Comic OA and the Modern Collector. Why? Why?

[Mighty Hal]

I think there’s a good amount of modern OA still out there and much of it still seems fairly cheap. Still, every now and then I stumble across something that makes me wonder exactly what's going on here.

 

Such as: Manhunter #26. An Arthur Adams cover. Recently sold by one of the good guy art dealers for $5500. Somebody tell me why.

 

(I can't seem to deposit a shot of the artwork in this post. Sorry.)

 

It’s a recent cover, published in 2006. So nostalgia doesn’t seem to play a factor in the price and sell numbers unless someone out there got really nostalgic, really fast.

 

It’s Manhunter, a DC comic that rarely topped 18,000 in sales. Of its 20,000 fans, how many collect OA? Of those few, how many have five thousand dollars to drop on cover art?

 

Maybe because it’s an Art Adams cover? I love Adams’ stuff but I don’t remember a fan-mania around his work. He wasn’t the regular artist on Manhunter or even the regular cover artist. And he doesn’t seem to be doing any sustained work as of late.

 

It can’t be because of critical acclaim. Of the cover art, Comics Worth Reading wrote, “I don’t even know how Wonder Woman stands up like that, perched on her toes with her butt stuck out and a broken back.” Journalista printed, “When did Art Adams start adopting Rob Liefeld’s drawing stategies? I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone other than Liefeld screw up a figure pose that badly.” The Johnny Bacardi Show (nah, I’d never heard of it, either) said it was “one of the worst Art Adams covers I've ever seen”. I didn’t find any ‘good’ quotes except from the dealer selling the cover.

 

It was only AFTER I’d read the Comics Worth Reading quote that I tracked down the cover, found out that it had sold and what it had sold for, and began to be amazed.

 

Is it because Wonder Woman is in the piece? I'm so confused....

 

[Mighty Hal]

Hey, look at that. I DID get a copy of the cover in here!

[shiverbones]

Art Adams has a HUGE art fan base.

[comix4fun]

I think there’s a good amount of modern OA still out there and much of it still seems fairly cheap. Still, every now and then I stumble across something that makes me wonder exactly what's going on here.

 

Such as: Manhunter #26. An Arthur Adams cover. Recently sold by one of the good guy art dealers for $5500. Somebody tell me why.

 

It sold the day after an even more recent cover sold for $7200 on ebay. It had been on that good guy art dealer's site for about 2-3 weeks at that point.

 

It’s a recent cover, published in 2006. So nostalgia doesn’t seem to play a factor in the price and sell numbers unless someone out there got really nostalgic, really fast.

 

It’s Manhunter, a DC comic that rarely topped 18,000 in sales. Of its 20,000 fans, how many collect OA? Of those few, how many have five thousand dollars to drop on cover art?

 

That lady in the hot pants in the foreground...it's Wonder Woman. And when you look at the original art you have two pretty ladies in the middle of a "cat" fight...along with a lush and detailed signature Art Adams background. That's enought for most folks to want the cover...when you toss in a cover selling for over 30% more than this cover 24 hours earlier on Ebay...you can see where someone might get antsy if they liked this cover.

 

Maybe because it’s an Art Adams cover? I love Adams’ stuff but I don’t remember a fan-mania around his work. He wasn’t the regular artist on Manhunter or even the regular cover artist. And he doesn’t seem to be doing any sustained work as of late.

 

 

He's had at least one cover on the stands every month for the last 12-24 months minimum. Classic Avengers, FF, Manhunter, Action Comics, Red Sonja, 52, Booster Gold, and several Wizard Magazine, specialty items , posters etc.

 

Basically, there has been something new to see from Art pretty much every month for a long time.

 

Is it because Wonder Woman is in the piece? I'm so confused....

 

 

Probably.....that and trade or time payments and I think we got the answer.

 

C

 

[TheWatcher]

Back in the late 80's when he was doing X-Men he was really hot. I commented on the prices his covers demand these days. I found it pretty incredible, too.

[comix4fun]

Back in the late 80's when he was doing X-Men he was really hot. I commented on the prices his covers demand these days. I found it pretty incredible, too.

 

 

I am priced out of most of his stuff.

Even the unpubbed cover reinterpretations he has put on ebay end out of my reach.

 

C

[Mighty Hal]

So...Art Adams is hot enough that he can collect five bills plus for a Manhunter cover -- and he is a great artist -- but is this particular cover worth it? Maybe so. Or maybe it's this...

 

Comix4fun said: That lady in the hot pants in the foreground...it's Wonder Woman. And when you look at the original art you have two pretty ladies in the middle of a "cat" fight...

 

-- and I think comix4fun nailed it on a lot of counts (including all that stuff that I haven't quoted). But it brought to mind something that was told to my buddy's girlfriend. She had written to an artist that has worked for the big two (she won't let me give his name; good artist, not yet top-tier) and he e-mailed back, "There is way too much "hot babe" art. Unfortunately that's what comics have become in a lot of ways and it certainly seems to be all the art collectors want these days."

 

 

 

 

 

[brandolsn]

-- and I think comix4fun nailed it on a lot of counts (including all that stuff that I haven't quoted). But it brought to mind something that was told to my buddy's girlfriend. She had written to an artist that has worked for the big two (she won't let me give his name; good artist, not yet top-tier) and he e-mailed back, "There is way too much "hot babe" art. Unfortunately that's what comics have become in a lot of ways and it certainly seems to be all the art collectors want these days."

 

compare that Manhunter/Wonder Woman to the final bid on this cover

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270179687078

Thor is much nicer imo, but no boobs.

[TheWatcher]

I prefer the Thor cover, personally

[CAP Freak]

As do I

[comix4fun]

-- and I think comix4fun nailed it on a lot of counts (including all that stuff that I haven't quoted). But it brought to mind something that was told to my buddy's girlfriend. She had written to an artist that has worked for the big two (she won't let me give his name; good artist, not yet top-tier) and he e-mailed back, "There is way too much "hot babe" art. Unfortunately that's what comics have become in a lot of ways and it certainly seems to be all the art collectors want these days."

 

compare that Manhunter/Wonder Woman to the final bid on this cover

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270179687078

Thor is much nicer imo, but no boobs.

 

I prefer the Thor as well.

Some folks might not simply because the Thor cover lacks a background. Is a single figure, etc etc. We should reconvene here in 4 days when the Thor cover auction ends to see how it fares.

I would be shocked if it was less than $4k at the end, even though Ebay has been rather bargain basement on art for a while.

 

Best,

C

[shiverbones]

I like art adams a lot, but both of those covers leave me a bit cold...

[sborock]

As I said before, I got a GREAT Adams cover for under $2000. I love his stuff, but waited for one I thought was the right price.

 

You can check it out in my CAF under "C"

[jbud73]

I like Art Adams too, but for that $$$ you are into a pretty nice Lee or Miller piece, not a cover in Miller's case, but a potential splash with much more nostalgia and IMO collectibility. Congrats on that Art Adams piece Steve its nice and the 2 K price is nicer considering the example used to start this thread.

 

[NightGallery1]

I've seen some Art Adams covers that just blow me away and others that do absolutely nothing for me. I like The Creature from the Black Lagoon adaption he did some years ago - I thought that it was very well done (I'm a big fan of 50s SciFi flicks anyway).

 

I did pick up the cover he did for Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 a while back because it compliments the large Buffy prop collection that I've managed to put together throughout the years. I figured it had three things going for it - 1) it's Buffy (cultural icon), 2) it's issue #1, and 3) it was done by Art Adams. For those reasons, I think it may have the potential to become a big ticket item in 10-15 years. Most importantly, it was also a must have considering all the other memorabilia from the show that I own. At the time I thought the price was a little hefty, but I've reconsidered since then and am very glad that I picked it up when I had the opportunity.

 

Bill

[Pirate]

i'm going to continue to work hard for deals and pray i'm not out priced anytime soon from getting nice pages.

[TheWatcher]

i'm going to continue to work hard for deals and pray i'm not out priced anytime soon from getting nice pages.

 

 

And I'll add "...and hope to get lucky". Because sometimes it's luck that let's you land that sweet deal.

[Artemaria]

The sale of this cover through the dealer's site was fairly surprising for the reasons Hal stated in his first post.

 

About a year ago, that cover sold on eBay for about $2,800.

 

Doubling your money in a year is a pretty good business. Although I love Art Adams, for various reasons (including the tip toe pose, not a WW cover, no nostalgia, series was on verge of being canceled, etc.) I couldn't pull the trigger on this cover at that time.

 

In retrospect, the hesitancy seems foolish, but who knew?

 

Best regards to all.

 

- A

[Mighty Hal]

The Art Adams/Thor cover that was discussed here ended up going for, I believe, under $2500 (but not much under).

 

Meanwhile, this Adams/Superman piece went for $1880 and change:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230187171766&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

 

...possibly because it was unpublished -- or possibly because the OA market is reacting to the current economic stress -- or possibly because Aaron Lopresti was right: Collectors will pay more for "hot babe" artwork.

[comix4fun]

The Art Adams/Thor cover that was discussed here ended up going for, I believe, under $2500 (but not much under).

 

Meanwhile, this Adams/Superman piece went for $1880 and change:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230187171766&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

 

...possibly because it was unpublished -- or possibly because the OA market is reacting to the current economic stress -- or possibly because Aaron Lopresti was right: Collectors will pay more for "hot babe" artwork.

 

 

Possibly because it is not all Art Adams....that piece was left unfinished and then the inks were done by someone else. Art Adams on Art Adams will always sell for more than Art inked by someone else.

 

As well, as you mentioned, being that it's unpubbed it is not all that different from the prepared finished pieces Art brings to conventions and sells for between $800 and $1500. Lot's of hot babe pieces there...all priced less than the superman sold for.

 

$1880 is pretty pricey relative to those other pieces.

 

Chris

 

(PS...that Thor cover was a STEAL at it's final $2650 sale price....I saw the finished auction a few days after and I was shocked)