Rick2you2

Regarding the art...eh. It takes more than bloody colors, gauzy background and an action scene to be great.

Kind of makes me wonder how much "lost" art isn't really lost--just temporarily "misplaced".

Why not start one?

That it was. Tom Fowler, Books of Magic, 2nd Series. He does the initial drawing on his computer, prints it and then inks the copy. You can see blue lines all over the inked page. The blue lines make it appear that he made some adjustments to the final page since some of them are different than the actual ink job. Pencils are more important to the overall design of the page, but inks give the impact and adjust the final product. I like to think of it in building terms. The inking is like the facade (brick, stucco, etc.) and the detailing (trim pieces, window styles). The pencils are the structure (foundation, columns, walls). You can make a well built building look like cr*p with bad facade/detailing work. You can cover up a mediocre construction job with great facade/detailing work.

I hadn’t realized that a Neal Adams’ “Son-o-God” comic story from National Lampoon was for sale. THAT is a time capsule, I can’t imagine someone would publish it today.

I was under the impression he wasn’t that shy about the subject.

Since I know nothing about what sort of limitations there are, I will assume something primitive. Just the title of the book, with columns for the inker and penciller. In each column, the artist/rep/owner enters the website or contact where the page can be found. Then perhaps a third column stating the percentage of discount, if any, if a buyer buys both pieces. The website can collect a buck or two for each sale to support the website’s infrastructure. It can also include the name of each inker and penciller for each book, but leave it to to potential buyer to find pages he/ she likes. So, it would act more like the appendix for a book, not an independent sales agent.

Honestly, I know it is “purer” to buy/favor the pencil work, but if all I can find is the ink job, I will take it. I still think it is a shame there is no way to create an artists’ database on the web in which, when different artists do different ink and pencil work parts, the site can’t link up the two for joint purchase. Rep’s or artists should be able to contribute, and post their prices separately, or jointly (with perhaps a small discount).

Not every ink job over blue lines is based on a pencil. I have one where “pencil” work was on the computer, and only the original was actually inked.

You will catch heat from fans about Aparo if you call him a journeyman or “worker bee”. I also think you are confusing “fan love” with being at the top of their profession. Bear in mind that “way back when” they were almost all journeymen artists because they weren’t celebrated like now. Artists like Jerry Grandinetti, Jack Sparling, and Joe Orlando were excellent (at least with the right material). Same with Tony DeZuniga. Today, we have producers like Tom Mandrake who are also excellent (see his run on the Spectre), but don’t get the fan love they deserve. Stylistic preferences vary by the buyer. Some artists do transcend the average. But I would not think of the others as drones.

Count me among the 5% this time.

By “quality”, I assume you mean traditionally expensive pieces. I think there is enormous amount of real quality out there if you look. Heck, there is even some nice work up on Hakes this time. Maybe the premium commission charges are driving away HA’s sellers.

Surprising. Maybe vacation?

Presumably, your son doesn’t care for old photographs of the family, or visit art museums.

I confess my interest in this, because there is so much fake Timm stuff on eBay. Someone has perfectly nailed his signature, even if the art isn’t quite right.

The outer dimension (cover) is 17.5 x 24. The inner dimension is as Itoya stated above. You have the larger poster size which also exists.

I suspect those are actually the same, with one set of measurements just a bit more precise. Either that, or Itoya doesn’t know it’s own stock.

Blicks now has it for about $50.

Ah, another focused collector! Welcome aboard.

For those who have been seeking this, Itoya is now making a portfolio designed to hold an A2 size. It will, I believe, hold a twice up, but I'm not sure if it will hold one in a top loader. These are the dimensions and designation. As I recall, it was around $65-70. IA-12-A2 16-1/2″ x23-3/8″ A2 size

I would have been happy to do so, but I wasn't given the option and didn't think to ask.

The only art I had wanted for a very long time was by Tony DeZuniga doing the Phantom Stranger. And, I finally got some at last Monday’s Heritage auction.

Free is always good.

I was afraid it would take that long. Now, I am not sure about buying some artist’s work from Italy. I can’t, in my heart, ask him for a refund along the lines you suggest. If I lose the money, so be it.

Sadly, my first OA is gone, but the story may entertain. The very first piece of art I bought was a Sunday section of the Phantom (NOT Phantom Stranger). I had seen an auction for illustration art in NYC advertised, and in the auction was the soft cover for a Spirit section newspaper insert (a good one, too, from around 1947). That interested me, so off I went. Never having been to an auction before, I was curious what it felt like bidding. Before the Spirit section came up, the Phantom was offered. So, I put in a bid. No one else did afterward, so that became my first win. I also bid on and won the Spirit section. Years later, a flood in my basement destroyed part of my little collection. The flood damaged the Phantom section and destroyed the Spirit. About 4-5 years ago, I gave away the Phantom section to another collector in a trade who thought he could get it restored. He had unloaded something on me he didn’t want, and which I still have, so I decided to reciprocate. I hope he had it fixed. It used to pretty nice.