Before there was a story.

There was a long and angry drive down to Weymouth.

For posterity.

That’s why this very page exists, not to entertain, but to serve as a record of my memories of that day, some of which I’m sure have already deteriorated into a nebulous retelling of the events of the actual day, but as I remember, I write.

Some time in 2018, as Game of Thrones was all the rage, I wanted to treat my wife to a replica of one of the iconic dragon eggs from the series, but not wanting to order one from an online retailer without seeing the size and quality before spending some precious coin, I was looking for a brick and mortar retailer that stocks the merchandise.

The closest to my address was a place called Razzmataz - Geek Merchandise, in Weymouth, UK. It’s a couple of hours drive but it’s worth making the trek and just make a day of it.

In the end, the only thing I brought with me from the seaside town was disappointment, since they didn’t have it in stock. A very colourful drive ensued, full of cursing and swearing, indignation and anger at having to resort to online shopping and how much more convenient it unfortunately is.

But how eventful this drive was, as I was wishing there was a business nearby, that fills that niche, and how much better it could be… and how much better I’d do it than these other stores, they all have these very cold glass shelves and sterile displays. I’d have wooden shelves, with custom made pieces of scenery to give it life, and ornate drapery, and hanging plants and small things to discover and marvel at. It would have a warm and cosy ambience, with brick walls, and sofas and a themed coffee shop, community boards and racks of comic books, tables for games and crafts, and so these anger fuelled musings kept me company on my way back.

As I drove, sitting there next to me was an elephant, one that took me far too long to realise was there.
“Why don’t I do it?”

And that thought lingered. Sat down later that evening and I doodled a few ideas, played with a few concepts, what would I call it, something with 2 or 3 words max, something something daggers, or scimitars, something whimsical. I settled on the one I thought sounded best.
"The Magic Lantern”

And the following is the fruits of that evening, a scribbled little logo that has been driving most of the decisions of the last 5 years of my life.

prototype logo of The Magic Lantern - Dec 2018

Along with this idea came a barrage of others, from strange concepts or crazy marketing, to how to finance and stock up the shop, but the following is definitely the most consequential. I thought that we’d need a mascot, and my idea at the time was to have him grow up with the shop. He’d be born the day the shop opens, then we’d celebrate his birthday every year, and watch him grow alongside the shop, maybe even mark his height in the doorframes, and then, the next couple of days were spent thinking of who this would be, and it didn’t take long for the idea to come to life.

original sketch of Mago and Ash - Dec 2018

We very quickly settled on quite a few things, and my wife with the patience of a saint would be my sounding board throughout all of this.
He’d have a big mage’s hat, he’d be goblin-esque, with a tail, and his clothes would be tattered, and with him at all times would be a lantern with a little blue flame.
We very quickly settled on his name being Mago, and trust me, it does not sound completely insane to say he’s been part of our family ever since.

Looking back at where it all started, many things have changed, the goalposts have moved an astronomical amount of times. The initial idea of opening an actual shop is a long gone dream, and we’ve doubled down on Mago’s story.

There’s more to tell here. From the failure that was trying to open a shop not having any financial backing, to all the iterations that Mago and Ash have gone through before the present day (Feb 2024), but more on all of this very shortly. (You can now read about it here)

To you, from the home of magic.

Marco D Blanco.