Rick2you2

Unpublished. By Gerry Grandanetti. Have you ever before seen a contemplative Spectre, probably thinking of all the human beings he has killed?

As I wrote earlier, I'm mellowing about it, and I really like Howard. And, for $150, I wouldn't complain about the tape, either. That Tala, though...stunning. Ever hear of the actress Gail Russell? Today, she isn't well known, but probably her best remembered picture is "Angel and the Badman." She played the Quaker love interest to John Wayne's "bad man", Quirt Evans, who, slow reformed.

I'm slowly getting used to it now, but I do want to say a few things. The paste-up method does not bother me. What does is the quality of the tape's use and which should have been cleaned up. On my image, you can clearly see a box around the foot which he fixed. I appreciate the fix; I don't think the tape should be loose and visible. On the PS face, you can see (if you look closely) that the edge of one side of the tape is slightly peeled up and the ink is less dark. Other parts, incidentally, are fine. That's the difference. Look at your own commission: see how the tape stands out and distracts? Curiously, the more I keep looking at it, the more I appreciate the artisanship. Funny how that works. While quite a few people have commented on the stiff price, that's actually something which doesn't bother me at all. I will enjoy it for decades (I hope), and the cost won't matter. For example, I have the first Phantom Stranger commission (a convention sketch, actually) by Byrne and Rubinstein from 1980. I know it was the first by either of them; they told me that at the time. As I recall, it was also $50, or less than $2.00 per year of enjoyment. Would it have mattered if it was $100? Nope.

I really like it, too. By the way, so do I.

I wish I remembered the first comic I read, but I sure remember the first Justice League I saw. I still have it, too.

That's very nice of Daniel and you. Let me add that I regularly check your site even without the mailing list.

To be candid, it would have been better if he took me up on my offer--which included payment for further work--and modified what he did (like fixing the paste-ups better). As a businessman, that would have also been the smarter approach--happier customer and payment, to boot.

You are welcome. I may "bag" the whole thing with Howard and ask Robert Dennis to do it. If he can restore a comic, I expect he can fix bad tape work.

Anything with the Phantom Stranger in it?

In the example I mentioned, I did not get a rough design. Afterward, I started getting more detailed in my descriptions to artists. I won't show you the commission because I would not want the artist to ever find out. It might hurt his feelings. But I will tell you that you would likely find it magnificent. In its own way, it is, it just misses the character. And if you think I'm being picky, please bear in mind that I am willing to pay for the privilege.

I'm in a field where I work with architects, who do "design", so an amplification is needed here. I think it also pretty much comports with the way an artist should view things (and many architects can be considered as "artists" who work in a different medium). "Design" can mean a general layout, but it can also mean a "detailed design." Both are in contrast to the way a contractor goes about and executes the "design" and which is sometime called "the means and methods of construction." I approved the general layout. The general layout is what was expected and I posted it earlier. The detailed design is the responsibility of the architect--here, the artist. The architect/artist has control over "aesthetic effect", so long as he conforms to generally accepted standards. By analogy, the Phantom Stranger could not include a "detailed design" with a baseball cap (unless the buyer explicitly wanted it). What artists sometimes think of as "micromanaging" is what I consider aesthetic effect. You will recall that I offered extra compensation (which is a fair approach, I think, if a change is desired). For some of it, like the hat barrel, I gather it is not fixable. For those portions, that's that. Which brings me to "the means and methods of construction." I do not regard visible tape lines as proper "construction" because they interfere with the use of the art: its enjoyment. If the tape is subject to yellowing, that's no good either, in my opinion, because it interferes with long term enjoyment. So to answer your basic question, if the paste-up had been properly done, and you could not see its effect on the art, then I am okay with it--unless tape will yellow badly over time, in which case that tape should never be used on a commission by anyone.

Well, I contacted Howard. He basically wrote back that if I was really dissatisfied, he would return my money. But, he was not amenable to any changes (even though I did offer to pay him). I'm going to keep the piece; it is too good to return. But I think he should have at least agreed to trim the tape. The edge on the tape near PS's ear is already a tiny bit loose, and there is that box around the foot. Still and all, there is one thing I think I can safely say: no one else is ever likely to get another Howard Chaykin Phantom Stranger. Now, how do I get a Bruce Timm Phantom Stranger? There should be some out there already.

I've bought commissions before, and I pretty much agree with what you wrote. But, there were circumstances here which make me think he could have done better. Chaykin was going away on the day it was sent to me, and at least a few days earlier, it hadn't been finished. I think he rushed to get it done, and didn't do the finish work properly. Parts of it, like Tala, are superb. Some other parts are good. What is so annoying here is that the unsatisfactory parts are glaring and detract from the greatness of the other parts. Finally, I think you have to recognize the difference between poor execution and poor design. A poor design is okay; poor execution is not. I have a commission from one artist which is beautifully rendered and clearly took a lot of time. Unfortunately, it misses the spirit of the character--and I think that's the true test of a great piece of art. But I recognized he did what he did due to ignorance, and I complimented him on his final product. He gave me the best he could, a 110% effort. So while it is not my favorite, I'm actually proud to own the work. Does that make sense? So I am sorry I can't let it go. I'm not super-angry, and I would hire him again. But I am a little disappointed.

Maybe I should have kept that a secret...

Honestly, so would I. But that's what I have. While I would hope he can fix it a bit, all I can ultimately do is pretend its Howard's Venus de milo.

Just as a general comment, all of your contributions to this thread are appreciated, and you ought to feel free to add more. It's been helping me frame my own thoughts and potential responses in ways I could not do without them. And I guess I should go see Blade Runner 2049 after all (although probably not until it hits cable because it's out of the theaters here).

Can the stubble be removed without it looking worse?

Interesting thoughts. Can something be done to reduce the profile of the hat's barrel and add some curves plus light spots (like on a fedora)? It keeps pulling my eyes away from Tala. Also, would you actually make these types of suggestions to the artist, or would that be considered as intrusive? I don't want to interfere with the creative process, and he may have other ideas. By the way, I don't see that as $500 worth of work, particularly if I'm paying shipping both ways and he has assistants who can remove and re-position paste-ups. I think they also do some of his background work. Another reason for him to set the price.

I think there is a difference between like/dislike and an error. I consider the jawline an error. I also think an artist should always fix an error. The hat is a close call.

Part of the cost of doing business is making customers happy. It can also generate new business and referrals. I would definitely hire him again even with these things. Another way to look at a paste up is that he cares. That matters a lot to me, too.

I would rather let him pick the amount and ask me if I am okay with it. That way, he will be satisfied he is getting fairly paid, and reasonably paid. FYI, $500 is a lot for the amount of work I think this needs. I've gotten really good commissions for that.

I really didn't mind the price: I don't evaluate art based on initial cost but on its long term effect. I have some commission work from the 1980's which I still love, and it wouldn't matter if it were $50 or $500 back then. It still brings me pleasure after all these years.

I think it's interesting you should ask this, because it is an example of how I draw my own distinctions. I don't know why he did it, really, but it's a design decision for him to make. My interpretation would be that she was trying to get his attention any way she could, so she stood on his foot. Another possibility is that he goofed on the layout. Nevertheless, I kind of like it even if it doesn't make a lot of sense. Even if I didn't, I would never take issue with something like this. I consider it to be part of the charm and character of the piece. By the way, if you ever look at some of Kirby's work, it has its own flaws along these lines.

I'm leaning towards this, and also asking him if he could trim the paste-up on the shoe a little better (if not is not).

It's kind of like getting used to a wart.