Cubicle 7 had a great thing going while they had the RPG license for Tolkien’s masterpiece. They created beautiful tomes of Middle-Earth that evoked ancient mystery, excitement & adventure. They made you want to live there (as if you didn’t already!)
When the license was pulled, they were soooo close to completing all the planned add-on adventures. But alas, the license betrayed Cubicle 7.
Then the ring, err, RPG license, ensnared a new bearer . . .
But the fact remains that the books they created are of high adventure & highest quality - worthy of more eyeballs.
Join Rediscovered Realms as we showcase some of the coolest fantasy art from the Player’s Guide of “Adventures in Middle-Earth”!
Ok, Let’s crack open this Player’s Guide and see some of it! (The layout of these pictures looks SOOO much better on desktop than mobile, if you have the option)
Middle-Earth/Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Tolkien fan? You’ll appreciate these 2 articles from Rediscovered Realms!
There’s something about the end of year holiday season that always draws me back to Middle Earth, like a warm cozy blanket. Probably in no small part due to the inordinate excitement etched into my soul from the past yearly succession of Peter Jackson’s December-released trilogy of movies.
Like you, I’ve been a fan of Lord of the Rings for a long time. In fact, I hardly remember any time where the words “Hobbit”, “Shire”, “Gandalf”, and “precious” weren’t part of my vocabulary. So, what better day to reminisce and honor some fond Middle Earth memories than Tolkien Reading Day?
Pretty awesome, huh? You can tell these were lovingly made - beyond the artwork, there are so many fine details in the layout, borders, typography, and as I’m sure you noticed, they included many actual Tolkien quotes. Well done, indeed!
What do you think of the “Adventures in Middle-Earth” Player’s Handbook and its artwork? Make sure to comment below.
Frank Frazetta Playing Cards are live on Kickstarter! If you haven’t seen the playing cards that Kings Wild produces, you’re missing out. They are always GORGEOUS. I have several of their Lord of the Rings sets, and the Frazetta set looks like it won’t disappoint!
We’re all still waiting for D&D’s 50th anniversary celebration (products!) to begin. Lots of announcements last year, but when does it start? I went to my local post office this week to get some 2024 D&D postage stamps, but it looks like they’re not out until 3rd quarter. Here’s an article by Wargamer that discusses some of the other anticipated, but currently deferred, cool stuff WotC has planned for Dungeons & Dragons 50th Anniversary.
For an excellent read about the need & benefits of Myth and Fantasy in our lives, make sure to check out this recent article by
And that’s all I have for you, Dauntless Crusaders. I hope the Fantasy art and Imagination of others inspired you to Make or Share something Beautiful with someone else this week.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
John Howe, along with Alan Lee were hired as conceptual artists initially and both ended up staying on and working with the art and special effects folks for all of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. So having John Howes art in the RPG books is amazing for people who liked the movies' take on Middle Earth.
Went to try and find this on eBay only to discover there are only a few copies at over £100 each so that’ll be one to save up for I guess!
However, what I do have is the Middle Earth Campaign and Adventure Guide Book from a company called Iron Crown Enterprises. Seems to be published in 1983. I would include a photo but can’t seem to do that on comments. It was hidden amongst all my old Dragons and White Dwarf’s 😁
John Howe, along with Alan Lee were hired as conceptual artists initially and both ended up staying on and working with the art and special effects folks for all of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. So having John Howes art in the RPG books is amazing for people who liked the movies' take on Middle Earth.
Went to try and find this on eBay only to discover there are only a few copies at over £100 each so that’ll be one to save up for I guess!
However, what I do have is the Middle Earth Campaign and Adventure Guide Book from a company called Iron Crown Enterprises. Seems to be published in 1983. I would include a photo but can’t seem to do that on comments. It was hidden amongst all my old Dragons and White Dwarf’s 😁