Rick2you2

Yup. The Watcher speaks truth. And don’t feel guilty about your decision, if you think you might. It’s just business.

My volley. An exhibit might draw crowds, hell, anything different can draw a crowd. So can circus freaks. The real question is whether there can be an exhibition on permanent display in which people are so interested they want to own some panel pages. Splashes and covers don’t count; they get sucked up like a Lichtenstein. But sequential art requires interest in the subject beyond the simple face of the page. Throw in a character’s backstory, to appreciate what is going on, and you are asking the general public to make a significant commitment of time (at least several minutes with Wikipedia 😧).

Well, the Phantom Stranger always did like mausoleums. But to your point, those all qualify as fine art in the sense that story telling isn’t relevant nor is the picture’s backstory. That makes all of them, even Banksy, more accessible. And, not just for viewers but curators. This hobby collects things with way too much baggage for the average person to enjoy.

Honestly, I doubt that the bulk of the public will care about most of this stuff we consider museum-worthy. A lot of the pricing is wrapped in nostalgia best appreciated by comic fans, and in my view, the detailing on perceived quality is mostly appreciated by aficionados. To the public, I think this is almost as remote as Chinese calligraphy, except that we can recognize the characters. I am not saying they won’t appreciate something by Jim Lee, but, they might not see much of a difference between him and Eddie Barrows.

All that’s missing from this thread. 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

My picture was done by Hembeck using marker from the early 1980’s. But, I can certainly understand your reluctance.

That’s where my other half suggested I post the Omaha the Cat Dancer art I liked.

Eh. Not a single Phantom Stranger image seems to be the pile.

Or care.

I did notice that.

I never bothered. Since everyone else was wearing a watch, I would just ask them for the time.

There can be a statute of limitations governing theft, the crime, but not of ownership rights, the property. The original owner can still sue anyone holding the art and force its return, even if bought by the holder in “good faith”. That why Nazi plunder can still be pursued (at least in this country, other nation’s laws can be different).

Just a general question. At the recent weekly HA auction, a page from Omaha, the Cat Dancer, went for a little under $1,000. Admittedly, one of the dirtier pieces of comic art you will see, but the book was significant and the page was pretty nice for what it was. But for a current spending limit of mine lately, I would have gone for it. My better half is a cat lover, and she liked it, but even she wasn’t sure where it could be properly hung for people to see. What is the market like for Omaha pages? Did that price seem a little low? Gene, you know all this stuff; your thoughts?

Keep it, unless you really need the money. There is too much interest in that page for me to think it won't go up in value in the next several years. I expect it will outperform stocks if the past is any guide.

If you were wondering.... He signed it twice, at my request, because his first signature, on the bottom, was illegible. He was a bit surprised by that.

It does happen. Keith Giffen does not like the Phantom Stranger, to put it mildly. And he had previously expressed no interest in doing a sketch for me. At one convention, however, I turned up with a baby present for an artist he has mentored (but who wasn’t there), and I asked him if he could give it to her (he said yes). When casually talking to his granddaughter who was sitting with him, I mentioned what I collect. Next thing I know, he is doing a quick sketch.

I had seen the pieces I was somewhat interested in on-line, and didn't see anything new or interesting for me. There were some new things, but not a lot IMO. Prices that I knew from being on-line were the same. I didn't bother trying to negotiate, since they didn't excite me enough to be worth it. But, it was good to see people I knew there and chit chat with them again. That made the experience worthwhile. I am surprised that no one who has a reasonably close facility tries to sell supplies, except for Anthony's Itoya box. Yes, they take up a lot of space, and no, I wouldn't do it if I were flying in, but they should be an easy few bucks for top loaders, for example.

I think they are Albert’s pieces. I left, so I don’t know the prices.

After looking at this, I feel sooooo much better.

When I get commissions, I usually go out of my way to get them from artists who have no association with the character at all, and may not even know him, just so I can see what the artist does with it. Usually, I have been happily surprised (I do supply stories for them to look through).

The problem I was addressing, however, was the OP’s interest in not scratching that itch. Some people have other ways which help them control the urge, like rambunctious kids, clogged roof gutters, and good ole fashioned sex. But when they don’t work, then what? You can find other ways to specialize—pages with waterfalls, artists from Canada, heroines who are no bigger than B cups (probably, a very limited collection), and, you can also buy something outside a category— the buyer makes the rules. You can also change later.. But concentration brings a collection into focus, as well as saving money for fewer items and likely forcing the buyer into better, more expensive purchases. So, I will stand pat (and maybe break my own rules in the next few days over something I like).

After reading what you wrote, my immediate reaction was “teenage sex drive”. It happens to everyone. Self-dIscipline is not fun. Just remember, you cannot buy all the good art out there, and some art is better than other art. So my suggestion is that you specialize. It could be by artists, character, theme (faux Sugar and Spike covers) or situation. That way, you will naturally apply the brakes to buying outside your specialization. For example, I keep coming back to a series of commissions showing up on eBay where someone apparently collected a lot of Batman on gargoyle images— and most are excellent. By doing so, and developing preferences, you will slow down your buying instincts. Also, be very careful about going after commissions— too easy in many cases to get and unless special to you, a waste of funds. I went through that period, and now will only rarely buy them. Some other people scratch that itch by buying art books which let them look at things “on the cheap”. Or, consider prints. I am going through something similar right now. I guess I’ll have to make do with sex.

I so wish Timm would do the East Coast circuit.

Convenience, and probably shipping costs.

I know I stand alone on this, but I don’t think it deserves all the love it is getting. Yes, it is highly detailed and crafted, but I find it visually cluttered. Every bit of white space which could be filled is filled. For example, a little less rubble at the bottom of the page could offset some of the while space near the top. And while some may say that carnage and destruction are the point of the image, I find it distracting. I don’t spend in these kinds of waters, but it is not what I would consider a masterpiece.