WHAT A WEEKEND! Am I right? With the announcements, previews, and other surprises that came from San Diego Comic-Con and PAX Australia, I could barely keep my hands off my phone, laptop, and any other Internet-capable device. Let’s see what the rest of the community was up to last week in preparation for and while at San Diego Comic-Con.

Quick Elspeth

Let’s kick things off with this insanely great sketch from Kristy. The description for the sketch mentions that it’s the fastest she’s ever sketched before. That’s crazy considering how good this is. The Internet is excited for Elspeth’s return in Theros, and what better way to show it than to start the tributes? Kristy, if you can draw something that fast, I have a challenge for you: Draw me and Ral Zarek high-fiving! I’ll even time you. Ready? Set? GO!

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TIME! Let’s see it. Oh, wait . . . I can’t see, How about you tweet it to me at @michaelrobles?

Mulligan Challenge

The Internet loves a good challenge. Two of the biggest examples that come to mind are the milk challenge and the cinnamon challenge. I debated whether to link to either of those things, but I decided I want to keep my readers sane. If you really want to know what those are, you have Google. (Be warned: Some things cannot be unseen.)

But I digress. The mulligan challenge is brought to us by The Grinder, a man who takes on challenges given to him by the Internet. This challenge was to win a game of Magic 2014 after going down to a one-card hand through taking mulligans. That’s a pretty hefty task. The video does a nice job of breaking down the types of decks he used to attempt this challenge. The idea of these kinds of challenges is a good way to get replay value out of a game. If you have any other ideas for challenges, let me know in the comments.

Delicious Cake

This cake is not a lie. This cake is awesome. When your friends make you a cake based on the game you all play together, everything is right in this world. I love seeing Magic: The Gathering cakes out there because they’re not an easy task. Have you seen the back of a Magic card? There are some crazy marks there. I mean, someone left a freaking pen mark on the cards! Being able to make a delicious version of a Magic card is no easy task, and I applaud all those who can do so. Super, now I want cake.

Errata

In addition to a ton of Magic: The Gathering folk being at San Diego, Aaron Forsythe was down under for the inaugural PAX Australia. While Aaron was waiting for a panel, some PAX goers took it upon themselves to have Aaron “fix” two cards. Since indestructible is now a keyword, it makes sense that Aaron needed to fix these cards. So, if you’re ever at a convention at the same time as Aaron Forsythe, make sure you ask him to errata all your cards. He’ll happily do so.

Magic Pyro Box

Pyrography. It’s pretty sweet, right? I can’t begin to imagine the time and effort it takes to create something this fantastic. I love that they didn’t use the regular Magic font for the words. I also love the use of Temple Garden as the backdrop. It creates a really unique high-fantasy feel. This is perfect for custom collectors everywhere—although, I think there’s only one in existence. Good luck, collectors.

TapTapConcede

When Loading Ready Run isn’t playing Magic: The Gathering, they are podcasting about Magic: The Gathering. This week, their casual Magic podcast TapTapConcede focuses on The Lady Planeswalkers Society. During the latest Friday Nights video, the Lady Planeswalkers Victoria chapter got a name drop, and Loading Ready Run fans wanted to know more about it. Missie joins Graham and Kathleen to talk about the welcoming, friendly mission Tifa originated and how the Victoria chapter falls into it.

Okay, So, What’s Going On?

I’m not saying I’m attached to my phone constantly . . . but I am saying I might be guilty of the actions described in this picture. Just MTG Things is an awesome new blog that showcases some things Magic players experience during their Magic-playing career. Give it a look, and let me know how many of these things you relate to. I related to quite a bit of them. If you can relate to any, let me know in the comments below. While you’re at it, share some of your MTG things that you have experienced. I would love to hear them!

Modern Elspeth

Artist Clockwork Cadaver gives some iconic Magic: The Gathering characters an updated look. If you think this is sweet, I recommend clicking the link to see the rest of the designs. Trust me: You won’t want to miss these designs. With all the new merch that Magic is putting into stores, I would love to see designs like these on them. Wizards has been pushing pretty hard for people to relate to their planeswalkers, so why not show them in a different, more relatable light?

#MTGSDCC & #MTGPAXAUS

The Internet nearly came to a halt on Saturday as not one, but two different panels happened at two different times in two different parts of the world. They both focused on the same subject: the future. Let’s look at some of the reactions.