Sqeggs Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Dr. Love, Thanks for posting the Benson St John's checklist -- very useful. I do have the recent Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour book, which has a checklist that Vadeboncoeur contributed to. Sure enough, this book isn't listed. Still, though, it sure as heck looks like Baker to me -- or someone taking pains to imitate him. The fact that there is no info on the book in the GCD database gives me some faint hope that perhaps the book hasn't been studied closely enough to be identified as having a Baker cover. I realize I'm just a collector hoping he's discovered something others have overlooked. While actually, I'm probably treading a well-worn path! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torontodesignguy Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Thanks for sharing the St. John checklist. I had not seen it before. - and having finally just picked up the Gerber books, it will be fun to look for the covers and gain an ever increasing appreciation for this artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I wouldn't assume that we have identified all of Baker's art. I don't think that Hillman cover, absent corroborating data from the files of Baker or an editor, is sufficiently distinctly Baker to have confidence that he had a hand in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Mentallo Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I wouldn't assume that we have identified all of Baker's art. I don't think that Hillman cover, absent corroborating data from the files of Baker or an editor, is sufficiently distinctly Baker to have confidence that he had a hand in it. I'm sure you are right about that - and given the way the Iger shop appeared to operate, perhaps we may never know for sure which books he may have contributed to in some degree - layouts, etc. And some of the ones he did for - Atlas? - disappoint - barely recognizable, as if his heart wasn't in it, unless what I am distantly recalling were heavily over-inked by clumsier hands? So maybe there are things by him which have yet to be identified, because tey dont look like him at all..... Do you happen to know his first published work? Is it a Fiction House book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Do you happen to know his first published work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqeggs Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I wouldn't assume that we have identified all of Baker's art. I don't think that Hillman cover, absent corroborating data from the files of Baker or an editor, is sufficiently distinctly Baker to have confidence that he had a hand in it. I'm sure you are right about that - and given the way the Iger shop appeared to operate, perhaps we may never know for sure which books he may have contributed to in some degree - layouts, etc. And some of the ones he did for - Atlas? - disappoint - barely recognizable, as if his heart wasn't in it, unless what I am distantly recalling were heavily over-inked by clumsier hands? So maybe there are things by him which have yet to be identified, because tey dont look like him at all..... Do you happen to know his first published work? Is it a Fiction House book? Judging from the checklist in the recent book, his first published comic book work would appear to be Jumbo 69 (cover date Nov 1944) followed by Jumbo 70 and Wings 52 (both with Dec 1944 cover dates). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Love Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 (edited) And some of the ones he did for - Atlas? - disappoint - barely recognizable, as if his heart wasn't in it, unless what I am distantly recalling were heavily over-inked by clumsier hands? So maybe there are things by him which have yet to be identified, because they dont look like him at all.... At Atlas that would have been Vinnie "I don't get no respect" Colletta on the inks. Next to Steranko the most interesting man in comics. imho of course Edited April 2, 2013 by Dr. Love Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 (edited) I wouldn't assume that we have identified all of Baker's art. I don't think that Hillman cover, absent corroborating data from the files of Baker or an editor, is sufficiently distinctly Baker to have confidence that he had a hand in it. I'm sure you are right about that - and given the way the Iger shop appeared to operate, perhaps we may never know for sure which books he may have contributed to in some degree - layouts, etc. And some of the ones he did for - Atlas? - disappoint - barely recognizable, as if his heart wasn't in it, unless what I am distantly recalling were heavily over-inked by clumsier hands? So maybe there are things by him which have yet to be identified, because tey dont look like him at all..... Do you happen to know his first published work? Is it a Fiction House book? Judging from the checklist in the recent book, his first published comic book work would appear to be Jumbo 69 (cover date Nov 1944) followed by Jumbo 70 and Wings 52 (both with Dec 1944 cover dates). Fixed that for you. Edited April 2, 2013 by BB-Gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICK STARR Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I haven't posted here in awhile. Thought I would fess up to these pickups from Sparkle City. What an auction, I wanted all of them Just had to have this one. An unreal copy, love the color combos with the title heading. Got this one because my raw copy is in crappy cond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Three high grade Baker romance books at one time is quite a score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqeggs Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I haven't posted here in awhile. Thought I would fess up to these pickups from Sparkle City. What an auction, I wanted all of them Just had to have this one. An unreal copy, love the color combos with the title heading. Got this one because my raw copy is in crappy cond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inaflash Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Beautiful copies. Congrats. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Love Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Ahhh...the desire to show the precious wins out over the hesitation of being seen as gloating or worse...having much disposable income!! Well, less income now. Those Sparkle auctions are pushing the Baker envelope. I don't know whether to thank you guys for making our inventory worth more or cuss you for making Baker unaffordable except in VG! You can't go wrong buying what you love and those are very wise investments as well. Rick I hear you - I've got a line on a TR 38 as well. Sqeggs, I think you've been a busy Baker bee...I feel a blow away group shot isn't long in the making! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICK STARR Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Anybody know who or where all those Baker books came from? I have collected them for 15 years. I have almost every Baker St.John book, but maybe only 5 or 6 issues even approaching VF/VF-. It seemed a rare opportunity to pick up some nice books. May not happen again for many, many moons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqeggs Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Anybody know who or where all those Baker books came from? I have collected them for 15 years. I have almost every Baker St.John book, but maybe only 5 or 6 issues even approaching VF/VF-. It seemed a rare opportunity to pick up some nice books. May not happen again for many, many moons. I was wondering the same thing. I'm not completely sure that bringing them all to market in one auction was necessarily the way to maximize the prices received ... but I guess you can't quarrel with the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqeggs Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Love Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Rick - I wish I knew where Sparkle got them from. I think Sqeggs made a previous reference to the consignor doing well, but unless he has some inside info, I'm thinking Sparkle bought them for themselves and slabbed them. Brian S. is pretty aggressive and does well at getting these private stashes out of locked cellars. The bigger question is: will these prices flush out more decent books? I know I'm getting ready to push my inventory to cgc, but they'll stay private...at least for now. Then you've got the inventory from the other Baker collectors on the board - we've seen many of those raw books over the years, mid grade by and large, as your private is. Above and beyond that - there is the Baker raw mother lode waiting in the wings, that which will blow it all away - the Church Baker. At least 20-30 raw books in nm/nm- condition, and maybe another 50 or so raw in varying grades below that. Who's got those? Verzyl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Love Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Ahhh...the desire to show the precious wins out over the hesitation of being seen as gloating or worse...having much disposable income!! Well, less income now. Those Sparkle auctions are pushing the Baker envelope. I don't know whether to thank you guys for making our inventory worth more or cuss you for making Baker unaffordable except in VG! You can't go wrong buying what you love and those are very wise investments as well. Rick I hear you - I've got a line on a TR 38 as well. Sqeggs, I think you've been a busy Baker bee...I feel a blow away group shot isn't long in the making! Andy True enough ... as my dwindling bank account can attest. I think I need to go on the wagon for a while. Ha! Right after tonight's Pictorial Confessions #3 right my friend? That double cover 9.4 of alana's friend is mighty fine, but a bit steep for a non-key. At least for buyers like us. At least for the moment. But a sweet 7.5 is more what we're talking about, am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqeggs Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 I think Sqeggs made a previous reference to the consignor doing well, but unless he has some inside info, I'm thinking Sparkle bought them for themselves and slabbed them. Nope, no inside info; just speculation. Either way, it seems a bit curious that they brought them all (or nearly all) out at once. I know I would have been able to bid more if they had spread them out over multiple auctions. But SC has certainly been doing a gangbusters' business on eBay, so it's hard to second guess their strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqeggs Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Ahhh...the desire to show the precious wins out over the hesitation of being seen as gloating or worse...having much disposable income!! Well, less income now. Those Sparkle auctions are pushing the Baker envelope. I don't know whether to thank you guys for making our inventory worth more or cuss you for making Baker unaffordable except in VG! You can't go wrong buying what you love and those are very wise investments as well. Rick I hear you - I've got a line on a TR 38 as well. Sqeggs, I think you've been a busy Baker bee...I feel a blow away group shot isn't long in the making! Andy True enough ... as my dwindling bank account can attest. I think I need to go on the wagon for a while. Ha! Right after tonight's Pictorial Confessions #3 right my friend? That double cover 9.4 of alana's friend is mighty fine, but a bit steep for a non-key. At least for buyers like us. At least for the moment. But a sweet 7.5 is more what we're talking about, am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
