Sort Of OT: Magic Card Art.

[Mephisto]

Anyone know where I can find the art for Magic Cards are pre 1997 Mirage set? I've seen stuff from newer sets but none of the older one's I'm familiar with. I only really bought the cards because they were popular among my peers at the time and the art for some was great. I think I actually played a game with the damn things once possibly twice.

I thought it was a wise move to trade my magic cards for the Star Wars CCG cards in the late 90's, figuring Magic Cards are just a fad while Star Wars fans will always be around.

[Bronty]

my understanding is the old magic art is all owned by wizards of the coast

[Bronty]

its such a shame too. it would be fun to watch the black lotus art or something similar go up for auction. I think there would be a ton of interest.

 

the early cards had such great illustrations and there's a freedom in those early pieces that is lost in the later cards. There's more technique in the later cards but less style

[COMICKINGS]

I was on the hunt for some of the original art years ago,but never found anything decent. I seem to remember the art for Vesuvan Doppleganger being available at that time or reading that it was sold...$5K comes to mind. I am not 100% sure though...

Here's a link to Melissa Bensons' website...I know she did alot of the earl stuff...maybe she can let you know what the story is...

Melissa Benson website

[Tatterdamillion]

About five years ago the art for Stone Throwing Devils sold on ebay for somewhere in the range of $350-$400. I missed the auction. I was pissed. That would be a cool piece to own. There is a lot of awesome art over the years, but having a really seminal card would be the best.

[Fiawol]

No, the old Magic cards artwork isn't owned by Wizards of the Coast, although individual people there DO have impressive collections of the art. It was all just returned to the artists as nearly all game artwork is, and was either sold or kept, depending on the artist. At this point it's all been absorbed into the market, so you just have to keep an extra-sharp eye out for that time when someone needs some money and sells part of their collection. You may want to check out the Illustration Exchange, a site just for showing and selling fantasy artwork, that occasionally gets a painted comic page or cover in it...http://www.munchkinpress.com/cpg149/index.php

 

Dave

[Bronty]

No, the old Magic cards artwork isn't owned by Wizards of the Coast, although individual people there DO have impressive collections of the art. It was all just returned to the artists as nearly all game artwork is, and was either sold or kept, depending on the artist. At this point it's all been absorbed into the market, so you just have to keep an extra-sharp eye out for that time when someone needs some money and sells part of their collection. You may want to check out the Illustration Exchange, a site just for showing and selling fantasy artwork, that occasionally gets a painted comic page or cover in it...http://www.munchkinpress.com/cpg149/index.php

 

Dave

Even the early sets? I have been told by more than one person that the art from the early sets was not returned. Maybe that's misinformation but if so I am curious as to the source of your info... do you have any links to any of the early works? I've searched magic on illustration exchange before and it doesn't hit on any early art. None in CAF too last time I looked.

[Bronty]

I just double checked caf and the earliest ones shown there are a couple quinton hoover pieces from the dark and fallen empires. I don't think I've ever seen a single piece of card art from the original set though. Not that I've been looking very hard but you would think if somebody had the art to some of the classic 1st set cards there would be at least a piece or two online somewhere

[wktam]

This may not be of much help but years ago I met Christopher Rush at a Con and he still had the original art for the Black Lotus. I've also seen Mark Pool showing the painting for Library of Alexandria and Doug Shuler display Serra Angel.

[Bronty]

wow. now that's I'm talking about. I guess its all out there then.

[COMICKINGS]

Christopher Rush Website

Mark Poole Website?

Doug Shuler Website

[buyatari]

 Originally Posted By: Fiawol

No, the old Magic cards artwork isn't owned by Wizards of the Coast, although individual people there DO have impressive collections of the art. It was all just returned to the artists as nearly all game artwork is, and was either sold or kept, depending on the artist. At this point it's all been absorbed into the market, so you just have to keep an extra-sharp eye out for that time when someone needs some money and sells part of their collection. You may want to check out the Illustration Exchange, a site just for showing and selling fantasy artwork, that occasionally gets a painted comic page or cover in it...http://www.munchkinpress.com/cpg149/index.php<br /><br />Dave

 

Even the early sets? I have been told by more than one person that the art from the early sets was not returned.

 

Maybe that's misinformation but if so I am curious as to the source of your info... do you have any links to any of the early works? I've searched magic on illustration exchange before and it doesn't hit on any early art. None in CAF too last time I looked.

There is some crossover of fantasy art and comic art but CAF might not be the best place to judge the availability of these. There are some Garbage Pail kids on CAF but not alot of them. You might think Topps still owned them all. Truth is, most GPKs have been sold off by Topps and are in collectors hands now with very few not being sold yet.

[COMICKINGS]

well I guess it just might not get any better than this.......

 

original art to MOX PEARL

[Mephisto]

Thanks for the link. That's a BIG asking price but he does have the art to some of the older cards I remember owning that doesn't really break the bank.

[aaron568]

what makes that worth 250k or is that guy just crazy

[buyatari]

what makes that worth 250k or is that guy just crazy

 

Not sure what it is worth but I do think it is way overpriced.

[Jeffro.]

 

the early cards had such great illustrations and there's a freedom in those early pieces that is lost in the later cards. There's more technique in the later cards but less style

 

I agree.

Plus, some of the artists who worked on those early sets have long since moved to other projects beyond M:tG

[Mephisto]

what makes that worth 250k or is that guy just crazy

 

Not sure what it is worth but I do think it is way overpriced.

 

If you read the auction he admits it's A LOT and will listen to offers as long as they are above 50K. Yes 50K is still a lot but a far cry from 250K.

[Eric Seffinga]

He's only using that figure to attract attention. It's a form of advertising the piece.

See, we're all taking about it.

 

Personally I think the $50K price is still ludicrous, but then again I never got caught up in the card game thing. Man, it's been ages since I've thought about Magic TG.

 

I had a ton of friends into playing Magic, and at one time 3/4 of my fellow staffers had their own gaming league going. I told them they were all addicted to it and called it cardboard crack. They went out and dropped a ton of money buying up pack after pack. They'd trade them in the shadows of the office. They'd make "Magic runs" and come back with a few packs to open up. They'd oggle and gape when certain cards showed up. I always got to look through the cards and comment about the artists. George Pratt, Doug Alexander Gregory, Jon Muth, Carl Critchlow, etc. Loved looking at them. Never bought a pack. Just a hilarious time.

 

-e.

[buyatari]

what makes that worth 250k or is that guy just crazy

 

Not sure what it is worth but I do think it is way overpriced.

 

If you read the auction he admits it's A LOT and will listen to offers as long as they are above 50K. Yes 50K is still a lot but a far cry from 250K.

 

50k...250k.... Might as well be a million. It is too much.

 

The estimate on the Adam Bomb/Blasted Billy Garbage Pail kid artwork should Topps ever sell it is 10-20k range and that is THE one everyone is after. A mox is an important part of MTG but it isn't the one everyone remembers when they think of MTG. Black Lotus perhaps? Still I'd rather have the Adam Bomb art. That image was used everywhere for the entire life of the series. Every wax package and every box of cards from the 1st till the 5th series used it plus posters,notebooks and you name it.

 

I'd love to hear what Wizards of the Coast paid for the MTG art they did buy AND if they are still in the market or not.