Michaeld

Let me start by saying the con was great. Old friends with new pieces everywhere. It's a must for any art collector. I'm saving for a pricey little piece so I held back at the LA Ultimate Comic Art & Collectibles Show. It wasn't easy but I did bend a little to get this gem Wagner.

If you didn't make it to the LA Ultimate Comic Art & Collectibles Show this year it will be happening next year as well so GO, GO, GO!!!!!!

Hate to do this but I'm selling my Peanuts panel. I'm putting together cash for an upcoming auction. For anyone who wants a Schulz Peanuts piece but doesn't have 20K of disposable cash here is a great opportunity. I'm asking 3K. Pay Pal works for me if you use family & friends option. Cash or check works too. Check must clear first. No trades. Click here to read everything I know about it here

I'll be there.

I'll be there.

Another legend lost. Rest In peace Mr. Ditko.

I recently commissioned Jim Woodring to do another commission for me. This man work is so unique. If you haven't read any of his books you are really missing out. Woodring

This page brings me joy. If I could go back in time this would be one of the moments I would re-live. great memory

This one is a great new Rom page also with a story. Rom 

Seeing that the first Spider-Man pages are out of the running I think the piece that will cross the million dollar finish line is the cover of Zap issue #1 by Robert Crumb. The first and fourth highest paid pieces are both by Crumb so I think it's a safe bet. What do you think?

I don't think anyone does pencil work better than Steve Mannion. Warning: there is nudity. Mannion

In the beginning the LA Ultimate Comic Art & Collectibles Show will attract a lot of convention veterans like myself who have seen it all on multiple occasions. We'll be seeing all the familiar collectors, dealers, and artists that we have seen in hundreds of other conventions. My hope is that  the LUCACS show will not become just another cookie cutter comic-con. I haven't missed a SDCC in over 20 years but my favorite con was Big Wow. It was so comic oriented and very focused on comic art. That is what I would like to see happen with LA Ultimate Comic Art & Collectibles Show. A show that brings in comic artists from around the world just as Big Wow had done. I want a show that introduces me to artists to which I normally wouldn't have access. Big Wow also had some really fun and creative panels. One was having some of their guests do a  comic reading of familiar classic issues and it was hilarious. Short answer for me is turn LUCACS into Big Wow and I'm a happy camper.       

If I ask an artist to draw something specific and I buy it when it is completed that is a commission. If you buy a piece that was drawn by the artist without having been requested by anyone (including yourself) and wasn't published anywhere what do you call that? What did you just buy? I ask because in my CAF gallery under "Art Type" I'm given 24 options and none of them adequately defines this type of purchase. I thought maybe pin-up but I'm assuming that applies to a piece that was published.

Okay technically I didn't commission this piece. It was ready made and I purchased it. I am a big fan of this artist and when I saw the piece I grabbed it. It was not cheap. Turns out he had done it before. I don't know yet how many he has made but I know of at least one other. Everything is so exact it had to have been traced off of a template. There is a slight deviation in one area but that's is all as far as original work. This isn't the first time this has happened to me. As a matter of fact it has happened twice before. On one occasion years ago I commissioned an artist at a con to do a piece that I later discovered he had done before. At least with him there was no template used because I got to watch him do it and the quality of mine was far better. I'm really pissed off and bothered by this. You think you are getting something special but no. It's just a cookie cutter crowd pleaser the artist can just whip up easy cheesy. This may be the straw that broke the camels back when it comes to commissions. Just wanted to vent.        

An artist named Michael Suchta takes comic covers and creates 3D looking pieces by painting the characters, backgrounds, and lettering on multiple layers of plexiglass. I bought this beauty and I have commissioned him to do an X-Men splash page. 

Star Wars 3D

I also purchased a beautiful Dejah Thoris nude piece by Steve Mannion

Dejah Thoris

I just got two pieces from two different artists who should only be published in black and white. Color just distracts from the impact of their work. The first is a lovely commission by Marc Hempel of Death. The other is what would have been a page from Werewolf By Night Vol. 2 by Leonardo Manco. It is an unpublished piece from a series that was cut off too soon.

Hempel

Manco

This is a beautiful new addition to my Dave Stevens homage project by Kevin Taylor the creator of the adult comics character "Girl". I ask artists to draw an homage in their own style of a prelim Dave Stevens piece I own.

Taylor

6 hours ago, ESeffinga said:

Fun! The approach and irreverent whimsy makes me think of Eric Powell.

It was written by Eric Powell.

I saw these pages broken up into six separate ebay auctions but I was afraid I wouldn't win them all. I emailed Steve Mannion and he agreed to sell them to me directly. I hadn't seen nor read this story before but the beautiful thing is the art alone tells the tale perfectly. It really doesn't need dialog or narration. Go through the pages yourself and you will see it plays out perfectly. Mannion  

Has there ever been a list compiled of the original comic art at the Library Of Congress? Can everyone chime in on what they know is there?

I put up 7 Ditko issues of Spider-man on ebay. The auctions end tomorrow. Have a look. Spider-man

I picked up these two recently. The first is an oversized Rude Nexus piece that I've been eyeballing for the past couple of years. Steve (The Dude) Rude recently had a half off sale on his website to I jumped. The second piece is a cover for a Sock Monkey book by Tony Millionaire.

Rude  Millionaire 

I have two slightly warped pages I want to flatten. I tried piling books on them for a few weeks but it didn't help much. Anyone have a better idea?

7 hours ago, Bronty said:

Nice piece Michael

Thanks. I have a strong childhood history with Boris's art through my father. You can read about that here: http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1371116

Here's mine.

I've just added a great page from the Avengers: Rage Of Ultron one shot. I recently won the Morales inked page on ebay and then later purchased the Opena penciled page. The first panel is just beautiful.

Have a look: Ultron page

I won something recently on HA. A fellow collector told me I paid too much. There is no price guide on comic art. Most of us figure out value by looking at previous sales of comparable pieces. If there are no dishonest actions from the auction house (chandelier bids) and all bidders put up their top dollar bid until one amount prevails doesn't that set the value of the piece? I can't think of a better way to figure out what something is worth.