comiconxion

The first comic I remember reading was Batman Family #3 with art by Jose Garcia-Lopez and Vince Colletta (1975). Most of the book included reprints, but there was an original Batgirl and Robin vs. dinosaurs story. I've been lucky enough to find a number of pages from this story. Attached is my favorite. The 1st Star Wars Treasury was the first Marvel Comic I remember reading. It reprinted Star Wars #1-3 with art by Howard Chaykin and Steve Leialoha (well, both for issues #2 & 3). While I was in Indonesia when the movie came out, it was my only exposure to the movie everyone was talking about until I returned home to the States in 1978. I still don't have a page from these issues - if anyone is willing to part with one, I'd be greatly appreciative! The book that got me into collecting was Conan #131 (Feb. 1982 cover date) with art by Gil Kane and Enie Chan. After collecting baseball cards for a number of years, I was looking for something different and spent my birthday money on this book which aligned with my love of D&D. After that, I was hooked. Again, lucky to find a number of pages from this issue years ago, but would still love to see the cover surface.

To take a slightly different angle to this, the Web #32 in my opinion stacks up with the top 10 Zeck covers (not including portfolio plates, interiors or standalone pieces). When you look at both classic image and value, here's how I'd rank Zeck's top 10 covers: - Captain America Annual #8 - Secret Wars #8 - Secret Wars #1 - Punisher #1 - Punisher #3 - Web of Spider-man #32 - Amazing Spider-man #294 - Punisher Return to Big Nothing - Captain America #286 - Amazing Spider-man #285 You can debate the order of these and potentially that the last 3 could be replaced by other classic Zeck covers (like Batman #417, ASM #293, some of the other Punisher LS covers, Secret Wars #10, etc.), but what I think it shows is that both the Web #32 and ASM #294 would be valued in the $100k+ range and are true classics. Just think of all the great Zeck covers that didn't make the list!

Send to a restorer? They typically have professional presses and can take out the creases so they aren't noticeable. In the scheme of things, pressing isn't too expensive.

Gene - Sorry, I missed the big Zeck get together in NY. Hopefully everyone showed up with a copy of their Mike Zeck Artists Edition or Raw Fury exhibit book to facilitate the riot that I'm sure ensued. If you give me more notice next time, I'm happy to organize another exhibit of Zeck's best art and maybe even convince Mike to show up so he can tell stories of how he sold all his covers for $40-50 back in the 80's! Apologies to anyone who I inadvertently angered by collecting Zeck's art. If only Mike weren't such a nice guy as well as great artist! As Michael mentions... there still is more Zeck art out there. I don't have it all and I've tried my best to part with some pieces over the last few years (I don't want to be a complete hoarder). On a serious note though, I'm actually really glad we got an opportunity to display all 6 of the Kraven covers when they were together at the Cartoon Art Museum in SF back in 2014 and include them in the Zeck Artists Edition. Now, at least collectors can appreciate the art in all its glory. Congratulations to Heritage on getting such an Zeck historic piece to auction. And, congratulations to whoever the lucky winner will be!

The Stevens prints are no longer available.

Based on the proportions, I'd guess that the Wolverine and Surfer were adapted for wall pennants that were distributed in the mid-80's. I can't seem to find one on eBay or Google to confirm though.

I'm guessing that the main image of Deathlok exists and they pasted in the panel shots before they statted the page. They likely adjusted the size of the Deathlok image to make it fit the way they wanted. Otherwise, they would have just pasted the panels over the original art.

Thanks, but not for me. I'm a fan of the original appearances in Astonishing Tales, the Zeck/Beatty issues from Cap #286-288, and the Michael Golden Marvel Fanfare #4 story. The only piece I loved from that mini-series was the Jusko cover to issue #1, although the Guice/Williams art from issue #1 of the mini-series was pretty slick. The Cowan stuff did nothing for me unfortunately. But agree, for people that are fans of his art, that's a nice example from the mini-series.

I'm a huge Deathlok fan and if it wasn't a stat, I'd figure out a way to afford it if the original art were for sale (I'd assume it'll sell for $10-12k). Being a stat, I have no interest in it unfortunately. Not much Deathlok out there for whatever reason and many of the covers are unaccounted for as well.

I am closing out the sale on these original unsigned Dave Stevens prints. If you would like any of them, please reserve them before end of day on Tuesday, 10/17. If you are just interested in purchasing individual prints, they are $20/each + shipping. Multiples of each print are available. Please get them before they're gone. To make things easier, I am posting images of all of them here as well as on my CAF. http://www.comicartfans.com/galleryroom.asp?gsub=185032

The Nagel examples were better than average examples, but still not the best. I have to say the prices on both of them were strong and the canvas set a new record @ $200k. The Nagel market has been showing some ups and downs over the last few years, but it seems when they are fewer better pieces to bid on, it does better. I think this is a market that is still developing and there are investors buying up the better examples who believe that Nagel is to the 80's what Warhol was to the 60's. It could continue to rise like Rockwell, but just as easily could fall. I think the Elvgrens have been suffering because the market isn't growing and the people who wanted one, got one. Now, the 2nd tier ones are being sold off and there aren't as many people looking to pay top dollar for them as investments. And, this auction suffered from having too many prelims in it, keeping down the overall price. My 2 cents.

Well, if you pass on them, let me know. I'd take the chance at buying them. They look legit to me and the signatures seem real. Likely someone got them all signed at an appearance in 1985 when issue #5 came out.

I thought people may appreciate having pictures of these rare Dave Stevens prints listed for posterity. If anyone is interested in purchasing any of these, please look at this thread:

Since the demand for full sets seems to be less than I anticipated, I am open to selling individual prints for $20/each mix and match + shipping. If you want multiples of one, I should be able to accommodate that as well. Some of these prints are super rare and worth much more than $20.

For all those trying to complete their G.I. Joe comic collection, I just made available some copies of the rare G.I. Joe #200 Herb Trimpe Blank Cover Variant. You can read more about it on this thread....

Hi all - About two years ago I had offered up here some rare copies of Transformers #100. They were blank sketch covers that came from Herb Trimpe's estate when he passed away. Thanks to all those who purchased those. Dan Partouche helped me identify that these were part of a cache of comics given to Herb so that he could draw sketches on them so they could be offered as dealer incentives. There were 70 copies of this book found in Herb's files. It is estimated that no more than 100 copies were printed by IDW. All copies were blank and none had sketches by Herb. Well, similar to the Transformers #100, IDW also printed up blank sketch covers of G.I. Joe #200 which came out the same month. 79 copies of this book were found in Herb's files. When they were found, I had wanted to offer them up to the public by getting Mike Zeck to draw sketches on them so 70 copies of the book were shipped to Mike. I kept 9 copies to get sketches by other artists. Well, two years later, Mike hasn't found the time to draw sketches on these covers and there have been a few people inquiring if they could purchase blank copies of this book to complete their G.I. Joe collections. I'm happy to say that Mike was willing to let go of some blank copies of the book so that people could purchase them. These are probably the rarest G.I. Joe comics in existence and as you can see from the inside front cover scan below, they were part of the initial print run (variant RIB). They are similar to the Yesteryear Comics blank cover (variant RE), but this version does not have the Yesteryear Comics logo on it. I am offering NM copies (9.4 or better) for $100/each. Priority Mail Shipping for up to five copies is $7. To reserve a copy(ies), please feel free to send me an PM or you can e-mail me at comiconxion@hotmail.com. Limit of 10 copies per person. Hope this can help people out. And, as people get sketches on these, I'd love to see those sketches posted on this thread! -Charles Costas

I'm one of the few that's started crossing over and exploring the world of original movie and TV props market in recent years so I thought I'd comment. At the core, there are a lot of similarities between the original art market and prop market. They are both very nostalgia driven hobbies and the question of what will happen as the current group of collectors age is always under debate. But, from what I've seen, I expect to see more "new" collectors entering the movie prop hobby as movies/TV shows are more accessible than comics these days and many TV shows and movies are making props available for sale to the public once they have wrapped a production. There are no true price guides for either - you have to follow the market and relative pricing to understand what is going on. It helps to get perspectives from others in the market as you make decisions. "Screen used" like "published art" is more valuable than other pieces that were reproductions or made for production, but ultimately not used. There are also some differences: While original art typically has "one" original, there are typically multiple props for each production. For example, for Back to the Future, there were at least 30 "Marty" hoverboards produced. Some were made of foam that they screwed to Michael J. Fox's shoes for the flying scenes, some were made of wood for carrying around, and at least one had a spring on it for special effects. Some were screen used, some were used for alternate takes, and some were back-ups. Some had a lenticular pattern on them and some had the design printed on them. Some have a footpad and some had it removed. All have a legitimate claim as an "original." The good news about having more than one piece floating around is that it does allow the market to establish prices for rather unique items, but it does take a little more research to understand exactly what you're buying and how it should stack up to other similar sales. Provenance is much more important. In recent years, studios have realized the importance and value of the props and have clamped down on what gets out. Things can still be taken off production sets by people working there. At the same time, pieces could be legitimately be gifted to people or charities. So, it's important to know where a piece comes from to ensure you're not dealing with stolen goods. True, the provenance of the early Marvel art still gets questioned now and then, but when dealing with props, understanding the provenance is important even with recent productions. Additionally, there are a lot more fakes and fan made reproductions that can get passed off as originals. In this case, it helps to compare examples to other known originals and/or talk with people that are intimately familiar with the way a piece was made for a production. At the higher-end of the market, props seem to have more people entering the market at the higher-end (including institutions) that can drive prices high on high visibility pieces. As far as the situation with the Guardians helmet, here's why the price was so high: Marvel hasn't yet held an auction to sell Guardians props. This particular piece was given away as a prize and was purchased from the prize owner. As mentioned, this is a Hero helmet - about as desirable as you can get. To a collector of Marvel props, this would present well with a Captain America shield and Thor Hammer. Nice Thor and Cap pieces with solid provenance can go for $50-100k, but are more plentiful (although Marvel still has most of them in their archives). So, a premium was paid here, likely because of the uncertainty if another one would be legitimately offered in the years to come. Is it a good investment? My guess is that's not the first question the buyer asked. There are a lot of variables that will have to play out, the biggest two being availability of other Starlord Masks on the market in the future and continued popularity of the characters. But, I think most people in the prop market were surprised by how high this Guardians piece went for as well. But, how many of us watched sales of the Hulk #180 end page and said the same thing (although Wolverine has a bit more of a track record)? As far as reputation, Prop Store has one of the best in the biz for researching the pieces they sell. So, if you had to bid in an auction, there's is a good one to bid in, especially if you're new to the hobby. If anyone from the comic art community wants to learn more about the prop market, I'm happy to impart whatever wisdom I've learned over the years. There's still a lot more to learn, but it's a fun kind of learning!

Today is the last day of the sale. So, please contact me if there are any items you want. After today, they may no longer be available for sale.

Nice additions Gene - especially love the Vargas, Mignola, and of course the Zeck!

As this is the last week of the sale, I have lowered the prices on all items from this sale as well as some from previous sales. Some have been majorly marked down so it's worth a look, especially if you were on the edge of buying something. The sale ends on Saturday September 30th so don't hesitate to reach out if you want something. Here's a revised list of items that are available as well as revised pricing: 1. Barbie Fashion #1 Cover JOHN ROMITA SR. - Was $2,000; Now $1,500 Framed 2. Cerebus #169 Page 7 DAVE SIM & GERHARD (Mothers & Daughters/Women) - Was $1000; Now $700 3. Cerebus #261 Page 18 DAVE SIM & GERHARD (Going Home/Form & Void) - Was $1300; Now $1,000 4. Deathstroke the Terminator Graphitti T-Shirt Design (Homage to Punisher #3 Cover) MIKE ZECK - Was $7,500: Now $5,000 5. Heavy Metal #283 Smile of the Absent Cat Chapter 1 Page 1 GERHARD & GRANT MORRISON - Was $700; Now $600 6. Firehawks Cover HERB TRIMPE - Was $500; Now $350 7. Fish Police Vol. 2 #1 & 2 Complete Books with Extra #3 Cover (Unpublished) STEVE MONCUSE - Was $2,750; Now $2,000/Complete Books & Covers 8. Johnny Comet Daily 11-14-1952 FRANK FRAZETTA - Was $3,500; Now $3,250 9. Justice Machine Annual #1 Elementals Inside Back Cover & 1st Promo Poster Art WILLINGHAM & BILL ANDERSON - Was $6,500; Now $5,000 10. Marvel Fanfare #4 Deathlok Story Page 3 MICHAEL GOLDEN & BOB DOWNS - Was $2,250; Now $2,000 11. Marvel Preview #2 Page 27 (1st Solo Punisher) TONY DEZUNIGA - Was $2,250; Now $2,000 12. Nexus Legends #11 Painted Cover MIKE VOSBURG - Was $500; Now $450 13. 1980’s Ninja Sketch “The Hand” MIKE ZECK - Was $350; Now $275 14. Punisher Cover Quality Pin-up & Website Art (1999) MIKE ZECK & JOHN BEATTY - Was $5,000; Now $4,500 15. Stig’s Inferno #1 Lot of Six Pages TY TEMPLETON - Was $1,500; Now $1,200 16. Transformers Limited Series #3 Page 8 FRANK SPRINGER & KIM DEMULDER (Black Spidey Issue) - Was $800; Now $650 Additional Items: 17. Fish Police #7 Complete Book with Covers & SAM KEITH Pinup STEVE MONCUSE - Now $2,000/Complete Book 18. G.I. Joe TCG Cobra Commander Painted Card Art MIKE S. MILLER & DAVID MICHAEL BECK - Now $450 19. Punisher Limited Series #3 Pages 1, 2 & 4 MIKE ZECK & JOHN BEATTY - Now $5,500/Lot of 3 Pages 20. Lot of 8 Tales from the Crypt HBO TV Show Cover Prelims MIKE VOSBURG - Now $700/Lot of 8 Cover Prelims 21. Marvel Preview #2 Page 23 (1st Solo Punisher & Origin Issue) TONY DEZUNIGA - Now $1,500 22. Punisher Limited Series #5 Pages 11, 12 & 14 MIKE VOSBURG & JOHN BEATTY - Now $1,250/Lot of 3 Pages 23. Transformers Limited Series #2 Pages 8 & 9 FRANK SPRINGER & KIM DEMULDER (Adapted for 1st Movie) - Now $1,250/Lot of 2 Pages 24. Transformers Limited Series #3 Page 17 FRANK SPRINGER & KIM DEMULDER (Black Spidey App.) - Now $1,250 25. Uncanny X-Men #287 Page 17 ROMITA JR. & WILLIAMS (Bishop Joins X-Men) - Now $500 All can be seen here: http://www.comicartfans.com/galleryroom.asp?gsub=179126

The Sisterhood of Steel #3 Cover is now on hold.

It's easier to recognize a 3rd printing in a bag because the colors aren't as robust as the 1st and 2nd printings (it is more of a monotone pink) and the bottom left corner of the cover has more shading than a 1st or 2nd printing. But, unless your eyes are trained to look for those things, I agree, most people probably don't know the nuances.

The Zeck/Zimelman Ultimate Super-Villains cover is now on hold!

The Cerebus #85 splash is now on hold!

Adding pics for some of my personal favorites which are still available: Cerebus #85 Page 1 DAVE SIM & GERHARD (Church & State) ($2500) - The splash page in which Cerebus stumbles upon Mick Jagger - even the lettering is cool! Nexus Legends #11 Painted Cover MIKE VOSBURG ($500) - That's a large sized colorful painted cover from 1990 for only $500. Frankly, I'm surprised this one didn't sell right away. Deathstroke the Terminator Graphitti T-Shirt Design MIKE ZECK ($7,500) - If you've every wanted a nice Zeck Deathstroke cover, Punisher portfolio plate and/or the cover the Punisher #3, you have them rolled into one with this piece. On larger illustration board, this piece is a portfolio quality piece! Johnny Comet Daily 11-14-1952 FRANK FRAZETTA ($3,500) This piece has a lot of things you'd want in a Frazetta (including a girl) for a bargain price. Marvel Fanfare #4 Deathlok Story Page 3 MICHAEL GOLDEN & BOB DOWNS ($2,250) - You don't see a lot of vintage Michael Golden on the market and I've had this piece for years. Published in 1982, but penciled by Golden in 1977. Justice Machine Annual #1 Elementals Inside Back Cover & 1st Promo Poster Art BILL WILLINGHAM & BILL ANDERSON ($6,500) - This piece is HUGE (4x the size of modern art) & is the piece that Willingham used to shop around the concept of the Elementals team. It saw publication in plenty of places. The only things that would rival this as an Elementals piece would be the cover to #1 or Justice Machine Annual #1 and they'd be at least twice as much if they were available.