I’m all about hyping things, and I love fixing problems.

When I see things like this, I have to take action:

This is that article.

Somehow, through various Google searching and a chance Twitter encounter with a savvy blogger at Matboard and More, I figured out how I could finally do this. I couldn’t start a business, but I can forward you to places that get something we all want, and we can hope they make more templates for us to use!

Before I get into talking about Matboard and More and Pirate Lab, let’s get some disclosures out of the way.

I chose these places because I see some serious benefits to the product to a Vorthos—that is, a flavor and art-loving Magic: The Gathering player—would enjoy. No linear paths exist to products like this, so we’ll be trailblazing a bit. Let’s go!

I love little companies. They’re nimble, proof that hard work will pay off and give me hope that their fellow man wants them to succeed. Matboard and More is a (little) framing company outside of Atlanta, Georgia that actually reached out to me. They asked super-politely if they could post about my “Framing 101” article on their little blog—which, if you haven’t read, I actually recommend you check out. It’s a good primer for this article.

I was happy to have them link to it, and we got to talking about framing. It’s often a bear to get it done yourself, it takes forever in the store, and you sometimes just want a custom thing to get an artwork on the wall cheaply. After reading their anatomy page of a frame, I knew I had to see their hustle in action.

As I have utterly too many artworks to frame, I figured, well, perhaps I use my own examples for people to see, and I’ll be honest about the process. I’ll have some art framed, finally in one case, and I’ll be able to test out seemingly a very responsive business.

So, I dove into their super-user-friendly site to check it out:

When you’re measuring things, it even has suggested sizes for you to “see” exactly what you think and what you mean. It’s idiot-proof; it really is. I even tried to mix and match archival matting with normal acid free or even, random mats, and a prompt comes up to say, “Hey, what are you doing; you sure?”

That is incredible.

Even as I played around on it, a little chat service pops up. An actual employee who works there jumped on, said hello, and wondered if I had any questions. The person I had e-mailed about the article? Yeah, it was the same person. Most people think those chat things are outsourced or are just bots, but since it’s framing, they seem to get it. People have one to three questions, and then they’re just set.

I had a pretty deep question on framing Magic cards, and she mentioned to click on a prompt and then just e-mail them.

They got back to me in under twenty-four hours with a proof, thrown into my account to have me check it out. It was absurdly fast.

The kicker atop everything was that if I’m short a frame for an upcoming art show or just need a replacement, I could get one absurdly fast!

I made my selections and added it to my cart, and before I knew it, a surprising cardboard box came, completely wrapped in butcher paper, strapped down tight.

The Plexiglas was all covered and wrapped, so there was no rupturing or chance of cracking in shipment:

You can see the other two pieces below. Notice the translucent plastic covering the Plexiglas coverings. I have been moving to Plexiglas more as of late due to my unnatural fear of it falling off the wall and the museum glass shattering. If you get higher-end Plexiglas, which they have, you literally won’t notice it ninety-nine percent of the time.

The frames connect with mere metal tabs, securing the archival foam backing board in place. You could go into a craft shop or framer to have paper to glue down, covering the back entirely. I have done that to another piece that I needed hermetically sealed due to the fragile nature of the piece. Most Magic paintings, sketches, and prints don’t need that precaution. You don’t need to worry about the elements or lava all the time.

This is the framing job that I think Magic players could really love.

I know a ton of people would frame Power Nine, dual lands, or marquee cards in decks they won major tournaments in—the options are endless. I also thought of a store having a four-opening-frame job for the decks that made the Top 4 at the previous Friday Night Magic. They could keep their “signed” cards up for a week, changing them out with ease and having a fantastic display for considerably under $100.

I did order one frame for a work on paper I have. It’s one of the very, very concept artworks that isn’t still at Wizards of the Coast’s archive. Making it rarer, it’s actually in color of a landscape. To get it just right, I placed it face down, slowly moving it into position and attaching with Lineco Abaca Self-Adhesive Hinging Tape. There are other ways to adhere it, but that tape works for me.

As for my work on hardboard, Pyxis of Pandemonium by David Palumbo, I noticed the glare! Part of it is my office/guest room, and the other is that I should just go with my gut.

I thought it might not look great being bare to the “elements” in the corner.

You can see from my Archivist and Magister Sphinx my love of fillets, but more so that once on the wall, how flush the painting is to the frame isn’t as important to me. I just want to see the piece, not the glare.

I then removed the Plexiglas, and the framing was just perfect. My wife loves Greek myths, and of course a piece that is basically Pandora had to be in our home.

As for the cards, I’m still deciding which five will go in there, but I’m learning that vertical feels so much better than horizontal. I immediately rank them in decks or in value or in prettiness. These are arbitrary choices of cards, and they still look amazing. I can’t mess this format up; I really can’t. I just need to stress that going with a white mat might be the wrong choice due to the Magic card border. You’ll notice I have a background mat in blue to make the cards really stand out instead of just going black on black. It needs the separation of color. I’m really happy with it.

As for the Mirrodin concept work by Brian Snoddy, it looks incredible. I went black on black for this because Mirrodin is very much dead now. It’s a storyline/flavorful reason in that this location no longer exists—it’s been corrupted and destroyed by a menacing force. I wanted it to look like an obituary of sorts, and with the text on the bottom of it, I think I hit that notion by simply choosing a color.

Matboard and More goes as low as $40 for an 8” × 10” simple frame and tops out at around $65 for their high end. The max is under $300 for a massive 32” × 40” frame with mat and archival settings. That is below the retail market, in case you’re curious on the high end, but on the smaller pieces of 8” × 10” and 11” × 14”, their pricing is absurdly competitive. For smaller pieces I pick up, I will only be going here. I fully suggest you check it out for gifts to your spouse!

Review #2: Pirate Lab

For my second review, I talked to the folks at Pirate Lab to send me one of their large card cases to check out because I knew it was something relevant to many people similar to me would care about. I would check it out and then send it back to them.

Compared to my normal bag, it’s a little larger, but not egregiously so, and it stands up a lot better by itself when I’m in a crowded shop playing the Modern format!

This is basically a normal amount of stuff I have in my bag during a tournament. Any Grand Prix will have this and more. I often pick up play mats and such for people, so it’ll be no less than this, and it’s a mess most of the time.

I took it out of its plastic case, used Phillip Jenkins as a scale wiener dog, and began checking it out.

On one side, there’s a play mat, which is smart advertising and silica gel packets.

Oh, it’s a big play mat. That’s cool. There are also some stickers that come with it.

As a Vorthos, always on my flavorful grind, I need room for stuff. Sometimes, it’s an art book. Other times, it’s an encyclopedia or comic book compendium. It really depends on the tournament to determine what I brought to read during down times or needing as reference. This is the first reason that this product is perfect for that Vorthos in your life.

Additionally, I often buy art like sketches or original art at conventions. I need a place to put it, and often, I can’t roll it or carry it the whole time. Remember my bag above? Yeah, it gets mangled in there.

With this bag, I can put even a sketch in a manila folder and have something above it, like a notebook, and have it still just protected. I normally always have to return to my room or place I’m staying to drop off art and sneak back to the convention center. With this bag, I wouldn’t have to have a giant cardboard sandwich carried around all day. I would just be normal.

While that does create a false sense of security were I to be robbed or misplace my bag, I’m generally pretty vigilant with art. It is kind of my thing.

On the other side, you can see the compartments.

These little foam rectangles allowing for customized spaces for weird deck boxes.

The whole foam core can be removed, just leaving a giant rectangle. I would absolutely use this were I buying a ton of art for people, gathering fun supplies for a party or building board games to a friend’s house. It really works for that!

There are also included dice bags! Seems nice to include. Cool!

You can see below that the size of the deck box is irrelevant. They all fit.

I did notice that dropping in a fat pack deck box can work, but the top won’t be able to fit on it. I could make it fit, but I am returning this, so I didn’t want to mangle it. With a piece of paper, the cards could easily just sit untouched if you want, but I’d want them in a box for protection.

Another amazing flavorful find is that books fit into the longer rectangles.

I still want for us to get Sand Warrior tokens, too.

Oh, it might be a “me” thing, but I sometimes send postcards to my wife or dogs when I’m at a Grand Prix for four or more days. Why? Who doesn’t want to receive some Lotus Vale art in his or her mailbox? Thought so.

I kept looking for my Planechase sleeved planes, but I lent them away, so you’ll have to just take my word for it that they fit into their compartment with ease.

I won’t be bringing two books, but I will be bringing life pads!

There is also a sleeve on the flap! I figure you could hide some pricing lists, a 6” × 9” oversized cards—or, if you’re a ’90s Vorthos, serious-business poison and life and modification-to-power-and-toughness tokens.

In my bags, I also need a dice box or bag, obviously, and my mini canvases. Every summer, I organize a charity tournament in Minneapolis. Some of the more popular items are these mini-paintings I gave made all year from artists at events. Sometimes, they cost a bunch to make, and sometimes, they’re fully donated, but I always bring them with. With this case, they wouldn’t shuffle around and get everywhere!

Like any flavorful person, if I’m getting an artist-proof sketches on the back or I’m moving a big card to get money to buy more art, I need cases to keep things fresh. I need fuel for my vicious cycle of buying art.

This would be an example of a “fully stocked bag for Mike Linnemann,” usable in any Grand Prix in the country. I have two Commander decks, all my flavorful trinkets, a deck that could be scaled from Modern to Legacy to Vintage, and lands to use in a Draft. Sleeves are in one of the deck boxes, and I’m set. There is nothing else I need to bring except . . .

. . . a good-luck charm in Fblthp.

Go give them a try!

Review Summary

• The frames for review were provided complimentary by Matboard and More. If you need a place to stay for a Grand Prix in Minneapolis, you’ll probably see them in my guest room or during a party.
• Matboard and More has very, very reasonable pricing for framing. It’s roughly half the cost of Michaels/Jo Ann Fabrics, even with their weekly coupons—really.
• Choosing the correct sizes of mats and frames is paramount! I’d measure everything two or three times to be sure!
• It’s nearly foolproof.
• Pirate Labs large bags are slightly expensive, but so are Duluth Pack ones. Buy for quality, and you won’t need to replace your backpack or bag that falls apart. You buy it once, and you’re done.
• These are built for every player, including us, the Vorthos crowd
• It’s hard to not fill it with stuff for an event. You don’t need all your trade stuff at every event. Remember the back side where I kept books? You keep a trade binder there normally.
• The $70 price point really is made for people who need this. If you’re hitting multiple Star City Games tournies, this could be a great Christmas gift for you to put on your list.
• It would be very easy to make it through airport security because each piece comes out so easily.

I hope you enjoyed, and if you end up getting a framing job or this bag, please let me know! I want to see if your experiences were as stellar as mine!

-Mike