Beginning in 2019, the Secret Lair Drop series has pushed the boundaries of whatMagic: The Gatheringcard art can be. Art fromsets like Unfinitymay ignore a few pages of the Magic art rulebook, but Secret Lair throws the whole thing out the window, presenting pieces that sometimes don’t even resemble Magic cards at all until you look more closely.
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All of this to say, Secret Lair Drops contain some of the most interesting, unique art you’ll find anywhere in the game’s storied history, which makes narrowing down the best pieces, even just for a single year, very difficult indeed. Nevertheless, that’s what we’ve done here; examined every piece from the past year, studied their Secrets, and unpicked their Layers to bring you the best creations that Secret Lair 2022 had to offer.
10Bearscape, By Ricardo Bessa
Coming out as part of the Pride Across The Multiverse Secret Lair Drop, which celebrated the LGBTQ+ community with eight fantastic pieces, Bearscape’s art and title form an excellent pun on the stalwart Magic creature type Bear and the LGBTQ+ term Bear. The literal bears in the clouds and on the rocks, alongside the figurative bears relaxing in the foreground, combine to humorous effect.
This piece is more than a joke, however. It’s a candid portrayal of gay couples of unconventional (in fantasy art terms) race and body type, which makes it one of the most powerful instances of representation the game has ever seen. The fact that this level of representation exists here creates hope that the same will one day be true for cards in the game’s core sets as well.
9Tezzeret The Seeker, By Yoji Shinkawa
Best known for his work as the lead character designer for the Metal Gear Solid series, Yoji Shinkawa first brought his trademark style, full of cybernetics and watercolor splashes, to Magic with his alternate art take onKamigawa’s Satoru Umezawa. His best work for the game, however, came with his Secret Lair Drop, when he delivered a stunning take on classic Planeswalker Tezzeret.
The contrast of Tezzeret’s cold grey body against the bright orange spell he’s conjuring, the neon blues running through his cybernetic veins, and the scattered background details, like colored circles and Japanese text, all come together to make Bolas’ servant look like he’s about to make an appearance on Shadow Moses Island.
8Etali, Primal Storm, By Mike Burns
One of the most audacious ideas for a Secret Lair Drop yet, Just Add Milk reimagines some of Magic’s most terrifying monstrosities as children’s cereal box mascots on double-sided cards complete with fun activities on the back. The best of these was the Saturday morning take on Etali, one of Ixalan’s fearsome Elder Dinosaurs.
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The dino is in the detail in this piece: the ‘per 1 cup serving’ below the mana cost; the simple sudoku puzzle on the back; the goofy grin on Etali’s face, which looks like it was plastered on by Fred Flintstone himself; All of this, combined with the fact that the cereal itself actually looks fairly decent, makes this piece a delicious treat for all ages.
7Vengevine, By Roman Klonek
Roman Klonek’s Just Some Totally Normal Guys Drop is full of offbeat takes on offbeat Magic cards, but the standout is his version of Modern staple Vengevine. Using a dazzling palette of greens, reds, oranges, and purples, Klonek brings this powerful threat back to life in a bolder, goofier fashion.
This new version lives up to its name even better than before, looking to be made of a literal blanket of jungle leaves, while the simple abstract background does its job nicely, duly giving way for the creature itself to soak up the spotlight.
6Demonic Consultation, By Kozyndan
Magic has many depictions of Demons, but this particular interpretation, by husband-and-wife artist duo Kozyndan, ranks among the most interesting. Not only does it present an Asian-inspired take on the concept, much more alien than the traditional western versions of Demons we’re used to seeing in the game, but it also does so with a healthy dose of humor.
The expression on the central character’s face, along with the bizarre nature of the creatures around him, the yellow octopus in particular, create a tone of levity. A tone which, once you notice the sinister eyes in the darkness beyond, slowly peels away to reveal a feeling of creeping dread.
5Future Sight, By Ori Toor
The future will always be an abstract concept, and Ori Toor takes that idea and runs with it in his version of Future Sight. Showing what may be one scene and what may be three, divided into different colored sections, the piece asks us to consider our relationship to time itself.
It does so through a selection of bizarre imagery: a long-tongued moon, a flag-bearing worm-rider, and a face-sporting tube all conspire to make the viewer think, the circular shape in the foreground hinting at a central character who is contemplating time right alongside us.
4Greed, By Kawasumi
Kawasumi’s five-part Secret Lair Drop tells the story of Li’l Giri, a heroic rice ball warrior who must save a child from the clutches of a menacing mechanical monster. This piece is part two of the tale and the best of the bunch, showing the story’s characters in their best light.
The monster is introduced here in its full imposing glory, bursting into the scene and scattering lamps, and Li’l Giri himself, across the floor. The child, held in a cold, cruel claw, whimpers in the background. Li’l Giri, suspended just above the ground in a Superman pose, is nevertheless outmatched at this point in the narrative. The piece is bursting with character and action and, together with the flavor text, makes the viewer want to look up the rest of the Drop immediately.
3Mycoloth, By CatDirty
‘Frightfully psychedelic' might be the best way to describe this take on Mycoloth from CatDirty. It’s an explosion of color and detail, overwhelming the senses with an immediate impact, then continuing to yield new treasures with each subsequent inspection.
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The hugearray of unique mushrooms, the checkerboard paths supported by drinking straw pillars, the ‘Creature - Fungus’ text reimagined as a pair of flashy golden knuckle dusters; none of it makes logical sense together and yet, when combined in such a bold fashion, it creates a Magic card that looks and feels like none before it.
2Spellseeker, By Martin Ontiveros
This piece is impressive in the way that it manages to create the impression of an entirely distinct culture within the humble confines of a Magic card. The Spellseeker herself sits center-frame, eyes aglow, pondering a golden skull in some kind of ancient ritual. At her sides, matching golden idols hold dripping wax candles aloft, adding an eerie light to the scene.
The statues that stand to attention at either side of the card, as well as the sneaky stone carving behind the text box, develop this idea further while also lending the piece the strong sense of symmetry that makes it so subconsciously satisfying.
1The Gitrog Monster, By Jeannie L Paske
L Paske’s take on the Gitrog Monster succeeds not only due to its strong art style, a sort of faded watercolor look that fits its aquatic subject perfectly but also in its clever subversion of the original Gitrog Monster artwork.
In its first appearance, the Frog Horror truly lived up to its typing, with leering eyes and a human arm dangling from its mouth. Here, the creature is much more placid, pulling its knees to its chest as it passes a lazy day on a grassy knoll, nothing but a red bookmark tongue dangling from its mouth this time. The piece adds a new angle to the creature it depicts, introducing an element of misunderstood tragedy that really elevates it.
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