Author Date

2022-06-10

Degree Name

Department

Communications

College

Fine Arts and Communications

Defense Date

2022-05-26

Publication Date

2022-06-10

First Faculty Advisor

Kevin John

First Faculty Reader

Othello Richards

Honors Coordinator

Pamela Brubaker

Keywords

content marketing, storytelling, mythology, games, design, remix

Abstract

Magic: The Gathering, a subsidiary of Hasbro, releases packs of cards periodically, unified by a cast of dozens of characters who can travel from plane to plane—the rough equivalent of interstellar travel—but games feature battles between these powerful mages (represented by players) across the multiverse of fictional locations. Before quarterly set releases, short stories are published on Magic’s website, a form of content marketing that has spurred sales for over a quarter-century. Magic draws on myths from across the world, along with diverse geographies and technological development. This paper offers an overview of trading card games, sketches what a Magic set could contain, and discusses the mythology rooted in storytelling.