Mark Rosewater

Mark Rosewater (born May 25, 1967) is the head designer for Magic: The Gathering.

Biography

Rosewater grew up in Pepper Pike, Ohio, where he attended the Orange High School. Rosewater has a Jewish background. Rosewater has described himself in his youth as a "social outcast", who did not have many friends. Despite his troubled upbringing, he would later be a successful high school student with numerous scholarship offers. He was particularly small, smart and was bullied by other children. In his youth, he worked as a professional magician. As a child, Rosewater never naturally lost his "baby teeth"; they had to be surgically removed.

Rosewater attended Boston University, where he got a Bachelor of Science in Communication.

Career

Television

After graduating, Rosewater started his career in television as a runner. He then found work as a writer. Before 1994 he was on the writing staff of Roseanne. He is credited for two Roseanne episodes: "Vegas, Vegas" and "Take My Bike, Please", both aired in 1991. He considered his time in Hollywood a "roller coaster ride." While working as a freelance writer he took a job at a game store in order to have some social contacts. Working there he first found out about Magic: The Gathering from a customer.