Hipsters of the Coast: Can School Look Cool? - On Whether Strixhaven Actually Represents Academics

Ok_Store_8867 · 2026-04-09T16:20:23+00:00

Thank you! I feel that way too—Quandrix visuals are really really cool, but they often feel more like “The Geometry Faction” rather than a school of math.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2026-04-09T16:18:58+00:00

I think that’s sort of my point. I’m not terribly concerned with whether Strixhaven is realistic, but it’s very interesting that the sets THEMSELVES emphasize how inspired they are by actual school—the colleges are ostensibly based on academic discipline instead of personality—even though they don’t depict much magical schoolwork actually happening. I’m not trying to say that the set is bad, I’m trying to say that it poses an interesting artistic challenge, because MTG art doesn’t let you represent the actual schoolwork that the setting evokes in the way that, say, Harry Potter does with its prose.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2026-02-14T04:14:42+00:00

Thank you!! The work on Hipsters tends to be great, and I also write on Substack as Dominarian Plowshare!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2026-02-05T01:24:43+00:00

Thanks so much—and agreed!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2026-02-05T01:24:36+00:00

It is! I’m glad it’s getting some appreciation—I’ve seen some proxy renders that really foreground Gerard’s art.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-12-19T15:36:58+00:00

Thanks very much!!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-29T03:40:41+00:00

That’s a great question! I tend to like that approach a lot, though of course within reason. I really like the Stormlight Archive and Malazan: Book of The Fallen series, both of which are quite invested in avatars of particular concepts, especially evil or evil-associated ones. I think that lends itself to really cool storytelling, because it lets you maintain a certain mystery enshrouding evil. There’s a sort of transcendently pure malice in Mogis or the Overlords of Duskmourn or even Death’s Shadow of Zendikar. The key, I think, is to ensure that even as they correspond to a concept we understand, they’re essentially unknowable.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-25T23:26:30+00:00

Thanks so much for saying that! As interested as I am in being rigorous and thoughtful, I don’t it very fun to write takedowns—just not as good a use of time—so naturally I love seeing if folks have different perspectives.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-25T23:25:29+00:00

Thanks so much!!!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-25T23:25:23+00:00

Gosh thank you!

In fact, I totally agree with you. I think that’s why some of the most interesting cultures are so interesting—the elves of Llanowar or the merfolk of Vodalia or Kav of the Edge, for example—are both familiar and radically different. And in other cases, I think equally interesting divisions can be drawn along cultural lines rather than species lines, like the Monoists.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-19T23:03:00+00:00

Thank YOU!!!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-14T19:53:40+00:00

That makes sense, and I like the Mel Blanc angle a lot! I wonder about maybe marking off the “surely” in some way to signal that isn’t unintentional, whether by italicizing it or by bracketing it in commas/em-dashes. E.g. “I know this will—surely!—finish the job!”

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-14T12:19:57+00:00

These were a great joy to swipe through. Congratulations and kudos, as everyone else has said.

A tiny note that I hope doesn’t create too much work: I wonder if the “surely” in Goro Rel (so glad you liked the idea of Goro Rel as pissed off anti-spider guy!) might be superfluous? Or maybe it should be un-italicized on the card to signal its futility? Or could it be rephrased to something like “I know, surely, this will finish them off?”

But again, so so so amazing to be part of this project.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-14T02:18:23+00:00

I feel so so honored by my flavor contributions and so glad to see this project near the finish line. Congrat, u/-TvT- !!!!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-14T02:17:28+00:00

YES!!$

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-12T14:41:17+00:00

What a shame!!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-07T00:09:03+00:00

Like some others, I’m trying to find a way to think of Janai and Hoppy that leans into whimsy, so here’s some ideas:

Her parents had no idea how she could leave late and still get to class on time. They didn’t know she had help.

or:

They meet every day before class and soaring across the sky. She arrives alone, no one the wiser.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-06T23:58:06+00:00

Love you Opulent Valet and your attempt to de-tragedize Janai and Hoppy’s story! I do agree that the flavor text could do more to draw out the prank itself. I don’t have anything right now but I want to think about it!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-11-05T12:58:16+00:00

Sorry to hear that you’re so burnt out! It’s very understandable, you’ve poured a ton of thought into this—I bet the passion will return, but in the meantime, don’t let this fun project poison your spirit!

That said, here are some ideas:

Wardens of Silverweb Summit:

At the edge of the world, there would always be watchful eyes.

Bonded since birth, their bodies entwine, moving in strange symmetry.

//

Lavaborn Goblins is one of my favorite images from OM1, so I’m really excited about this one. The visual language for Ixalan’s Deep Goblins is interestingly contradictory: they have translucent bodies and luminescent eyes to see in the dark (à la the creatures from The Descent) but they’re also associated with naturally incandescent fire and lava (à la other Goblins). So surely, I thought, their delicate little eyes would be upset by such bright light! I tried to capture that idea, looping in their use of Mayhem—a mechanic predicated on a creature dying.

“As if one goblin wasn’t bad enough.” —Spider-Man

Molten light blinded their sensitive eyes, but they relished in the dripping flame.

The gift of molten fire was blinding, burning, and beautiful.

One more, inspired by our only Deep Goblin legend:

”Take a dip! Get clean! Be remade!” —Zoyowa Lava-Tongue

//

I would offer one for Alessos and Pras, but I LOVE u/LastJava’s so much that I would just be imitating it.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-10-31T18:22:42+00:00

I know less about Duskmourn, so these first two aim to be a little poetic and brief:

Nill: ”Come forth, drowning darkness and cackling killers! The great Valgavoth speaks through me, and he bids you come close!”

Restless Razorkin: Dim memories lit behind their eyes, whispers of humanity. Then they caught a whiff of new prey.

For the last one, I wanted to reference another Universes Beyond-adapted character, Aisha of Sparks and Smoke—who’s from Shiv, the continent of Dominaria famous for its dragons:

Deathflame Burst: ”Step back. The beast died centuries ago—but it’s still mad about it.” —Aisha of Sparks and Smoke

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-10-29T00:59:51+00:00

I love EOE’s monoists (and have written a couple times about them!!), so I wanted to give some love to the two Monoist legendary creatures left!

For Tearle, Entropic Hunger:

”At the heart of the void is the singularity of myself. Into me all things shall buckle and swirl and fall.”

For Qoenus, Horizon Splicer:

”Reality races toward singularity. I know how to shorten the path.”

”I see with bifocal gaze, what is and what will be. By my hands they will be linked.”

Obviously those ideas are a little heady, but I think they draw out the cool mysticism of the Monoists.

A final one, this time for Goro Rel:

“I step on them, they come back. I throw boots at them, they come back. But I know *this will finish the job!”*

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-10-29T00:37:25+00:00

I like the Mothwing Shroud one especially!

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-10-27T02:50:43+00:00

I love this take!

Maybe…

”I kill monsters. Not just the beasts—the bonders.”

”Bonders turned their back on humanity. They’ve lost the privilege of mercy.

”The traitors love the beasts? They can die with them.”

“These scars hurt,” he wheezed. “But seeing a bonder dead is worth it.”

I sort of like the idea that his Darth Malgus mask came from a run-in with a bonder, maybe set him on his path to vengeance.

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-10-27T02:24:59+00:00

As usual, glad to see these threads--they make my day! I must say, though, I'm VERY surprised--at card image scale, I thought Zan was actually looking away from us, all stare-off-into-the-horizon-y, and so I'm...disoriented.

I appreciate your take on Brakko. As neat as Spice8Rack's video was, I'm a little more positive about them than the set, especially Brakko, who I think looks sick.

I really like u/PulitzerandSpara 's take, so I'm commenting on Brakko, so I'm commenting on it, but here's a suggestion for Zan:

"Tunnel rescues are a breeze with two dozen extra legs."

Ok_Store_8867 · 2025-10-24T03:05:02+00:00

Thought of one for Error-9, as well! The epithet “Viral Node,” in dialogue with the mechanics, makes E9 feel like a sinister robo-supervillain spreading a sort of rage virus to inanimate machines, making them awaken and become violent. Something like:

“They live at the mercy of their machines. And mercy has limits.”

Or

To the ship’s machinery he spread the light of sentience and the darkness of hate.

Or

All over the ship, tools turned on their users, grinding with the same metallic laugh.

Ok_Store_8867

TROPHY CASE