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Tolarian Community College

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Tolarian Community College
Websitetolariancommunitycollege.com
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2013–present
Subscribers1.13 million[1]
Views428 million[1]
Contents are inEnglish
Silver Play Button100,000 subscribers
Gold Play Button1,000,000 subscribers

Tolarian Community College is a YouTube channel focused on the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. The channel is run and presented by Brian Lewis, and the channel's writer is Jesse Robkin. Lewis is known on the channel as “The Professor”, and has an official Flesh And Blood card named after him. The channel hosts games, unboxings, product reviews, gameplay tutorials, analysis, and discussions of lore, as well as a podcast. It has raised over US$1.5 million for charities.

Channel

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The channel was started in August 2013, and is named after the Magic: The Gathering card Tolarian Academy.[2] It is run by Brian Lewis, "The Professor" and head writer Jesse Robkin, a writer, filmmaker and the 2025 Magic: The Gathering United States Regional Champion.[3][4][5]

The Tolarian Community College channel provides videos of games, unboxings, product reviews, gameplay tutorials, lore and analysis as well as a podcast.[6][7] The channel has also covered antisemitism, sexism, racism and transphobia within the Magic: The Gathering community.[2][8] The channel became Lewis's full-time job after he set up a Patreon account.[9] Writers who have worked on the channel include Carmen Klomparens, as well as Robkin.[10] Lewis has also appeared on other Magic channels, including playing a game with Post Malone.[11]

Charity work

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Trans Lifeline

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Since 2020, Tolarian Community College has run an annual fundraiser for the charity Trans Lifeline, a phone support and crisis hotline for transgender people.[10][12][13] In 2020 the channel raised $120,000;[14] in 2021, $220,000;[15][16] in 2023, $240,000;[17] in 2024, $418,000;[18] and in 2025 over $560,000.[19][20][21]

Fundraiser for black communities

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In 2020 Tolarian Community College raised more than $140,000 for black community charities Saving Our Sons and Sisters International and the Trans Women of Color Collective. The channel raised this money through the sale of rare Magic cards, selling cards from some of the game's earliest sets including a copy of Black Lotus.[22]

Serious Fun

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In October 2019 the channel ran a fundraiser for Serious Fun, a charity that runs summer camps for children with serious illnesses. The Professor raised $11,000 for the charity by shaving his head.[2]

Products

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Flesh and Blood card

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In 2023, the trading card game Flesh And Blood created "The Professor" card based on Lewis as part of the "Round the Table: LSS x TCC" box set.[23][24][25] The card is a "hero" card and was illustrated by Simon Dominic.[26][27]

The Academic card box

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In 2022 The Professor collaborated with game company Gamegenic to produce a Magic: The Gathering card box called "The Academic".[28][29][30] A Kickstarter campaign was run for the card box with a goal of $50,000; almost $4 million worth of preorders were placed.[31][32]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About Tolarian Community College". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c Shotwell, Alyssa (2023-11-09). "YouTube's Favorite 'Magic The Gathering' Course Turns 10". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  3. ^ "jesse robkin". jesse robkin. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  4. ^ "Metagame Mentor: Modern and Metalcraft at Regional Championships". MAGIC: THE GATHERING | ESPORT. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  5. ^ "The Week That Was: The Breach Queen Claims Victory". MAGIC: THE GATHERING | ESPORT. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  6. ^ Comments, Joshua Nelson | (2019-12-30). ""Tolarian Community College"'s 2019, Ranked – "Magic: The Gathering"". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
  7. ^ MTG, Proxy (2023-04-27). "Five YouTube Channels to Watch for Magic: The Gathering Fans". Proxy MTG. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
  8. ^ Tamburro, Paul (2017-11-28). "Magic The Gathering Cosplayer Quits Over Harassment". GameRevolution. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  9. ^ Betão (2021-04-25). "Eleven Questions to The Professor, our favorite Tolarian!". Cards Realm. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  10. ^ a b Riedel, Samantha (2025-02-14). "A 'Magic: The Gathering' YouTuber Has Raised Nearly $500,000 For Trans Lifeline". Them. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  11. ^ Parlock, Joe (2021-10-01). "Watch Post Malone Play Magic The Gathering With I Hate Your Deck And The Professor". TheGamer. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
  12. ^ GCN, Intern (2025-02-21). "YouTuber raises over half a million dollars for trans crisis hotline". GCN. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  13. ^ "MTG YouTuber makes $400k for trans charity giving away the best sets in Magic". Wargamer. 2025-02-14. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  14. ^ Forster, Danny (2020-10-08). "Magic players donate over $100,000 to trans charity in one day". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  15. ^ Parlock, Joe. "The 'Magic The Gathering' Community Raises $220,000 For Trans Lifeline Charity". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  16. ^ Carter, Chase (2021-03-01). "MTG YouTuber Tolarian Community College fundraises over $220,000 for Trans Lifeline". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  17. ^ "Tolarian Community College Fundraiser For Trans Lifeline 2023". give.translifeline.org. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  18. ^ "Tolarian Community College 2024 fundraiser total". X.com.
  19. ^ Chancey, Tyler (2025-02-14). "Tolarian Community College Fundraises $460,000 for Trans Lifeline | TechRaptor". techraptor.net. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  20. ^ Waller, Arin (2025-02-18). "Magic: The Gathering YouTuber raises Half a Million for Trans Lifeline". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  21. ^ Ball, Nathan (2025-02-13). "MTG Community Raises $150,000 For Trans Lifeline In Just 24 Hours". MTG Rocks. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  22. ^ Carter, Chase (2020-12-08). "Magic: The Gathering YouTuber sells $140,000 worth of rare cards for charity". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  23. ^ Sun, Trinity (2023-08-30). "Flesh And Blood Releases New Multiplayer Game Format Featuring The Professor From Tolarian Community College". Geek Culture. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  24. ^ Hall, Charlie (2023-08-30). "Flesh and Blood, Tolarian Community College team up for new multiplayer boxed set". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  25. ^ "'Flesh and Blood' Tolarian Community College Boxed Set Incoming". icv2.com. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  26. ^ Miller, Nick (2023-07-06). "Flesh And Blood Crossover With The Professor Coming In September". Star City Games. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  27. ^ Carter, Chase (2023-08-31). "Flesh and Blood team with YouTube's Tolarian Community College for a Commander-esque multiplayer set". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  28. ^ Miller, Nick (2022-02-25). "Tolarian Community College Launching Kickstarter For 'Dream' Deck Box". Star City Games. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  29. ^ Miller, Nick (2022-03-02). "Tolarian Community College Reveals The Academic Deck Box". Star City Games. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  30. ^ "Gamegenic Teams Up with YouTube Channel Tolarian Community College". icv2.com. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  31. ^ Anderson, Tom (2022-03-24). "About the Academic – an Interview with the Professor". Card Kingdom Blog. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  32. ^ Anderson, Joshua (2022-03-23). "The Academic Deck Box Is the Professor's Magnum Opus". Twin Cities Geek – MN Geek Culture Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
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