I Miss Dave (Stevens, that is) 9 9

[Shark]

It's okay.

 

 

 

OH MY GOODNESS - OH MY GOODNESS - OH MY GOODNESS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lcranston]

Hey!

Congrats and Happy Birthday!

[Shark]

Hey!

Congrats and Happy Birthday!

 

Thank you!

 

[DeadpoolJr.]

Dave Stevens cover to Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #1 is going up for auction at Sothebys. Estimates range between 62k-74k

 

http://www.sothebys.com/pdf/2015/PF1555/index.html

[Mayor006]

I've got $5 who's in with me?

[Bronty]

page 257 of the pdf to save people some time flipping.

 

Can't say I care for it to be honest. It's OK but I find it hard to get too excited. I'd pass at 1/3 of the estimate frankly, but I'm cheap I guess.

[comix4fun]

page 257 of the pdf to save people some time flipping.

 

Can't say I care for it to be honest. It's OK but I find it hard to get too excited. I'd pass at 1/3 of the estimate frankly, but I'm cheap I guess.

 

 

Well, it does have a lot going for it.

 

It's a Stevens painted piece.

It's over sized 15"x20"

That image has been published several times and is instantly recognizable by fans.

It's his signature creation.

 

Also, given what other Stevens paintings (some unpublished) have sold for privately, the estimate doesn't seem super aggressive in comparison. That's also true given what a Rocketeer line art cover sold for a couple years back.

 

Having been in the market for his work for about 15 years, there hasn't been a single cover of his that you could touch for less than $20,000 (all line art, not paintings). Fast forward to today and make it a painting and anything is possible.

[Bronty]

page 257 of the pdf to save people some time flipping.

 

Can't say I care for it to be honest. It's OK but I find it hard to get too excited. I'd pass at 1/3 of the estimate frankly, but I'm cheap I guess.

 

 

Well, it does have a lot going for it.

 

It's a Stevens painted piece.

It's over sized 15"x20"

That image has been published several times and is instantly recognizable by fans.

It's his signature creation.

 

Also, given what other Stevens paintings (some unpublished) have sold for privately, the estimate doesn't seem super aggressive in comparison. That's also true given what a Rocketeer line art cover sold for a couple years back.

 

Having been in the market for his work for about 15 years, there hasn't been a single cover of his that you could touch for less than $20,000 (all line art, not paintings). Fast forward to today and make it a painting and anything is possible.

 

I'm sure you know better than I, so please don't take this as arguing with you because you know more than I do here, flat out. But I am trying to wrap my head around this and so many counterpoints come to mind for me. Perhaps you can elaborate on what the rocketeer line art cover sold for and what issue it was? Because in my mind I can play devil's advocate on almost all of those points.

 

a) 15 by 20 isn't oversized for a painting. I collect painted work almost exclusively and I consider that normal size or even on the small side for an airbrushed piece like that.

 

b) there is a lot of empty space. No backgrounds, and only one (half) figure.

 

c) rocketeer may be his signature creation, but the market wants Betty images.

 

d) if the market can't have Betty images, it wants a female at least when it comes to Stevens' work.

 

e) I'm not sure there is a premium for his painted work or not. Maybe there should be, and again you'd know better than me, but I'm not convinced of that. The RIGHT paintings vs the WRONG line art, sure. But as a blanket upcharge? I'm not so sure. Your post implies a premium for painted art, but then you make the value comparison for this piece by saying its the same as what a line art piece sold for... can't have it both ways.

 

f) I agree that anything is possible. But is it probable? Are we really at a point where a mostly blank cover is 70k regardless of who it is by?

 

Again, I'm sure you know better than I. But 70k for a largely blank piece with no female? You might as well retire to a caribbean island with your Betty page if this one is 70k.

 

[comix4fun]

page 257 of the pdf to save people some time flipping.

 

Can't say I care for it to be honest. It's OK but I find it hard to get too excited. I'd pass at 1/3 of the estimate frankly, but I'm cheap I guess.

 

 

Well, it does have a lot going for it.

 

It's a Stevens painted piece.

It's over sized 15"x20"

That image has been published several times and is instantly recognizable by fans.

It's his signature creation.

 

Also, given what other Stevens paintings (some unpublished) have sold for privately, the estimate doesn't seem super aggressive in comparison. That's also true given what a Rocketeer line art cover sold for a couple years back.

 

Having been in the market for his work for about 15 years, there hasn't been a single cover of his that you could touch for less than $20,000 (all line art, not paintings). Fast forward to today and make it a painting and anything is possible.

 

I'm sure you know better than I, so please don't take this as arguing with you because you know more than I do here, flat out. But I am trying to wrap my head around this and so many counterpoints come to mind for me. Perhaps you can elaborate on what the rocketeer line art cover sold for and what issue it was? Because in my mind I can play devil's advocate on almost all of those points.

 

a) 15 by 20 isn't oversized for a painting. I collect painted work almost exclusively and I consider that normal size or even on the small side for an airbrushed piece like that.

 

b) there is a lot of empty space. No backgrounds, and only one (half) figure.

 

c) rocketeer may be his signature creation, but the market wants Betty images.

 

d) if the market can't have Betty images, it wants a female at least when it comes to Stevens' work.

 

e) I'm not sure there is a premium for his painted work or not. Maybe there should be, and again you'd know better than me, but I'm not convinced of that. The RIGHT paintings vs the WRONG line art, sure. But as a blanket upcharge? I'm not so sure. Your post implies a premium for painted art, but then you make the value comparison for this piece by saying its the same as what a line art piece sold for... can't have it both ways.

 

f) I agree that anything is possible. But is it probable? Are we really at a point where a mostly blank cover is 70k regardless of who it is by?

 

Again, I'm sure you know better than I. But 70k for a largely blank piece with no female? You might as well retire to a caribbean island with your Betty page if this one is 70k.

 

 

All of these make sense. I get where you are coming from.

 

By oversized, I meant in comparison to the line art comic work for the Rocketeer. It's oversized compared to other work from the same pool.

 

Some of the other paintings I have seen sell were single figures as, no backgrounds. Unpublished stuff in the mix as well. Given the premium I saw on the paintings, it's there.

 

If he painted everything, or even painted a consistent amount, there would be a lot to choose from, but there's not much of any Stevens art available of any kind. What there is of his published work is more line art than painted. If you want something painted the pool to choose from is smaller, far smaller.

 

As a clarification, I didn't say that paintings and line art sold for the same price. I wasn't trying to have it both ways. I am saying two distinct things. 1) That I've witnessed, personally, the premium on his painted/color work. 2) Additionally, having witnessed what one of his rocketeer line art covers sold for recently....I can see this painted cover exceeding that figure. The only thing holding it back is the lack of intricate detail you mentioned.

 

And I wasn't saying it's going to sell for $70k. I was saying that your original comment ("I'd Pass at 1/3 of the estimate" roughly $20-25k) puts your impression of the piece drastically behind the market for his work. Basically, I just said I wouldn't be shocked if it got up there, given everything else I have seen, given that a panel page from rocketeer with no betty on it just sold for close to $20k (for example), that a cover that was used repeatedly in publication to the point it's instantly recognizable could go much higher.

 

 

Basically, this image (simplicity or no) is rather ubiquitous and instantly recognizable. It's also a vintage Stevens piece that evokes the feeling of when the originals were released.

 

It's been used so often that it's image is burned into most his fan's brains at this point.

If it was a weak image I can't imagine it would get so much love.

 

 

 

 

 

These are just a few. There are posters and prints and monitor wall papers and licensed products, etc etc.

 

At the end of the day. I've seen lesser pieces from lesser artists get prices I can't imagine anyone paying, thus I can't count out a piece like this (with all that history and usage) from getting a few folks to fight over it.

 

If it falls into your 1/3rd of estimate range I hope I am there to grab it.

[Bronty]

The printed image is great but I think this is one case where to me at least the original doesn't present that well. Sometimes the original looks way better than you'd guess from the printed image, sometimes... not.

 

Oh I don't for a second think it isn't worth way more than 20k. I'm just saying that me, personally, wouldn't be a buyer unless I felt it was cheap for what it was. I was guessing 40k might be where it falls.

[comix4fun]

It's possible it could fall short. Feels like that would still be a nice deal at $40k. That's still in dealer range. Any one of a half dozen would probably pick it up and put it back up for sale at a 50-75% markup.

 

 

[kdoginohio]

So, even in today's market, is there any Dave item that would be considered "priceless"? Or, very hard to put a value on? Thoughts? Ideas? Something I need to sell a kidney to get?

[Bosco685]

So, even in today's market, is there any Dave item that would be considered "priceless"? Or, very hard to put a value on? Thoughts? Ideas? Something I need to sell a kidney to get?

 

At one point, you had a lead on the Airboy 5 OA. That to me is one of the pieces that stands out as groundbreaking and what came to be considered 'typical' Dave Stevens magic.

 

 

I'd rank that quite high as something that could be extremely high-priced due to its market recognition and impact.

[Bosco685]

What about one of the early Rocketeer concept sketches. Would that go for a high price in today's market?

 

[kdoginohio]

So, even in today's market, is there any Dave item that would be considered "priceless"? Or, very hard to put a value on? Thoughts? Ideas? Something I need to sell a kidney to get?

 

At one point, you had a lead on the Airboy 5 OA. That to me is one of the pieces that stands out as groundbreaking and what came to be considered 'typical' Dave Stevens magic.

 

 

I'd rank that quite high as something that could be extremely high-priced due to its market recognition and impact.

Alas, some leads go cold. Some take a slight detour.

[Bosco685]

There was that 3-D Zone 16 concept art piece that one of the original models sold during hard times that I bet now would bring much more than she sold it for.

 

Looks like someone has the original concept art for 3-D Zone #16.

 

Dave Stevens' Layout for Space Vixens in 3-D

Dave Steven's layout for Space Vixens in 3-D. He sent this to me in 1988 to use as reference to shoot photographs for the finished work.

 

 

 

And the owner, Lea Hernandez (one of the models).

 

 

[delekkerste]

So, even in today's market, is there any Dave item that would be considered "priceless"? Or, very hard to put a value on? Thoughts? Ideas? Something I need to sell a kidney to get?

 

At one point, you had a lead on the Airboy 5 OA. That to me is one of the pieces that stands out as groundbreaking and what came to be considered 'typical' Dave Stevens magic.

 

 

I'd rank that quite high as something that could be extremely high-priced due to its market recognition and impact.

 

I thought the Stevens estate still had the Airboy #5 original cover art? Or are you just talking about the pencil rough (i.e., the image posted above)?

[Bronty]

What other pieces does the estate have?

[delekkerste]

What other pieces does the estate have?

 

Back in 2008-9, I was collecting a lot of GGA and didn't yet have a Stevens example. A couple of friends connected with the Stevens market asked me what I'd be interested in, and I threw out the Airboy #5 cover, the Vanguard Illustrated #2 cover and the Vampirella: Transcending Time & Space TPB wraparound cover. I was told that the Airboy #5 and a number of unspecified other big pieces were still with the estate, the Vanguard #2 cover was presumed to be out in the wilderness somewhere and the Vampi was with a known collector who was close to Dave and not likely to ever sell it (it later showed up on CAF in 2010).

 

Apparently a lot of people thought the estate would be selling everything soon after Dave's passing, which turned out not to be the case. A lot of collectors apparently contacted the estate about buying art "with indecent haste", as my friend put it, after Dave's passing. I do know of at least one piece that left the estate since then, but I'm not sure how much else may or may not have. So, six years ago they still had the Airboy #5 and a lot of other great pieces, but I do not know the current status of their holdings.

[Bosco685]

I thought the Stevens estate still had the Airboy #5 original cover art? Or are you just talking about the pencil rough (i.e., the image posted above)?

 

That's exactly what he found out. They had it somewhere, but couldn't commit if it was available for sale or not.

 

Airboy 5, Vanguard Illustrated 2, 3-D Zone 16, Crossfire 12 and Planet Comics 1 would be amazing cover OA to own.