AndyFish

Thanks for the fix and the support- there has to be a cutoff and it's all subjective-- VF is definitely a solid grade but VF+ is what I'll stick with.

Couple of pickups from C2E2, more soon. Love the Marvel Family!

Yup subjective but the term "High grade" to me would rank VF+ or better, so... 8.5 Up - High Grade 4.0 - 8.0 - Mid Grade 0.5 - 3.5 - Low Grade

It sounds a lot like the speculator nonsense of the 90s-- people buying Death of Superman in multiples and saying on the news that this will cover their kids college expenses in 20 years. I know I wouldn't pay more than cover for a variant.

I don't buy a lot of figures, but I picked up this Sideshow figure recently because I really liked it-- gives off vibes from the original 1943 Batman Serial!

Great page-- my favorite series as a kid!

What a great thread-- so much fun!

I'd also recommend Fiction House-- Planet Comics and Ranger Comics both had some really great stories and art in them.

Another pickup recently... Richard Sprang's first full issue on BATMAN-- he did the cover and all of the stories in this one. A personal favorite of mine! Got a great deal on this one too.

Is it better to release it, lose money, get swamped with bad PR and destroy the Batgirl name? There's a reason there has never been a 2nd Howard the Duck movie despite it being a good character.

Agree-- let's all remember these big studio films are profit driven, we're not talking art for art sake type films here. For the most part we're in bloated CGI laden over produced pinup shot films with far more style than substance.

I've only seen a handful of superhero movies because I like good movies with plot, character development, good acting and good writing. I can understand why people like them, they are like carnival rides, but you're not talking great films, I'm not sure why someone gets offended at that idea. Movies can be just fun escapism, not everything has to be CASABLANCA, THE USUAL SUSPECTS or SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Apparently this one did so poorly at an audience screening they felt the DCEU would be damaged as a whole so it was better to take the tax right off. I'm never going to complain that a bad movie doesn't get made. Anyone ever see the 1979 LEGENDS OF THE SUPERHEROES? I sure would have liked someone to put that one out of its misery before it made it to TV screens.

Picked this up at Superworld Comics tonight. Love these Golden Age Plastic Man's-- and Woozy is the sidekick I'd want to have-- you can keep your pre-teen boy in short pants.

I can give you some insight as an artist who does a lot of commissions both via the ComicArtFans twice annual Live Shows and at conventions where I'm an invited guest including SDCC, NYCC, Heroes, C2E2, Chicago Fan Expo, Singapore and more. Veronica and I restrict the number of commissions we take so that we don't leave people hanging, but we aren't perfect. We charge less for commissions at shows than we do for the CAF Live show-- substantially less. But you get LESS of a piece since the time put into it is roughly two hours max. For the at home virtual show we put about sixteen hours (and sometimes more) into a piece so you pay more. We only accept full payment up front and have for all the years we've been doing this because we don't want to have to chase payments, BUT, and this is a big one, WE DELIVER THE SKETCH AT THE SHOW you ordered it from. No mailing excuses, no "we just want to work a little more on it" -- we intentionally keep the number of sketches at a show to a workable amount and we factor in not taking them back to the room so that we can enjoy our dinner or hang out at the hotel bar after the show to unwind. We take your cell phone number down and we text you when the piece is ready and include a reminder of our table number so you can pick up your piece. We've done well over 200 conventions over the years and we haven't broken this system once. For the online show, same deal but with some caveats; we promise to get you the finished piece in 4-6 weeks but the at home commissions, as I said, take longer, so we've had some that took substantially longer than that and another big BUT -- we stay in contact with the buyer-- we NEVER ghost anyone and we are upfront with your status. So why are pieces late? I've seen it many times over-- an artist accepts too many commissions at a show, it's hard for them to turn down money. They think they're faster than they are. They over promise. They don't feel like drawing all day at the show and then all night at the Hotel-- in Chicago I hung out at the hotel bar with a big name artist friend who I KNOW was taking on a bunch of commissions during the day-- I'd be stressed about getting them done, he was on his fifth gin and tonic. Now when the sketch is late there is a pressure to make it "even better" so it becomes a chore rather than fun. Work gets in the way, editors call all the time with last minute things they need delivered, and while a customer who has commissioned a piece SHOULD be treated with the same level of importance as an editor the truth is that is never going to happen. A $500 commission piece vs a company who has given you $60k worth of work for the past six months means the company has to get the upper hand. Bottom line, I'm a fan too. I collect both Golden Age Comics and Original Comic Art-- I've been known to get a commission at shows, but I still have a very big name artist who owes me a "quick head shot" for going on five years now. Every time I see him he tells me he hasn't forgotten it. I didn't pay for it, it was a trade, and despite my saying just do a 10 minute doodle he insists on making it "great"-- so I wait and have little expectations that it'll be ready anytime soon. I'm sure I wouldn't be so blasé about it if I'd paid good money for it. There are some artists who produce work in a super professional manner, Trevor Von Eden is one of them-- he was an absolute pleasure to work with and he delivered my piece on time and did a beautiful job on it. It makes me want to buy from him again soon. And for the record, lest you think I'm doing a commercial for my own commissions, I'm not-- we are only taking them at the upcoming Salt Lake City show in September and when CAF Live opens up again in the Fall-- otherwise we are currently closed. I just wanted to give you some insight from the other side. Don't let a few rotten apples spoil buying from artists who won't let you down.

This thread needs to be laminated in gold leaf and saved for posterity. Endless entertainment here.

No actually the biggest one (not mine) was a Golden Age Batman comic book from a dealer whose booth area looked very disheveled and you might pass by thinking they had nothing but junk. The buyer went on Sunday afternoon and really dug and found this with a box of other golden age books that had been overlooked. He posted the find on Instagram and got so much more of an offer for it he had to sell. So the deals are there for those that look. As for finding ways in-- so many of these dealers NEED help getting set up. Establish a relationship with one or more of them and then ASK if they can get you in for setup you'll help out. You might be surprised how quickly someone agrees (probably too late for this show, but something to think for the next one).

Thank you-- I had better luck there then I did in Chicago at the beginning of the month!

Love these Looney Tunes, I have quite a few in the run.

Well I know Ted and the Superworld Team are going, and they had some new books they've picked up. I don't love C2E2 but I was at Chicago Fan Expo and I thought that show was pretty good-- and you're right likely the same dealers or mostly the same. I know of some great scores at Expo last month. If you go, get in during setup (volunteer to help a dealer, etc) and buy when the dealers are buying from each other so you aren't paying markup prices.

I posted this in my Terrificon Con Report in events but picked up a few Golds over the weekend... BATMAN #7 was always a favorite of mine, love Lee Elias so BLACK CAT is up there too-- always wanted the WWII Captain Marvel Machine Gun Cover, I have a pretty good run of Looney Tunes from Dell in the early 40s and RANGERS COMICS. Last but certainly not least, WHIZ COMICS #93 because you do a Hobo Cover and I'm in.

TERRIFICON REPORT JULY 2022. (My reports are long, apologies in advance!) The line to get in looked pretty long. Full disclosure I've not waited in line or bought tickets to a show in twenty years-- and I tell you this not in bragging but because like doing a review of something you were given a free sample of said review is going to be affected somewhat. I don't know if I'd feel so good about a show if I waited in line for three hours like people did at Heroes Con one year. A quick note to anyone coming to the show with a wife, girlfriend or a SO who isn't into comics-- there is a TON to do here. There is a connected Mall and a boat load of restaurants with bars and TVs, so even if they don't have any interest in gambling you can find ways to entertain yourself for several hours without much effort. I'd been here 2-3 times before since it opened, it's about an hour from home for us, and I've done some blackjack and poker in the past but it's not something I really enjoy all that much even though I usually do pretty well. It's also worth noting that unlike regular hotel bars drinks are fairly cheap down here. Comics wise there were many dealers there; my favorites and the ones I bought something from were SUPERWORLD (of course), MOVING PICTURES, HIGH GRADE COMICS (Bob!), and 3 KEYS along with couple of dealers whose names I didn't catch. Primarily a Golden Age collector I managed to find some gems including BLACK CAT WESTERN and AMERICA'S GREATEST COMICS #6 as well as WHIZ COMICS #93 (although the Hobo Whiz Cover is a purchase from Dale via his website that arrived yesterday so it ended up in the loot pile). There was a small amount of pre-code horror kicking around but nothing I either didn't already have or it was not quite in the condition or price range I wanted to play in. I went back and forth on a BATMAN #7 which had minor restoration. It was a nice copy but purple label of death thing and all if it were graded. I didn't want to pay market non-resto value for it because let's be honest you have to downgrade it at least a full number grade. Still.... I had no intention of getting it graded so thanks to #2 son Joe (who is a manager for Superworld) he was able to secure a deal for me the following day at a substantial savings off the asking price. It is a BATMAN #7 after all ;). I didn't notice much in the way of nonsense crafty type sellers that take up so much space at some of these shows, there were some sculptors selling work, there was a woman selling stick on masks one of which looked like it'd work if you wanted to do your Denny Colt SPIRIT costume next year. I only saw a few tables of original art, Spencer Beck's THE ARTIST CHOICE was setup and it's been a number of years since I've seen him. I managed to find a John Romita Jr page which I really liked-- I've got a history with JJ going back to the 90s when I was working as Paul Ryan's assistant-- and I'd hoped to reconnect with him at the show but every time I swung by he was off doing something. Not only is he my favorite modern comics artist-- his work channels Kirby to me-- plus he (and his Dad) is/are one of the nicest guys on the planet. I chatted with Paul Kupperberg, Joe Staton and Alex Saviuk who contininued our conversation from the green room in Chicago, had a quick meet with CB Celuski who currently edits Marvel Comics and said hello to Dan Didio whose tenure as DC Editor wasn't my favorite but you can't argue he wasn't enthusiastic in his role and didn't deserved the exit he got. Everyone was asking me why I wasn't setup at the show and I told them we don't get invited to local shows for some reason and that it was nice to just be there as a fan for a change with no commissions or panels to contend with. As I noted, the celebrity area was pretty quiet. Unlike most celeb heavy shows this one had actors I've actually heard of, although that's not normally a great thing as I just don't watch modern superhero movies or sci fi. No wrestlers either which I know even less of. They had Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy-- Superman and Batman from the respective Animated Series. It was interesting to see Michael Gray and John Davey-- Billy Batson and Captain Marvel from that absolutely terrible 70s SHAZAM! show where Billy drove around in a Winnebago (how come nobody ever asked Billy why he constantly wore that red sweater, drove around with a strange old guy, or had the Captain Marvel symbol on the front of his Winnebago?) with Mentor saving the day and giving us a morality lesson. The show was bad but I tuned in faithfully with my bowl of Cocoa Puffs every Saturday morning because in the 70s we were desperate for anything comic related. Both of them look good for guys pushing their 70s and 80s but it makes you realize how quickly time goes by. My wife arrived at 5pm - she wanted to say hello to Dave Foley and Kristy Swanson. She also really enjoyed talking to Alex Saviuk in Chicago and wanted to catch up with him. She'd never met John Romita Jr but had heard my ridiculous stories of one of our adventures together and as we walked to dinner we ran into him and he CONFIRMED the event to her-- she'll never doubt me again. Pic of me with John, please note my expression is because my wife nearly dropped my phone before she snapped the pic and I was running numbers through my head as to how much the weekend was going to cost me with the comics, original art and now a new phone! ;) Pro's & Cons Pro's - Wide range of dealers and a lot of comics in the show. Security was present, metal detectors, bag searches, police and a bomb sniffing dog, but they kept it moving quickly. Not so at SDCC and Chicago Comic Con this year where security really slowed things down. Venue offered a LOT of food options with a good range of price options. There was a concession stand where a lot of show folk were eating, no idea how that was but those who were eating there seemed happy. Big selection of comics, heavy on the Copper and Modern stuff, but a decent amount of Gold, Silver and Bronze. Show was organized pretty well, I felt like in Chicago earlier this month that dealers were spread out among nonsense sellers. Cons- The comic area was very crowded and I'm sure the hall's AC was solid before the venue opened, but once it filled up it got very warm in there. I'll never understand some folks aversion to showers and deodorant before going out in public. The trivia game they played somewhere in the area was "broadcast" for all of us to hear, but it was so loud you couldn't talk at some booths, tough thing if you're trying to buy or sell. I get trying to expand the "fun" to the whole show but if I'm negotiating a $2k book and I have to shout that's not much fun. If you're not overly mobile the parking lot to the show seemed like a pretty good walk to me. I personally see this as a pro because I am always trying to get my daily steps in which is hard to do when most of your day is spent at a drawing table, but it might be a negative to someone else. If you're SO wants to shop after the show they're going to have a lot of options, between Sephora, Yankee Candle and another lady store I don't remember my wife was able to occupy herself for some time. I spent about five minutes in the Tommy Bahama store, and then spent the rest of my waiting time taking pictures of tourists in front of the water fall and making friends with many of the dogs in the casino. One Irish Setter got so excited he wanted to sit on my lap while I was standing up. The aisles in the comic area were a little tight. Artist Alley had HUGE wide aisles, I suppose the idea is to fit more dealers in, but maybe cut a row and extend the show down-- too much space in one ⅓ of the show, not enough in the other ⅓. Overall - A good show, if I have the time I'll be back for next years offering.

Yeah this backs up what I was saying. At a show last year we decided to try doing sketches based on how much time we spent on a piece, one option was a fifteen minute sketch for $40 on 9x12 bristol-- these were pretty simple sketches. We had other artists come over and tell us we were undercharging. I don't want to make it sound like it's like 1930s gangsters coming by and shaking us down, it's all done in a friendly way, but the pressure is there. In terms of commission prices, market dictates price. We did a TON of $500 commissions in Chicago and we had a waiting list. We offered cheaper options with less detail but when someone would order one they'd point to the $500 ones waiting to get picked up and they'd say "I want that level of detail." So as an artist you can't win sometimes and you hate to price someone out or disappoint them. Spent the day at Terrificon Saturday as a fan and I picked up a few books and some art-- full report to follow.

Do you mean prices artists are charging for signatures or the price they are charging for sketches/commissions? With signatures, there is an active group of artists who encourage other artists to charge for signatures (Neal Adams was one of the first to push others to do it) arguing that those twenty books you just signed at that last show you did together all sold on eBay. It puts the artists in a tough spot. I've always seen it that if you as a fan bought copies of a book I worked on no matter what you're going to do with them then so be it. We had one instance where a guy had a half a box full of Sabrina #1's that he was getting signed and I told him we'd have to charge for anything over 3 copies of the same book, but I never accepted the money when we were done, I just didn't feel right about it.

Books, mostly vintage ones, Universal Monster items, Firearms vintage and modern, watches and vintage toys especially 60s era.

Playing along with the home edition and I'm glad my grades are kept to myself. There's a reason I'm not a grader I guess.