NelsonAI

Nick Katradis and I are teaming up. This will be the first time that either of us has officially set up as exhibitors. We look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones at the show. Please stop by and say hello. Cheers! N.

I was just at the East Coast Comic Con in NJ. I got there later in the day so I missed the excitement. If someone had called me, I would have tracked the guy down. After all, how many guys can there possibly be wearing a Captain America cap at a comic show? Lol. The cheap b*st*rd can't afford a $5 mylar sleeve? Cheers! N

I heard it was 35K in trade.

It must have taken a lot of time to take those pics so thanks again. Superstar Inker Joe Giella was there. I don't believe Joe Sinnott was ever on the list. Cheers! N.

Heads up folks.If you were planning to get a commission from Neal Adams at a convention or show where Neal is scheduled to appear, he is taking pre- orders via his son Jason "Spyda" Adams. Email: Spyda@SpydaCreations.com @NealAdamsDotCom via Twitter Neal most recently appeared at C2E2 in Chicago and is scheduled to appear in New York City on May 6 at the NYC Comic Art Expo.

It does not look familiar to me so I assume it was a preliminary cover design that was rejected. DC may have went with a different design for the final published cover. I suspect Superman Unchained vol 1 issue 3 variant was the issue in question. If you search on the internet, you will see a published variant cover by Bolland with similar theme but completely different design. Cheers! N.

See you at the show in NY Ankur. It's a quick subway ride so it will the cheapest and easiest commute to any show in the Tri-State area for me. I am also looking forward to meeting Ray Lago. I've always loved his watercolors. I believe he left the industry to become a full time art instructor so you do not see him on the regular convention circuit. Cheers! N.

That would be shill bids. In this hobby, say it ain't so. Lol.

Moving on ... I also thought the Steve Epting Captain America cover went cheap. Your average collector may have overlooked it because there was no image of Captain America or Bucky / Winter Soldier on the cover. - it is the collaboration of creative team Brubaker (writer) / Epting (artist). After 10 years, it is widely considered one of the greatest story arcs of Captain America. Epting's art on the run is fantastic. - the Winter Soldier part I was adapted as a Hollywood movie. There is always a premium for any connection with a movie. - in comics lore, the shield of Captain America was always to be treated the same manner as the American flag - with respect. The fact that the shield was left on the floor laying on rubble as the city is ablaze is purely symbolic. You would never burn an American flag and leave it lying on the floor. It's the ultimate sign of disrespect and the cover was preparing readers for what was about to come. So while there is no image of Captain America or the Winter Soldier, the published cover with the bright red colored background just made the hairs on your arm stand up ( or was that your Spidey senses?). You think to yourself "What happened to Cap?". For full disclosure, I do own an Epting Captain America cover and am obviously a fan. Congratulations to the buyer. Cheers! N.

Now that auction truly is over. I am stand by my previous post that the steal of the auction was the Bryan Hitch Captain America Reborn #1 DPS Cover for $2,150. I wish I had bid. - major storyline. First cap is killed, now you have to bring him back. - issue #1's are always in demand. - wrap around DPS cover. When it comes to art, bigger usually is better. - Bryan Hitch is a top name in the industry and a great artist. - The cover was originally priced and sold by Brian's rep for $10K when the book came out. - the cover was sold for a premium a few years later. The seller's loss was the buyer's gain. Congratulations to the buyer. Condolences to the seller. Cheers! N.

Did I just see the Bryan Hitch Captain America Reborn # 1 DPS Cover end at $2,150? Absolutely, the steal of the auction. With the auction still going on...... Cheers! N.

Contact Gary Land via CAF. Cheers! N.

For full disclosure, I own Tradd Moore art. I purchased it from his initial agent, Paolo Belfiore of Cadence Comic Art. Felix and I have discussed Tradd's art early on before Felix started representing Tradd. We never discussed $$$ or future value. It was always about how refreshing his art looked. Personally, Tradd's art reminds me of the late, great Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld drew caricatures of performing artists for the Arts and Leisure section of the NY Times. I would never compare Tradd to McFarlane, Adams or Golden. As a seasoned collector, if Felix referenced Golden or Dr. Strange # 55 during our discussions, I would have asked for clarifications. Rabid Ferret is not questioning Felix's intent. He is just pointing out that to a newbie collector, such a reference might lead to speculation. For newbie collectors Caveat Emptor. That's why I personally do not buy for speculation. If I did, I could easily have bought TDKR and Watchmen art long ago. Now when artwork was cheap and affordable, I did buy artwork just to study the technique of the artist. But even then, I clearly liked the art. As art has become pricier, I now have to love the art before I buy it. btw - Tradd's breakout high point to me is the Howard the Duck / Squirrel Girl interconnecting covers that may have also been used for a poster. Unfortunately for me, it was sold to another collector. I'm happy with my Modok cover though. Now if Alan Moore had written the issue ............ Lol. Cheers! N.

Alan Moore wrote the story.

As someone that read TDKR and Watchmen when they were first released, I was not impressed. I was a huge FM fan and appreciated his futuristic view of Batman but it took me awhile to warm up to his new artistic style. Alan Moore has always had a fan following because he treated comics seriously and assumed his audience was mature, intelligent and literate. However, IMHO, Moore tends to be a bit verbose. There might very well be more words per square inch on the page than art. The overall plot was neither unique or groundbreaking. ** SPOILER ALERT ** Sacrifice a million lives to save billions of lives is hardly unique. ** End of Spoiler ** IMHO, I thought Dave Gibbons' art was serviceable but not great. Do you see anyone clamoring for Gibbons' non-Watchmen art? So when it comes down to TDKR and Watchmen, I believe those collectors are buying more for the nostalgia of the story than the actual art itself. Same with The Sandman. IMHO, the title sold on the strength of Neil Gaiman's writing than the crop of rotating artists. Some of the artists were fantastic, some average. However, if you ask collectors of Sandman OA, it doesn't matter who the artist is. It's all about Gaiman's writing. So any future contenders for the next "classic" better have strong writing. I am with Gene on Brubaker / Epting's run on Captain America. For full disclosure, I do own some Epting art. Conversely, on the subject of collecting art for art's sake, people buy art all the time without reading the comic at all. Want proof? Look no further than cover artists that have sold their art before the comics have been released. Adam Hughes, Art Adams, JSC, Finch, etc. From Felix's own roster, how about Tradd Moore or Skottie Young? Their art will sell regardless of the writing. Thankfully, not everyone collects the same type of art. Cheers! N.

I think it's safe to say that if Scott wanted to collect modern era Jim Lee art, he can pretty much do so with ease. Cheers! N.

I will just borrow Gene's once he sets it up. Let us know if it works and what type of computer is connected to it. I always find that everytime Windows has an upgrade, my scanner(s) goes out of whack. I've had a Mustek and an early model HP. The last few years, I just use the camera on my cell phone. Especially for oversized art. Cheers! N.

Check the Emerald City thread itself. Dealers that are setting up will announce what they have in their inventory. The show is big enough that there is something for every collector. Saturday already sold out. Better decide quickly. Cheers! N.

I tend to analyze modern art in terms of established artists versus newer artists. 1) Established artists with long track records of increasing re-sale prices. Names already mentioned in this thread: Jim Lee, J. Scott Campbell, Sienkiewicz, Alex Ross, etc. These artists are considered superstars in the industry. They have a track record. Their prices have increased as their popularity increased. There is a reason why a new Jim Lee piece of art sells for more than a vintage piece of Bob Brown art. Not everyone can afford the higher prices, but a few can so the art is priced that way. 2) Newer artists that no one is familiar with or artists not considered superstars. These artists are starting to ask for healthy prices. In some cases, they are finding buyers at their price points. When an artist has a limited track record, this is where most collectors have issue with high prices for modern era art with no associated premium for nostalgia. My 2 cents. Cheers! N.

Happy Festivus to all. Hopefully, everyone will have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2018. Cheers! N.

Kudos to Howard Chaykin for offering the refund. Whether you decide to keep it or not, at least he made the offer. A class act. We often hear horror stories about other artists so it's nice when we hear something positive. Cheers! N.

Since you asked on a public forum ..... If you are willing to throw in another $500, I think it can easily be enhanced. 1) Everything below the jaw line and his lips to his neck can be filled in with black. It will look like his head is tilted down and create a shadow effect down his neck. Test it out on a photocopy. 2) The paste up can be trimmed with an exacto knife, (essentially a razor blade with a long handle), around the shoe. 3) Add some thin wavy lines in the background to give it a mist or smoke effect. All the best. Cheers! N.

Thanks for insight on the art Scott. @MGS - Thanks. I did not realize Scott Clark passed as I thought he was a young guy, (which he was). A belated R.I.P.

Jim Lee, Scott Clark, Whilce Portacio, Art Thiebert, Joe Rubenstein are all still alive and kicking. Contact them through Facebook.

Everything is "collectible". I think the difference in opinion is on the valuation. Generally speaking, the value of any hand colored guide is contingent on the "printed image". The reason this item is more highly desirable is because the image is from Action 1, (original era as opposed to modern reproduction), and not because of the name recognition of the colorist that hand colored the guide. Good luck to the seller and any potential bidders. Cheers! N.