When I agreed to provide art for a Magic: The Gathering promotional card giveaway at DragonCon in 1994, I didn't anticipate the frenzy that would follow. I simply put together a mashup of existing art in Photoshop.

I should have known, of course. Magic was already incredibly popular, cards were in short supply, and Nalathni Dragon would be their first promotional card. It was the perfect storm.

When InQuest magazine later commissioned a cover, I had the opportunity to take on MTG in a more traditional assignment. The illustration would feature a battle between a Serra Angel and a Hurloon Minotaur, creatures from the original MTG lineup.The initial brief described action between equally matched opponents, so I thought of the composition in a sort of yin/yang balance.