ESeffinga

https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/crypto-art-show-ucca-beijing-1949592?utm_content=buffer3d506&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=news&fbclid=IwAR1O-CEDu-hGl96dFT43hATsjJrtAAfS-e0oucDS9sASuunKOlNLVY80IW0

https://kiddfamilyauctions.liveauctiongroup.com/QTY-OF-ARTISTS-STORY-BOARDS-FOR-A-COMIC-STRIP_i37771975

Looks like someone paid $30 for a big old stack of them.

13 hours ago, vodou said:

And you report your capital gain/loss how then?  

Hmmmm.

Just now, ESeffinga said:

Hahaha

I watch so many documentaries, I just let them run in the background anymore.

Hahaha

I keep a spreadsheet as well. Not for 10-20 years down the line, but for right now. No guarantee any of us makes it through the current year.

I try to update my lists every year with more current data. Removing sold pieces, and adding newer ones. I include thumbnail photos, so it’s not just down to a text list. 
 

I don’t bother with what I paid, or who the art came from. In a lot of cases the current values are so far away from their start point it’s silly. And a lot of the sellers are gone from the hobby, or do t really matter anyway. And much originated with the artist anyhow. What I do include is current market value estimations real-world ranges so they know what’s “high” and what’s “fire sale” pricing.  Along with recommended sources of who to contact when selling. Names, numbers, email and/or social media info. I also keep a list of people that have shown serious interest in any given piece that are also known CAF players, so they can be contacted for potential direct sales. I don’t bother listing all the strangers, but when a serious collector sniffs around, I take note.

I do this so the Mrs (or whoever else in my family) is not left stranded with wondering what to do, or worried about being taken advantage of on comic or any other art sales.
 

AND maybe more importantly, I also have a list of OA friends and acquaintances that I trust, who I also list for purposes of getting up to date advice, should it be needed. Certain ones for certain things.  This is where all those friendships in the OA world with artists and other collectors really come into their own. I’ve been asked to do the same for a couple friends. We all just look out for each other, and all gain a little extra peace of mind. 
 

In essence my main approach is to look at everything objectively, and ask myself what I know that they don’t, and then try to create easy informative ways of answering questions that haven’t been asked yet.
 

That to me is the biggest goal. Some art will sell itself. Others you have to have a more focused pipeline for. Know which is which. 
 

I’ve been thinning down as of late. No other reason than it all just feels like too much sitting around. I for one think it feels great to pare down to personal “necessities” from time to time.

I found it dull. There are much better forger documentaries out there, and the prosecution part felt weakly handled to me. I couldn’t help feeling like there was more they knew, but threat of lawsuits of their own might have made them air a less pointed version of what they dug up.

Its fine as a time killer, but it wasn’t all that, IMO.
 

I’d Watch Art and Craft, There are No Fakes, and Beltracci for a start.

It's all about the Chewbacca Defense... 

And I for on LOVE that it has become a thing in real life. Hahahaha.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewbacca_defense

The whole contract to kick back $ to the artist is very much the BWS agreement all over again, but the modern web-equivalent.

We all saw how well that went over.

But the kids don’t give two chits, what us old timers think. They will do what they will do. Like CGC, this could prove a sea-change in time, at least for modern OA. But for a while at first, there will be plenty of old guys saying no way, never. Just like the early CGC years.

For the record, I’ve never had anything slabbed and never would. And the irony is not lost on me, that I spend as much time as I do on a CGC run board.

I think I’m kinda over comic OA anyway, so it’s not a big deal to me. I’d be more by the prospect if I was a collector that was all in on the stuff.

For new digital OA, who here genuinely cares though, right?

I feel like 99% of the folks on this board were never in the market for that stuff, and few ever let the opportunity go by to take a figurative dump on digital OA as often as they could.

So if some digital guys make bank selling their stuff, no harm no foul. More power to them. In theory, doesn’t devalue your fat stacks of Itoyas. Not right now anyway. 
 

You do you. Live and let live. 

14 hours ago, BCarter27 said:

For those of you on the fence, I've found it helps to not look at the ridiculous "fine art" stuff being pushed around right now, but rather ask yourself about some comic OA stalwarts... Would you buy a digital McKean Sandman cover? Staples Saga? Greg Horn? recent Bolland? Or what about the colorists... Isanove Wolverine or Conan? Oback? Middleton? etc. Help me out... What are the big categories of missing comic art that are digital only?

For what it’s worth, McKean already sold all the digital Sandman covers, back in the 90s. At least from the main series. Those were all monoprints. Four Color Gallery in NY had a show with them, and they were sold one by one. A few can be found on CAF.

Many have changed hands over the years. The prices always rise, but nothing quite like the physical cover art he made, or interior pages by various series artists.

Who knows though. In the face of NFTs, perhaps these pieces find a second wind?

-e.

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=281584

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=204144

11 hours ago, Michael Browning said:

The artist editions aren't published by DC, so it's easier to get listed in the "Thank You" credits and much easier to get a comp copy for the work and expense. DC now has a policy that they don't credit anyone who supplies art scans, so I guess they are just depending on the goodwill of collectors.

DC has been publisheing their own version of AE books for a while now, called Gallery Editions. 
 

I do confess, I often use the term Artist Editions, the way a lot of people will say they want a Coke, rather than the general term soda. 
 

A bunch of companies make similar type books, or have in recent years. Jumping on the coattails of the AE, which in and of itself always seemed to me to have stemmed from the way Ashley Wood was producing HIS art books at IDW before the AE editions ever came along. Which is to say, showing all the artwork (whiteout, corrections and all), as close to the actual original as possible.  The AE’s published by IDW just seemed like a fantastic progression of what Ash had bees doing for a few years.  Wonderful development for the hobby. 
 

I’m not aware of anyone in comics that was shooting and printing books of their work that way prior to Ash doing it at the beginning of the 2000s. 

Granted, DC also try’s to get scans for other types of books as well. They had me send them a scan of a Jill Thompson t-shirt piece for one of the Absolute Sandman editions. They later tried to get me to scan my comic pages for an AE (or knockoff volume) that was to come, but I forgot about it and missed their file deadline. 

Too analog. But you could sell sections of a super high priced NFT as distinctive NFT if you like. Everybody gets a unique centimeter. 

Like a stock split.

On 2/15/2021 at 2:52 PM, stinkininkin said:

I love seeing comic book artists reaping the rewards of their talent and hard work without having to wait decades to achieve "LEGEND" status. I know it sucks for collectors who love the work and get priced out, but I definitely have a biased perspective here, and I say good for Tradd (and you too Felix!).

Absolutely. Seconded!!!

Take a photo and share it here. Depending on the amount of water used on the board it may never be perfectly flat. Even with ages and ages of “flattening”. Water expands paper fibers. Nature of using watercolor on watercolor paper.  Frequently comes with that kind of art. But the amount of waviness will vary. But the tried and true answer is stick it in a portfolio or the like, and leave it under something heavy for 6 months. I get you don’t want that answer, but it is the correct one.

I know. I don't mean you, I meant them... IMO it doesn't really serve a purpose.

Cool. But why show that book, it's not the same art.

I dunno. Now that Iron Man is dead and Cap is soiling his diapers, Marvel is gonna need some fresh blood in the movies. And we all know nobody draws as much fresh blood as Groo. I just read they’ve confirmed Deadpool into the proper marvel cinematic universe, and not just a side toy. 
 

if they can have Ryan Reynolds in there, and a talking tree and raccoon work, maybe the work needs some Groo? He might be one of the new Avengers. Maybe even the best Avenger?

Plus, who doesn’t love cheese dip? Folks in the theater sure do. And I bet they want folks back in the theater.

I’m holding my breath!

19 hours ago, batman_fan said:

 I will re-frame so it looks like my other Sunday.

I dunno man. Not to be a contrarian, but I gotta say, I for one prefer the white/black classic combo for comic art.
 

 Not that that matters one bit.  No one asked my opinion. But it’s the internet, so I’m gonna foist it on everyone anyway. Hahaha.

That really is a great strip. Looks killer in that frame up. So much class.

1 hour ago, Rick2you2 said:

Technically, I disagree. Fair use is an affirmative defense to copyright violation, established on a case by case basis. It is not “educational”, for purposes of “criticism or comment”, or scholarly, for examples. It is too new to be in the public domain. So, if copied, it is a violation—but no one is going to pursue you for the violation unless you decide you want to sell it. No harm. No foul.

Exactly so. We could chase this down, but I don’t want to take the thread off the rails. Enough has been said to explain the ins and outs of the project. 

It suffices to say that by taking someone’s money to print them a copy of someone else’s copyrighted material, whether it is one or one thousand, is technically illegal on the part of the printer. So you can claim whatever you like. It does not make it legal. It is at its essence the point of who owns the right to produce a copy.

If you printed a book yourself on your own printer, fine. Once you pay someone else, all that goes away.

FWIW.

Beyond this we are talking semantics, and gray theory of what can be done and by whom.

13 hours ago, Rick2you2 said:

Adding an actual printed cover to a comic may change things if the copyright for the cover was registered (and if the publisher gave a dam’n). 

This is the part I am most specifically attempting to address in my previous post, regarding the OML theme and the proposal floated of having the printed covers on one side and then the OML commissions on the other. Given the art that is most often represented by the OML theme is from DC or Marvel, and the profile those companies and their properties have these days... as they most definitely are and do.

I don’t know that the companies or their lawyers would ever even know this existed unless posted publicly, so if it were me, I’d keep its existence quiet if it ever came to be, and enjoy it for myself. Chances are the worst thing that would happen would be a cease and desist type letter. And knowing this was a one off, it’d be a moot gesture. But none of that will be very persuasive if the printing company themselves doesn’t want to do it, as it is technically not legal, and many printing companies shy away from any legal gray area if they can avoid it. Assuming anyone in the company is aware of its illegality in the first place. Most layman have no clue how trademarks and copyrights work, and what is and isn’t allowable. Which is part of why so much breaking of these have become a part of the mainstream of the internet, and the sharing of images (and music, and movies etc). The whole Napsterization of the web, and art of all kinds. It has had its good and bad fallout. 
 

Long way of saying, while not technically “legal”, I don’t see any legal problem arising, so long as it’s a one off, and you find someone willing to do it. And don’t show it around online.
 

And being aware those companies would frown on it. Though, if they crack down it will be on the printing company. Otherwise they are turning a blind eye to copyright infringement, and that opens the floodgates to all kinds of personal one off Marvel and DC “tribute” books people could be making for themselves, using their IP, their trademarked material, and ultimately their copyrighted work.

And that opens the door of protect it or lose it. And yeah, they turn a blind eye to creators making their own sketchbooks and prints using their characters, but that is those creators’ artwork. Not preprinted work by other artists. That’s a whole other kettle of fish. 

The real issue is where/how are you getting the original covers? Are these pieces you have the OA for in your collection?

The sketchy bit of the whole thing is technically the copyright for the art lies with someone other than ourselves.

In the case of the OP, the commissions were done for him, but presumably the copyright really belonged to the artists that drew those pieces. I personally have no moral issues with someone doing a book like this for their own personal enjoyment. To me it’s not any bigger of a deal than having a website, or even putting the pieces up on CAF.

Legally speaking though, it is a bit of an issue for a printer presumably. It’s kind of like the issue people used to have getting Kinkos to allow scans or copies of comic art, and being questioned by those employees on whether they were the artist, etc. Going by the letter of the law, many places would reject printing this kind of book. Factor in reproducing recognizable IP such as Marvel or DC covers, and it becomes easier for the layman printer to know they are getting into a legal area they might want to avoid. Them taking money to reproduce an unauthorized copy of something someone else owns a copyright for... it’s gonna get dicier. Especially if it’s color copies of the comic covers.

So there’s that potential issue.

From a pure layout standpoint, if it were my project using your awesome commissions, I’d do small, reduced size cover reproductions on the left page. No more than 5” or so high,  with formatted text underneath the image indicating the book published month & year, perhaps original art team. Then a secondary block of text to the bottom right side of the left page, with formatted credit for the artist on the OML piece, and the OML being full page on the right. Hopefully that makes sense?

It’s one of those fun things to plan out, but I couldn’t say how easy it’ll be to get made. They may go for it, but depending on content and who at the company sees it, they could very well balk too. Just wouldn’t be surprised if they did. I know our company has had to turn down projects when people want to include artwork they don’t have any rights or permission to use. 
 

Easier for the OP to do it with his book being all commissioned works, than potentially printing a book of previously published work.