R emember last month when we looked at the regular and prerelease versions of Mayor of Avabruck (and Howlpack Alpha) and had a good time thinking about the differences in the way two artists interpreted the same art description? Let's do that again! This time, we'll use the Innistrad Launch Party card, which also gives us double-faced alternate fun.

Ludevic's Test Subject

Color: Blue creature Location: An alchemist's lab Action: Show a large leathery egg suspended between metal spikes in an alchemist’s lab. The grayish-blue egg is surrounded by an aura of jagged blue energy that emanates from the metal spikes. It's this energy that keeps the egg suspended. Glowing blue goo drips off the egg. Focus: The egg Mood: What happens when you cross an egg with electricity?

Ludevic's Test Subject | Art by Nils Hamm

Alternate-Art Launch Party Ludevic's Test Subject | Art by Karl Kopinski

Ludevic's Abomination

Color: Blue creature Location: The alchemist's lab from [Egg Experiment]. Action: Use the creature in the styleguide p. 85A as your starting point. This creature has emerged from the egg pictured in [Egg Experiment]. It's an experiment that's gone horribly wrong because the monster almost fills the entire lab from ceiling to floor and is crushing equipment, cracking walls, and maybe even destroying the ceiling as it pushes up against it. Focus: The enormous monster. Mood: This wasn't how it was supposed to be!

Ludevic's Abomination | Art by Nils Hamm

Alternate-Art Launch Party Ludevic's Abomination | Art by Karl Kopinski

And here, for easy comparison, are the four pieces of art as they appear on the two versions of the card!

...oh! You're still here? Were you wondering about that "creature in the styleguide p. 85A" from the art description of Ludevic's Abomination? It looked like this: