Artist and friend of TORn Jerry Vanderstelt had the amazing Salvation at Mount Doom Master Collection piece by Weta Workshop on display at his booth, during San Diego Comic-Con 2023. If you’re like me and were blown away by that statue, then I bet you were equally as blown away by Jerry’s Salvation at Mount Doom print, which takes that moment and renders it in an amazing art piece.
Jerry as usual knocked it out of the park with this print, and even though I won’t be owning the Master Collection piece from Weta Workshop, the art print will be taking a spot in my collection. You can get this print right now – but the amounts available are limited, so don’t delay! The price of this beautiful print is between $85-$530, depending on what size you get.
As you all know, the Magic The Gathering The Lord of the Rings cards have been a massive hit among fans. The collector booster boxes are going for a nice sum of cash on the market. Right before Comic-Con, I snagged a box and opened it. In this video, you’ll see all the cool cards I got – including a $200 Bag End Foil! I will definitely be tracking down another box.
In this episode, the gang gets back together to chat about how our guesses from the last episode went, what we thought of the awesome stuff announced, and what we hope to see the rest of the year. We hope you enjoy watching and listening to our thoughts as the episode plays out.
This year, instead of a booth tour, we’re going to go on a tour of the things you could see at Comic-Con 2023 that were Middle-earth related. During this video, we stop at Jerry Vanderstelt’s booth to see the unveiling of Weta Workshop’s Master Collection piece as well as Jerry’s print that can be paired with it. We also stopped by the Diamond Select Booths to see the goodies both they and Weta Workshop had at this year’s show. We hope you enjoy the tour!
After months of hype and fantastic artwork reveals, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth cards are officially available at most major stores – and selling out fast.
Magic: The Gathering (MTG) has created a Willy Wonka style Golden Ticket race to find a rare 1/1 foil card of the one ring of power. It’s only available in Collector Boosters (says COLLECTOR right on the box). MTGxLOTR has crossed over into “mainstream” pop culture with this chase for the ring.
Tons of YouTubers, Twitch streamers and TikToks are posting videos opening packs of Magic: The Gathering’s new LOTR crossover cards. xQc, one of the biggest twitch gaming stars in the world with millions of followers and a recent $100 million streaming deal (you read that right), was seen opening Collector packs this weekend. Much of it is driven by the search for THE ONE RING 1-of-1 foil card, written in Elvish font, and currently worth $2 million on the open market. Other serialized & numbered “Sol Ring” cards, as the magic ring is called in this card set, are being valued at over $10,000.
Over the weekend, Nerd of the Rings teamed up with TORn staffer Justin to split the cost of a box of Collector Boosters, which currently retail for around $400, and streamed opening half a box each. The results were surprising! Thanks to the superchat donations, another box of these cards will be opened on Nerd of the Rings’ live stream next Sunday.
We did some homework to try to figure out what you should be buying, with so many packs available. The basic rule is, if you are simply chasing great artwork and collecting the valuable cards for display or resale, you’ll want to buy Collectors Packs. Those have the best chance to get great cards.
A listing at TCGPlayer.com has a rare “Sol Ring” One Ring card serialized (with xxx / xxx) for $11,000.
Here’s the official press release from Wizards of the Coast / MTG:
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Now Available
Gather the Fellowship on Tabletop, Arena, Local Game Stores
RENTON, Wash. — June 26, 2023 — Wizards of the Coast, a division of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), has released the highly anticipated Magic: The Gathering set. This Universes Beyond card set combines Magic’s deep and strategic gameplay that players love with characters and settings from the classic trilogy from J.R.R. Tolkien for a one-of-a-kind experience in Middle-earth.
With The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™, players will join the Fellowship and relive or create their journey through Middle-earth. Each game is a new adventure, and players will decide whether they bear the burden of The Ring to save Middle-earth or claim its power and cast the realm into shadow.
“Much like The Lord of the Rings, Magic: The Gathering is about fellowship,” said Bill Rose, global play lead for Magic: The Gathering. “We can’t wait for Magic fans and new players to come together on the journey there and back again through the thematic gameplay that Magic fans all over the world have come to love and appreciate.”
Iconic scenes from the Third Age of Middle-earth are brought to life through stunning original art. Each card is a mini masterpiece, providing a new interpretation of the beloved characters, lands, and relics that Tolkien brought to life in his classic trilogy. Some adventures just can’t be contained in one book or one journey.
The pivotal moments of The Lord of the Rings are so powerful, it took multiple cards to depict them in their entirety. Collectors can assemble special combinations of Magic cards to recreate climactic scenes in larger tableaus, like the Battle of the Pelennor Fields at Minas Tirith or Bilbo’s Birthday party.
With thematic gameplay, like having any creature become a Ringbearer, this nostalgic tale has been seamlessly integrated into Magic: The Gathering. The story may play out very differently, and the effects of the Ring on your Ringbearer will linger even if someone else claims it.
One of One Ring
The One of One Ring Promotion is an extraordinarily rare promotion only for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™. The card is mechanically identical to other versions of the card with English text, but this one copy of this premium foil card with raised gold foil will be inserted into an English language Collector Booster pack and printed with 1 of 1 numbering and with Elvish script. The precious One Ring could fall into the hands of any player, presenting a unique opportunity for collectors and fans of the franchise
Sol Ring
Additional collectable opportunities continue with new Sol Ring art cards featuring the Elven, Dwarven and Human Rings of Power, each with Elvish script and unique framing on the card. As a staple in the Commander format, Sol Ring is one of Magic’s most famous and used cards, making these unique versions highly desirable for collectors and players alike.
Ringbearer
As the Ringbearer, the One Ring changes the abilities of a creature that has been tempted by its power. It immediately becomes legendary and can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power. In time, The Ring’s other abilities will provide valuable combat bonuses, increasing in power as The Ring Tempts You mechanic enters into the game through other cards.
Celebration Weekend and Arena Play
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ™ is available now. Local game stores in the Wizards Play Network (WPN) will be hosting key events to celebrate the launch. Participating game stores will welcome new players into the fellowship in a celebration event weekend on July 7-9, so anyone can learn to play Magic in a relaxed environment. All WPN events can be found using the Wizards Store Locator.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ™ is also available now on Magic: The Gathering Arena in Alchemy and Historic formats. ARENA is the online playable version of MTG, with apps on iphone and android.
Join TheOneRing on Discord for daily active discussions, or on our tried and true messageboards!
Many Middle-earth fans will be familiar with the spectacular work of artist Donato Giancola. His art has graced the covers of Tolkien editions as well as calendars, and last year saw a fabulous exhibition of his work at the Huntsville Museum of Art. Visitors there were lucky enough to see his massive new painting, ‘Beacons of Gondor’ – a breathtaking, gigantic rendering of sweeping scenery and drama.
If you live in the New York area, this Saturday you could see that painting – and more – for yourself. Giancola is holding an Open Studio in Brooklyn, 11am to 6pm, May 13. This is an incredible opportunity to meet the artist himself, as well as seeing many of his amazing pieces up close. Not only that, but the first 25 visitors will receive a fabulous gift – a signed copy of Giancola’s now out of print first edition art book ‘Middle-earth: Visions of a Modern Myth’. Copies will also be embossed with the sigil of the Kings of Gondor!
Giveaway for those unable to attend in person
Those visiting the open studio could WIN a Giancola original painting; AND there is even an online giveaway which can be entered by folks who can’t visit in person! So there’s something for everyone. Here’s all the info you need:
Donato Arts OPEN STUDIO
Saturday May 13, 2023
11am – 6pm
397 Pacific Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
This May will see the return of the annual hosting of an Open Studio here at our place in Brooklyn. We will showcase an abundance of new oil paintings, drawings, and projects as well as scores of classics from my 30+ year career as an illustrator. Come eat, drink, and commingle with fellow artists, professionals, and fans of the genre as we plow our creative paths forward in these changing times.
The massive Middle-earth canvas The Beacons of Gondor will anchor the studio at 78″ x 114″. This is my largest work ever and was created for the exhibition at the Huntsville Museum of Art in Alabama this past winter. I am excited to share this with the New York area audience.
Also back from traveling shows are a couple of my favorites, ‘I threw down my enemy’ of Gandalf defeating the Balrog on Zirak-zigil, and the intimate ‘Shadow of the Past’, as well as The Walls of Moria and the Fellowship in Hollin. There are also numerous pages around the home from David Wenzel’s graphic novel of The Hobbit!
A dedicated Wall of Magic displaying over thirty recent Magic: The Gathering oil paintings and preliminary sketches as well as a handful of my earliest works for Wizards of the Coast will be set up in the studio.
New fantasy works will be shown from the cover of Kristen Britain’s forthcoming novel The Spirit of the Wood to interior illustrations for the new novel King-Killing Queen by author Shawn Speakman of Grim Oak Press . The latest Empathetic Robot painting in now finished titled, Remembering, and Portfolios filled with large, preliminary drawings and studies will also be available to peruse through.
Visit Giancola’s website for all the details – and to enter the online giveaway.
As you all know, the 
This year, instead of a booth tour, we’re going to go on a tour of the things you could see at Comic-Con 2023 that were Middle-earth related. During this video, we stop at 
