Episode 38: Elemental

My inspiration for how I depicted the fire elemental owes a lot to the amazing artwork of Melissa Benson for the Fire Elemental card in Magic:the Gathering’s earliest editions.

In its early days, Magic: the Gathering was not afraid to push the envelope a bit more in terms of the content and styling of their artwork. The sensual depiction of the Fire Elemental was one of the most controversial cards. To me, however, it took Elementals, conceptually to a whole new place. Why shouldn’t they have the qualities of character that they are assigned in the Tarot, Hermetic magick, or Wicca? Why shouldn’t fire elementals be creative and passionate, or earth elementals crafty and wise? It is more interesting than simple columns of living flame.

I haven’t played M;tG very often since the 90s, but I still have a lovely collection of revised, 4th edition, Ice Age and Fallen Empires cards that I break out once in awhile.

I miss the Old-School M:tG experience even more than I missed my old-school Dungeons & Dragons.