MTGinktober rolls onto Day 2, "Divided," starring Burning-Tree Emissary debating the Reserve List with Azorius Justiciar, with special guest star Mark Rosewater! This doubles as a Fear comic, since it's not actually about the Reserve List.
First, a little about this piece, I thought about doing maybe a face split between the different Taigams, but the unbelievably deadly Las Vegas shooting was in the news and I couldn't think of anything but how idiotic my country is when it comes to gun control. Here I am caught between Japan and the US, one with virtually no gun violence and the other with more mass shootings than days in the year. So anyway, the sheer unwillingness of the US legislature to do what's right--and what most people want anyway--made me think immediately of how Mark Rosewater in particular always "I feel your pain"s it up about the Reserve List, but he and the company simply refuse to do what's right and demanded--abolish the Reserve List.
It really is that simple if they want it to be. They owe nobody financial security. It's a game above all, people shouldn't be investing in it like the stock market, and I have no pity for anyone who faces the consequences of their (well, foolish) decision to treat this hobby as a junior stock exchange, meanwhile ruining the game via buyouts and other price manipulation for people who actually play.
Granted, I'm a Drafter, so Constructed matters mean little to me, but I have enough empathy to feel for people who want to get certain cards and can't in a reasonable fashion. A great example of this was when they finally reprinted the Fetchlands in Khans of Tarkir, I thought, Good for them (meaning all the Constructed players super hyped for these specific cards), it doesn't mean much to me, but I'm happy they're happy.
I am obviously against the Reserve List, and understand Mark Rosewater is too, but come on. We used to agree as a country that black people were worth 3/5 of a person before we realized that old policy was antiquated and injurious, so we changed the very Constitution to reflect our new understanding. We can change a doofy policy made by severely misguided gamers.
Fun Facts: To represent totally opposite, divided sides, I went with the unruly Gruul versus the stickler Azorius, and I made their poses and signage reflect their attitudes and ethos. This was to mimic the classic "dirty hippy" versus "law and order" type. Also I'm usually opposed to blatant labeling on political comics, but Mark Rosewater actually has this shirt! It's Wizards of the Coast's original logo.
Easter Eggs: Hid a little message in Japanese in the Justiciar's brace cuz I got tired of making up mumbo jumbo triangular symbols. It says いきましょうか in jagged Azorious font, which is a message to myself since we're so early into Inktober--shall we go? The Rule of Law part isn't a reference to the same-named card, just a happy coincidence, since I needed subslogans for their signs.
Not normal,
Reuxben
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