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dichotomy

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Posts posted by dichotomy

    How do you store your art?

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by dichotomy

    Does anyone condition the room that they keep their art in? I’ve just moved from a New England stone basement to West Coast upstairs, west facing bedroom (aka much more temp variation during 24 hour cycle). 
     

    Recent events have me seriously considering a fire rated safe...

    Splitting up Books - Thoughts?

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by dichotomy

    Thanks to the OP and all subsequent posters for their nuanced and interesting replies. This is the content I’m here for. 

    Great and valid points all around. This is a conversation of Venn diagrams. Comic ART collectors meeting COMIC art collectors. Great art meeting great stories creates nostalgia and art. And great writing elevates the art, both in the conception (see the notoriously detailed notes from Moore and Gaiman to their collaborators) - this is interesting to consider when thinking about the collaborative nature of the art we collect. It may be one person, or it may be 4 or more! 
     

    image.thumb.jpeg.fd25ab95ee66a5a1b3ef3dd3cf017763.jpeg

    (a page that resonates because it encapsulates itself nicely - plus you get the “moments” of Supes glory soaring plus the transformation into Clark)

    Personally speaking, I noticed early on a particular affinity for story in the artwork I pursue. A cover tells a story, or at the very least asks a question. In my humble opinion, that’s the JOB of the cover. Art + Design. I do not think you will find many “hero pose” covers or commissions in my collection. Beyond a cover, is a sequence (or sequences - per Watchmen particularly) over one or more pages. Careful consideration and planning is key here and can often yield incredible results.

    image.thumb.jpeg.8728b4062cded402172ddb42bfc98c38.jpeg

    Ultimately, it is the entire story. 
     

    The artist or collaboration that is firing on all cylinders, well, I think it’s possible to craft a story with NO undesirable/unwanted pages. But it’s hard. And for the other 95%, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a minimal page, but I would encourage the seller to consider trying to sell “quieter” pages as a part of the sequence they were always meant to support. 
     

    Finally, I take my hat off to anyone trying to put together an issue/story, particularly for older material. It is time consuming and EXPENSIVE - particularly if the story and artist have truly produced something that straddles the nostalgia/craft threshold. 
     

    I have 5 complete issues (4 purchased complete, 1 I put together), Several complete stories (8-10 pages), and a large sequence of another book that I’m putting together. But all of this is modern. I just don’t have the funds for anything older. I tried putting together some sequences from the Simonson/Mignola Jungle Adventure and basically self-worked myself by driving the market up. But that’s the price you have to pay to do it. 

    Finally, a tip of the hat to strip art! They’re fun for a reason 

    -M

    PS while not my thing, I’ve noticed, akin to panel pages being cut up, pages from rare floppies being sold individually, and even by panel. 

     

    image.jpeg

    Repped Artist Websites (best / worst)

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    I’d also have to give a tip of the hat to (outside the current big 3)

    1. BritComicArts - Joseph is a font of knowledge and very easy to work with. He’s also promised to sell me all the Sandman pages from his personal collection, so don’t even bother asking him about them. 😁
     

    2. Cam Jarvis at Inky Knuckles - he’s super easy to communicate with and has rapidly built an excellent roster of artists whose work I am enjoying very much. The vibe is very relaxed and I’ve been enjoying the online shows that he’s been producing. 
     

    3. Annabel at KirbysComicArt continues to improve the website and is a deft hand with commissions. She remembers what you like and often sends some tempting new artwork. 
     

     

    Repped Artist Websites (best / worst)

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 8/26/2020 at 9:57 AM, awayne83 said:

    Vodou hit most of the negotiating points on the head, but I'll add bundling to the tactics. I've found reps to be more receptive to work better deals for multiple pieces. Obviously in this scenario they're getting more money for their clients, but your also getting the pages at a price you're comfortable with. Again, this is all predicated on the ability of a rep to maintain a healthy line of communication. :facepalm: Ymmv

    This. Easiest way into a conversation, and they don’t have to be monster pieces. In fact, if your budget stretches to it, start with a small piece. Pay the asking price promptly, be polite, and honestly appreciative of the piece once received. Then start talking about what you really really want. I’m not saying to be disingenuous - it’s starting a relationship on a positive note in a world where often people don’t even have the courtesy to say “Hey, I received the art. It’s amazing. Thanks.” 

    Confessions of a Newbie Collector

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by dichotomy
    Add link

    On 5/18/2020 at 10:43 AM, Skizz said:

    https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1633242

    So I finally bought this page after pondering about it and staring at it on the Felix Comic Art website for ...  TWO YEARS!  I know, a real impulse buy.

    The art is by Tradd Moore from All New Ghost Rider #2. The reason I took so long to buy this isn’t because it was so expensive. In fact, it was one of the cheapest pages by Tradd on the website and I’ll say more on this subject later. 

    ...

    This is a perfectly constructed page that clearly and succinctly tells a unit of story, without even the need for the dialogue bubbles.  The first panel is an establishing shot that places the protagonist right in the centre. It also set up the overall geography of the place and all the surrounding players.  Even the half eaten apple on the teacher’s table helps with the reader’s understanding of the geography of the classroom, whilst also serving a dual purpose of saying something about the kind of school this is. The ‘camera’ in Panel 2 cuts in the opposite direction without crossing the line and shows the meek teacher entering. The placement of the student couple helps the reader quickly understand the continuity with the first panel, where the camera is cutting to and what is happening.  The third panel, which is right in the centre of the page, places its full focus on the protagonist (Robbie Reyes). It also sets up the antagonists in the background. The fourth panel links back to the first two panels involving the teacher, before the rest of the page moves onto dealing with the relationship and mood between the protagonist and antagonist.

    I’d say this page is intricate enough to  be Watchmen-esque level of craft.  

    I’ve got a great piece like this that absolutely was a gateway piece. I heard on Felix’s podcast the other creators talking about Tradd’s work and how you really have to see it in person to get it. So I went to the site and picked 2 interesting and extremely reasonable pages, and paid for them. 
     

    After they were delivered and I finished cleaning up pieces of my head from the floor, I started thinking. Within weeks of that I approached Felix about a complete issue of SSB, which is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

     

    https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1551368

    Do You Still Have the First Comic Book OA Piece You Ever Got?

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    As a new collector, absolutely! I was reading Yale Stewart’s JL8 online and then he started posting some pieces for auction on eBay. He did a Zatanna I really liked but lost out on, and then when this piece came up I made sure to snag it. It didn’t kickstart my collecting though because the strip and art are still outside mainstream comics for the most part. But paying for it helped me absorb prices at my first con, which resulted in some spectacular pieces that I might have balked paying for had I not been indoctrinated with this piece. I have the original in my den, and a color print that Yale sent hangs in my son’s room. 

    EDC0A8BC-E749-4B79-B8BA-49330AD7007F.jpeg

    Jim Lee's marathon sketches

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    I don’t know why it got bumped recently on twitter but I did see some very heartwarming footage of Jim Lee sneaking artwork to people on his 50th birthday. I take my hat off to him. Watching his twitch stream one sees how much of a natural teacher he his and how much he loves the medium. The auction 60 have been incredible. He’s a GOAT for shizzle. 
     

    Now, please finish my commission 🙏🏿 🤣

    Tradd Moore Surfer Drop July 25, 2020

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    6 hours ago, sfilosa said:

    Valid point on SSB but I wasn't specifically talking about Tradd Moore.

    Now if you wanted to come up with a better system...

    * For art drops, no more than one item ordered in the cart.

    * You can order as much as you want.

    * Then art given in order of submittal.

    Therefore if I order page 5, you order page 6 and then I order page 6, I get page 5 and you get page 6. If no one ordered page 6, I would get page 5 and 6. Therefore, everything still sells, but I can't put everything into my cart really quick and get multiple pieces. If I put 5 pieces in my cart and you put the exact same 5 as me, I submit two seconds ahead of you, I get all, and you get none. Should be a better system than that.

    I see where you’re going with this and I rather like it.

     

    It’s the way the drops work already though because, ignoring bots, adding a single item to your cart and checking out is always going to be faster than adding more than 1 item.
     

    Also, limiting to one piece per order could also hurt you because if someone has a better bot than you, they could use several browsers to put in simultaneous orders, and still beat you out of multiple pieces. 🤷‍♂️ 

    Tradd Moore Surfer Drop July 25, 2020

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    The bot/-script question is an interesting one - it was my first thought when looking at these drops, but my old fashioned fingers used to be good enough so I didn’t delve much deeper. Recently, I’ve been striking out more and so the question comes back into play -  used in moderation an automated tool would be very efficient, but I if abused the management could take steps to rectify or censor the person. It would be easy enough to weed out offenders by physical mailing addresses. Again, OA is 1/1 and sale numbers are always going to be lower than anything mass produced, so the vendor will have time to look at every order, if necessary. My two cents.