Comic cover reproductions...great site, but....

[minutekev@50]

For a couple of weeks now I've been looking at purchasing some of the cover recreations to classic books (Sound and the Fury, Old Man and the Sea) that Barnes and Noble has for sale on their website...

For fun I typed in 'Comic Cover Recreations' and this is the site that came up: Alex Art

 

Some cool oil paintings on canvas..the only thing is wasn't there a discussion about clocks and cover recreations, copyright law, etc.? No where on this site did I see where Marvel or DC gave these artists permission to reproduce their covers and sell them...

[minutekev@50]

Check out the Adams Batman 234 repro...

 

[minutekev@50]

Everybody's fave:

 

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

I like the part where they say the artist is "inspired" by classic comic art. Indeed - inspired to copy it precisely in violation of law and sell it without authorization for his own profit. That's some inspiration.

 

I don't see any OK from the publishers there either. Of course, we could be missing it...

 

Arnold

[minutekev@50]

I wonder though, Arnold. Aren't they basically doing the same thing an artist like Zeck, Rogers, Aparo or any other artist does when a fan commissions a cover re-creation? Does Zeck have permission from Marvel to re-create a Punisher cover and sell it to a fan? Does he kickback any money he gets for that re-creation to Marvel?

[Red Hook]

Have to agree with you again Arnold, like every instance in which we've seen folks "paying homage" to copyrighted material. The thing is, the copyright laws are there to protect the little guys as well as the big guys.....you can't have it work just one way.

 

For more information, check out the Graphic Artists Guild website at www.gag.org or more specifically www.gag.org/about/us_copyright.php

 

Of course if these artists have an agreement with the publishers that's another thing, but I tend to doubt it.

 

 

[Red Hook]

In the case of artists like Zeck, they most likely have a clause in their contracts about this, that they have permission to replicate their own work, or that they have retained the copyright. That's great when the artist can negotiate those terms, and something that the Golden and Silver Age artists could only have dreamed about.

[Foolkiller]

I definitely agree with you about the copyright laws... and my guess is that the proprieter of the site does not have an agreement with Marvel or DC but likely feels that with so many sites on the internet, it's not profitable for the companies to go after all the artists doing reproductions without license or permission.

 

Although it's certainly not right (nor the law) my guess is that mindset is correct... I'm sure this is one of many. How many auctions on ebay are done of cover recreations and the like and nobody stops them?

 

Like the MPAA (motion picture assoc. of america) and RCIA (recording industry) who assign professional examiners and witnesses to stop the fraudulent sale of their licensed material, I suspect Marvel and DC would have to have a similar undertaking to make any kind of real impact on this sort of activity.

[minutekev@50]

On a related note, here's an auction for a reproduction by Mike Eposito: Recreation Auction

[minutekev@50]

Breaking the law aside, what does everyone think of the art itself?

[Foolkiller]

It's not bad, but the line detail is kind of lost. The scans really aren't that big but from what you can see, it looks pretty nice... especially for $99... you're getting an original.

[Red Hook]

Right Brian, most of these folks are too small to register on the radar, but they do run the risk of eventually getting targeted by legal eagles. As for the repro paintings Kev started the thread with, I'm sure they are being done in an assembly line method. As far as artistic merit, I would say they have less than none. All they tell me is that the guy can trace. I wouldn't support that kind of work. And an "original"? That would be stretching the definition of the word just as far as I could imagine. But, to each his own. If it makes ya' happy, buy it!

[comicwiz]

Mike Esposito does great work.

 

I personally like the cover reinterpretations of this artist:

 

[minutekev@50]

Sure, they're like inkers...

Still, if Marvel wanted to make some bucks they'd start putting these out their ownselves instead of these crappy 'modern-style posters'....I would love to have an actual canvas of Buscema's Silver Surfer 4 to hang on the wall. It's something unique. I guess these guys would be the next best thing.

I may purchase one anyway. A Spidey cover. I figure Marvel owes me that much for the Clone Saga.

And a Batman. DC owes me that much for Adam West and Burt Ward.

[supapimp]

those are nice joseph, but at $1750 a pop, i'd rather commission a pen and ink drawing from art adams, lim lee, etc.

[Foolkiller]

I was thinking the same thing about the tracing... photocopy, blowup, stencil on or whatever other method to apply to the canvas. Invariably, when you copy, you have imperfections in the recreation (I know, every time I've copied, no matter how close, you can tell the imperfections and differences from the original because you're not actually tracing the art). But from just a hey, isn't it nice to look at the picture, I don't think it's all that bad.

 

I think the risk you run is being the guy Marvel or DC decides to make an example of.

[comicwiz]

those are nice joseph, but at $1750 a pop, i'd rather commission a pen and ink drawing from art adams, lim lee, etc.

 

Your right supa; they're not cheap, that's for sure. The thing I like about these reinterpretations most is that in some cases, I like them better than the original covers -- IMO, the ASM 122 is actually a better reinterpretation of Romita's original cover.

[Red Hook]

Hi Kev,

 

Yes, that's just my particular take. If Marvel has a problem with it, then it's up to them to follow up. And they probably are missing some great opportunity to produce high end reproductions of classic covers. I could easily see art printed directly on a canvas, ala the hideous work of that guy, Thomas Kincade, or gicglee prints (high end computer prints, upsized and on high quality paper) - limited editions, that kind of thing.

 

Maybe these things do exist already. I'm not that savvy. I'm old.

[supapimp]

I'm not that savvy. I'm old.

 

you're only as old as your mind tells you

[Red Hook]

Shut up, mind! Shaddup!