Gathering of Card Players and Subcultural Expression
THE MAGIC OF COMMUNITY: GATHERING OF CARD PLAYERS AND SUBCULTURAL EXPRESSION Travis J. Limbert A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2012 Committee: Dr. Marilyn Motz, Advisor Dr. Esther Clinton © 2012 Travis Limbert All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Marilyn Motz, Advisor When Magic: the Gathering was released in 1993, it was the first trading card game. It paved the way for the trading card game subculture and market that exists today. This thesis explores the implications of this subculture and the ways it can be thought of as an urban leisure subculture. This thesis also discusses Magic’s unique community, which has been instrumental in the game’s success over the last two decades. Magic’s community is created symbiotically, through official support by Wizards of the Coast, and the parent company Hasbro, as well as the usage and interaction by the fans and players. It is this interaction that creates a unique community for Magic, which leads to the game’s global popularity, including its tremendous growth since 2010. This thesis looks at trade publications, articles written about Magic, player responses collected through online surveys, and other works to create an extensive work on Magic and its community. This thesis focuses on how the community is important to the consumption of copyrighted cultural texts and how this creates of meaning in players’ lives. iv To my parents, James and Jona, who always encouraged me. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my thesis committee, Dr.
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