How long is too long to wait for a commission 0

[glendgold]

Ah, a "how long is too long" thread with an OP of May 2, 2008!  Opening this is like opening a fine Bordeaux.  That Golden Virue piece will never ever get old.  If Chris did a trophy wall of The Collector with commissions-as-trophies, this one would be up there.  Meta meta, but still. 

 

 

[JadeGiant]

I haven’t read the Patience thread in a while, might need to dust that off.

 

I have a decade plus story of my own. No comic art involved but it is in the hobby. We might see a Bleeding Cool article in the coming months.

[Lucky Baru]

39 minutes ago, JadeGiant said:

I haven’t read the Patience thread in a while, might need to dust that off.

 

I have a decade plus story of my own. No comic art involved but it is in the hobby. We might see a Bleeding Cool article in the coming months.

A statue?

[alxjhnsn]

1 hour ago, glendgold said:

Ah, a "how long is too long" thread with an OP of May 2, 2008!  Opening this is like opening a fine Bordeaux.  That Golden Virue piece will never ever get old.  If Chris did a trophy wall of The Collector with commissions-as-trophies, this one would be up there.  Meta meta, but still. 

 

 

That would be a great Trophy Wall commission. He'd need more great examples though and that would be tough since most of the spots would be empty except for a note saying "Patience is a Virue - <artist name>"

Edited August 6, 2018 by alxjhnsn

[williamhlawson]

And the 'trophy wall' commission idea is stuck in my head.  A mere 3 days after posting my never again commission story on another thread... I see me, relaxed in a large, lush leather armchair, legs crossed with a smirk on my face.  Pipe and snifter in hand. An eyepatch just for the hell of it (I hope).  Mounted all over the wall behind me will be finely miniaturized, framed versions of my all time favorite pieces I own (published mostly, LOL).  With one empty frame for those long lost ideas that wander the desert of dead commissions...

[chrisco37]

55 minutes ago, alxjhnsn said:

That would be a great Trophy Wall commission. He'd need more great examples though and that would be tough since most of the spots would be empty except for a note saying "Patience is a Virue - <artist name>"

The Golden Virue page, of course would have to be there.

I'd also include the Sienkiewicz "pecker head" commission.  Who remembers that?   It was commissioned by a boardie, but I can't remember who.  Many years back now.  

[wurstisart]

Pecker Head !?

Never heard of this story. 

You mind sharing ?

[mister_not_so_nice]

2 hours ago, chrisco37 said:

The Golden Virue page, of course would have to be there.

I'd also include the Sienkiewicz "pecker head" commission.  Who remembers that?   It was commissioned by a boardie, but I can't remember who.  Many years back now.  

I don't know this one but I vaguely recall another Sienkiewicz commission story.

At a con Sienkiewicz asks the collector if he wants his commission spruced up for an extra $50 or $100. Collector says yes and hands over the money. Sienkiewicz then proceeds to spend 3 to 5 seconds adding some highlights and pizzazz with white out. 

[JadeGiant]

4 hours ago, Lucky Baru said:

A statue?

Possibly

[chrisco37]

The story from here (I have vague recollection of it)...a boardie commissioned Bill S to do a piece for him.  I don’t remember the exact details, but it wasn’t a superhero or anything.  Maybe just something bizarre from the mind of Bill.  Time passes, no commission, a friendly email.  Rinse, repeat.  This goes on for awhile (over a year or two?).  Boardie starts getting frustrated.  Correspondence intensifies.

Cant recall if a refund was requested.  Maybe a deal is worked out for some additional perks on the commission.

At long last, the commission arrives.  It’s an alien looking creature whose head and neck are basically shaped like a peter.

There was a big thread about it at the time.  Surely someone else remembers?

Edited August 6, 2018 by chrisco37

[ESeffinga]

I remember it.

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&amp;Number=3070143&amp;nt=47&amp;fpart=46

[Peter L]

On 8/7/2018 at 2:11 AM, ESeffinga said:

I remember it.

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&amp;Number=3070143&amp;nt=47&amp;fpart=46

I don't mean this as a good or bad defense of him, just my observations over time.  

I have had four commissions done by Bill S.  I told him to take as long as he wants although I was very specific on what I wanted him to do and what style to do it in.  Two came after a few months, one I asked for to be done that day at a convention and I would pick it up later in the day, and the third took a few years.  The three that cost more and took longer are examples of his finest work in my opinion but they were not cheap.  The convention sketch I am not a fan of.  Some have posted on CAF that they liked it but it was just his style that particular day.  

Reading that Bleeding Cool article, the buyer told Bill S to do whatever.  So he did.  It was widely viewed as an insult but it might not have been too considering some of the weird stuff he has done in the past.  At SDCC I saw his box of sketches and drafts and other stuff that looked like it was sitting on his drafting desk.  Some of it was amazing and some stuff was weird.  There was a beautiful commission he did for a comic artist's wife and I am going to guess she was very specific on what she asked.  I have gotten the sense that he doesn't do work if he doesn't have the artistic feeling for it, hence the great delays in some of his commissions.

I plan on commissioning him again, and we have had so many discussions, I tell ask him what style is this called and what style is that called.  So for example I tell him I want a photorealistic Elektra commission.  I wouldn't say do whatever because you might get a photorealstic Dazzler or you might get a stray toaster made with metal bits glued to it, or you might get a politician he doesn't like on the toilet.  My reluctance is that I know it may be years before I get the completed work or it could be a week.  

If you are collecting comic art I'm going to guess that you are probably successful in your chosen profession and have your act together financially and dedicated in what you do.  At that Ultimate comic art show near LAX I got the sense that all the buyers were super rich people walking around but also probably good at their chosen professions and efficient at meeting deadlines.  The artistic mindset is almost completely the opposite.  I think there was a book I read by a marriage counselor about finding your right match, and it talked about a female client who wanted a very successful man who has his act together and was dependable but also wanted him to be very creative and artsy.  That section of the book was how she had unrealistic expectations and this was impossible.  

 

[▫️]

On 8/6/2018 at 7:39 PM, JadeGiant said:

I haven’t read the Patience thread in a while, might need to dust that off.

 

I have a decade plus story of my own. No comic art involved but it is in the hobby. We might see a Bleeding Cool article in the coming months.

I’m not at a decade yet but an artist has had my 4.5k for six years now.  

[Rick2you2]

7 hours ago, Oddball said:

I’m not at a decade yet but an artist has had my 4.5k for six years now.  

I would have demanded my money back. That's absurd.

[JadeGiant]

8 hours ago, Oddball said:

I’m not at a decade yet but an artist has had my 4.5k for six years now.  

The only reason I haven't done anything for so long it my outlay is very low. 4.5K and I would be making all kinds of noise. I hope you get your money back. 

[▫️]

3 hours ago, Rick2you2 said:

I would have demanded my money back. That's absurd.

I did.  He said he doesn't have it anymore while promising me that the painting will come. I'm taking steps though. Funny, I commissioned an artist last week for digital coloring and the next morning an email was waiting saying it was done.  And she is currently coloring a Batman book for deadline.  You just have to find the right artists that have a realistic sense of their work output.  I used to commission Gene Colan for huge pieces and it would take him a month. I miss cracking open his packages that reeked of cigar smoke.

[Rick2you2]

7 hours ago, Oddball said:

I did.  He said he doesn't have it anymore while promising me that the painting will come. I'm taking steps though. Funny, I commissioned an artist last week for digital coloring and the next morning an email was waiting saying it was done.  And she is currently coloring a Batman book for deadline.  You just have to find the right artists that have a realistic sense of their work output.  I used to commission Gene Colan for huge pieces and it would take him a month. I miss cracking open his packages that reeked of cigar smoke.

If I were you, I would go and first figure out what State he is in. Then, go to the website for the court system and figure out how to prepare a Complaint for a lawsuit (the courts in a lot of places give forms to use). Prepare one--but do not file it. Send him a copy telling him you will sue if he doesn't get a satisfactory product done in 30 (or 60) days. That might wake him up.

By the way, a common statute of limitations in contract actions is only 6 years (it varies by state).