Artist Interview: Byron Mutt Wackwitz
It is September 10th as I am writing this, and somehow Byron Mutt Wackwitz seems to be slipping under the radar as one of Sorcery: Contested Realm's new artists who will debut in Sorcery's Arthurian Legends expansion set in October 2024.
Byron's "Band of Thieves" card was showcased at GenCon 2024 back in August, but he has not been 'officially' announced by the company just yet.
However...today...we met Byron, and introduce him to Sorcery fans and its legion of super passionate art enthusiasts!
It is an honor to have the privilege.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, Byron...
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: For those who don’t know of you, please tell us about your background with regard to how you got into art, and some of your prior projects and publications.
Byron Wackwitz: My name is Bryon Wackwitz, and I’m one of the first 49 artists for Magic: The Gathering.
I got into art at an early age because I’ve always had a love for it. But professionally, things really kicked off in 1985 when I apprenticed with Carl Lundgren.
He was a fantastic mentor, and he gave me the opportunity to illustrate for Weird Tales magazine. Carl actually took my pieces and reworked them, which was a huge learning experience for me.
I've always been a big fan of Dungeons & Dragons—ever since I was a kid, I loved monsters, dinosaurs, and all that stuff. I was really into movies, comic books like Micronauts and X-Men, and I dreamed of becoming both a comic book artist and a Dungeons & Dragons artist.
Back in the day, if you wanted to get noticed, you had to send out tear sheets—basically, sheets with your best four to six pieces of artwork. I went to my local game store, looked up the names of art directors, and sent out my tear sheets. After a bit, I got a call from Richard Thomas, who was the art director for White Wolf at the time. He was also from Philadelphia, like me, and he gave me my first big break by having me do 13 full-page chapter illustrations for the Ars Magica game. After that, I started doing black-and-white illustrations for White Wolf the Apocalypse. In 1992 or 1993, there was a show at the Philadelphia Civic Center where Richard introduced me to Jesper Myrfors, the art director for Magic: The Gathering. Jesper hired me on the spot. That’s how I became an illustrator for Magic: The Gathering and continued working with White Wolf.
When Magic blew up, it opened up a ton of opportunities because suddenly, every company wanted to work with Magic artists.
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: How would you describe your artistic style? What medium do you prefer to work with?
Byron Wackwitz: Describing my artistic style is definitely a challenge because I'm an eclectic artist. Back in the day, a lot of artists and art teachers told me to stick to one particular style and medium if I wanted to get known. But I did the opposite—I work in pen and ink, oil, acrylic, and airbrush. Oil is my favorite because of its look, but I’ve been airbrushing almost daily for the past 24 years, especially since the big layoff at Wizards. I’ve become extremely good at that. I also really enjoy working with pen and ink. So, it’s tough for me to single out just one medium or style because I genuinely love working in all of them.
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: Are there certain pieces from your career that you are particularly fond or proud of and think best represent your style that you would like to share with fans?
Byron Wackwitz: When it comes to the pieces I'm most proud of from my career, I'd say I really found my stride while illustrating for Legends of the Five Rings. I worked on hundreds of illustrations for that game, especially in the later sets around 1996 or 1997. I don’t remember the specific card names, but it was during that time that I felt I truly started to find my flow and style in painting.
That was, of course, until 1999 when everything got interrupted by Hasbro’s War Wizards Great Layoff. But that's a story for another time. More recently, though, I’m incredibly proud of the work I’ve done for Sorcery. I think some of my best work has come from that project. So, if I had to pick, I'd say the Sorcery pieces really stand out to me now as the work I'm most proud of.
As of this writing, Byron's "Band of Thieves" is the only illustration revealed for Sorcery: Contested Realm. We all can't wait to see more from Byron; especially this incredibly high praise by Byron himself calling it his best work to date!
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: Who were some artists that influenced and inspired your style?
Byron Wackwitz: When it comes to artists who have inspired me, there are so many that it’s hard to narrow down. Early on, comic book artists like John Romita Sr., John Byrne, and Keith Parkinson had a big impact on me.
From left to right, John Romita Sr, John Byrne, and Keith Parkinson art
I was also influenced by Jeff Easley and Errol Otis from TSR.
Of course we know John Easley from our very own Sorcery: Contested Realm!...
On the classical side, I admire the works of Renoir, Pissarro, and Albrecht Durer, as well as the pen and ink artists like Willingham from the turn of the century and the early 20th century.
Then there are artists like Flagg, Leyendecker, Wyeth, and, of course, the Brothers Hildebrandt, who have all played a role in shaping my artistic vision. Right now, when I paint, I’m leaning towards a realist, Impressionist style, though it's tough to pin it down because I draw inspiration from so many different artists, both old and new.
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: When and how were you approached for the opportunity to contribute to Sorcery?
Byron Wackwitz: As for how I got involved with Sorcery, it wasn’t so much that I was approached — I actually heard whispers about this new project called Sorcery: The Contested Realm and noticed that Jeff Menges and Melissa Benson were part of the Alpha set. Jeff Menges was the one who gave me Erik’s contact information and encouraged me to reach out. So, I did, and Erik ended up hiring me. I was really, really happy to get the opportunity to illustrate again after so many years on hiatus. The last time I seriously illustrated for any company was 28 years ago, right before Wizards of the Coast laid me off.
I recall having dinner with the Sorcery artists who attended the IX Art Show in 2023, and Jeff Menges had mentioned that a lot of his colleagues were asking about Sorcery and asking him to refer him. Fans are super excited that his buddies Byron Wackwitz and Jeff Laubenstein were recently announced for the project!
A selection of Byron's MTG artwork...
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: At this point in time only your “Band of Thieves” card has been revealed thus far for the Arthurian Legends set. What was the art direction that Erik provided for this illustration, and can you provide some insights into your approach and how you came up with the concept?
Byron Wackwitz: When Band of Thieves was leaked, I was definitely surprised. The inspiration for it came from the art direction I received from Erik. I have to say, Erik is probably one of the best art directors I’ve ever worked with — he’s unbelievably chill and really allows the artists to take the art in their own direction.
For Band of Thieves, the brief was pretty straightforward: a group of thieves silhouetted in the night. That was pretty much it, and it was left open for interpretation. I remember doing a lot of thumbnails for this one. Unlike working with Wizards of the Coast, where you have style guides and very detailed instructions on what they want, Erik’s approach is more flexible. He might say, “I need a band of thieves, and they need to look cool silhouetted against the moon, overlooking a city or something.”
So, I’ll sketch out a bunch of thumbnails, some basic ideas, and send them to Erik. He’ll then give feedback, saying whether he likes a particular direction or if I should go another way. After that, I’ll move on to more complete sketches. While Band of Thieves isn’t my favorite piece I’ve done for Sorcery, I found the process interesting, and there are other pieces I’m more excited about that will be revealed later.
Mike @ Collector Arthouse: Is there anything else you would like to share with fans that I haven’t asked?
Byron Wackwitz: I’m really excited to be a part of Sorcery: The Contested Realm. I’ve watched some YouTube videos of the gameplay, and it looks like an amazingly fun game. Back in the day, I used to play Magic: The Gathering, and it became a bit of a distraction—I spent too much time playing and not enough time illustrating. So, I’m trying to avoid that with Sorcery! At the conventions I’ve attended, I’ve asked people about the game, and they all rave about how fun it is, though some do mention they can’t get enough of the product. Overall, I just have a really good feeling about Sorcery, and I’m excited to see what the future holds. I hope to be a part of this project for a very long time.
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Mike Servati @ Collector Arthouse signing off...
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