Baker Romance 43 43

[Sqeggs]

A few recent acquisitions (except for the PR 22, which I've had for years). Here are examples of Crime, Horror, Jungle, and Romance, all St. Johns with Baker covers.

 

This is one of those re-bound giants with a squarebound spine that reads, "GIANT COMICS EDITIONS... 100 PAGES". It collects Authentic Police Cases 9, 11, and 13.

 

 

 

This one has to be a toughie. Great pick up! (The other ones aren't half-bad either. )

[MB1952]

found this interview, Al Feldstein & Jack Kamen.

Jack mentions Matt Baker. Enjoy

 

 

Jack Kamen Interview.

[JvR11]

Here's another one...

 

 

Love this cover. Going to see if I can find mine.

 

I have a couple of connections of what Baker used as source material. Would you like to see the source for PL17? Unless you've already guessed it.

[JvR11]

[JvR11]

A possible source for TLP10 cover is from Andrew Loomis, who Baker is known to have referenced. You can also google and PDF versions of this book online.

 

Pg 119 Figure Drawing For All It's Worth.

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2014 by JvR11

[rjpb]

 

This is one of those re-bound giants with a squarebound spine that reads, "GIANT COMICS EDITIONS... 100 PAGES". It collects Authentic Police Cases 9, 11, and 13.

 

 

Don't think I've seen that before. A fine example of the "prison break cover" sub-genre.

[Sqeggs]

 

That's really neat. I know he had extensive "swipe files" -- as I guess most artists do. Did you discover the Jane Russell connection or is this widely known?

[JvR11]

 

That's really neat. I know he had extensive "swipe files" -- as I guess most artists do. Did you discover the Jane Russell connection or is this widely known?

 

I'm not sure if other's have made this connection with the PL17 cover. I do know there was discussions about Linda Darnell being a Baker muse and I believe this. I would have loved to see his swipe file he carried around.

[JvR11]

 

That's really neat. I know he had extensive "swipe files" -- as I guess most artists do. Did you discover the Jane Russell connection or is this widely known?

 

This is only my opinion but I think Victor Fox told Matt Baker to draw this cover in the image of Jane Russell. I have a quote from an old magazine about Victor Fox wanting to use Hollywood starlets as source material for some of the characters. So, this would fit in line with this.

Edited March 30, 2014 by JvR11

[MBFan]

First of all, I appreciate the Matt Baker inspiration insight! Other artists could have used the same source material, but their work would never compare to Matt's.

 

Now, some "value" discussion. There are 2 sales of what is apparently the same copy of Teen-Age Romances #3 on eBay during the past couple of months. Compare pics from both listings, and you'll notice that the wear and scratches are exactly the same, the most distinctive evidence being the scratches at the top center, down through the middle of the title logo.

 

Auction 1: Teen-Age Romances #3 closed for $151.45 (143.50 plus 7.95 shipping) on 2/5/14

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARNYARD-FIND-GOLDEN-AGE-TEEN-AGE-ROMANCES-3-MATT-BAKER-GGA-COVER-1949-NICE-/121265511444?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item1c3bfcdc14#ht_3305wt_1226

 

Auction 2: Sparkle City listed what is apparently the same book, newly-slabbed with a 5.0 grade, to end 3/26/14. It sold for $192.50 to i***n (who had bid on the book the 1st time but lost).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teen-Age-Romances-3-CGC-5-0-Matt-Baker-Cover-art-St-John-Golden-Age-Comic-/201056096476?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ecfe090dc#ht_3920wt_1168

 

The $ 41.05 difference barely paid for having the book CGC graded and shipped back-and-forth. In this example, at least, slabbing didn't result in the book suddenly multiplying in value.

 

In light of all the talk about soaring Baker prices, what do you think about this?

[rjpb]

First of all, I appreciate the Matt Baker inspiration insight! Other artists could have used the same source material, but their work would never compare to Matt's.

 

Now, some "value" discussion. There are 2 sales of what is apparently the same copy of Teen-Age Romances #3 on eBay during the past couple of months. Compare pics from both listings, and you'll notice that the wear and scratches are exactly the same, the most distinctive evidence being the scratches at the top center, down through the middle of the title logo.

 

Auction 1: Teen-Age Romances #3 closed for $151.45 (143.50 plus 7.95 shipping) on 2/5/14

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARNYARD-FIND-GOLDEN-AGE-TEEN-AGE-ROMANCES-3-MATT-BAKER-GGA-COVER-1949-NICE-/121265511444?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item1c3bfcdc14#ht_3305wt_1226

 

Auction 2: Sparkle City listed what is apparently the same book, newly-slabbed with a 5.0 grade, to end 3/26/14. It sold for $192.50 to i***n (who had bid on the book the 1st time but lost).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teen-Age-Romances-3-CGC-5-0-Matt-Baker-Cover-art-St-John-Golden-Age-Comic-/201056096476?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ecfe090dc#ht_3920wt_1168

 

The $ 41.05 difference barely paid for having the book CGC graded and shipped back-and-forth. In this example, at least, slabbing didn't result in the book suddenly multiplying in value.

 

In light of all the talk about soaring Baker prices, what do you think about this?

 

Sometimes you lose. Happens to anyone who flips books. A combination of overestimating the potential and getting the low end of what one might consider FMV when selling. At least in this case they still got more than had paid ( gross amount). I imagine that's not nearly as painful as going to the trouble of slabbing a book, getting a grade you expect, and getting less than you paid raw when you auction it off. Who knows, the book could show up again in six months and sell for twice as much. I get the impression Baker romance has more price volatility than a lot of other sub-genres.

[comicnoir]

I saw this in the CG section. A thread on the Foreign Comics Convention in Indiana..

 

Here was their badge.

 

[29dukedog]

I saw this in the CG section. A thread on the Foreign Comics Convention in Indiana..

 

Here was their badge.

 

 

Cool! I want one.

[Sqeggs]

 

That's really neat. I know he had extensive "swipe files" -- as I guess most artists do. Did you discover the Jane Russell connection or is this widely known?

 

This is only my opinion but I think Victor Fox told Matt Baker to draw this cover in the image of Jane Russell. I have a quote from an old magazine about Victor Fox wanting to use Hollywood starlets as source material for some of the characters. So, this would fit in line with this.

 

Really interesting. That's a well-known publicity shot of Jane Russell taken during the filming of The Outlaw, but I would never have connected it to the PL 17 cover. Displaying the two images side-by-side makes the influence obvious.

[Sqeggs]

I saw this in the CG section. A thread on the Foreign Comics Convention in Indiana..

 

Here was their badge.

 

 

Cool! I want one.

 

Me, too!

[Sqeggs]

First of all, I appreciate the Matt Baker inspiration insight! Other artists could have used the same source material, but their work would never compare to Matt's.

 

Now, some "value" discussion. There are 2 sales of what is apparently the same copy of Teen-Age Romances #3 on eBay during the past couple of months. Compare pics from both listings, and you'll notice that the wear and scratches are exactly the same, the most distinctive evidence being the scratches at the top center, down through the middle of the title logo.

 

Auction 1: Teen-Age Romances #3 closed for $151.45 (143.50 plus 7.95 shipping) on 2/5/14

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARNYARD-FIND-GOLDEN-AGE-TEEN-AGE-ROMANCES-3-MATT-BAKER-GGA-COVER-1949-NICE-/121265511444?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item1c3bfcdc14#ht_3305wt_1226

 

Auction 2: Sparkle City listed what is apparently the same book, newly-slabbed with a 5.0 grade, to end 3/26/14. It sold for $192.50 to i***n (who had bid on the book the 1st time but lost).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teen-Age-Romances-3-CGC-5-0-Matt-Baker-Cover-art-St-John-Golden-Age-Comic-/201056096476?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ecfe090dc#ht_3920wt_1168

 

The $ 41.05 difference barely paid for having the book CGC graded and shipped back-and-forth. In this example, at least, slabbing didn't result in the book suddenly multiplying in value.

 

In light of all the talk about soaring Baker prices, what do you think about this?

 

Sometimes you lose. Happens to anyone who flips books. A combination of overestimating the potential and getting the low end of what one might consider FMV when selling. At least in this case they still got more than had paid ( gross amount). I imagine that's not nearly as painful as going to the trouble of slabbing a book, getting a grade you expect, and getting less than you paid raw when you auction it off. Who knows, the book could show up again in six months and sell for twice as much. I get the impression Baker romance has more price volatility than a lot of other sub-genres.

 

That's become evident. Relatively few collectors competing for relatively few copies makes it hard to get a fix on FMV. I already have a 5.0 copy of that book, so I just threw in a low-ball in case I could pick it up cheap and maybe use it in a trade. If I had needed it, I would have bid more aggressively and the book would have closed higher.

 

I have a suspicion, as well, that when he bought it raw, the seller was expecting a higher grade than the 5.0 the book received.

[rjpb]

 

That's become evident. Relatively few collectors competing for relatively few copies makes it hard to get a fix on FMV. I already have a 5.0 copy of that book, so I just threw in a low-ball in case I could pick it up cheap and maybe use it in a trade. If I had needed it, I would have bid more aggressively and the book would have closed higher.

 

I have a suspicion, as well, that when he bought it raw, the seller was expecting a higher grade than the 5.0 the book received.

 

Quite possible, though before I clicked on the second link I was thinking it was a CGC 5.0 , possibly a 5.5 on "easy grading day".

[29dukedog]

 

That's really neat. I know he had extensive "swipe files" -- as I guess most artists do. Did you discover the Jane Russell connection or is this widely known?

 

This is only my opinion but I think Victor Fox told Matt Baker to draw this cover in the image of Jane Russell. I have a quote from an old magazine about Victor Fox wanting to use Hollywood starlets as source material for some of the characters. So, this would fit in line with this.

 

Really interesting. That's a well-known publicity shot of Jane Russell taken during the filming of The Outlaw, but I would never have connected it to the PL 17 cover. Displaying the two images side-by-side makes the influence obvious.

 

The PL face bears such a striking anatomical resemblance to the Jane Russell face from the publicity still, I can easily believe the photo was the direct source. In fact, it looks more like the photo, and less like a typical woman's face drawn by Baker.

[Sqeggs]

 

That's really neat. I know he had extensive "swipe files" -- as I guess most artists do. Did you discover the Jane Russell connection or is this widely known?

 

This is only my opinion but I think Victor Fox told Matt Baker to draw this cover in the image of Jane Russell. I have a quote from an old magazine about Victor Fox wanting to use Hollywood starlets as source material for some of the characters. So, this would fit in line with this.

 

Really interesting. That's a well-known publicity shot of Jane Russell taken during the filming of The Outlaw, but I would never have connected it to the PL 17 cover. Displaying the two images side-by-side makes the influence obvious.

 

The PL face bears such a striking anatomical resemblance to the Jane Russell face from the publicity still, I can easily believe the photo was the direct source. In fact, it looks more like the photo, and less like a typical woman's face drawn by Baker.

 

There is that and also the fact that I think he was relatively early in his career and hadn't yet hit his stride as an artist. I'm not crazy about any of his PL covers. There are many later romance covers that I would take over them.

[Sqeggs]

Grodd!