Across the Table

In this week's episode, we sat down after a post-tournament pizza party and talked all sorts of Standard, Modern and milling. Matt's setting aside the 2/1's for 1 for some Esper control action. Dustin tries a wacky Chord of Calling deck trying to pay tribute to his beloved Birthing Pod. And James is playing Quickling again.   Our meta-topic this week is a fun one as we talk about milling and its appeal. We also get on the topic of Treasure Cruise because of course we do. We wrap up with required consumption and all sorts of shameless promotion. We also have a bit of a video announcement to make.   Required consumption links:   Dustin: blog.magicworldmarket.com/blog   Matt: http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Pro-Tour-Jamie-Wakefield-ebook/dp/B002B3XZ2O/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416301506&sr=8-6&keywords=quest+for+the+pro+tour   James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkEV5sjLyrQ   You can find Matt, James and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza, @mellishkimoMTG, and @dustinseth respectively. Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, all that @5colormedia. Send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com. Please leave us reviews on iTunes or comments on the episode cuz, you know, we like that sort of thing.   Also, we’re now on MTGCast.com, Stitcher, and Podbay! Check us out there too!   Thanks for listening!

The gang talks Eternal Champs, changes to Mono Black Aggro in Standard, and other topics du jour in this week's Mental Discipline. Also, WHO WILL WIN the battle between the dreaded GIANT TRAP DOOR SPIDER and the funky FUNGASAUR? You decide (and let us know!).   Help Dustin win his dreams by following this link and voting: http://songwriter.amplifiertv.com/channel/Dustin+Sendejas   This week's required consumption link's are:   www.manadeprived.com Drive to Work 162 - Enchantment World: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/drive-to-work-162-enchantment/id580709168?i=319697031&mt=2   You can find Matt, James and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza, @mellishkimoMTG, and @dustinseth respectively. Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, all that @5colormedia. Send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com. Please leave us reviews on iTunes or comments on the episode cuz, you know, we like that sort of thing.   Also, we’re now on MTGCast.com, Stitcher, and Podbay! Check us out there too!   Thanks for listening!  

James is woefully absent in this week's episode, so Dustin and Matt try to pick up the slack. They're not as good at bad puns, but they're good at stretching a timeline. This week, on the heels of Grand Prix Los Angeles, it's all Standard all the time.    Dustin's required consumption is The Third Power podcast, a podcast about Cubing from Usman Jamil and Anthony Avitollo. You can find it every other week at mtgcast.com.   Matt's required viewing happens Saturday and Sunday when he streams Eternal Champions live from Philadelphia, PA. Tune in to twitch.tv/cardtitan!   You can find Matt, James and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza, @mellishkimoMTG, and @dustinseth respectively. Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, all that @5colormedia. Send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com. Please leave us reviews on iTunes or comments on the episode cuz, you know, we like that sort of thing.   Also, we're now on MTGCast.com, Stitcher, and Podbay! Check us out there too!   Thanks for listening!

Not too long ago, my friend Jason Thurston died. In this week's Across the Table, he's here to talk about mental illness, suicide, brain surgery, and, of course, death.    Send any short-form feedback you might have to me on Twitter @mattmendoza. Send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com. Be sure to follow 5 Color Media on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr @5colormedia or on Facebook. Catch our live shows every week on Twitch.tv/5colormedia or YouTube.com/5colormedia. And please leave the show a good review on iTunes.   Thanks for listening!

In this week’s episode, Dustin talks about his experience in the new Standard. James talks about his observations while watching the new Mdern and Legacy. And Matt talks about his experience with his newly updated Cube. It’s new, everybody! Our metatopic this week is taken over by a Q&A section wherein Matt talks about being a fly on the wall. And, finally, we discuss our required consumption.    James: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMei_cxSC0c   Dustin: http://www.starcitygames.com/article/29462_What-To-Do-In-A-Green-On-Green-Metagame.html   Matt’s suggested Adrian Sullivan article: http://www.starcitygames.com/article/29501_Sullivan-Library-An-Adrian-Sullivan-Origin-Story.html   Matt: Twitch.tv/5ColorMedia and YouTube.com/5ColorMedia (you’ll find out why)   You can find Matt, James and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza, @mellishkimoMTG, and @dustinseth respectively. Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, all that @5colormedia. Send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com. Please leave us reviews on iTunes or comments on the episode cuz, you know, we like that sort of thing.     Thanks for listening!

The gang is back with a new-ish episode we recorded about a month ago. Thank you for bearing with us. In this episode James talks Modern, Dustin talks about his experience at the WMCQ and about Craig Wescoe's hilarious hand, and Matt talks about his cube experiences.   As always, you can find us on twitter @mattmendoza, @dustinseth, and @mellishkimomtg and you can follow 5 Color Media @5colormedia. You can also find 5 Color Media on any relevant social media platform and check out my photos on Instagram.   Thanks for listening and look forward to new episodes every week going forward.

Welcome to another episode of Mental Discipline, at long last. Flying in the face of life events, the gang sits down to talk about Magic. James and Dustin share their M15, Modern, and Standard experiences while Matt talks a bit about the one Cube draft he did the one time. Then the boys talk about the week's metatopic, flipping the switch. They round off with a trifecta or required reading, viewing, and...listening.    You can find Matt, Dustin, and James (finally!) on Twitter @mattmendoza, @dustinseth, and @mellishkimoMTG respectively. You can find 5 Color Media on Twitter as well as all other relevant social media platforms. Send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com. And leave us reviews and ratings on iTunes.   Required material for the week:   James did not provide his link at press time, but I will tweet it out soon.   Matt: www.theferrett.com   Dustin: http://lrcast.com/limited-resources-248-quadrant-theory-revisited/   Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the new Across the Table. I'm switching up the format! Instead of a one-on-one conversation with a specific person, I'm moving towards a broader format where I can bring to your ears cool people and things I encounter in the gaming world. What does that mean? Well, for my first new interview, allow me to introduce Steve Port and Jay Semerad, publisher and designer of the new game Foretold, Rise of a God. We met at GenCon to talk about what it was like bringing the game to market. I'm proud to present Across the Table 37 - Foretold, Rise of a God from GenCon. I hope you enjoy the new format. I'm excited about it and the new freedom it will give me to bring you a healthy variety of content. Let me know what you think! You can find me on Twitter @mattmendoza or 5 Color Media on any relevant social media platform. Send any longform feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com and please leave me reviews on iTunes. Thanks for listening! 

LIVE from the laundromat down the street at 6am, it's the first episode of the Weekly Huegle! The WH is a brief weekly update about what I'm doing as 5 Color Media. After a whirlwind week getting ready for it, I'm off for another whirlwind week at GenCon. During the con, I'm working the Collector's Cache booth (1629). Come say hi! At night, I have some cool stuff cooking. Look forward to GenCon content here, on YouTube, and on Instagram. Also, stay tuned for an announcement on Monday as well as your regularly scheduled Mental Discipline next Friday.   As always, you can follow me on Twitter @mattmendoza. You can follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram @5colormedia. Subscribe to our Twitch channel at twitch.tv/5colormedia. Like us on Facebook and send any long-form feedback to 5colormedia@gmail.com.   Until next week, game on!

This one's a Monstr-ous Carabid of a podcast as James and Dustin regail us with their tournament exploits. I accomplish nothing of note whie Dustin Top 8's an IQ and James tightens up his play on his way to the TCGPlayer.com Modern State Championship trophy. As a bonus, Dustin talks about his cousin's success with a Standard BasicMountain.dec that is both uninspired and formidable. Along the way we discuss salt and sugar, premier preperation, having fun, and our first submissions for required viewing. And, if it wasn't clear already, James is just a better person than Dustin and myself. Follow Matt and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza and @dustinseth respectively. James promises to be on Twitter next week (yeah right). Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram for updates and daily draft packs @5colormedia. Like us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Twitch stream at twitch.tv/5colormedia (not FIVEcolormedia, that was a mistake). Leave us some good reviews and send us some feedback at 5colormedia@gmail.com. Garner and Dustin's Basic Mountain Deck: 4 Firedrinker Satyr 4 Rakdos Cackler 4 Burning-Tree Emissary 4 Firefist Striker 3 Ash Zealot 1 Gore-house Chainwalker 4 Chandra's Phoenix 4 Boros Reckoner 4 Fanatic of Mogis 4 Lighting Strike 4 Magma Jet 20 Mountain Sideboard: 3 Hammer of Purphoros 4 Mizzium Mortars 4 Searing Blood 4 Skullcrack 1st Place - Modern TCGPlayer.com State Championship - James Mellish Living End 3 Living End 3 Simian Spirit Guide 4 Fulminator Mage 4 Avalanche Riders 2 Shriekmaw 4 Deadshot Minotaur 4 Monstrous Carabid 4 Street Wraith 4 Pale Recluse 1 Jungle Weaver 4 Violent Outburst 4 Demonic Dread LANDS Sideboard: 3 Sin Colector 3 Ingot Chewer 3 Anger of the Gods 4 Leyline of the Void 2 Shriekmaw Matt's submission for Required Reading: "Stuck in the Middle with Bruce" by John Friggin' Rizzo http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/2005_Stuck_In_The_Middle_With_Bruce.html Dustin's submission for Required Viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4hWCkHfZBU&index=12&list=PL3rP64NRtmbib5agu48YNfd4g0SsKuRPI James' submission for Required Viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpzm9Q-4W-0&index=5&list=PL3rP64NRtmbib5agu48YNfd4g0SsKuRPI Thanks for listening!

In this week's episode, we discuss our respective PTQ successes and failures, Dustin's M15 spirit tribal deck and good cards. Or rather, we discuss what qualities make good cards good. Or rather, we discuss the terms we need to define these qualities. Or rather... The required reading links for this week are: "The good, the bad, and the ugly truth" by Mark Rosewater http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr185 "Results Oriented Thinking" by Owen Turtenwald http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/owens-a-win-results-oriented-thinking/ Follow Matt and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza and @dustinseth respectively. Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter and Instagram @5colormedia and Like us on Facebook. Send any long-form feedback to us via Facebook or email at 5colormedia@gmail.com. We're streaming now at twitch.tv/fivecolormedia! Thanks for listening!

In this week's episode we recap James and Matt's whirlwind six days of sanctioned Magic. We discuss M15's changes to Standard. Dustin lets the listeners in on his subtle tech for Mono Black Devotion. Toward the middle we talk about our fun M15 draft and our observations on the new format. Then we turn to introducing two new segments for the cast.   If you want to holla atcha boys, you can find Matt and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza and @dustinseth or you can find James on Facebook (James Mellish). Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter @5colormedia or on Instagram for decks, daily M15 draft packs, cheeky gaming pics, and much more!   Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the first episode of Mental Discipline with Matt Mendoza, James Mellish, and Dustin Sendejas. Three grinders are we and we're on a journey to improve our game, and yours! Join us as we introduce ourselves, establish our Magic goals, and discuss M15 Limited and how you should proceed.   Follow 5 Color Media on Twitter for more episodes and cool stuff @5colormedia Friend James on facebook at James Mellish or follow Matt and Dustin on Twitter @mattmendoza and @dustinseth respectively.   Thanks for listening!  

Robert Vroman’s been out of the game for a while, but his Vintage innovation carved out a place for him in Magic’s history. Inventor of the Uba-Stax deck, he crushed tournaments around the midwest, all the while using Magic as a tool for education. Now, he’s onto bigger things, unleashinghis MtG skills on the real estate market and turning to political action after a particularly horrifying experience. We met in his hometown of St. Louis to talk about all this and more.   The missing decklist is:3 Cryptic Command 4 Snapcaster Mage 1 Vendilion Clique 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Mana Leak 2 Remand 3 Lightning Helix 4 Path to Exile 1 Spell Snare 2 Ajani Vengant (promo) 2 Sphinx’s Revelation 1 Anger of the Gods (donated by Elliott Risch, thank you!) 4 Celestial Colonnade 3 Arid Mesa 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Hallowed Fountain 3 Steam Vents 1 Sacred Foundry (donated by Ryan Hopkins, thank you!) 1 Plains 3 Island Sideboard: 2 Porphury Nodes 1 Anger of the Gods (donated by Elliott Risch, thank you!) 1 Celestial Purge 1 Crucible of Worlds 1 Threads of Disloyalty 2 Relic of Progenitus 1 Rule of Law   Thank you for your help! As always, you can find the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook. You can find and follow me @mattmendoza Please send any feedback to acrossthetablepod@gmail.com or leave me a comment on ManaDeprived or a review on iTunes.   Thanks for listening!

Jason Alt has gone and done it. After his job relocated without him, he looked to make money from the one thing he knows best, Magic. Jason is now a pillar of the financial community whose articles are almost (literally) everywhere and you can hear him banter weekly with his co-conspirators on his own podcast, Brainstorm Brewery. In this week's episode, we talked over Skype about swimming, spread, sausages, and much more (okay, we didn't talk about sausages). As always, you can find the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook. You can find and follow me @mattmendoza Please send any feedback to acrossthetablepod@gmail.com or leave me a comment on ManaDeprived or a review on iTunes. I need them to live. Thanks for listening!  

Usman Jamil's about as St. Louis as it gets, with his part Pakistani, part Indian, part nerd upbringing and all. In this week's episode, my roommate John joins us after a late night of 20 Questions, Cubing, Pauper EDH, and drinking. We chat about growing up nerdy, efficiency, cultural rebellion, metal and more. Check out all Usman's articles every other Tuesday on StarCityGames.com. Also, in a new check-in segment, I see how previous guest writer Titus Chalk is doing following the release of his e-book, "So Do You Wear a Cape?" now available on Amazon. Be sure to follow the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook for news and updates. Send any feedback to me, or follow me, @mattmendoza. You can always reach the cast via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. As well, don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com or a review on iTunes! Thanks for listening!

Erin Campbell is a self-described handful. Before she was hosting her Magic interview podcast, The Deck Tease on GatheringMagic.com, she was tearing up World of Warcraft and blogging all about it. Oh, and she’s a trangendered woman to boot. Not afraid to talk about it, gaming that is, we had a great conversation about growing up, porn stores, elitism, being mean, and much more. Here are the relevant links: Erin’s coming out blog: http://thestoriesofo.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/out/  Nina’s coming out blog: http://manadeprived.com/just-a-girl/ And the response on Hipsters of the Coast: http://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2012/12/hope-eternal-trans-not-special/ As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook for updates and new episodes. And don’t forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

Before he was a world-traveling, freelance-filmmaking co-creator of Walking the Planes, Nathan Holt was a giant, basketball-playing theatre geek who worked odd jobs between roles. Inspired by his web series, executively produced by WotC, I decided to drag him on his show to, of course, ask him about his breakfast. Afterward, we took a turn into some common territory and talked about David Lynch, theatre with an R-E, basketball teams, and much more. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook for updates and new episodes. And don’t forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com or KCCompetition.com. Thanks for listening!

When it comes to fun, Good Times Games' Rob Gruber is your guy. While he's not exactly a Magic guy (I met him shooting Kaijudo in Dallas), he's definitely a boon for the gaming community in general. When we talked in Texas, I couldn't help but be inspired by his life philosophies and how they helped him create an amazing community in his small town of 10,000. I'd like to share him with you now. From all the way in Prince Rupert, BC, Canada, we talked about gaming, generational Dungeons and Dragons, both kinds of exercise, and much more. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes. And don’t forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com or KCCompetition.com. Thanks for listening!

Josh McClain has a case of the run-goods. Earning 2nd place finish after 2nd place finish, he finally cracked the ceiling after a short hiatus to snatch himself a spot on the tour, which he quickly lost. Emboldened by his first PT experience, he put his nose to the grindstone and began one of the biggest tears in recent history. In GP Miami, he lost the trophy to Reid Duke, but quickly avenged himself by beating Duke in the finals of GP Detroit. As if that wasn't impressive enough, two weeks ago, he cut down the net at the TCGPlayer.com Modern 50k. We met over Skype to talk about success, failure, parental disappointment, and school. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes. And don’t forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com or KCCompetition.com. Thanks for listening!

My first returning guest, John Penick, recently finished 2nd at Grand Prix Oklahoma City. What’s more amazing is the amount of Magic he didn’t play before. But did it change how much he played after? We spoke after his mind-frying GRE about that finish, its effects, depression, steak knives, and flourishing. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com or KCCompetition.com. Thanks for listening!

Adam Styborski works harder than you. Between his marketing gig at Geico, traveling to tournaments for Wizards, managing GatheringMagic.com, being a dad and a husband, and the laundry, he’s a busy guy. We meant to meet up to cast from DC, but I was thwarted by a faulty piece of equipment. Instead, we spoke over Skype about being an asshole, our “guys,” and what you actually do with a math degree. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

You've probably never heard of him, but writer Titus Chalk is about to publish one of the most important pieces of Magic writing in the history of the game. A journalist by trade, Titus's book, "So Do You Wear a Cape?" will chronicle twenty years of Magic history and culture from an accessible, anthropological, and often personal perspective. I discovered him and the project through a great feature piece he wrote that ties Magic's history with that of his own called "20 Years of Magic: the Gathering, a Game that Changed the World." In our interview, he talked about growing up the son of a well-known Games Workshop miniature-painter, moving to different continents, and how Magic helped him through some troubling times. Follow him on Twitter @tituschalk and keep up with his book, due out soon, on Facebook, "So Do You Wear a Cape?" As always, you can find me on ManaDeprived.com, KCCompetition.com and iTunes. Send any feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. You can also follow the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook to keep up to date on the latest haps and episodes. Thank you for listening!

Armed with a silky voice, sharp business sense, and rough past, Marcel White has made a name for himself in the community as a financial podcaster, above-average player, and media wiz. Marcel and company's podcast, Brainstorm Brewery, is frequently cited as the best in business for financial advice. Hailing from Oakland, California (by way of SanFran), we talked about growing up white, being a nerd, weed, and, because Marcel turned the tables, myself. As always, you can find me on ManaDeprived.com, KCCompetition.com and iTunes. Send any feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. You can also follow the cast on Twitter @acrossthecast or on Facebook to keep up to date on the latest haps and episodes. Thank you for listening!

For my 25th episode, I look back at some of my first ten, warts and all. In order of appearance: grinders Chi Hoi Yim, Gerald “Jim Bob” Sixkiller, John Penick, Cody Jennings, and Adam Boyd.  As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

Matthew “Ogre” Stevens has made quite the reputation for himself buying, selling, and trading Magic cards in North America. After a wicked bender at GenCon which saw $80,000 in sales, we talked at the shop in which I now work, Ogre’s Games in St Louis. Bonus: his daughter Daisy accompanies us for the interview! As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

Michael Arrowsmith was a bouncer, Naval officer, and semi-professional football player in a former life. Now, he’s one of, if not the only, Level 1 Judge making a living judging and traveling exclusively. I first knew him as the guy I never wanted to meet in a fight. So, I sat down with him at GenCon where we talked about intimidation, being a foodie, and growing out of a non-traditional childhood. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

On a shoestring budget and hard work, Legion Events, Supplies, and Games owner Steve Port started his empire. But he’s not only one of the nicest guys around, he’s one of the hardest working. Live from GenCon, we talked about failed marriages, community involvement, starting a new family twenty years later, and much more. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

“Some things do make me angry. When people, you got this whole life, it seems like it lasts forever, and you just tow the line. You don’t ever step out of the line, you don’t ever ask the questions, you don’t ever challenge authority; you just do what you’re supposed to do...What kind of legacy is that? You just lived and then you died.” Writer and Magic player John F Rizzo was loved, and hated, for his articles back in the “old day.” With self-deprecating wit and self-indulgent stylings, he made a name for himself by being one of the most entertaining losers around. On a nice afternoon, we chatted about life, bad jobs, changing interests, and a whole lot more. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

“I don’t dance, but I love the music.” Artist John Matson has worked on Magic and other collectable card games for the better part of two decades and has become an expert in appreciation of all things both organic and mechanical. What do I mean exactly? Listen and find out as we delve deep into art, God, inspiring, and much more. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

“I mean, worst case scenario, you make mistakes, it’s a good story, you learn from it and you move on. That’s kind of the philosophy of ‘The Bridge,’ I guess, is publicizing our mistakes because they’re hilarious.” Almost 20 years ago, Executive Producer John Douglass started playing Magic in Louisville, Kentucky. Almost two years ago, he started a “hang-out” style podcast called “The Bridge” with some friends. Now, he’s become the new Content Manager for LegitMTG.com. We talked all about his journey from player to community pillar, his big family, the all boys Catholic school he attended, his relationships with former castmembers, and much more. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

"You are worth it, you are awesome, no one is doing anything wrong if they want to be with you." Before his transformation, musician Bill Boulden aka Spruke, was a wunderkind of sorts. An expert programmer and a budding musician, he was hampered by low self-esteem and self-hatred, the kind experienced by many of the last generation to feel nerd shame. Then, he became this wicked, confident, music-making, podcast host who is simultaneously crushing two very different careers? We talked at length about how music is science, programming is art, school is easy, and much, much more. His newest album Lies Synthpop Told Me is available on iTunes or wherever digital music is sold. And his electro-house podcast Bump in the Night hits MTGCast.com every Monday. As always, send feedback to me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  And don't forget to leave me a comment on ManaDeprived.com! Thanks for listening!

"Anything you can do in Magic, I've probably done it." GGsLive's Rashad Miller isn't joking when he says this. Credits to his name include: Level 3 Judge, Pro Tour competitor, and now, "contractor for Hasbro." What he means, of course, is that he's a lifelong gamer who turned this love into a successful video company that covers Grand Prix across North America. We spoke before his trip to Worlds in Amsterdam where he would be in front of the camera, rather than behind. And, to address a certain part of the conversation, I used Worlds as an opportunity to dive head-first into watching coverage; you'll know when you get there. As always, send feedback to me on twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it really helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  A special thanks to KYT and Mana Deprived for sharing the podcast. Thanks for listening!

"To suddenly go from eating Top Ramen to getting these four and five digit quarterly royalty checks was stunning." Twenty years ago, artist Julie Baroh was a troublemaking college student; if it wasn't for wasn't for a spiteful dean, she would have been kicked out. Then, she bought into this little company with big dreams and suddenly she was a rich and famous brat. In this week's episode, we talked on the phone about the Alpha days, her conflict with Wizards, the studio named Krab Jab, and the time when she quit art all together to become something very different.  As always, send feedback to me on twitter @mattmendoza or via email acrossthetablecast@gmail.com. Also, please leave the podcast a review on iTunes, it really helps get it out there. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes.  A special thanks to KYT and Mana Deprived for my new home.  Thanks for listening!

Artist Liz Nugent has had a bad day, but she put aside her apartment-flooding woes to chat for a bit. We talk about her influences, graphic memoirs, her transformational art school experience, women in Magic art, her time at Star City Games and much, much more. Her playmats et al are part of the Creature Collection which can be found at StarCityGames.com. You can find her work and contact information at liznugentdraws.com. And the video I edited, "Liz Nugent: Creature Collector" can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmaf7uMhB_s As always, send feedback to me on twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes, every Thursday! Thanks for listening!

Ponder me this. That was too easy. In my final interview from the trenches of Grand Prix Kansas City, artist Dan Scott and I talk about his roots (spoiler: they're planted very close), his undefined style, and his unappreciated Ogre. It's a shorty, but a goodie. As always, send feedback to me on twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. Follow the cast @acrossthecast for updates and new episodes, every Thursday! Thanks for listening!

A couple months ago, Marshall made the leap and quit his day job to become a professional poker player and Magic content producer. In this episode, recorded at Grand Prix KC, we chat about how that's going for him, how he got started, and what it's like "living the dream" (spoiler: not as glamorous as you might think).  About 18 minutes in, there's a short break in our conversation where we recorded one part, took a break so he could work, then recorded the second part, just so you're aware of the jump. Feedback? Contact me on twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com Follow the cast on Twitter for updates and new episodes, every Thursday! @acrossthecast Thanks for listening!

My friend Joe Hemmann will not, sadly, be known as the player who won a Grand Prix with the oft-marginalized Living End deck. He will, however, go down in history as a guy who made a big, big mistake. We all make mistakes. We're all thrown off by the occasional curveball. So, we talked about it, himself, his deck, what that kind of success means, and how he was able to laugh off such a beautiful punt. Feedback? Contact me on twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com Follow the cast on Twitter for updates and new episodes! @acrossthecast Thanks for listening!

Equipped with +2/+1 Sword of Beard and Northern Accent, Rob McKenzie achieved his Level 3 status at our hometown Grand Prix in Kansas City. A fixture in the midwestern judge community, he helps with everything from local events to Grand Prix to SCG Opens and more. To boot, he organizes a slew of events for local and regional judges including an upcoming conference that he announces in this episode! For his effort, he's been deemed a Captain by his Regional Coordinator and is a crucial key to shrinking the vast expanse that is his region. He's an all-around stand-up guy and I'm excited to have talked with him. He can be contacted via email at robbit@gmail.com. Feedback? Connect with me on Twitter @mattmendoza or via email at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com. Keep up to date with the show on Twitter @acrossthecast for new episodes, guest information, updates, and more! Also, don't forget to visit KCCompetition.com for news about local to KC events, strategy, and much more. Thanks for listening!

Part of the team behind the playmat that just might change it all, Alan Hubbard sits down to talk about his project, the egMat. We also touch upon his history with the game and some very prominent players. You can find Alan and the mat at egMats.com. Feedback? Hit me up on Twitter @mattmendoza or follow @acrossthecast for the latest updates! You can also like the cast on Facebook, Across the Table. Thanks for listening!

Hailing from the Great White North, Kar Yung Tom, or KYT, has been appropriately dubbed "Captain Canada," not only for his recent tournament success, but for his country's rallying site, ManaDeprived.com. We chatted after Day 2 of the largest Magic event in history, Grand Prix Las Vegas.  Feedback? Find me on Twitter @acrossthecast or on facebook at Across the Table. You can also email me at acrossthetablepod@gmail.com  Thanks for listening!