Surprised

[Mighty Hal]

(Note: I don't own OA by any of the artists I discuss here.)

 

I’m surprised...

 

...that STRANGERS IN PARADISE OA seems to have increased in value even though Moore quit publishing the book. Rarity isn’t a factor; this guy pretty much sold every SiP page he ever drew. Is his Marvel stuff also bringing strong interest?

 

...that Jim Balent OA goes for so much money. At the last Comic Link auction, a CATWOMAN panel page went for $300 – without displaying Catwoman’s upper torso. I think a Balent original TAROT page would also fetch some serious coin and the TAROT comic book isn't very good. Features big breasts, though.

 

...that Dale Eaglesham isn’t a bigger name among current artists. This guy has some serious chops.

 

...that I've met so many collectors that say they don't like Leinil Yu's artwork but KwanChang.com seems to have no trouble selling his OA covers.

 

...that David Lapham doesn’t have a stronger collector base. A recent SILVERFISH cover didn’t bring any eBay action at $399 (or best offer). Possibly another case of, it isn’t how good you are, it’s how good you are when you’re drawing a popular title.

 

Anything in the OA world surprising you?

[malvin]

hmm.. I hate to say it, now that I am a "veteran" nothing truly surprises me in OA anymore.

 

There are plenty of OA where the value isn't what I would pay, but of course those are not my areas of interest (at least not at those prices..). I am sure others laugh at me when I tell them what I pay for some of the niche OA I collect!!

 

Malvin

[Claudio]

Never read SIP but I heard it was great. Great storylines help out oa prices.

 

Jim Balent doesn't sell his art (or so I read- I don't really look to buy his stuff) so the only thing available is stuff from inkers.

 

I have no opinion on the others you mention.

 

Lots of stuff still surprises me but I am a relative newb...

[Eric Seffinga]

Terry also didn't come into the comics realm selling cheap.

 

The page my wife bought from him at a Chicago con (back before Wizard bought it) during the first year of SiP (issue 2 or 3 I believe) was $350 or so. That's $350 back THEN. He also looked like he was going to cry when he sold it. He told us stories about it and acted like it was one of his kids. The book really had a huge hardcore following, but they were not your typical comics fans, so I'm sure it flew under the radar for many. I don't find it unusual that it's increased at all.

 

What generally surprises me every day is what other people like. It shouldn't at all, as my tastes seem to run across the grain from most of the market, and only intersect in a handful of places.

 

More often than not, people post art here, on CAF or elsewhere and while everyone else goes gaga, I have to ask myself WHY?!? I appreciate good art in all forms, even if it's not to my personal tastes, but 9 times out of 10, in my eye the stuff is horrible. Even great artists have off days, but usually it's stuff by an artist who just lacks any sense of balance. Or line. Or storytelling. I would be condescending to assume it all to be nostalgia. Especially when so much of it is new.

 

I chalk it up to the heart wants what the heart wants, I grin and bear it.

 

-e.

[TStrong-migration]

I'm surprised that Steve Ditko's artwork usually goes for so much less than Kirby's. Didn't Kirby sell almost everything he did while Ditko has held onto almost everything he did?

[Wonderworldcomic]

Kirby, his family and all his inkers generally sold about all the pages they had too.

I understand that Sinnott held onto more of his inked Kirby pages.

 

Ditko never sold any of the pages he got back, but a good portion came out anyway, except for the Doctor Strange stuff...

 

Don't you think the Ditko Silverage art averages higher?

[Mighty Hal]

It seems to me that Ditko's originals do tend to sell for less than Kirby's material unless we're talking Marvel/Spidey.

 

A good portion of the Ditko OA seems to be from lesser publishers, smaller publications, whereas Kirby worked primarily for the Big Two. Since so much of our collector's mentality is based on "what you loved when"...and so many of us grew up loving DC and Marvel...that could be a big reason why Kirby's pages go for so much money.

 

 

[NelsonAI]

Jim Balent's big boobed Catwoman has a cult following. He set the standard for guys like Budd Root. Nothing surprises me when it comes to good girl art.

 

Cheers!

N

 

[Mighty Hal]

I'm also surprised by how seldom anyone mentions Jim Mooney. Aren't there any Mooney collectors out there? The guy did some solid work on titles like Spidey; not dazzling but solid.