Whats the highest priced terrible art known?

[buyatari]

Some art is bought for the art others for the historic importance of the comic some for both.

 

Somewhere out there is a historiclly important OA that just plain sucks when it comes to the artwork but has a high dollar for the historic value for what happened on that page or in that issue.

 

Curious if any of you have seen such a page.

[TheWatcher]

Whatever it is it's most likely drawn by Frank Robbins or Rob Liefeld

[buyatari]

This Rob Liefeld?

 

[Bronty]

fun question adam.

 

tough one to answer though. I'd probably pick early Heck TOS or a poorly drawn GA first appearance or something.

 

I know what poorly painted piece you and I would want

[TupennyConan]

This Rob Liefeld?

 

 

This is the single worst piece of art in all of comic art history. However, the nude version --- and this is my first time seeing it --- is a classic. Who drew it?

[Mighty Hal]

Fun post; thanks.

 

Werner Roth (a/k/a Jay Gavin) never did much for me. I'd love an early X-Men page, I loved that era, but Roth's work always seemed kind of wooden to me.

 

Don Heck's stuff, too, failed to dazzle me -- but I appreciated him more when Wood inked his work. Still, he's a keystone in Marvel's history and I appreciate him for that. Would I like the right Heck OA page? Ah, yes.

 

Rob Liefeld is universally derided and -- just look at Captain America -- you'll see why. But he's not boring, his stuff is unabashed superhero throughout, and his influence is still being seen (Michael Turner is Rob Liefeld with a thinner line). Following New Mutants and X-Force, if Liefeld had put away his pencils and vanished...we'd be fighting for his work.

 

I thought Jae Lee's early stuff was awful; yes, I'm looking at YOU, Namor the Sub-Mariner. I thought his stuff was muddy and just plain bad. Then, one day, I saw this amazing Mr. Freeze/Batman cover drawn by Lee and I thought: When did that guy get this good? He's still good. Who'da thunk it?

 

 

 

 

[MutantKeys]

This Rob Liefeld?

 

[Thomas]

This Rob Liefeld?

 

 

That's what popped into my mind first!

[buyatari]

This Rob Liefeld?

 

 

This is the single worst piece of art in all of comic art history. However, the nude version --- and this is my first time seeing it --- is a classic. Who drew it?

 

It was a dealer insentive alternate cover.

 

Honestly I dunno who did it but it is both funny and disturbing at the same time. Sure Cpt America looks like spoon but without the shield and the clothes you see just HOW bad it really is.

 

Originally I was thinking of an obscure indy comic with a crappy artist but a key appearance of a character who went on to later fame. Sure Rob is the king of the anatomical freak but I'm looking something your son would get a "C" on in his 4th grade art class. Rob is still too good. There has to be worse art worth collectiing for the historic aspect of the character pictured

[TupennyConan]

This RL piece is the absolute worst. It...is...the...worst...art...ever.

 

The nude version, however, is one of the funniest ever.

 

 

[TupennyConan]

Charles Schultz' hand became pretty shaky at the end...

 

Kirby has his detractors at the end of his career too...

 

I'm going to get killed for this admission, but I think the cover art for Marvel Comics #1 is poor. Now there is an historical piece of so-so art!

[clemso]

Werner Roth X-Men, Joe Oralndo DD, Al Hartley Thor (JIM 90) story (his chest is almost as big as the RL Cap drawing) and looking through the same Thor Masterworks, I've just spotted the most awful drawing of Thor. ugh! The pg1 splash to JIM 100 by Don Heck.

 

Clem..

[Kamandi Kid-migration]

 

THE WINNER IS: Don Heck's intrerior art to TALES OF SUSPENSE #39!!!!!!

 

 

Clem...right on with the Don Heck reference. He was one of the worst SA artist EVER. Not only did he he have the unenvyable job of following "the King" on the Avengers, Thor, etc but he inked some of Kirby's last works on those respective titles and simply ruined them.

 

Even his stand alone work is awful. Check out arguably his most expensive work:

 

Tales of Suspense #39

 

Compare it to the TOS #39 cover done by Kirby..........any questions?

 

Finally, it's great when a SA OA piece has Kirby layouts and Heck everything else (looks like s$%t btw) goes on EBAY. The seller almost always lists it as Kirby page and not Heck, even though you have to look hard to see any remnants of Kirby's influence.

 

Thanks again Clem.....I've had that bottled up inside me for over 20 years. You probably saved me thousands of dollars in therapy.....

[chromium]

I'm not a Don Heck fan myself, but some of his non-superhero stuff isn't that bad...

The superhero books were just not for him, and unfortunately for him that's just what was selling when he was most active as an artist. He just can't do action scenes, but he could really ace a room with people standing around talking and looking glamerous.

 

His layouts were very good with a clean and sharp style especially during his Atlas period when he drew a lot of romance.

[Bronty]

I'm not a Don Heck fan myself, but some of his non-superhero stuff isn't that bad...

The superhero books were just not for him, and unfortunately for him that's just what was selling when he was most active as an artist. He just can't do action scenes, but he could really ace a room with people standing around talking and looking glamerous.

 

His layouts were very good with a clean and sharp style especially during his Atlas period when he drew a lot of romance.

 

Yeah, as much as I don't care for Heck in general, you're right about the whole standing around looking glamorous bit. I have to admit I appreciate the fact that he put a lot of effort into getting the clothes/trends of the time into his art. The other guys drew clothes, he drew the latest 1960s clothes. His stuff is unmistakably true to the period.... its part of what makes his art look so dated today though. So much so that I pick up a Heck book and I just don't even want to read it because its hard to relate to men in smoking jackets and women with bobbed hair.

 

Really extremely few to none of the guys making a living from drawing comics were *that* bad. They got hired for a reason and even the worst guys had years of practice to make them better.

 

Its tough to think of a popular feature with truly terrible art though. Bad art can sink a strip pretty quick...

[ft88]

What about the recent sale of the Avengers #1 splash page. Not sure if it was a Kirby and I think it was but its the Loki Schnoze page. Pretty bad artistically speaking for suck a key page.

[Kamandi Kid-migration]

Just to make everything clear.....we are talking about "highest priced terrible art". The interior art to TOS #39 by Don Heck would have to be considered in any discussion. The interior book IS intact and would cost $250-500K low end. However, the art blows, simply put. There soooooo much more art I would rather have, not that I will ever have that kinda' $. Personal taste.......

 

Yes, the Kirby Avengers #1 splash is weak by Jack standards. But, he was working on so many titles during that period, that not all his works at that time were winners. But at least they were all visually appealing....at least to me. (Talking about his superhero/horror stuff.....not Rawhide Cowboy, etc.)

 

As far as Mr Heck's (how fitting of a name) romance work, it's very good (really). But those pages would command around $200 a page. (That's not what we are talking about...btw...stay focused.) The subject is high priced C%^P.

 

Don's SA OA superhero works command quite a bit more, despite his art, EX: Avengers. The silverage series he worked on carried him, from a pricing perspective. To me, he's still one of the all-time worse SILVERAGE artist.

[buyatari]

 

As far as Mr Heck's (how fitting of a name) romance work, it's very good (really). But those pages would command around $200 a page. (That's not what we are talking about...btw...stay focused.) The subject is high priced C%^P.

 

 

I really wanted to know what ugly art an art loving collector would still be proud to own. Avengers #1 pages and TOS#39 are both good examples.

 

But yeah if Hecks romance pages are cheap and well done that really doesn't fit the bill. I think that aspect was only pointed out to give the guy the benefit of the doubt as an artist.

[clemso]

Well if were talking high priced ugly art then the pg.1 splash to DD 4 is up there. The combination of Joe Orlando inked by Vince Colletta would break any mirror. Comiclink reports that this splash sold for $14K. There was a time when you couldn't give this kind of art away.

 

Also back wehen, Kirby art inked by Colletta, Bell/Roussos and Heck used to gather dust on dealers tables, but I guess Kirby's stock has gone up so much that collectors are just glad to have any piece of Kirby SA.

 

BTW. I will take the ugly Avengers 1 splash with Loki doing his best Roman coin impression cheap from current owner. (email me privately (;-))

 

Clem...

[dem1138]

Kirby also drew the other Avengers around Loki's profile - it's still a commanding splash (though I haven't seen it in person).

 

I despised Heck's OA until I purchased two great pages from early TOS Iron Man issues. I have to admit, they are GREAT in person. I have grown to appreciate some of his art since.