Grave Bramble

Favorite Plant Creature

I've made it around the sun 42 times now! For my birthday trivia could I ask about your favorite whale or plant based creature?

In Innistrad, I made Grave Bramble as a fun nod to the game Plants vs. Zombies. Innistrad had blue/black Zombies, and green is the enemy color of both, so it was a cool little discovery. At the time, I didn’t know George Fan (he created the game). We would later become friends, and he even came to work at Wizards for a year. His desk was right next to mine.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Black Colors Creatures Dimir (U/B) Grave Bramble Green Innistrad Plant Whale Zombie

About Deep Cut References

Regarding deep cuts, I'm fine with them, but would rather they were done more tastefully. Grave Bramble is a good example. If you know the reference, you chuckle and nod, if you don't, it still feels like part of the set. The art isn't a Peashooter gunning down zombies. "You are already dead" reads strangely if you don't know the reference, and feels almost condescendingly on-the-nose if you do.

To players who don’t get the reference, it doesn’t sound strange. I’ve gotten numerous posts confused what all the fuss is. For players who do get the reference, the majority seem to enjoy the reference, but I do hear that some of you like the references a little less on the nose.

Art Grave Bramble You Are Already Dead Zombie

Non-employee Vanity Cards

Is there a name for "vanity cards" that are not of people who work on the game, and are they also not done anymore?

We do Easter Eggs that make reference of pop culture on rare occasion. Innistrad, for example had one card that Referenced Plants vs. Zombies (Grave Bramble) and knethat referenced singer Jonathan Coulton (Creepy Doll).

Creepy Doll Egg Grave Bramble Innistrad Plant Pop Culture Rares Vanity Cards Vanity Cards Zombie

Favorite Easter Egg

In honor of Easter, what's your favorite hidden Easter Egg in a Magic card?

The Innistrad Plants vs. Zombie nod (Grave Bramble) and Jonathan Coulton nod (Creepy Doll) are both very cool.

Creepy Doll Egg Grave Bramble Innistrad Mark's Favorites Plant Zombie

Subtle Pop References

Is Magic past the point of making pop culture references?

Not when we can do them subtly like Innistrad with Grave Bramble or Creepy Doll.

Creepy Doll Grave Bramble Innistrad Pop Culture

Innistrad's PVZ Reference

What was the Plants vs Zombies reference in Innistrad? I'm pretty sure I've seen it, but I can't think of it off the top of my head.

Grave Bramble.

Grave Bramble Innistrad Plant Zombie

Innistrad Plant Trivia

Just started a job as a produce clerk. Could I get any (if there is any) plant related trivia?

Grave Bramble from Innistrad (a plant with protection from zombies) was an Easter Egg referencing the game Plants vs. Zombie. The game’s creator, George Fan, is a huge Magic fan and has acknowledged that Magic had an influence on the design of P v. Z.

Birthday Egg Grave Bramble Innistrad Plant Protection Zombie

Creepy Doll Inspiration

I love the card Creepy Doll because of the song named Creepy Doll by Jonathon Coulton. Have you ever heard it?

I made the card Creepy Doll specifically because of the song. I’m a huge Jonathan Coulton fan. It and Grave Bramble (inspired by Plants vs. Zombies) were my two Easter Eggs in Innistrad.

Creepy Doll Egg Grave Bramble Innistrad Plant Pop Culture Zombie

Easter Eggs vs Vanity Cards

Do things like George Fan's zombie-eating Hydra art mean that the mood towards "vanity cards" might be shifting a bit internally? I love the little nods and references MTG can get out of that space.

We are open to Easter eggs (ala Innistrad’s Grave Bramble and Creepy Doll) that reference pop culture. Those are different than vanity cards which reference the person making the card.

Art Creepy Doll Egg Grave Bramble Hydra Innistrad Pop Culture Vanity Cards Vanity Cards Zombie

Player Feedback

Does R&D measure player feedback on shoutout cards like Grave Bramble and Creepy Doll? If so, how well did they go down, and can we expect a continued trickle of them?

The public liked them. If we find similar things in the future, things that fit in but subtly make a pop culture reference, I’m sure we’ll include them.

Creepy Doll Game Design Grave Bramble Pop Culture

Grave Bramble Misunderstanding

I think you misread me, did YOU get a copy of Grave Bramble signed by HIM.

Arggh!

Grave Bramble

Vanity Cards Trends

The Jayemdae Tome was named for someone who's initials are JMD, Telim' Tor is an acronym for "Mr. Toilet" (which makes me laugh so very much). Any more recent names or characters that have funny little quirks in their names that you'd be willing to share? I realize you're the head designer and therefore not responsible for naming, but I figured you might have a story or two to share.

We refer to those cards as vanity cards as they are referencing someone behind the scenes. We stopped doing vanity cards many years ago. I personally like them and think they have value (I feel they help create a personal bond between creators and players), but it wasn’t my call. The thing we do now are Easter eggs like Creepy Doll (a reference to a Jonathan Coulton song) or Grave Bramble (a nod to Plants vs. Zombies). The rule on these cards is they cannot sacrifice quality for the reference so the player not in the know would have just a good opinion of the card as any other Magic card.

Behind the Scenes Creepy Doll Egg Grave Bramble Head Designer Humor Jayemdae Tome Plant Pop Culture Rules Sacrifice Story / Lore Vanity Cards Vanity Cards Zombie

George Fan's Grave Bramble

What does George Fan think of Grave Bramble? Did you get a copy signed?

He already knew Grave Bramble and was very happy about it. I had sent him signed copies when it first came out.

Grave Bramble

Grave Bramble Inspiration

Did you design Grave Bramble, and does it exist because of Plants Vs. Zombies? Will there be a DD: PvZ?

I did design Grave Bramble and it 100% was a tribute to Plants vs. Zombies. PvZ’s creator, George Fan, is a huge fan of Magic and has admitted that Magic influenced PvZ’s design.

Grave Bramble Plant Tribute Zombie

Phelddagrif Future Speculation

Hey Mark, I was wondering if you guys were planning on coming out with any more phelddagrifs. I was hoping a new one would pop up some where but alas nothing. Maybe due to the fact they aren't playable in very many formats. But maybe they could get a revamp in a new set with a tribal theme?

While we do Easter eggs like Grave Bramble (Plants vs. Zombies) and Creepy Doll (Jonathan Coulton) we no longer do what I’d call vanity Easter eggs where we reference the people involved in Magic. As Phelddagrif is an anagram of Garfield, Ph.D. (after Magic’s creator Richard Garfield) it unfortunately falls into the latter category. Also, flying purple hippos isn’t really in Magic’s look and feel these days. (Although maybe one day in silver border.)

Creepy Doll Egg Flying Grave Bramble Hippo Kindred / Typal Phelddagrif Plant Richard Garfield Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Zombie

Games Learning from Games

What are the lessons you think traditional games could teach video games? What about vice versa? And I guess I should ask if you play many video games, I at least assume you play Plants Vs. Zombies going by Grave Bramble.

While different games have different tools, I believe they are all trying to accomplish the same goals. I believe every game can learn from any other game. Plants Vs. Zombies, for example, was very much influenced by Magic while Magic was very influenced by Cosmic Encounter.

Grave Bramble Plant Zombie