Caltex98

Here is a bikini cover from Archie's Double Digest #189 where he drew the girl in the foreground almost photorealistic: In the colored version she looks like this (irish?):

That is a great way to start your collection!

Examples of Sunday pages. First Dan DeCarlo from 1982: Then Jeff Shultz from 2005, inked by Bob Smith (from what I understand Jeff drew the strip for a very limited time): And finally Fernando Ruiz from 2008 (also inked by Bob Smith, I believe): This one was made after Fernando got permission to sign it in his own name instead of ghosting it for Henry Scarpelli.

Bringing out the grails now, are we?

Looks like DeCarlo to me. He was assigned the strip in 1975 (after the death of Bob Montana) and drew it for quite some time. I don't have the exact date when he left and Henry Scarpelli (?) & Craig Boldman (writer) took over it. I may post some examples of how it looked later on when Jeff Shultz and Fernando Ruiz (who ghosted it uncredited for years) was the artists.

You're most welcome. And while I am on the subject of Rich Koslowski... Rich inking Fernando Ruiz: Rich inking Gisèle Lagacé (from the "Reversedale"-story in Archie #636): Rich inking Bill Galvan: Rich inking Jeff Shultz: And finally Rich inking himself (from the graphic novel B.B. Wolf anf the Three LP's): If you find yourself in the vincinity of Santa Cruz I suggest you visit Rich in his art supply store in Aptos, Art Supplies, Ink. Who knows, he might even have some original art for sale at reasonable rates?

DeCarlo's style didn't change that much. If you compare his Irma and Pearl stuff to what he did in the 90's most of it looks almost the same (maybe a little "looser around the edges"), the things that changed were the fashions and hairdos. DeCarlo is said to have subscribed to teen magazines and making "field trips" to keep up with the changes in fashion so the books always were up to date fashionwise. It was him who was mainly responsible for replacing Archie's somewhat dated threads from the forties with more contemporary outfits. He also made the girls change their hair in the mid sixties (Betty swapping her pigtails for her signature ponytail for instance). Here is a video showing Rich Koslowski inking a Dan DeCarlo pinup. He sure makes it look easy:

Dan DeCarlo and his various inkers. (A crash course.) Dan DeCarlo inked by James DeCarlo: Dan DeCarlo inked by Rudy Lapick: Dan DeCarlo inks himself: Dan DeCarlo inked by Henry Scarpelli: Dan DeCarlo inked by Alison Flood: Dan DeCarlo inked by Jon D'Agostino: And as I said before: "When in doubt, ask Dan Parent!"

I bought my first Archie OA in 1989. It was the then brand new cover to Betty & Veronica #15 and I have collected ever since. My fave artist is of course Dan DeCarlo (like everyone else) and over the years I have been able to gather some examples of his art which are on display here. Most of it I have found on eBay, but some of it comes from dealers (Gary Dolgoff is a goldmine for complete stories, for example what I believe to be one of the longest DeCarlo ever drew; the 17-page lead story from Sabrina #24) as well. I even managed to get my hands on a late Humorama piece (zipatone instead of inkwash) before prices on those started to rise. Of the other "classic" Archie artists I have a few by Stan Goldberg (who I had the privilege to meet in San Diego in 2012) but other than that there are mostly newer artists in my collection. Bill Galvan is represented quite extensively, maybe because I am a big fan of his art and we also have become good friends over the years. He is my main goto-guy for commissions where he always exceeds my expectations. Another big favorite of the newer Archie artists is canadian Gisèle Lagacé. She has developed the classic Archie house style into something entirely of her own. Too bad her actual output is so small that I own 27% of it myself (if I did the math correctly). But there are always commissions... I like Rex Lindsey's pinup-pages a lot. The primary source for those is Rex himself. If he decides to sell. There are a few covers I know he is holding on to for the time being (to my and other collectors annoyance). I count the primary modern Archie artist Dan Parent among my friends too, and has some of his artwork in my collection. Dan is a goldmine when it comes to identify Dan DeCarlos work and who inked what. Somtimes it is hard to tell the different inkers apart, but Dan can always point out what distinguish them from one another. I also admire the work of Fernando Ruiz, especially his interior pages since his sequential storytelling always is impeccable with great layouts. The four-part story The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E." in Archie #610-613 and later collected in a trade stands out in particular. Tom De Falco provided a "full --script" but left the page layout entirely to him and it shows. Practically every single page of that story is a textbook example of how comics should be told in an innovative and exciting way. (This also goes for Archie vs Predator even if I personally found that "make believe-story" too disturbing to be able to enjoy it.) According to Holly Golightly herself I am the only OA collector who has been able to pry one of her Sabrina-covers away from her. But one can always try for more, I guess. And just as Will K. I am a big fan of Jeff Shultz. I have both covers and story pages and one-page gags by him in my collection, as well as some of my favorite commissions. Check out the Super 'Suckers comic for more of his great art! What art to buy has a lot to do with who the inker is. Early Dan DeCarlo should be inked by Rudy Lapick, but lateron (until his untimely death), his son James DeCarlo was his best inker. I also like Jon D'Agostino's inks on DeCarlo, but there are diffetent opinions around about those. (D'Agostino always liked to put his own twist on the art.) On Goldberg I think D'Agostino's inks look terrific! This also goes for Jeff Shultz (but his own inking is also great). All the modern artists benefit a lot if they are inked by the masterful Rich Koslowski. And don't forget that Bob Smith is an (more or less) unsung hero of inking who can make almost any artist look good! Good luck with finding the stuff you want!

Sometimes it pays off to be in good graces with the artists (and acting FAST). There was at least one more collector on the prowl for this: The B-cover for the upcoming Die Kitty Die Christmas Special #1. Pencilled by Fernando Ruiz and beautifully inked by Rich Koslowski. I apologize for the quality of the photo. It was taken with my Nokia C2-01 cellphone out of necessity (instead of the Canon Rebel T3i I usually use). Click on the picture for a better scan (and the color version) in my Fernando Ruiz CAF gallery.

Two more additions from the trip to California & San Diego in July: Red One #3 page 6 by Terry & Rachel Dodson. One of the best staged car chases I have ever seen in a comic book. Sequential storytelling at its finest! The format is 12"x17", one inch wider than normal to better fit the european album size. And chatting with Terry is always very nice. I am very pleased with this addition of another of Joëlle Jones' incredible two-page spreads to my collection. This one (which I readily admit is somewhat disturbing) is from the most recent issue (#4) of her own comic, Lady Killer vol 2. Professional killer Josie Schuller disposes of a burlesque dancer in her backstage dressing room. As always Joelle incorporates a lot of authentic details from the time period in her drawings (she obviously spend a lot of time doing research). Both pages signed by the artist. And NOT taped together, which was an unexpected bonus. When I showed these pages to Don Rosa he remarked that "they looked like something out of a pre-code comic book". And he should know. Click on the pages to see them (and some additional images of the creators) in my CAF gallery.

What I walked away with from table F-12 at SDCC: Page 10 from the first issue of Your Pal Archie by Dan Parent (not in stores until the week after SDCC). Action-packed page which gives Archie's vintage 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang plenty of exposure. (The page was a reward from the most recent Die Kitty Die Kickstarter-campaign). And speaking of Die Kitty Die: Page 6 & 8 from issue #1of the first Die Kitty Die miniseries. Pencilled by Fernando Ruiz and inked by Rich Koslowski. The main character is depressed (great body language) and lose her clothes due to unathorized use of magic. Archie #612, page 6. The best picture of Sharry the Spygirl in the entire "The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E." story arc? Created by artist Fernando Ruiz and writer Tom DeFalco. Unfortunately the sequel was never made. She was too good to be a one-off character! Inked by Rich Koslowski and lettered by Jack Morelli. Click on the pictures to see the artwork in a larger format in my CAF gallery.

Got around to scan and upload everything I brought home from the US & SDCC in July on CAF. Here are some thumbnails: Don Rosa mimicked the facial expression of the Yukon Scrooge from the cover art of his final duck story, "The Prisoner of White Agony Creek". Jaime Hernandez' $40 headshots are great value for money. This is Terry looking disdainful. Joe Staton humored me when I wanted to commission "a naughty Nova Kane with a come hither look". Later Fernando Ruiz agreed to work his copic marker magic on it. Joe was very pleased with the result when I showed it to him. Click on the pictures to see larger (and uncensored) versions in my CAF gallery.

Thank YOU for organizing this, Brian! I'd suggest we keep it at the Edgewater in the future. Their Tuna Melt was spectacular (albeit very filling).

Not refused, but when I bought the pencilled cover and the inked pages för Archie & Friends #156 I knew that Bill Galvan had let the writer, Alex Segura, have the title page because it was his first Archie --script to see print. Alex provided me with a hi-res scan of the page so I can show the whole story to those who are interested. I was too late to pick up Mike DeCarlo's inked cover, but I am content with owning the pencils. My experience is that as long as we are talking about new stories and issues it isn't really that difficult to obtain them, just call "dibs" to the creator as soon it is published and don't argue too much over the asked price (that's how I got 27% of all Giséle Lagacè's published Archie interior pages if my math is correct).

That was the catch this year - no pickup on site even for professionals (if you don't register after June 8th when the badges will start go out which of course was not an option). Usually I pick up my badge around 4 o'clock when the pro line is gone, have dinner, and return to the convention center at 6 for Preview night. Oh well, it will probably work out one way or another... It usually do.

If everything works out according to plan (mailing the badges doesn't sound like a good idea for overseas attendees even though I can use an US address) I will be there for the whole stretch, Wednesday (Preview night) to Sunday.

Great exemples of Romero artwork, Brian. I Sweden we are lucky to have had most of the Axa comic published over the years. It was so popular that my friend Peter "Pidde" Andersson got to pen the -script for one episode, "Freakshow", which ran in Magnum Comics #2/1994... But as for my own under-appreciated art I choose this (which I suspect you might like, too): A two-page spread by Eduardo Barreto from Robin Annual #6 I wonder if it was Barreto himself or writer Chuck Dixon who decided to make Stan Lynde acting U.S. Marshal...?

Yes, sometimes your wishes come true. There is a video of me unwrapping the present and from my behavior it is quite clear that this is not what I had expexted... (There are a few pages Jansson never had returned from his employer - the newspaper where it was published - but their whereabouts are unknown. There is also a piece of promotion art sitting in his inker's files that waits to be returned - I had my mind set on that one before I got lucky with these two.)

It was for a good cause! Joke aside, when they described the situation for Jansson he agreed to sell on the condition that I would provide him with high resolution scans for reference, which came in handy when the entire run of "Ratte" was reprinted a while later. I am not really sure, but I believe that my two pages are the ones with the best reproduction in that book. I suppose it also helped that I know the writer, Magnus Knutsson, pretty well and he could vouch for me and confirm that the chance that I would let go of the pages in the future is absolutely non existent. The swedish comic community is still rather small, so everyone in it at least knows someone who knows someone... My friend who managed the negotiations with Jansson tried to buy one page for himself, but that was not a possibilty. It was all about the right person at the right time. Here is the collection, BTW:

Ulf Jansson is known (in Sweden at least) for never parting with his beautiful pages (to my knowledge there is only one piece of it privately owned), but when I was asked by friends what I wished for a birthday present a couple of years ago I suggested that a page from his and writer Magnus Knutsson's adventure comic "Ratte" would be very appropriate. I had absolutely no hope that they would succeed. But they did, and this is what I could unwrap at my birthday party: Not one, but two pages, both of them unique in their own way. The one on the right is the only occasion Jansson has used the entire height of a page for a panel, but I guess that is necessary if you want to fit the Empire State Building into the picture. Click on the pictures to see them in my CAF gallery. So this is probably the world's largest collection of Ulf Jansson OA outside his own archive. (The reason for him not selling his art is that he likes it too much and has a career of well-paying jobs in advertising and commercial art. Comics has always been a by-the-side occupation for him.)

Sad news indeed. Another very underappreciated artist (except by his peers who held him in high regard). I met him in San Diego in the 90's and can confirm that he was an incredible nice guy. Among other things he signed this issue of Crossfire for me: My Dan Spiegle gallery on CAF. I recommend Dan Spiegle: A Life In Comic Art by John Coates from Two Morrows Publishing.

Four pages by Eduardo Barreto from Indiana Jones & the Sargasso Pirates. They work much better in black and white than in color (as they were published): #2, page 2. #3, page 2. #4, page 6. #4, page 14. Click on the pictures to see them in my CAF gallery. A more recent exemple is how Randy Reynaldo imitates "real" Zip-a-tone and Crafttint with Photoshop in his Rob Hanes Adventures comic. Unfortunately this means there isn't a trace of it on his OA-pages...

Not as many new acquisitions this year, but kind of hard to make a selection nevertheless. The Best of 2016 in my Lowry: Joëlle Jones - Lady Killer (Unpublished Sketch Covers/Convention Sketches) Joëlle Jones was the Guest of Honor at Örebro Comics Festival 2016 and she was was kind enough to make this contribution in my sketchbook. Her protagonist Josie Schuller with just the right amount of red splattered all over it. http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8613 John McCrea - Tommy Monoghan, happy & content (Unpublished Sketch Covers/Convention Sketches) At London Super Comic Convention 2016 I asked John McCrea (who is an incredibly nice person) if he could draw a smiling Tommy Monoghan, happy and content for the moment with his life? He agreed and started out in a very enhusiastic way, but nothing could have prepared me for the result of his work - this is a labor of of love and I think it shows! Tommy sitting at the bar in Noonan's with a cold one and lighting up a cigarette with a happy smile on his face. Looking at it I feel the same way as Tommy... http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8612 Eduardo Barreto - Robin Annual #6 - p32 (Published Interior Panel pages) A wild chase on horseback in the dark. The storytelling is exceptionally good and the action moves swiftly along from panel to panel. Light and shadow look easy when a master has done the work. Eduardo Barreto should really get more appreciation for his craft. http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8610 Frank Robbins - Johnny Hazard - 6-4-1972 (Published Strip Art) The magnificent Sunday page from June 4th, 1972. One of the last really huge (26" x 18 1/4") ones before Frank Robbins switched to 2-strip. The storytelling and attention to detail is incredible. In the early seventies I think there isn't much left of Noel Sickles and Milton Caniff in his style and he has come entirely into his own. As soon as I picked this one up at Comic-con 2016 I knew I had to have it. Never mind that is was something of a nightmare to bring along as an "extra additional item" on my flights back home to Sweden. http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8611 Joëlle Jones - Lady Killer #3 - p14-15 (Published Splashes, Pin-Ups) I was really lucky to get my hands on this two-page spread from the third issue of the first story arc of Lady Killer. It is brimming with action, drama and meticulous detail - everything that makes Lady Killer such a great comic! Joëlle Jones have disclosed in conversation with me that what was really really trying with this picture was to get the staircase and the shadow of the bannister right. But I suppose that is what you have to deal with when you are staging the scene as something out of a Hitchcock movie! http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8609 Quite didn't make it: Dan DeCarlo - Bingo Wilkin pinup (Published Splashes, Pin-Ups) It is not often you see a pinup by Dan DeCarlo featuring Bingo Wilkin and his girlfriend Samantha Smythe. At least not for sale on the market so I jumped at the opportunity. Regarding it being inked by DeCarlo's son, James DeCarlo, this was determined by DeCarlo expert Dan Parent after a thorough scrutinization at Comic-con in San Diego 2016. I have no idea where it was originally published. http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1335735 Bill Galvan - Riverdale Revenge - Imaginary paperback cover featuring Betty, Veronica & Cheryl (Published/Unpublished Commissions) When Bill Galvan and I tossed around ideas for his next commission for me I suggested that he should try his hand at doing a paperback cover with the girls of Archie Comics in the way it would have looked if drawn by the legendary Robert Mc Ginnis. I sent Bill a few examples of what I was looking for and he went to work immediately and he grasped the essence of McGinnis perfectly. That it is a noir variation on the classic Archie image "three on a soda" didn't hurt either! http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1294585 Eduardo Barreto - Robin Annual #6 - p52 (Published Interior Panel pages) While winding down the story towards its ending, Eduardo Barreto and writer Chuck Dixon pays hommage to The Lone Ranger. Beautiful. http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1304658 Fernando Ruiz - Sharry the Spy-Girl (Published/Unpublished Commissions) Sharry the Spy-Girl was a character created by Tom DeFalco for "The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E."-storyline which ran in issues 610-613 of the Archie comic. She was probably as sexy as the editors would allow in that book (always showing a lot of cleavage and wearing a skin-tight jump-suit). Of course I jumped at the the chance to have Fernando Ruiz drawing her as a reward in his and Dan Parent's Kickstarter-campaign for their creator-owned comic "Die Kitty Die". According to himself he found it very fun to revisit the character, and I think it shows. Isn't she gorgeous? http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1335409 Jeff Shultz - Sabrina the Teenage Witch flying on broom (Published/Unpublished Commissions) A few years back I got stiffed on an eBay deal involving several pieces of art by Jeff Shultz. One of them was a beautiful rendering of Sabrina Spellman riding on a broom in front of the moon among streaks of mist. Even though I had cut my losses on that one I never really could get that image out of my head, so I asked Jeff if he could recreate it for me? Jeff, being the nice guy he is, agreed to do it (after he had found a small picture of the original image in his files) but also improved on it by adding Sabrina's aunts and giving it the full color treatment. I think it is a real beauty and unfortunately my scan can't do the colors justice at all! http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1306049 And here are the rest of my 2016 acquisitions. There is no category for meet-ups with other fellow OA collectors, otherwise the dinner Thursday night at San Diego Comic-con would have been an obvious choice.

Sounds like a great concept! Artists who I'd like to see spolighted: Eduardo Barreto, Emanuela Lupacchino, Terry Dodson, Dan Spiegle, Scott Shaw!, Joe Staton, Don Rosa, Stan Lynde, Leonard Starr, Jim Holdaway & Gisèle Lagacé (availability, pricing etc).