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Welcome to another article in the EDHREC Community Corner Creator Spotlight series! In this series, we interview creators, pick their brains on their feelings about Magic and content creation, and get some insights on what drives their content. A few weeks ago, we interviewed GriffinFlyMTG's duo of Griffin and Greg. Today, we are shining a spotlight on WozzlebugMTG and RhysticBuddies!

Interview With WozzlebugMTG

Cory, perhaps known better as WozzlebugMTG, is a whimsical content creator from New Jersey. Wozzlebug often creates skits on social media, such as on his Instagram and YouTube accounts, sometimes involving puppets.

Who/What introduced you to Magic?

I had originally fallen in love with trading card games through Yu-Gi-Oh! The show was the first anime I watched, and having it be about a card game that I could go out and play myself was incredibly exciting to me. The more time I spent at my little card shop in the mountain town of Grass Valley, California, in the very early 2000s, the more intrigued I became by this other card game called Magic: The Gathering. It was during the Onslaught block that my obsession with Magic truly began, particularly Legions. I had always been a huge horror movie fan since I was a kid, and zombie movies were some of my favorites. Legions introduced a huge wave of awesome Zombies into Magic's card pool, and I was all over it. My first deck was a 60-card Legacy Zombie deck, some cards from which still reside in my first Commander deck to this day.

What is your favorite card/commander and why?

Oooo, favorite commander. This one is a toughie. I truly have so many decks I would never give up. They’re basically my babies. There’s my ChatterfangChatterfang deck, which scratches young Wozzlebug’s itch from seeing Deranged HermitDeranged Hermit for the first time and desperately wanting to make Squirrels work back in 2003. There’s my very first Commander deck, Gisa and GeralfGisa and Geralf, which I was only able to build because I found the first deck I ever made in a box of old stuff while cleaning out a storage unit before moving to the East Coast. But if I had to choose one that is truly my favorite, it would have to be Frog typal, led by Grolnok, the OmnivoreGrolnok, the Omnivore. I’ve been given the title of Frog Daddy, or in more formal settings, The Frog Father. Just like a frog’s metamorphosis, this deck has gone through many versions and has finally, thanks to Bloomburrow, landed in its beautiful final form. Between the theming, the flair, and the pure joy it brings me to pilot, it’s something creative that I’m extremely proud of.

You can find Wozzlebug's Grolnok list here!

Why do you create content for Magic?

When I first started creating content for Casual Commander, I probably would have said something like, “Because I want to meet my heroes in the Magic space, like the amazing people at The Command Zone, The Professor, and the early creators who helped shape Commander content.” Now, though, it’s because I can’t stop. Creating content has become a daily ritual that has improved my life in every way. I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early 30s, and that diagnosis threw a lot of things into perspective. I finally understood why I had always felt different, but at first I didn’t know what to do with that information. For a while, I used it as an excuse to abandon new skills and hobbies before giving them a real chance. Everything felt like an uphill battle. Then I made my first video about my love for Magic: The Gathering. It was a simple, two-minute, unedited video I created for a chance to appear on the fan episode of Game Knights. But that video sparked something in me. For the first time, I found a way to bring together my love of Magic, comedy, storytelling, design, and creativity into something meaningful. Creating Commander content has given me a creative outlet, taught me skills I never had before, and brought structure to a life that often felt chaotic. Most importantly, it gives me the opportunity to make people laugh. As long as making these videos continues to give me those things, I’ll keep creating.

What sets your content apart from other creators?

Short Answer: My entire singular goal is to give people content that is different from what other MTG creators are doing. Long Answer: It was extremely important to me from the very beginning that I bring something different, something distinctly “me,” to the Magic: The Gathering content space. My channel brings smack-talking puppets, awkward humor, and '90s nostalgia seen through a Commander lens to blend the absurdity of the game with the genuine love and passion people have for it. I want to create MTG Commander content that feels unique and entertaining enough to land on a non-Magic player’s For You Page and make them giggle before wondering, “Wait... would I enjoy this game?”

What about life outside Magic influences your content?

The need to overcome my own negative thoughts and the self-doubt that stands in the way of my success and happiness. Is that too heavy? Meh, I’m sticking with it. It was nearly impossible, and honestly still overwhelmingly difficult at times, to convince myself to simply put my content out into the world. To force myself to create something and be okay with however others choose to value it, or not value it at all. To overcome the daunting hurdle of being willing to be “cringe,” or in better words, to be unapologetically myself. That is what influences my content. Oh, and Tim Robinson — that dude makes me chortle.

Are you attending any upcoming events where players could meet you?

Are you in New Jersey? Because there’s a good chance you’ll spot me at one of the many amazing local game stores around South and Central New Jersey. Other than that, I don’t currently have any event plans. It’s not that I don’t want to meet each and every person who enjoys my content. I’m just not always sure where I should be going to connect with them. That, and the occasional bout of imposter syndrome telling me that no one would show up to a meet-and-greet anyway.

What is one thing you would change about Magic?

Toughest question for last, I see how it is. If I could change one thing about Magic, it would be to make sure every player clearly understands that there is no single “right” or “wrong” way to enjoy the game. Every player should have the freedom to engage with Magic in the way that brings them the most joy, as long as their enjoyment doesn’t come at the direct expense of anyone else’s happiness. I was in a video recently where a friend asked for my “hot take,” and I jokingly said, “cEDH stinks.” The joke, of course, during the rest of the interview, was that I stink at cEDH, not that the format itself is bad. Still, I saw plenty of comments from people who took it seriously, which only reinforced something I strongly believe. However you choose to enjoy this game is awesome and should be celebrated, not negatively criticized.

Interview With Rhystic Buddies

Andy (they/them) and Eli (he/him) make up the LA-based duo of Rhystic Buddies, a two-person collective of Magic Ambassadors who have various social media accounts. On their socials, which include their Instagram, their YouTube, and their TikTok, you can find quality takes, as well as card/gameplay discussion.

Who/What introduced you to Magic?

Andy: I learned to play Magic twice. First, in college at a small local game store in Wisconsin. The kind woman working there offered us starter decks for free and offered to sit down and play them with me right then and there. I would later learn that that was during the original Ixalan and Dominaria era. Over the next few years, Eli and I would continue to play Kitchen Table-style Magic against each other and with our friends in London. But I truly learned how to play Magic in 2020/2021 when we stumbled into a new LGS where we met our current pod and best friends. Prior to this point, I was loosely familiar with the concept of ‘Commander’, but our friends were really the ones who taught us how to be ‘good’ at the game. It’s almost five years later now, and we are lucky enough to still see them every Friday for FNM.

Eli: As a child, my upstairs neighbor had a massive pile of Onslaught-era cards that we’d sift through to make absolutely atrocious decks and play against each other. Once Mirrodin and later Lorwyn came out, I could finally convince my parents to get me a few premade decks. I played those decks on the concrete floor of the playground 'til the cards fell apart. I think about a decade later I finally learned about the stack, what phases were, what a ‘format’ was, and that you didn’t have to tap to block...

What is your favorite card/commander and why?

Andy: My favorite commander is ‘Zippy’, or as you might know him, Xyris, the Writhing StormXyris, the Writhing Storm. Is it even your favorite commander if it doesn’t have an iconic nickname?! The deck is built around brutally efficient group hug cards. I hug, you get card draw, I get card draw and snakessss. I’m a big pinger player, so that’s how I tend to win with Zippy using Goblin BombardmentGoblin Bombardment and Impact TremorsImpact Tremors. Throw in a splash of poison with Triumph of the HordesTriumph of the Hordes, and there you have it — game over. 

You can find Andy's "Zippy" deck here!

My current favorite card in the 99 is Faerie ArtisansFaerie Artisans! It’s value city and always creates a new and complicated board state. I like to build decks that ensure no game is ever the same. Complexity creep doesn’t scare me. What scares me is being bored and trapped in a never-ending game. So, I play a lot of cards to ensure that does not happen.

Eli: My favorite commander is Horde of NotionsHorde of Notions, the five-color Elemental classic from the original Lorwyn. Sometimes it feels like cheating because I get to run everyone else’s favorite Elemental commanders in one deck. MuldrothaMuldrotha, AnimarAnimar, YgraYgra, OmnathOmnath, AshlingAshling, AshayaAshaya! I don’t have to choose; they’re all invited.

You can find Eli's Horde of Notions deck here!

My favorite card has got to be Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror! I love the versatility of being able to copy (almost) any permanent on the battlefield at instant speed. Whenever anything new enters the battlefield, I’m always thinking to myself, “Am I going to be copying this?” I get to scale with the most broken thing at the table, and I never feel bad about it because someone else cast the broken card.

Why do you create content for Magic?

Andy: To be perfectly honest, I wanted to try and carve out a niche in the online MTG community that I felt was underserved. I wanted to make content that focused on good-natured humor that punches up (never down), and cozy long-form yap sessions that mimic how it feels to talk to a friend who also plays the game. That’s the goal. And if we could make some people laugh along the way, that would be cool too.

Eli: Andy just started making videos one day, and I’ve been along for the ride this whole time. In the beginning I mostly just tried to stay out of their way and be generally encouraging, but over time I’ve really tried to work on my skills at filming, writing, set production, and endless Scryfall image searching. 

What sets your content apart from other creators?

Both: We make cozy, yap session content breaking down various aspects of the game with humor that always aims to punch up. We also make the occasional esoteric-hyper-niche-nerd-centric skits that aim to make you laugh. At the end of the day, our goal is to make content that feels like you’re catching up with a friend at FNM. We also turn around same-day VLOG-style content during tournaments and MagicCons to ensure you get live updates — with all the joy and occasional overstimulation that comes along with big events!

What about life outside Magic influences your content?

Andy: Our friends are a massive influence on our Magic content. While they might not always be on screen, their ideas and voices echo through every video. We also love watching clever comedian spaces outside of Magic like Dropout, or catching live shows in LA. We’re inspired by their quick thinking and wit, and do our best to emulate even a small fraction of their talent.

Eli: I design video games for a living! I’m thinking about games and design all day every day. While I can’t help but bring that analytical lens to playing Magic: The Gathering, I find it to be a massive relief and treat to sometimes just enjoy a goofy video premise or chat about silly new deck ideas. It’s a constant reminder that games are just as much about the community and how they embrace the game and each other than it is about any particular design execution.

Are you attending any upcoming events where players could meet you?

Both: We're planning on attending MagicCon Atlanta! If you see us wandering the halls, come say hi! We’d love to give you a sticker and see any cool new shiny cardboard you might have just acquired.

What is one thing you would change about Magic?

Andy: I’d love it if they would make combat easier. I don’t know how you’d go about doing that. Seems hard. But as it currently stands, it’s a barrier to entry, and something I continue to find difficult despite having played that game as long as I have. Especially as mechanics continue to increase in complexity, this key part of the game is set to get more and more unwieldy. 

Eli: Let’s print the base versions of cards into the ground! Price is a huge barrier for entry for folks new to the game. Ultimately we’re playing a game, and I think the base mechanics should be equally accessible to all who search them out. Don’t get me wrong, I looooooove foils, borderless arts, etched cards, oil slicks, and any kind of special treatment you can imagine. I love rare cards and collectability. It’s such a treat every time I get to see a special version of a rare card I’ve never seen before in person. But none of that means that the base version of game pieces needs to be $10, $20, $50, or sometimes $100.