GreatEscape

I can’t compete with Wood or Kirby but have a more modest Dr. Doom page. This Marvel Super Villain Team-up #1 splash from 1975 recaps Doom's historic battles vs. the Avengers, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Thor, and Hulk. Bill Everett’s mosaic-like composition combines flashback cameos and philosophical musing by the Latverian monarch: “I do not doubt that I can destroy a world alone...but could I rule it?”

Couple of painted pieces with hero and nemesis: Arkham Asylum by David McKean => Batman vs. Joker & Two-Face Marvels by Alex Ross => FF vs. Galactus & Silver Surfer

Master of Kung Fu #54 (1977) cover by co-creator and founding artist, Jim Starlin...one of only 3 prime MOKF covers with Starlin pencils and inks. Classic “Enter the Dragon” pose would make Bruce Lee proud. Shang-Chi will make his MCU debut in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021), Marvel's first Asian-led film. Link

Yes, that’s the one! Forget the ‘sitter, my parents could drop me off there and I’d be good for a few hours, leaving with a huge smile, a stack of comics and (usually) empty pockets.

Great Escape was my LCS in Nashville TN growing up, fond memories of reading comics after school, back-issue bins and dreaming of rare comics displayed on the wall. Most of my weekly $5 allowance spent there. When I joined the CGC boards around 2004, I worked at General Electric so like Great Escape, the initials (GE) worked as a nickname. Finally, I’ve always viewed comics and OA as my ‘Great Escape’— a joyful retreat from my work/family commitments.

Like Vampirella, Silver Sable does choose her partners freely...showing up with both Sandman and Spidey in the same auction. Sultry vixen indeed!

Agree. As the cosigner of the Silver Sable cover (and the maligned Vampy Triptych by the way), I sense a strong market for $4-5k Marvel 90s covers. The SS #19 cover with Venom sold on eBay for $4600, prompting my consignment. I don’t pretend to compare the Vampy triptych with classic Enric 70s Vampirella art, but perhaps it has appeal to modern collectors— painted in color, poster-size with intricate details like skulls, castles and bats. Both were fresh to market as well and I had 3k and $2500 offers over the summer but held out believing FMV was higher. Initially, I was disappointed that HA placed both in the Sat session (not Live auction) but a dozen or so Sat lots ended up selling $5k+ along with these two. Is $5k the new $2k where folks can buy/bid without guilt or over-analysis?

Fixed that for you Carlo! I lost out on Page 6 (all panels) when it sold for $11k (Heritage) in May, so I'm thrilled to get this 1/2 splash for much less.

A werewolf, a gargoyle and a skeleton walk into a bar... this WBN #34 cover was published Oct 1975 (Halloween, naturally).

Happy Halloween! Scooby Doo's 1st DC comics cover...Super Scarefest #1 by Scott Neely: Scooby Doo cover

Sandman painting This mind-blowing apocalyptic painting published in "The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams" by Colleen Doran... a multi-layered composition of Sandman (Dream), Death, Lucifer and baby David along with key Sandman artifacts: the Key to Gates of Hell (from Season of Mists), the Morpheus Mask (Preludes and Nocturnes), Death’s Ankh and White Swan (Fables and Reflections), etc. A feast for the eyes chock full of symbolic imagery and apocalyptic visions that perfectly capture the dark fantasy tone of the Sandman anthology...and the horrors of Halloween!

I love my collection but nowhere near satisfied after 12 years and ~200 pieces. While I’ve focused on my favorite stories/artists, I’m probably 50% to my collecting goal and ultimate satisfaction. Every year my want list expands — faster than my budget (gulp!) — so more sales and trading needed to get pieces I want most...and more celebrating other people’s art! So, my satisfaction rating is lower than most....but actually I’ve never been happier being in the hobby.

Wanted to share a perspective from a fine arts collector that argues— with refreshing logic— that Having Limited Funds Is Actually A Huge Advantage: “While that may sound counter-intuitive, collecting on a tight budget forces you to think through every acquisition as if it is your last. My greatest struggle as a collector today is sifting through my wish list of artists. This slower approach, however, naturally helps weed out good works from great ones. Each new piece holds significantly more weight within a small collection because it can completely enhance or alter the context of the other works. Developing the eye of a curator at the onset thus makes for well-thought-out and disciplined collecting behavior.”

Aliens poster art (1988) and 30th Anniversary TPB cover (2019) by Mark Nelson:

Cool discussion. Personally, I’d take the $100k in art, enjoy it for decades and then literally give it away (anonymously) so the art returns to our hobby How sad to think about any key/valuable OA disappearing forever! Dollar-for-dollar, I’d probably rank art > supercar based on “bang for the buck” but if OA prices climb much further, I might be looking to trade Adams for an Aston, Byrnes for a Bentley or Millers for a Maserati.

Frazetta Johnny Comet Frank Frazetta's absolute mastery of pen and ink shines in this early Johnny Comet strip with all three main characters: Johnny (in Frazetta's own likeness), stuntman Ace McCoy and Jean Fargo, Johnny's gorgeous blonde girlfriend. Published Oct 10, 1952.

I’m starting to feel bad for the piggy...

TRANSFORMERS #73 p30-31 (1990) DPS Optimus Prime vs. Megatron battle at the Twin Towers. DAREDEVIL Man Without Fear #4 (1993) Finale DPS + TPB Cover (the only page DD appears in costume)

I've only heard TMNT described as a parody of DD based on story and similar origins. There are 3 main allusions that Eastman and Laird made to the Daredevil franchise outlined here: 1. Master Splinter vs. Master Stick What is a good ninja without a wise Master? Originally the pet rat of ninjutsu Master, Himato Yoshi, Splinter trains the young Turtles into the ninja warriors we love. But, how did Splinter receive his name? Maybe it has something to do with Daredevil’s Stick, who is a Master martial artist and trainer of Matt Murdock, Daredevil’s alter ego. 2. The Foot vs. The Hand The enemies in both franchises share a special relationship. In the Ninja Turtle world, The Foot Clan is a household name, lead by the infamous Shredder. This is a pretty clear parallel with Daredevil’s The Hand, which originally debuted in Daredevil #174. In both series, both groups of villains are pretty similar as a group of costumed ninja “bad guys”. 3. A Similar Origin The best for last. The origin of Daredevil is pretty well known, where a young Matt Murdock is the victim of a chemical truck accident. A mysterious chemical splashes Murdock in the face during the accident, blinding him, but also hyper-attuning his remaining senses. The Ninja Turtles were created in a similar accident, where a truck loses a canister of ooze, which hits a young boy exiting a pet store. Although this boy is not hit directly by the liquid, the Turtles fall into the sewer, where they encounter Splinter and come in contact with the mutating ooze. As seen below, there is a pretty clear reference to the Daredevil origin, where a young man is hit in the face by a can of ooze, specifically “near his eyes”. A reference to Daredevil #1 origin...

In 1985, just as TMNT began its meteoric rise into Indy comic pioneer / global pop icon, Kevin Eastman pitched Marvel on a Daredevil-TMNT cross-over. A fascinating concept given that TMNT was a parody of Frank Miller’s Daredevil which was at peak popularity at the time. Eastman’s tryout piece with DD and Leonardo in tandem is, I believe, one of the largest (18 x 24) and most detailed Turtles art as Eastman truly aimed to impress, escaping beyond the narrow page dimensions and manga style of early TMNT art. Strong Miller influence and blockbuster appeal but Marvel ultimately declined (perhaps a regret in hindsight). Anyway, here is the art (photographed through framed glass): Eastman Marvel Tryout DPS Note: Eastman’s inscription “To Eric - Best Wishes!” is to a fellow boardie and the original owner of the piece.

Agree with Bronty. It’s a solid FF page by Rich Buckler inked by Sinnott (who is tops) with a nice full team (Medusa had replaced Sue Storm) panel plus Fantasti-car and Baxter Building. $1k seems fairly priced if you like the page.

Sorry, I was referring to the Bronze Capt Marvel splash next to DD cover in the center section. You’re looking at something different, an oversize (Carole Danvers) Capt Marvel piece next to the Crime Illo cover in the other section

Gil Kane Capt Marvel splash with Rick Jones...was priced at $18k last year, might be same or higher now.

Funny, Neal Adams has a booth about 30ft away where he sells “limited edition” signed 11x17 B&W copies of the Batman 251 cover art for $150. It would take 2 minutes for him to walk down to Heritage, examine the piece and say “Yep, genuine!”. But, we know that ain’t gonna happen.

PS. the highest valued piece in the room... I’m here all week. Try the veal...