Is there value in this?

[Mighty Hal]

First I found comic OA. Then I discovered color guides (don't collect 'em but understand why some people do). Then printing plates (don't collect 'em, still surprised that some people do). Now, this --

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/MyComicArt-com-Barry-Windsor-Smith-Conan-22-page-28_W0QQitemZ220222945531QQihZ012QQcategoryZ972QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

-- which, with the auction almost over, seems to have collected enough bidders to top the $500 mark.

 

I was excited, too, finding original BWS artwork to Conan in this price range. But this isn't original BWS artwork. As the seller writes: Marvel took high-quality photostats of the art for Conan #1 and pasted them each to a page of art board -- and now the photostated page from Conan #22 is up for sale.

 

Is there a subgenre of OA collectors that are into photostats?

[SolitaireOne]

Good question! I have what I believe is a photostat of a Ka-Zar #2 splash page that I love, but is that still considered O.A.? Likely not, right?

 

What purpose exactly does a photostat serve in the publication process? Were they only seen in the 1970's?

 

Aside from the obviously different color of the body of the piece, how else would you know?

 

 

 

I like to ask lots of questions...

[jjonahjameson1]

This is an interesting topic because this came up on comicart-l perhaps a year or two ago when someone was selling the published photostat covers (production art same as the Barry Smith Conan page) to some very late silver/early bronze age covers.

 

I recall seeing of the covers sell for over $1K and it created a lively discussion on the list. Essentially, the buyer's looked at it this way: There is only one published cover for each issue and if it happened to be production art so be it. That's why they were willing to bid a (relatively) high amount for what amounts to a photocopy.

Another stated reason for purchasing the production art was that it was much more affordable than an original art page/cover from the same era by the same artist.

 

So it does seem as though there is value to this for some.

 

 

[LordZarak]

Marvel's Transformers #1 was heavily edited, so some of the final production pages are mostly stats. One such page was on eBay last year and still went for a few hundred dollars.

 

[Benjy Grimm-migration]

what about this type stuff?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180233689486&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching

[irchooker]

Everything has value!

[Benjy Grimm-migration]

.ASM # 2 PRODUCTION ART & OVER-LAY.

[Sharkey]

This is an interesting topic because this came up on comicart-l perhaps a year or two ago when someone was selling the published photostat covers (production art same as the Barry Smith Conan page) to some very late silver/early bronze age covers.

 

I recall seeing of the covers sell for over $1K and it created a lively discussion on the list. Essentially, the buyer's looked at it this way: There is only one published cover for each issue and if it happened to be production art so be it. That's why they were willing to bid a (relatively) high amount for what amounts to a photocopy.

Another stated reason for purchasing the production art was that it was much more affordable than an original art page/cover from the same era by the same artist.

 

So it does seem as though there is value to this for some.

 

 

I work in the publishing industry and I've always been partial to Marvel production art and in-house ad pieces. And, yes, I'm one of the people who bought some of those Marvel's Greatest Comics covers that reprinted the covers to FF 55 and 64. Both are in my CAF Gallery linked to from my sig, under Jack Kirby. Sure, they aren't technically "original" art, but they are the production covers to MGC and framed and in my office you can't tell it's not OA. I could not afford the art to FF 55 if it ever came up for sale, so in my mind I have the next best thing. And it's an actual published cover to boot!

 

I was quite happy to pick up those covers, in spite of being called a "photocopy buying person_having_a_hard_time_understanding_my_point" by KK. Who, ironically, won the ASM 15 repro piece linked to in this thread. So I guess stat covers are hot tickets after all!

 

I like the reproduction Spidey 2 cover -- and the color guide. Cool stuff, eh KK? (thumbs u

[Benjy Grimm-migration]

And people say I never post my art.

 

Maybe now you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me?

 

[Frank Pentangeli-migration]

.ASM # 2 PRODUCTION ART & OVER-LAY.

 

WOOOH

 

That is sweet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pkveronese]

I get hung up on this type of stuff too - I've been wanting a nice Hunger Dogs page, but the vast majority of the pages on the market aren't completely original art (they have a re-inked photostatted portion , bordered by 2 inches or original pen and inks on all four sides). They are relatively inexpensive for nice Kirby stuff, but every time I look at it I end up reminding myself that its not all original.

[Flee-Marquette]

And people say I never post my art.

 

Maybe now you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me?

 

You never fail to be entertaining.