Showcase: 2025 HBMO Playmat Design Reveal!

For the 2025 Hunter Burton Memorial Open, we are proud to announce the new playmat design by Carl Braun! Our 10th Anniversary design was so well received that we asked Carl to come back on board for 2025 and design our next playmat.

This year’s design was a collaboration with Erin Giddings and Carl Braun. Together they worked out a design that embodied characteristics for the charity and that would resonate with players. Here’s what Erin had to say about the playmat and design concept:

“I am personally partial to wolves and have wanted a wolf on our playmat for a long time. Not just because I’m a nerd and loved to play wolf themed decks in Magic, but because it’s a prime symbol for what we stand for at the HBMO. Wolves are strong and have proven they can endure harsh conditions… To me this is the type of strength men and women show when they work to overcome the dark thoughts of suicide each and every day. A wolf is a pack animal and thrives in a community… no different than the community we work to build through kindness and inclusion here at the HBMO. To me, it was a perfect theme to carry us into our next decade of the Community Impact Program and the annual event!”
– Erin Giddings (Charity Operations Executive Director)

Other elements included in the mat are the image of a watch face in the background. This is paying homage to the iconic watch the foundation awards each year in memory of Hunter Burton (our namesake). Keeping with last year’s theme, we have it set at night because one of our favorite sayings is “It’s always darkest just before the dawn!”

Without further delay, we are proud to show you the 2025 HBMO Playmat design!

*Black & White variation will be available and limited to /50
**Stitched edge version available for all VIP Registered Players

Want to get your playmat autographed by the artist? Carl Braun will be at the event with Studio Aries and ready to autograph your mat, or any of his published comic books! Want to learn a little more about the artist? Follow this link to see all of Carl’s other work including game design and comic books!
VISIT CARL BRAUN’S INSTAGRAM HERE

Carl Braun is a published comic book artist and game designer. He has been a creative director and graphic designer for companies such as Score Entertainment, Funimation, and Crytptozoic. He was an original graphic designer for the OG Dragon Ball Z Trading Card Game in the late 90’s and early 00’s. He also helped with creative design on the Inuyasha TCG, YuYu Hakasho TCG, and many others!

Some of Carl’s most recent published works for Studio Aries include the S.E.A.L.S comic book and also the Front Towards Enemy playing card game which debuted at the 2024 HBMO.