Nexus

Did a panel this past weekend for Comic Art LIVE with James Harren: James is a bit of a recluse, so this is a real treat for fans of his work. And there are more of them now than ever, thanks to ULTRAMEGA. Kudos to Bill for putting on another successful show!

Thanks, that's what I was asking.

You're right, it was late when I replied, and I was cranky. For the record, as others have noted, I have endeavored to make art from the artists I rep attainable to all collectors, whenever possible. I will sell pieces for as low as $20. And that's not just from low profile artists, but from some of the highest. In a vacuum, that's not a great use of my time. But I do believe in spreading the joy. For that matter, we give away art for FREE. Routinely. Now, these opportunities are open to all, I don't police who is allowed to participate. But at least everyone has a chance. What does annoy me is when people believe we OWE them art for discounted rates (or for free), because they're fans. I thought I was getting a whiff of that here. Otherwise, no real objection to how you feel. Thanks for clarifying.

Seems to me that you've made life choices, but you didn't consider the potential consequences of these choices. You've chosen to live a life that is (presumably) spiritually fulfilling, but doesn't afford you the opportunity to purchase luxury items like comic art commissions. Well, I don't know too many people who can have it all. So to me, this does come across as whiny and entitled. If you want to indulge in this ridiculous hobby, then be more like your brother. If that's not appealing, if you can't live with yourself doing whatever it is he does, then fine. But don't expect anyone to feel sorry for you that you can't afford expensive commissions, either.

Is your brother trying to corner the market on commissions (what we've been talking about)? If so, he's really bad at investing. You've either missed my second point, or you're avoiding it. Which is, you're advocating that artists provide art for below fair market value so "regular joes" can afford it. What I'm asking is, if those "regular joes" decide to sell the art, for whatever reason, shouldn't they then also sell it to other "regular joes" for that same discounted price? So they, too, can experience that "one-of-a-kind, special connection"? You've mentioned that you've sold art from your own collection in the past. Did you sell the art at a discount? Did you make an effort to vet all your buyers for their income levels? Or did you put it up on eBay and hoped to get as much as you could?

Huh...which reps/dealers emulate what I do? I hadn't noticed. Yeah, my buddy Lam calls most reps these days "Felix tribute bands". I'm most amused by the rep who told people early on that what I did was "stupid", "wouldn't work", and a "waste of time". And of course, now he's a verbatim clone and copying everything he can to the best of his ability (with help). No doubt some of what I do is still regarded as a waste of time, but when it comes to budget pieces, at least a couple of them are now using our 6X9 sketch model as an affordable commission option for fans. More reps are now making prelims available, too. As @Marwai says, it's the same work for less money, but I do enjoy getting art out to fans. I don't consider that a waste of time.

When you've been in the hobby a while, it always feels like there's an influx of new collector whales with endless budgets. You know the one time it doesn't feel like that? When YOU entered the hobby, and to the old-timers, YOU were the new collector whale with the endless budget.

I just got something from Jason, and everything, from communication to shipping, was excellent. Recommended!

Heh...no "investors", wealthy or otherwise, are getting commissions as a vehicle for asset appreciation. Otherwise, nothing really controversial here. You're welcome to feel how you feel, to believe what you believe. But let's say Skottie charges a commission rate that's far below his market value, so that it's something "anyone can afford". When it comes time for those "real fans" to sell, though...will they be offering it to another "real fan" at that same discounted price? Or will they try to get what the market will bear at that time?

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't know which reps you were referring to, but when I see this especially, I know it's not us. But to someone just skimming this thread, it could mean any rep as far as they're concerned. So again, thanks for confirming it's not us!

Who are these reps? Why not just name them. You have nothing to lose, if you're boycotting them anyway.

Right place, right time. I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't this excited by the art. Because the hours this job eats up in a week is crazy. But it will never get old to receive a box of originals from any of these artists. And get to hold them in my hands, even if only temporarily.

Yes. To be sustainable, has to happen organically. And Tradd is a good example. It doesn't happen unless it's backed by that kind of talent. Talent first, always.

Whether it's prices for commissions or published art, we always try to arrive at something that we feel is fair to both artists and collectors. We do not set out to gouge anyone. Pricing is in collaboration with the artists; sometimes I tell the artists they are charging too low. Other times, though, I have to tell them their expectations are too high. Ultimately, the market decides. And from the beginning, the market has responded very positively to how we price. (Our "market" being primarily comprised of collectors who would describe themselves as those with "smaller pockets".) Now, we HAVE sold art for some surprising amounts (certainly, to me). But don't overlook the fact that we also very likely sell more art priced in the $100 (or less) neighborhood than any other dealer or rep. So that everyone has a chance to acquire an original from us, regardless of the size of their pockets. I love the art form, I love the hobby, and actively promote it via avenues like the podcast and YouTube. Call it "hype", but the passion, and more importantly, the talent of the artists, are real. I work hard to introduce OA to new fans and collectors. That new demand may be detrimental to other collectors when it comes time to buy, but I don't believe that's detrimental to the hobby otherwise. Quite the opposite. It's all certainly been a boon for other reps, artists, sellers, et al.

I don't think it's dying. Everyone has simply become more jaded, with both art and prices. What used to be considered special, isn't as much anymore. The bar has been raised significantly. There are also more outlets for discussion. 10 years ago, yes, this page showing up, and the resulting winning bid, would have generated multiple pages of chatter. Just not where we're at these days.

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

The first episode of 2021 is here! Finally! Featuring filmmaker S. Craig Zahler, writer/director of BONE TOMAHAWK, BRAWL IN CELLBLOCK 99, and DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE. And now writer/artist of the graphic novel THE FORBIDDEN SURGERIES OF THE HIDEOUS DR. DIVINUS. And, as it happens, a dedicated original comic art collector! We cover it all: The Felix Comic Art Podcast (Episode 42): S. Craig Zahler Thanks to Zahler for the chat! Also, thanks to all the podcast fans and listeners for your patience with our very sporadic release schedule these days. I've got several episodes in the can (including more for our exclusive SECRET STORIES OF COMIC ARTseries) that I'll be sprinkling throughout the year. So there's more content coming, I promise! For now, enjoy this episode, and talk soon! Felix www.felixcomicart.com

I was previously unaware of the environmental impact of crypto. Once I learned about it, no longer felt OK with participating. So cancelled our rollout. Was still going to go through with the initial artist drop, though, because it had already been scheduled, and I felt a responsibility to the platform, who had worked with us in good faith. But then the artist also had misgivings, so we pulled the plug on that, too. Lots of respect for this artist, who walked away from the biggest projected payday of his career. Despite all this, that platform just called me this past week to discuss their efforts in making what they do more green. (Not so coincidentally, other emerging platforms are addressing this by using proof of stake-based currencies.) This is obviously due to demand by creatives. What's interesting is the group that he said is far and away the most concerned: Comic book artists.

I haven't followed the boards the past few years as closely as I did before. But you have always been one of my favorite posters. Always looked forward to reading your posts. Hope to meet you in person some day. On a separate note, I mentioned this on social media a couple of weeks ago: We are stepping back from NFTs. Decided this shortly after the YouTube show, and cancelled our launch. I'm grateful to the platform for being understanding. We may reengage later, but for now, we're on the sidelines. Will keep following, regardless.

There's not any one centralized forum (fitting!:P), they're all spread out. And they don't look like this message board. Think reddit, Discord, Clubhouse, etc.

I understand, but these "kids" do have their own forums. They're not the ones posting here and they won't be reading your future posts.

Speaking for myself, absolutely not. Especially if taking the long term view. Having the same art get constantly flipped is a bad look, IMO. I'd rather it sit in a well-curated collection.

This is why I don't expect much crossover from the traditional collecting base into NFTs. 1. We're old and change intimidates us (generalization, but no other conclusion to draw from overall reaction). 2. To the extent that anyone here already dabbles in crypto...they're not gonna want to pay what the real crypto guys are already paying for art. I have no disdain for prints at all. I'm just not into the idea of "monoprints". For all the reasons I mentioned on Bill's show. If you purchase a digital work, feel free to print out a copy and enjoy it on your wall. BTW, you don't need to purchase a digital work to do that...if the image is out there, you can do that for free.

No, someone paid $25K for the NFT. That the physical art was included is incidental. It didn't need to be for the NFT to sell for $25K. And we don't know if the cover would have sold for $10K as an original. It might have been more, it might have been less. But certainly less than the $25K it got as an NFT. HA is already selling NFTs and accepts payment in crypto. Hate to break it to you, but speculation isn't limited to cypto or new art. It's a driving force behind vintage art, too.

Anyone who doesn't understand that what other Mark Bagley covers have sold for have zero relevance to what someone might pay for ULTIMATE FALLOUT #4...and who isn't aware that comic art collectors came into this hobby as fans of comic books (where yes, first appearances of fan-favorite characters matter a great deal)...and who thinks comic art collectors place artistic quality above all other variables...doesn't know as much about the original art hobby or market as they think they do. Pay no attention to their blatherings.