51 The Importance of Finishing Your Work
40:00 Closing Thoughts
Timestamps

This week, Zac sits down with legendary Magic illustrator Donato Giancola to discuss his remarkable career, from illustrating Thran Tome, Steel Golem, Chrome Mox, Mirari, and Shivan Dragon, to painting book covers for Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Along the way, Donato shares stories about breaking into the industry, his creative process, the influence of comics and fantasy art, and why Magic has always been just one part of a much larger artistic journey.
We discuss:
Breaking into Magic during Mirage
The story behind Thran Tome
Steel Golem and Chrome Mox
Painting Magic packaging art
Working on Lord of the Rings and classic novels
Comic book inspirations including Walt Simonson and Bill Sienkiewicz
Why Donato stepped away from Magic
The changing relationship between artists and Wizards of the Coast
Advice for aspiring illustrators
What makes great fantasy art timeless
If you grew up with Magic during the Mirage through Mirrodin era, this conversation is packed with nostalgia, incredible stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the game's most beloved artwork.
#MagicTheGathering #MTG #FantasyArt #DonatoGiancola #MagicArtist
00:00 Introducing Donato Giancola
00:48 The Story Behind Thran Tome
02:30 Hidden Details in the Box Set Artwork
03:25 Discovering Fantasy Art
05:20 First Professional Illustration Jobs
09:58 Breaking Into Magic: The Gathering
12:31 Working with Wizards of the Coast
14:07 Artist Rights & Leaving Magic
15:15 Life Beyond Magic Illustration
16:50 Painting Tolkien's Middle-earth
20:47 Getting Started with Magic Art
22:05 Construct of Time & Chrome Inspirations
25:45 Steel Golem Memories
29:29 Comic Book Influences
32:31 Painting Mordenkainen & Modern Magic
34:16 Favorite Magic Illustrations
36:46 Advice for Aspiring Artists
38:51 The Importance of Finishing Your Work
40:00 Closing Thoughts
Timestamps

How did Moneyball Black go from an experimental mono-black brew to one of Premodern's defining archetypes?
In this Masterclass, David Gleicher, the creator of Moneyball Black, sits down with Zac to explain the philosophy behind the deck, its evolution over time, why every card earned its place, and how to approach both deckbuilding and sideboarding. Whether you're sleeving up the deck for your next tournament or simply want to understand why it's become a format staple, this is the definitive guide.
We cover:
The origin of Moneyball Black
Why mono-black works in Premodern
The "Moneyball" philosophy
Ravenous Rats vs. Black Knight
Urza's Bauble technology
Why Dark Ritual is still essential
Cursed Scroll's role in the deck
Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena
Mishra's Factory and Spawning Pool
Plague Bearer and other key card choices
Sideboarding philosophy
Matchup guides against the format's top decks
Whether you're new to the archetype or have been playing it for years, there's something here for every Moneyball Black pilot.
#Premodern #MagicTheGathering #MoneyballBlack #MTG #Masterclass
00:00 Introducing Moneyball Black
00:22 Why David Built the Deck
01:58 Early Suicide Black Lists
04:40 The Birth of Moneyball Black
07:15 Why Play Moneyball Black?
07:53 The "Moneyball" Philosophy
09:32 Ravenous Rats Explained
12:55 The Evolution of the Deck
14:14 Black Knight vs. Ravenous Rats
16:47 Urza's Bauble Technology
19:07 Why Cursed Scroll Matters
23:22 Dark Ritual's Role
28:06 Mishra's Factory & Spawning Pool
30:05 Plague Bearer Tech
31:35 Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena
34:25 Sideboarding Philosophy
Timestamps

How did Moneyball Black go from an experimental mono-black brew to one of Premodern's defining archetypes?
In this Masterclass, David Gleicher, the creator of Moneyball Black, sits down with Zac to explain the philosophy behind the deck, its evolution over time, why every card earned its place, and how to approach both deckbuilding and sideboarding. Whether you're sleeving up the deck for your next tournament or simply want to understand why it's become a format staple, this is the definitive guide.
We cover:
The origin of Moneyball Black
Why mono-black works in Premodern
The "Moneyball" philosophy
Ravenous Rats vs. Black Knight
Urza's Bauble technology
Why Dark Ritual is still essential
Cursed Scroll's role in the deck
Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena
Mishra's Factory and Spawning Pool
Plague Bearer and other key card choices
Sideboarding philosophy
Matchup guides against the format's top decks
Whether you're new to the archetype or have been playing it for years, there's something here for every Moneyball Black pilot.
#Premodern #MagicTheGathering #MoneyballBlack #MTG #Masterclass
00:00 Introducing Moneyball Black
00:22 Why David Built the Deck
01:58 Early Suicide Black Lists
04:40 The Birth of Moneyball Black
07:15 Why Play Moneyball Black?
07:53 The "Moneyball" Philosophy
09:32 Ravenous Rats Explained
12:55 The Evolution of the Deck
14:14 Black Knight vs. Ravenous Rats
16:47 Urza's Bauble Technology
19:07 Why Cursed Scroll Matters
23:22 Dark Ritual's Role
28:06 Mishra's Factory & Spawning Pool
30:05 Plague Bearer Tech
31:35 Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena
34:25 Sideboarding Philosophy
Timestamps

What if Legacy had stopped evolving in 2019?
This week we're joined by Gary, creator of Pre-War Legacy, a community-driven format that captures Legacy just before War of the Spark, FIRE Design, and the wave of Modern Horizons cards fundamentally changed the format.
We discuss:
Why War of the Spark became the cutoff
The impact of FIRE Design on Legacy
Why many players consider 2018–2019 Legacy its golden age
The philosophy behind Pre-War Legacy
Miracles, Death & Taxes, Delver, Dark Depths, and Storm
Why deck specialists thrive in closed formats
Brewing opportunities in an 18,000-card card pool
How to join the growing Pre-War Legacy community and play online
If you've been missing the Legacy of Brainstorm, Wasteland, Delver, Miracles, and Death & Taxes—without Modern Horizons or Universes Beyond—this format might be exactly what you've been looking for.
What deck would you register first?
#MTGLegacy #MagicTheGathering #PreWarLegacy #LegacyMTG #EternalFormats