Sam Gaglio

My name is Sam Gaglio, and I own and operate the YouTube channel Rhystic Studies. Since 2013, I have been making video essays and documentaries that explore the art, history, and culture of Magic: the Gathering.

In 2021, I completed my Ph.D in Italian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin with a doctoral thesis on Italo Calvino. I apply the research and writing skills that I developed in graduate school to every video project.

My work often uses Magic as a lens to learn about the world. What can an illustrator’s allusion to a 19th century masterpiece teach players about the tradition of Japanese woodblock prints? How do the conventions and aesthetics of Gothic horror translate to game mechanics? Why are some collectibles so valuable in the secondary markets of our favorite hobbies? Inquiries such as these have originated in examining individual Magic cards.

I am passionate about games – how they are made, the stories they tell, and the ways in which they bring us together.