Carlo M

Bump...still at extremely reasonable prices! Carlo

Just received a nice page from the late '80s. As typical for that period a few of the word balloons have come off. The seller had duly warned me and included the balloons (all originals) in the parcel, so no problem there. Now classic question: should I just leave it alone (there is art underneath, with just a bit of tanning around where the balloons used to be). Or have it professionally restored? The page is a few thousand dollars worth, and will rest safely in a portfolio. Suggestions? What do you guys normally do in cases like this? Carlo

I am looking for an interior page or splash featuring Magik, ideally in one of her demonic personae. A cover would be nice too! Only interested in prime material. I sent an email to Blevins through his CAF page but got no reply, Is there an art rep for him?

OK these are actually two pages from Sandoval's Guardians 3000 run. Still, featuring some of the classic Guardians team members, in particular Yondu of movie fame: http://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2FAUCTIONS%2FSEARCH.ASP%3FFocusedOnly%3D1%26where%3Dauctions%26title%3D%26ItemType%3DCA%26GO%3DGO%26pg%3D10%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%23Item_1299887&id=1299887&itemType=1 http://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2FAUCTIONS%2FSEARCH.ASP%3FFocusedOnly%3D1%26where%3Dauctions%26title%3D%26ItemType%3DCA%26GO%3DGO%26pg%3D10%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%23Item_1299891&id=1299891&itemType=1

In my opinion peak JB (early SS, early SM, Avengers circa 57) superior to peak SB (Cap circa 150) . Still, Peak SB still excellent artist

Well if there is no need to project a sophistcated, OA fine conoisseur image and we can be totally free, here are my four tops: Sal Buscema Circa Cap 150 John Byrne circa Uxm 120 Marc Silvestri (w/ Dan Green) circa Uxm 240 ChrisCross (Capt’n Marvel) This is fun and quite liberating, really!

My "objective" list: Kirby Ditko Byrne JLee My "subjective list" Kirby Steranko Byrne NAdams

These three covers speak for themselves, really. Now whether this is top 5 or top 10....the problem is that it makes no sense to be overly restrictive. In my opinion - and I am really talking only about super hero comic art - once you go beyond Kirby and Ditko, you might as well talk about the next layer being 10-15 artists (Wood, Steranko, NAdams, JBuscema, GKane, BWS, Byrne, Miller, Perez, JStarlin, Jim Lee, McFarlane, Sienkiewicz...). I would find it very hard to leave any single one of these names out of a roster of important artists for the medium, clearly each of them for specific reasons. In fact, I would even include Sal Buscema in there....And then you have those artists whose impact was totally disproportionate to the body of their work (say Golden, Art Adams, Giffen, PSmith, FBrunner).

Ah ah ah...you got me there!

Oh one final point. As to JB not being influential, there is a lot of JB in early Silvestri work (look at the guys' faces or legs) and of course in Castellini's fantastic work! That is a true modern legacy of JB's art, in my mind. Surely not as influential as Ditko or Kirby, but still...

BTW as far as I recall the anecdote goes (and please anybody more informed than me correct me) that Stan Lee did not like SS 4 art, and gave JB directions to be more "Marvel style" or something like that. Apparently, S Lee changed his mind afterwards. Anyway, there is no doubt that you can tell there is far less energy in JB's super hero production after that. Maybe he found more inspiration in Conan, but as I said I have not read that run.

Agreed that Hulk is pretty...unwatchable! To me peak Buscema is Sub-Mariner 1 (May 68), Avengers 57 (Oct 68) and SS 4 (Feb 69), with SS 4 being absolute best. Before that, he was still developing (see also Avengers circa 44). Afterwards, excellent anatomically but definitely more restrained.

When talking about JB's art I really think you have to discriminate between pre SS 4 and post SS4 production. I am surprised nobody at this point has brought up the SS 4 anecdote, because I think it is higly relevant. IMHO SS4 is an absolute peak in super hero art by any standards, and would stand on equal footing with the best Ditkos, Kirbys, Millers etc etc. Then we know his art was tamed, apparently based on SLee's feedback: after that there no longer was the same level of drama and tension in the anatomy and in facial expressions, layouts became a bit more standard, etc. I can't talk about his Conan production because I have not read that, but I am thinking of FF circa 130, or Avengers circa 250. But in my mind his early work circa SS 4 is absolutely top of the game and the exact contrary of boring. Carlo

Ok, I get that and I am with you. The question still is: who deems these pieces popular, or more relevant context-wise? The people who originally read those and are now 80? Or later readers, who determinde later, based on some objective parameters, that a certain run or publisher is higher quality than another? I still think it would be interesting to know a bit more about the profile of buyers of '50s art. Are they readers of the '80s reprints, on the spur of nostalgia, like suggested by the previous post? Or more mature readers, who have expanded their interest area and somehow determined the quality of the content? Knowing the profile of those buyers might tell us a bit more about the future buyers of super heroes art. Talking about my own experience, as a Marvel-only-super-heroes-only-European-buyer, I have recently bought one EC Weird Science Archive trade and truly enjoyed it based on the quality of what I was reading. I could see myself exploring more these types of comics and one day buy one piece of OA from one of those issues, and yet I would have no idea that EC was more popular than Charlton.

I have one question to the Group related to demographics and OA price predictions, somewhat related to the recent posts on this thread. I was thinking about creating a new thread but I might as well ask the question here. If demographics and nostalgia are the main drivers of OA buying and pricing, who is buying '50s Sci Fi art? I am referring not only to the Frazetta Flash Gordon cover, but also to the more regular Williamson cover that still fetched a respectful 30k plus at CLink. I mean, these comics were published in the '50s. Somebody who was 13 then is about 80 today....Are these really still nostalgia-driven purchases? At the same time, one can hardly tell that these covers refer to broadly recognised mythos like Spider-Man or the Avengers, as would be the case of early Ditko or Kirby on those issues, so also context hardly applies. So my question is, are there collectors who are driven not by nostalgia, but by the sheer quality of the art, even bejond context (I can't imagine exactly what context the Williamson cover could refer to...). And if that is the case, doesn't that provide a favourable outlook for prices of good quality OA in the future, even beyond nostalgia and context considerations? Carlo

UXM 251 is another great cover with weakened hero and yet would be highly coveted, I would presume.

Hello everybody, as the consignor I have of course a vested interest in this. I am actually glad that whoever decides to bid on this does so on an informed basis. I can't comment on the chemistry involved or make a predicition as to how the piece will hold up in the future. However, I would like to point out that the piece is 35 years old and that the ComicLink scan is IMHO quite accurate. If people double click on it they should be able to get a good sense of how the piece looks like at close inspection. Having said that, I would encourage interested collectors to contact Jason Crosby at ComicLink for more information, description, scans, pictures etc. etc. ( jcrosby@comiclink.com ) Thanks everybody, and in general it would be good to know which issues indeed were large art. For sure I do remember the cover to FF 256 sold on HA being large art. Carlo

Considering the debate developing on the other thread in the main board, as the consignor I would like to point out that the ComicLink scan is IMHO quite accurate. If people double click on it they should be able to get a good sense of how the piece looks like at close inspection. Having said that, I would encourage interested collectors to contact Jason Crosby at ComicLink for more information, description, scans, picture etc. etc. ( jcrosby@comiclink.com ) Carlo

Sorry I realised I have posted it in the wrong place, should be in the Market Place. I don't know how to move it there - any help would be appreciated. Carlo

Hi, I have consigned to the current Comiclink Winter Featured Auction my Byrne FF 257 Galactus page that I offered here for a few weeks ago. It is a No Reserve auction, so the price will be decided by the market. However, I would like people to be aware that the page is actually larger size, almost Silver Age standard. I have uploaded a picture comparing this page to a standard art page (another consignment of mine) on CAF, interested collectors can check it out here: https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1531791 Best and happy bidding! Carlo

4k estimate for the UXM 233 Wolverine page was quite low I think, at least based on the last page coming through HA: Mr. Sinister and Polaris, final price USD 3360. This page is one of the best pages in the run, there are not many good wolverine pages from that run. I expect it will get a good price (I am not the seller, nor do I know him...)

Sorry guys, did not intend to break the rules. Anyway, I have edited the original post with prices. Happy to elaborate privately as to how I have come up with those. Happy year end to everybody,

Will send you a PM

I share the dislike of some features of his art, in particular grinning female characters in the middle of atrocious fights. But this cover absolutely won me over and I am really pleased to have it. https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1504895 And the comic itself is quite good! Carlo