christosgage

Wow, that Dragon's Lair is really getting up there. It hits a nostalgia sweet spot for me too but I'll have to admire it from afar. Now I feel lucky I got this drawing from Don Bluth in the 90s.

I never went to Supersnipe but the method you describe is one I recall being not uncommon in the Eighties, especially in smaller stores where it was often a one-person operation and they couldn't easily work the register and also keep an eye out to prevent shoplifting at the same time. This was before security cameras - or rather before it was common for a small business operating on thin margins to have them. I also think a factor was reducing the amount of handling of the vintage books, especially when comics were more "for kids" who would sometimes get excited and not be careful with them. This sort of thing went away in the 90s from what I remember, as backing boards and cheaper security cameras became more common.

I remember there being a glow or flash in the direction you were supposed to go (or on your sword if you were supposed to use it) but there was a VERY short window for you to react properly, so yeah, there was a lot of trial and error involved.

I bow to no one in my love of Herb Trimpe, but am I the only one who thinks the Hulk #180 pages are kind of...blah? Is the appeal really just that Wolverine's first appearance comes on a completely different page of this issue? Or am I missing something?

It's a great splash to be sure but I can't handle a decapitated Red Ronin...too painful! HOWEVER, if you are ever selling another Godzilla page, holler at your boy!

I'm sure everyone knows about the house fire at Len Wein's house that destroyed some original art...many people thought that included the cover to Giant Size X-Men #1 but luckily that was not the case. Erik Larsen had a similar fire that burned up a lot of his art, I think. And for D&D art collectors, Erol Otus lost a ton of TSR art to a flood.

Once you've gotten what you're interested in, if the seller wants to part with any more, send 'em my way!

According to my internet research, most of Erol Otus's originals were destroyed in a flood at his home some years ago. But he is still active in doing work for indie RPG companies so you might be able to find something more recent. His work is still stunning. He does seem to be kind of off the grid, though I believe he does RPG cons near where he lives. (When there's not a plague.)

I'm not aware of any up for sale right now other than the CoolLines "inquire" ones. But they do come up every now and then. The last few I've seen, aside from the issue #12 battle page earlier in the thread, have tended to be SHIELD Agent-heavy, less Godzilla, but they do trickle out.

This is super cool! In America we got fewer of the Fighting Fantasy books, but there was some great new cover art by Corben and others. Do you mind if I ask where you found the Fighting Fantasy art? I'd love to see if there's anything from the books I remember.

Is that the #13 cover? Much as I hated having to sell it (medical bills) I am glad it went to such a good home. If you ever decide to part with it give me a shout! I hadn't thought about Godzilla-specific collectors, which I realize is its own distinct fan base. Excellent point!

I remember speaking to Anthony years ago about Godzilla art and I think he said this particular cover meant a lot to him because he either lives or lived in Vegas at one time, or something along those lines...I believe you're right that it may be a situation where he'd just as soon not part with it unless it's for the proverbial "offer you can't refuse." Which I get. I wonder if other sellers will see prices like these and overvalue the Godzilla pages they have...like I said, I wouldn't complain if one could actually realize these prices, as it would make my pages worth more, but if I'm being honest I don't think the demand is there. It's like how Sal Buscema Rom pages were cheap, then shot up because there were a couple of folks who were willing to pay big money for them, and now there's a correction going on as those collectors seem to have obtained enough examples and prices are falling more in line with general demand.

I'm pretty sure Kirby rarely, if ever, inked his own stuff at all, because he felt it was "drawing the same thing twice" which didn't interest him.

Haha...I'm fine either way. If prices have skyrocketed my stuff is worth a lot; if not, I can still afford to buy more!

I brought a small collection cross-country with me about ten years ago and like you I carried most of the OA on the plane with me. Some pieces that weren't very valuable I shipped. For the bronze, I might suggest (knowing full well that the coronavirus could make this tricky) finding a shipper who specializes in art. It won't be cheap to pack and ship it but if it's valuable and/or delicate, they know what they're doing and won't balk at you insuring it for full value. (Needless to say, check them out thoroughly first.)

I have no knowledge about the art itself but I thought I remembered that someone else did the lettering on these recreations. But I can't remember where I heard it and I'm not sure that's even a factor.

Hey folks, question for those of you with your finger on the pulse of the market. I've always been a fan of Herb Trimpe's Godzilla art and I've seen it rise in value slowly but steadily over the years...considerably less drastically than other Bronze Age art but about in keeping with its relative value compared to more mainstream superhero stuff. But in the past couple weeks I've seen pieces come to market whose asking price shocked me! 15K for a cover and 1800 for a panel page (to be fair, the panel page had the Fantastic Four on it, but the cover was just Godzilla). If that's what they're going for now it means my small collection is worth a lot more than I thought it was, but I wanted to ask those who are more active in the hobby than me...are people actually paying these prices, or is it just wishful thinking? To give you an idea why I'm confused, the last cover I saw was the #15 cover in a CLink auction last year and I believe it closed at $3500. And I don't recall ever seeing a panel page that didn't also include superheroes break $1000. Thanks for any thoughts!

I love this Golden Age Spark Man page from a 1941 issue of Sparkler Comics by Reg Greenwood. I paid $75 around 20 years ago and I'd guess its value hasn't kept up with inflation, but it's got so many Golden Age tropes in one page. World War II references; a pitch for war bonds and stamps; a sexy lady who's hot for the hero but he's all about his duty; a non-white sidekick portrayed in a vaguely racist way...and the art's pretty too!

From what I've seen it can vary widely based on artist, character, level of detail, etc. Brian Bolland's prelims are quite detailed, for example (see below), and they command more comparatively than, let's say, the looser "4 options on 1 page of typing paper" prelims sent to an editor to pick from, where the figures are so loose the artist often writes the name of the character above them because it's not necessarily apparent from the art.

They are one and the same...a Spark Man page from Sparkler Comics by Reg Greenwood, I think from 1941.

I had heard that Simonson intends to donate his body of work to his alma mater, the Rhode Island School Of Design, after his passing. Not sure if that's true or not, my only point is that some artists may have other priorities.

Agreed that it shouldn't happen, and I don't think anyone intentionally makes it happen. But there's a lot that can occur unpredictably. The unfortunate part is, even if it's on the publishing side - say, a -script is a week late - and the artist no longer has the time in his schedule to do the commission, he's going to prioritize the publisher, because the odds of getting steady work from the publisher are greater than getting a monthly book's worth of commissions from a collector. And you're right, the professional thing to do is contact the commissioner and say something unforeseen came up and request more time (or offer a refund), but an artist who feels overwhelmed might just want an out. Especially if it's a situation like they accepted the commission and then suddenly got offered a monthly book.

I totally understand your frustration, $700 is a chunk of change. I'm not trying to make excuses for the artist who may well have just been a jerk, but I wanted to suggest some possibilities that might change your perspective as it sounds like you're a big fan of his and I would hate for this experience to ruin your enjoyment of his work. * If he still actively works in the industry, he probably sees commissions as a side thing and the assignments as his "real" job and worries that taking too much direction on a commission will make it take up time that will interfere with his deadlines. Not saying you would do that, but I could see the artist worrying about that. I've heard of artists getting in trouble with editors because they missed deadlines but the editor saw on social media that they were taking commissions or doing cons. * If it is someone who is a veteran in the industry, they may feel they've earned the right to do it however they want it. I realize that sounds arrogant, but I also get it. * As others have mentioned, a lot of creative types aren't necessarily "people persons" or maybe he was having a bad day. * Maybe he took on more work than he could handle and saw an "out" with your commission when you asked to talk. Not the most professional behavior, but it happens. When I get commissions I have learned to ask the artist up front how they prefer to approach things. I used to think letting them do whatever they want was what they'd prefer (beyond just, for example, asking for a particular character) but many artists prefer more direction, for various reasons including a greater likelihood of a happier customer. And hey, if the experience ended up with you getting a free Byrne commission, that's a win! Anyway, sorry it went down badly and I hope you have better experiences in the future.

Congratulations! Super cool to own an entire issue. And since I was never a big Firefall fan I can genuinely be happy for you instead of seething with jealousy!

Hello, I'm selling this Adam Hughes page from Betty & Veronica #1, page 22. It features almost the whole gang - Jughead, Archie, Betty, Midge and Moose. LARGE ART! Drawn on a board measuring 14 x 20. Price is $800, plus $15 shipping & insurance. US only. Thanks for looking!