SquareChaos

I have an extremely modest collection, and it isn't posted on any CAF or CAF-like site. I have posted a few photos here on the boards, but that's it - I've not posted anything anywhere else, it just hasn't been a priority... and I don't even own a scanner. This behavior has no connection to any type of 'fresh to market' logic, since, as I've said the collection is very modest, especially by board standards.

As far as I know he's still buying. Unless my memory is poor, I think he had a decent haul pretty recently.

I considered going after #37p19, but it wasn't the right one considering I'd be doing a trade up, and I like the Preacher page I already own better. Having said that... I'm surprised at 3/4 finishes under $1000.

I'd vote for masonite as well, I haven't had anything damaged yet when secured that way, but who knows, maybe that has just been luck. You likely can't go wrong with Lucky Baru's advice.

Simply from an economic perspective, you have to think prices flatten once the cost of cash really begins to creep up over the next few years as it is currently planned to do. Not that I know from a great deal of personal experience, but academically, if people have other attractive options around what to do with large sums of cash, some of those options will win out over comic art... but going with the previously established analogy... this isn't applicable for the unredeemable rock hounds among us.

I remember when you posted this last year and Creepy #141 was suggested as the source, but it isn't - here is a website I found that scanned that short story: https://cv-zedricdimalanta.tumblr.com/post/132655492277/filipino-comics-art-fridays-alfonso-deleon

I've ordered from them a few times, never had an issue. But, unlike most others here so far apparently, I'd also be concerned. Assuming this is as described, that is a long time for them not to at least respond to an email.

This probably doesn't count, but I find it personally distasteful. Originally... free apparently. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bernie-Wrightson-PENCIL-from-Drawing-Desk/113168695358?hash=item1a5961403e:g:DvcAAOSw-INa-PSB

This continues to look like a pretty faithful adaptation.

I'm still invested in EoW as well, I just don't read the modern forums as much these days! I'd have to change my avatar otherwise.

I picked up more work from the talented Lukas Ketner. See the original below, followed by a side by side with a promo piece color / trade dress version. I still haven't snagged a scanner, despite all of the options I've had to do so over the last year, which is a shame as the detail present in this one is quite nice in hand. Thanks for looking!

I personally sold off many of the keys out of my collection and then donated the rest to a non-profit, tax deductible charity. Win-win in my opinion - it may be an option for some of the rest of you if you don't feel the need to squeeze every nickle out of your collection.

That TOD feeling was on purpose (which you may already know). Fun, and quick enough, read to blow through the run.

Count me as another Bendis and company DD reader, as well as a hardcover set owner. Great stuff... but I'd say the art never reached the heights of the Miller run. I'd say why pick a 'better' between them? I'll take them both

Dammit, more bad news. I've been so busy lately, I somehow hadn't heard about Harlan passing. Equally depressing to me, two great creators.

I personally think key focused collecting, slabs, and the rise of the trade killed the run collector - I don't think digital did it. To answer your main question, I'm down to a decent sized hardcover collection and a few slabs that I will likely sell over time... except for a select few. Anything I read these days is usually digital, and if I really like it, in hardcover to a coveted spot on my bookshelf. Much like you, once I divested of the majority of my collection, I felt a sense of relief. Much more a sense of relief than anything bitter sweet to be honest. The older I've grown the more thousands and thousands of comics packed away began to simply wear on me. And man, moving with those things... I won't miss that.

So many events are completely forgettable. More than are memorable at any rate... I'd give you some example, but, well... you know.

I was about to post much the same thing. I have to imagine anyone dropping $20k on OA with wet ink has some idea of the impermanence of the modern Big Two print universes - I can hardly imagine it was some waif wandering in from the cold, just looking for a good place to invest some sudden windfall (though stranger things have happened). A continuity reboot is typically just a few years away at any given time, and also perhaps to the point... it seems more and more the norm for artists to hold on to their work on bigger titles with a bit of a 'wait and see' attitude. I often think they end up doing more poorly in those instances on average, but that is just a gut instinct - clearly the artist did not do poorly in this instance.

I'm pleased to hear a story with a happy ending, I'm glad you got what you were after.

Their interface definitely could use some work - my biggest annoyance is when attempting to bid, it loads an entire other page to tell you something was wrong with your bid, and hey, you might want to go back to the page where you can actually try to put in another bid... oh, right, the auction's over by the time you get back.

You must have put very little effort into reading what I actually wrote.

For me, White Knight just isn't worth reading due to the awful storytelling... but of course every person will have some amount of subjectivity there. Though I do believe that even art (speaking of the general art of comics, more than the 'art' on the page) can have qualities that are objectively bad... White Knight skirted that line for me. I was unable to power through and actually continue past the third issue. The art on the page was OK, but I personally don't like Murphy on Batman the more Murphy on Batman that I've seen... which is somewhat odd, as I've liked his work on titles like Joe the Barbarian and Tokyo Ghost quite a bit.

Yes, I know what a contract is. I think the more telling question is why would an artist or their rep need to have such a thing? I'm pretty sure most of Felix's artist's commission lists fill up within a day or two as soon as they're opened, and I don't believe there is any negotiation in pricing involved so it seems like that side of the equation already holds all of the cards.

Why are you reacting so defensively? Your story clearly shows an expectation of accountability on the commission you speak of, that is all I'm referring to. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, just responding to what you wrote in an attempt to communicate... hopefully the reason most of us are here.

A great deal of the OA community appears to run on reputation, something I found odd once I started to interact around even just the edges of it. Especially considering how much money sometimes changes hands. I guess for a long time it had been small enough to do so? Anyway, I'm not sure how I'd feel about having to sign some boilerplate agreement on a $500 commission.