Richard Garfield, Ph.D.

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. was released as a promotional card within the 2004 Magic: The Gathering expansion Unhinged. As part of a silver-bordered, joke-themed set, the card was designed by Wizards of the Coast to be deliberately non-tournament legal, allowing the developers to experiment with mechanics that broke the standard rules of the game. The card serves as a tongue-in-cheek homage to the game's creator, Richard Garfield, depicting him in the style of a traditional Magic card but granting the player the ability to manipulate the game's rules through his own fictionalized persona.

The card was illustrated by Christopher Rush, one of the most iconic artists in the early history of Magic: The Gathering. Rush chose to render the creator in a style reminiscent of the game's vintage aesthetic, complete with a classic text box and the signature artwork that defined the set's humorous tone. While the card is functionally unplayable in sanctioned competitive formats, it has become a sought-after piece of memorabilia among long-term collectors, largely due to its status as a meta-commentary on the game's origins and the cult status of its designer.