My favorite uncards are the cards that do cool things, but still function within the normal rules of Magic or within the realm of things the game could reasonably care about. Like the 5-way split card, Blast From the Past, Yet Another Aether Vortex, the Double cycle, Gifts Given, etc. What I liked about the Mystery Booster playtest cards was that they were almost exclusively those types of uncards. You consider them mistakes yet they are the only recent Magic product that I actually want...

There are numerous playtest cards that don’t even work in the silver-border rules let alone black border rules. And a good number of them that do work don’t lead to fun gameplay. You might not personally enjoy Unsets, but a lot of time is spent making sure the cards work cohesively and lead to fun play patterns for the players who enjoy stretching the boundaries of what Magic allows. I do believe there are playtest cards that do that, but not consistently.

I'll re-ask a tough question you missed: please explain Grimlock to me. I want to build a Commander deck with him, and have since he was previewed, but the card has been virtually unobtainable from the second it was released. The only cards available in the 8th Edition frame that command higher trade value are Gifts Given (a joke of interest only to collectors) and Mana Crypt (an Eternal powerhouse). Grimlock is a mechanically unique, fun card that is absurdly exclusive. Gold Spider-Man?

Grimlock, much like the holiday cards, is a silver-border card not playable in any of the major formats. It was printed in the thousands equal to the rate of other collectible Magic cards. It was available everyday of Hascon and could be purchased by anyone attending. It was also sold online. In contrast, there are fifty gold Spidermen Minimates in existence. I attended the event (SDCC) it was released at, but you had to win a lottery to have the right to purchase one. (Rumors also has it that over half of them were given away to specific people and not even in the auction for the public.) And it was never sold online. Since it’s release over fifteen years ago, I have seen in on eBay once. (In contrast when I just looked, there are four Grimlock cards on auction right now.) As Magic cards go, I admit Grimlock is a hard to get collectible, but it is nowhere as inaccessible as the gold Spiderman Minimates.

Since I guess we're on the subject of Holiday cards: Which of them is your favorite?

I think Naughty/Nice is my most favorite. Number two is Gifts Given. Number three is Stocking Tiger.

Hi Mark-I was wondering is Wizards doing another Happy Holidays card for 2012? Also have you thought about doing an april fools day promo ala the Un-cards? Best wishes

This is the seventh year we’ve done a holiday card. Previous years: 2006- Fruitcake Elemental 2007 - Gifts Given 2008 - Evil Presents 2009 - Season’s Beatings 2010 - Snow Mercy 2011 - Yule Ooze 2012 - Naughty//Nice