Phill the Governor

On 11/23/2023 at 10:29 AM, marvelmaniac said:

https://nerdsonearth.com/2021/07/simple-tools-to-clean-your-comic-books/

 

 

I do not remember starting that thread over a decade ago. Funny how times change...

For most comics absorene is not worth the effort/results. Much better alternatives exist....

On 11/19/2023 at 9:55 AM, KirbyCollector said:

Yes Phil, I know -- I bought the first 30 or so issues when they came out.

How much would this page be if he was in costume? 🤔 

PS that comic he is reading is flagged

I thought the toilet page would go for about the same as the "on the phone" page from issue 5, but the toilet/issue 1 combo bumped the price up 50%.

On 11/19/2023 at 7:57 AM, KirbyCollector said:

Yes, it is issue 1. But $15K for a guy on the toilet? AND no inks?

The first issue was drawn in pencils only. Considering series like SAGA that came after this (another incredible read) have almost literally no published art, pencils only are better than nothing!

p.s. the guy on the toilet is Invincible

On 11/18/2023 at 11:21 AM, comix4fun said:

I tend to agree with all of this. Invincible is a great book. I was on this title from the beginning. How great it was was clear from the start. That and The Walking Dead were books I grabbed from issue one. Something different and fresh at the time. I was so into those books I tracked down the Serbian publisher that got the rights to produce a bunch of image titles including Invincible and The Walking Dead. He was on a shoestring budget and couldn't afford to produce more than 500 copies of any issue and the #1 issues were around 300 from what he told me. I actually cleaned him out of a lot of what he had to make shipping to the states feasible.....the best part was that He combined The Walking Dead and Invincible into "flip books" One side was TWD and the flip was Invincible. From issue 1 on. 

If you're looking for a rare Walking Dead and Invincible Artifact, finding one of these (especially in nice shape) is a real challenge. A double #1 with such a tiny print run. 



The books became international sensations long before TV seasons hit. So it makes sense that people will seek out those books and pages and value them for both tangible and intangible reasons. So, my commentary was a little more tongue-in-cheek for the froth that this page at auction created. The numbers these days are just so much more outsized that they used to be.

Thanks for sharing the story, and for your involvement in how these came to be!

The Invincible #1 pgs both did about 55% higher than my guess, which accounted for other recent comps, but not issue one madness.

As others have said though, you don't get it unless you've read the series. It's a groundbreaking modern masterpiece -which is funny because technically the first half dozen issues are now "vintage". Its likely the property will achieve success that rivals if not surpasses The Walking Dead, and that's saying something.

On 11/17/2023 at 4:36 PM, PhilipB2k17 said:

Man. That Thor #160 page by Kirby and Colleta is gorgeous, and someone got it for a frigging steal. 

If I wasn't going after a few other pieces, this one in specific stood out to me at a great price for the content. Kirby Krackle... Thor.. nice panels. Great pickup I agree.

On 11/17/2023 at 3:45 PM, delekkerste said:

It ended pretty much exactly where I thought it would. It is the ultimate baller FU money piece.

"I can pay $132K for this, not because it's good, but simply because it amuses me." 

I know the buyer of the piece. They said once they missed the Xmen piece it was a sure thing just a matter of price. They are over the moon to have it! Baller FU money is right!!

Past my availability at the moment, but one of my favorite covers from the run.

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/covers/glenn-fabry-preacher-49-cover-painting-original-art-dc-vertigo-1999-/a/7342-95115.s?ic2=mybidspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyBids-101116

On 11/14/2023 at 2:59 PM, KirbyCollector said:

That's not it at all. I've read all of the material you cited and found the inherent themes of blackness, nihilism and despair without redemption the antithesis of what monthly comics should be. The comics of the 60s were largely created by those who rejected the horrors of WW2 and infused comics with a spirit of optimism -- and this came through most loudly at the hands of Jewish creators such as Stan and Jack. It is no surprise that the steady erosion of that original spirit since the late 80s has coincided with the precipitous decline of comics readership in the US; comics just aren't very "fun" anymore, and you don't have to be over 50 to see it.

Well thank god 1960's feel-good Marvel (no matter how much I do like it)isn't what the genre, or a monthly comic book for that matter, is defined by.

When the demographic of readers shifted from kids to adults, the writers had to adapt. Mature readers aren't as impressed with a compressed story into one issue as they are with a multiple issue arc with adult themes and character development. I don't care about a spirit of optimism, I'm looking for a groundbreaking story that lets me escape my daily life. The first time I read Preacher and Jesse spit on Gods face my reality was shattered and everything I thought I knew about comic books went out the window. Then when Carl killed Shane, and when Omni-Man's origin reveal happened my jaw was on the floor.

I'm really not sure how you'd get nihilism and despair without redemption from Sandman, Y, TWD, Preacher, Invincible, etc.. but to each their own.

On 11/14/2023 at 10:26 AM, KirbyCollector said:

Depressing, depressing, depressing, REALLY depressing and a superhero with a genocidal father. But you do you -- just don't forget the Prozac.

On 11/14/2023 at 11:51 AM, batman_fan said:

I find a lot of the new material to be really bad

Sandman = terrible artwork and a pretty goofy story line

Walking Dead = Gilligan’s Island with Zombies with horrendous artwork.  Every episode has the same theme, someone does something stupid and then other people have to save them.  Everyone gets all excited at the latest stupid thing someone does.

I am not familiar with Preacher and Y.

All good. I think more refined readers & art collectors like series that have a human element to them.  In my opion it's why stories like Infinity Gauntlet/Thanos Quest and titles like Strangers in Paradise were so well received at the time, why underground art like Crumb is so desirable, or why a title like the Walking Dead became the cultural juggernaut that it did. These made you think about humanity and being a person and they resonate today because of reasons beyond youthful nostalgia or historical importance.

For the most part we're all products of our generation. But we don't necessarily see when we're the old guy yelling to get off our lawn, just when other people are doing it. So much so that when pressed for why we dislike something, the answer is usually "I didn't waste my time trying it, I just know what it is- and I don't like it!". It's easiest to play it safe since many of us are afraid to try new things. And so ultimately it's easier to collect one artist or one character and write off the rest. I get it.

I'm a younger collector and I maintain that more and more pre-80s content will undeniably slip into cultural irrelevance. Even decent chunks of established properties like the fantastic four.

If comic readers continue (which we will need for them to even know about and want to collect the art) there WILL be more readers of series like Sandman, Preacher, Y the last man, The Walking Dead & Invincible. Series that were made for adults. How many new readers are going to go back and read the original FF run from the 1960s? Or care enough about esoteric comic strips with characters no one remembers. We refined collectors can appreciate it, but without the nostalgia of growing up with it each and every one of those properties competes with newer, fresher content that was produced for mature readers and has a higher liklihood of being picked up by newer generations.

The older the property the harder it will be to remain relevant. Some pieces will cling on and retain historical importance (obviously). But this gap will widen. For every cool Kirby piece I see or an older random Marvel cover that goes for tens of thousands, my mind goes to spreading that out (as much as possible) into the above properties. And yet, already choice pieces (and many pieces at that) from a series like Sandman has it's modern day demand at an all time high. Look at what an early Sandman page brings in compared to some early Marvel art! And being newer but being able to compete with older more established properties bc it was made for mature readers.... 

On 10/26/2023 at 4:53 PM, Lightning55 said:

If it wasn't in the slab that says it was cleaned, is there some tip-off that it was cleaned? How can you tell, other than it looks particularly sharp? Was there some type of disclosure sent in with comic stating that it was cleaned, presumably professionally, at the time of grading?

I guess I am asking why you couldn't crack it and resubmit it and hope for a blue label?

No.

While it is possible.. something like cleaning that's in the resto scale is and should be something that has tell tale signs if you know what you're looking for: excessive whiteness with or without underlying stains still present, change in sizing, texture, feel, smell, etc....

On 10/26/2023 at 2:18 AM, flying_bison said:

There is nothing on the label or in the notes about trimming or color, touch or anything like that. The only thing it says is “cover cleaned. “. I’m wondering if anybody knows if this can be sent into CGC, worked on, and end up in a blue label case.  Thanks for any help you can offer.

Books with trimming can have the pages leaf-casted and go from Purple to Conserved.

Color touch can be removed and go from Purple to Universal.

Cover cleaned is either Conserved or Restored depending on how it was done and cannot be reversed. 

That's a potentially life-changing find for the right person. Crazy these types of things still come out in 2023. Incredible condition!!

Textbook GA 5.0 Wouldn't be surprised at a 5.5.

Interior covers to MM15:

Part of the issue is that Kane himself is historically known to forge even his own drawings, paying other artists to do them and passing them off as his own. So the short answer is... aside from comparing the line-work to authentic sketches with detailed provenance, there's no way to know for sure.

Provenance is everything in the art world, and without publication status, a sketch is the easiest thing to make up and pass off as authentic. The existence of the stamp on the back is completely useless as I've personally seen stamps on forged "published" covers that were used to help pass the piece off in the first place.

On 7/15/2023 at 10:50 AM, Semicentennial said:

The interior graphics look a little larger than an actual book.  While it can be trimming, the border of the panels in the "fake" books are closer to the edge of the page whereas the legit copy looks like there is more of a gap between the panel and edge of the paper.  I have a counterfeit Cry For Dawn #1 and the cover and interior pages are not the same size of an actual copy.  

Ahh, I didn't see that one splash page interior photo.

If that's the case, I rescind my comments.

On 7/14/2023 at 2:36 PM, Lazyboy said:

Forget trimming, that's a fake.

The one thing that hasn't been mentioned is, aside from possible trimming, the evidence of cleaning. Based on the subtle waviness of the cover and interior pages, taking into account it looks so unnaturally white it appears fake as you said, this looks to be a case of hydrogen peroxide cleaning that went so overboard the book became whiter than it was the day it was printed back in 1974. I've seen that waviness before on books people post after peroxide cleanings, and since everything else about the book looks like a legitimate first printing, this copy (cover and interior) was 100% cleaned.

On 7/2/2023 at 9:57 AM, october said:

Couple more. 

Man, there are a lot of tough, tough books in the 10-20 copy range on the census. Really interesting to compare census number rarity on something I have like Prize 6 or Red Dragon 7 or Silver Streak 15 to their market rarity (they hardly every come up for sale). 

I almost pooped my pants when I saw that GM8. That's a unicorn to unicorns, and the grade is insane!

On 6/19/2023 at 4:21 PM, Yorick said:

What is it with TIFF files?  Why not JPG?

TIFF Files are less compressed than JPG, so there's more detail. For the sake of accessibility here, I think a 600dpi JPG would be sufficient.

On 6/20/2023 at 8:08 AM, gino2paulus2 said:

Did you try the Comicbookplus scan? That could be old I suppose but i did want to comment as this book is so darn cool. Those Young Defenders seem to be doing more damage than our heroes I mean look at that girl with the red bow tie about to axe somebody and that’s right after he’s about to take what I assume is a blowdart to the jugular!! 🤯 Classic Schomburg!

I did! Unfortunately the highest resolution photo online I could find was through Heritage, but I appreciate the heads up.

And it is a particularly cool Schomburg cover, with more going on that can be see in one viewing!!

Hey everyone,

I have a project and need a high resolution scan (600dpi TIFF file) of a copy of Speed Comics #33, and the copy has to have fairly perfect color registration. It's a tough book. I've tried working from scans on Heritage and else where online. The Mile High copy is pretty good, but it's only 300dpi and a better, higher resolution scan would be easier and less time consuming to work from.

Would be able to compensate for time for someone to be able to scan and email it over. Drop me a DM if you may have a lead or could be of help. Here's a scan of the Mile High copy from the HA archives for reference.

Thank you!

Phill

On 6/7/2023 at 11:01 PM, IcedDog said:

Only two graders, aren't there supposed to be three graders looking at every book? 

Cheaper and more cost effective to have two.

There also used to be two pieces of micro-chamber paper encased with the books.

Last several dozed I've cracked (GA-SA books) there was only a single sheet, and on two books (valued at over 10k a piece) there was no micro-chamber paper at all.

CGC cutting corners all the while raising costs since the Blackstone purchase.

On 5/30/2023 at 10:57 AM, Artboy99 said:

Agreed. I watched @thehumantorch crack out a CGC purple label Fantastic Four 45 at a comic show we were set up at because the potential buyer didn't want a slabbed copy. The graders notes stated “small amount of colour touch”. Once cracked we inspected it and the color touch was all over the place. The entire spine was heavily touched as were several spots in the central mass and the top and bottom edges. This is an area where CGC needs to improve the descriptions.

As someone who works on books this is the number one issue that I encounter.