Magic: The Gathering's SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Lair cards have just been previewed, and I'm genuinely shocked by how bad half of them are. There are three SpongeBob Secret Lairs, two of which are more in line with what you'd expect from a Universes Beyond product. One features unique artwork of SpongeBob characters, each a reskinned version of an existing Magic card, similar to the popular Hatsune Miku cards; the other is basic lands with SpongeBob settings. However, the third SpongeBob Secret Lair was so surprisingly off-brand for Magic, I thought the cards were fake when I first saw them.

When it was first announced that Magic: The Gathering would start regularly including outside IPs, I was nervous about what that would mean for the quality of the cards. Things like the Walking Dead Secret Lair had worried me that Magic wouldn't be creative with its visual presentation of Universes Beyond cards, or worse, resort to using screenshots from movies or shows. While many of my fears were quickly assuaged by the level of effort taken in the design for sets like Magic's Lord of the Rings crossover, the SpongeBob SquarePants cards prove that my fears weren't totally unfounded.

MTG's SpongeBob Cards Are Full Of Screenshots & Memes

One Of The SpongeBob Secret Lairs Uses Screenshots For Card Art

The Secret Lair × SpongeBob SquarePants: Internet Sensation cards are a collection of Magic cards featuring moments from SpongeBob that have become popular internet memes. These cards do not feature artists' recreations of the moments, but instead feature what are essentially screenshots from the show (though it does look like they may have been touched up a bit). To be frank, these cards look cheap, and I think it's a little absurd for these cards to cost the same as cards with original commissioned artwork.

For a long time, players have been making their own proxies of cards, sometimes using screenshots or memes. A common one to see is the meme of Batman slapping Robin being used as a proxy for the card Counterspell. I have no problem with this; proxies are a good way to make decks more affordable or customize them to your liking. What I do take issue with is Wizards of the Coast charging full price for cards that look like unofficial proxies.

One might argue the secondary market price of the cards in the SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Lair helps justify its price tag, but secondary market value holds no bearing on the production cost for Wizards of the Coast. Had Wizards paid artists a commission to create original versions of the artwork from these memes, it would explain why they needed to cost as much as normal cards. As is, it feels more like a way for the company to offset some of the licensing costs for SpongeBob by skimping on the art budget for these cards.

Previous Universes Beyond Sets Have All Featured Original Art

Universes Beyond Sets Have Never Used Screenshots Before

What makes the SpongeBob SquarePants: Internet Sensation cards so disappointing is that they are a departure from the high quality of art that is typically present in Universes Beyond sets. The Lord of the Rings set is a great example of how Magic: The Gathering has been able to create unique visual depictions of existing IPs. Instead of simply recreating the look of the Peter Jackson films, Magic created unique looks for many of the settings and characters from Tolkein's work.

The Terra from Final Fantasy 6 have me excited to see how other characters from early games are depicted. Even characters like Cloud and Sephiroth, whose models look close to their Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth versions, are being stylized in a way where you can easily tell the Magic versions from screenshots of the game.

The Secret Lairs for The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, or Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves weren't my favorite because the cards looked too much like pictures of the actors. However, even these sets were a huge improvement over the SpongeBob cards, since they at least featured original artwork. I personally didn't want to pay $30 for a Chris Pine Magic card, but I could at least appreciate that its commissioned art contributed to its price tag.

I'm Worried SpongeBob Could Set A Precedent For Using Screenshots Going In Sets Like Avatar: The Last Airbender

If SpongeBob Sells Well, Wizards Might Consider Continuing To Use Screenshots To Cut Down On Art Commissions

At the end of the day, I'm not overly concerned with the quality of the SpongeBob SquarePants cards. It's clearly a set that is leaning into its inherent absurdity, and I wouldn't expect or want a SpongeBob set to be a serious affair. That said, I am a little worried that this could set a bad precedent for other Universes Beyond sets based on existing TV shows. Perhaps because they are both Nickelodeon properties, the recently announced Avatar: The Last Airbender set is the one that I'm most concerned about.

If the SpongeBob SquarePants: Internet Sensation cards sell well, I'm worried that Wizards of the Coast and/or Hasbro could see this as a sign that they could simply use screenshots from Avatar: The Last Airbender in lieu of commissioning original art for the cards. Cutting down on the production cost of cards would, after all, create a larger profit margin for the company. Wizards of the Coast also previously tried cutting costs for artwork using AI art even after insisting it didn't, as reported by Polygon. This doesn't leave me overly confident that the company isn't still looking for shortcuts.

Magic: The Gathering's high-quality artwork has long been a selling point for the game. It's part of what initially attracted me to Magic, and it's why I buy some cards I have no intention of ever actually playing. While I thought my initial fears that Universes Beyond might lead to a cheapening of the game's visuals were unfounded, the SpongeBob Secret Lair has brought them back in full force.

Source: Polygon