What do Post Malone, Junji Ito and Metal Gear's concept artist have in common? They're all coming to Magic the Gathering

cropped image of four magic the gathering cards featuring art by Junji Ito

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast)

In a Magic the Gathering WeeklyMTG video on October 13, Wizards of the Coast announced upcoming Secret Lair special guest collaborations. The new card packs notably feature art by mangaka Junji Ito, Metal Gear series concept artist Yoji Shinkawa, and… is that Post Malone?

The special collaborations are reinterpretations of pre-existing Magic cards, and each collab covers a series of four. Shinkawa offers special editions of Tezzeret the Seeker, Solemn Simulacrum, Skullclamp, and Phyrexian Metamorph, while Ito gives his take on Thoughtseize, Doomsday, Carrion Feeder, and Plaguecrafter.

The Ito and Shinkawa pieces are just killer⁠—I don't even play Magic and I kinda want them. I especially dig Shinkawa's take on Skullclamp, turning a traditionally nasty, body-horrory card into something rather dignified and melancholy.

My favorite from Ito is probably Doomsday, here depicting some kind of pustule-coated celestial body consuming the sky and crashing down on a modern city. It reminds me of the beginning of Akira, or the failure cutscene from Majora's Mask. I'd like to imagine Ito drew these with the help of the absolutely nuts, handmade, keyboard-trackball thing he's shown off in the past.

I hadn't really thought about it until now, but if you'd asked I probably would have told you the Venn diagram of Post Malone fans and limited edition Magic card purchasers is just two circles. Nevertheless, the musician seems to be a diehard Magic fan who selected cards from his own deck. Post's visage graces revamps of K'rrik, son of Yawgmoth, Bolas's Citadel, Leshrac's Sigil, and Jet Medallion.

The Post Malone cards are honestly pretty fun. I especially like how these variants are appropriately renamed⁠. For example, instead of "K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth," you get "Post, Son of Rich." Incredible commitment to the bit, and isn't that what matters most in this life?

Each individual pack costs $30 standard, $40 for a foil-etched version, while Japanese versions of Ito and Shinkawa's sets can also be bought. The cards can be pre-ordered at the Secret Lair website ahead of their release on November 28.

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Limited edition magic cards featuring art by Yoji Shinkawa — (Image credit: Wizards of the Coast)

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch. You can follow Ted on Bluesky.