Did anyone see any of the following at SDCC?

[blowout]

Full disclosure: I used to own that splash. I had Tom Orz redo the word balloons as an overlay. Terry's inks had faded as they were marker and I believe Albert had Scott Williams reink the faded parts after I traded it to him.

 

Ouch!

 

As great an inker as Scott is, getting someone other than the original inker to redo a piece is not the greatest idea...

[pinupcartoonguy]

Art (including comic art ) gets restored all the time, and with fine art, it's pretty hard to find the original artist for those centuries old pieces. Knowing Scott, he probably did as good a job putting the piece back to its original appearance as anybody could.

[igotnogame]

Will, did you see who had that 132 wolverine coming out of the water half-splash, i would like to contact him?

Thanks

Raul

 

As others have already corrected me on, the last page splash was for 133 (Cyclops laying "dead") and not 132 (Wolverine). Sorry about that....guess I was a little too awestruck when I saw it.

 

Again, sorry!

 

Later.

-Will

 

 

[NelsonAI]

Scott W.

-Can you please confirm whether you inked over the Byrne/Austin Uncanny X-Men page? Thanks.

 

*****************

With Terry Austin still around, why have Scott do the inks? With all due respect, having someone else besides the original team work on the restoration does lower the value IMHO.

 

I'm glad condition issues and restoration are being mentioned on these boards whenever possible as it's obvious that not all dealers will disclose such information.

 

Cheers!

N.

 

 

 

[blowout]

Art (including comic art ) gets restored all the time, and with fine art, it's pretty hard to find the original artist for those centuries old pieces. Knowing Scott, he probably did as good a job putting the piece back to its original appearance as anybody could.

 

I would not call the reinking of a piece of pencil and ink art 'restoration'. IMHO restoration should be a non-invasive process that helps to prolong the life of a piece of art. If this page has been reinked, that is certainly not a non-invasive process and is the type of thing that needs to be disclosed whenever the art is sold on.

[pinupcartoonguy]

No, restoration, by definition, is putting something back the way it was. Preservation would be prolonging life. That said, restoration should be disclosed.

[CollectingFool]

With Terry Austin still around, why have Scott do the inks? With all due respect, having someone else besides the original team work on the restoration does lower the value IMHO.

 

 

As far as I know, Mr. Austin isn't interested in doing this type of work so having him do it is not an option. Even if he were willing to do it, I'd be more comfortable with someone like Scott doing the inks and staying true to the original piece. Mainly because of current skill level. While Mr. Austin was phenomenal back then, I don't know if 30+ years later would be able to recreate what he did. I have no knowledge of whether he can or not but I base my opinion of what I've seen from other artists of that era and seeing the results of their recent work.

 

 

[blowout]

No, restoration, by definition, is putting something back the way it was. Preservation would be prolonging life. That said, restoration should be disclosed.

 

While what you are saying is true, in this case 'putting the page back the way it was' would need the original inker to do the work.

[heartened]

I think Stephen can attest to this better, as a previous owner, but having seen the piece in its original state (with some marker areas fading) I would have preferred they just found a way to preserve it the way it was. It was certainly not so bad as to diminish its eye appeal. Of course it looks "better" fully inked, but that's not the way it originally was. It was partly marker back then, as Austen and other inkers (Starlin) had done back in the day, and fading is an unfortunate consequence. But, in my opinion, this could have easily been preserved instead of restored, and it would not have affected value.

 

And yes, those of us who've been watching for some time have a duty to disclose issues that are relevant on pieces of art; this is our hobby we're protecting, not any individual sale prices.

 

Best,

 

[spider9698]

I have a photo of it in my files. Will try to upload it when I get home

 

[stinkininkin]

I think Stephen can attest to this better, as a previous owner, but having seen the piece in its original state (with some marker areas fading) I would have preferred they just found a way to preserve it the way it was. It was certainly not so bad as to diminish its eye appeal. Of course it looks "better" fully inked, but that's not the way it originally was. It was partly marker back then, as Austen and other inkers (Starlin) had done back in the day, and fading is an unfortunate consequence. But, in my opinion, this could have easily been preserved instead of restored, and it would not have affected value.

 

And yes, those of us who've been watching for some time have a duty to disclose issues that are relevant on pieces of art; this is our hobby we're protecting, not any individual sale prices.

 

Best,

 

Coming in late here.

 

Yes, guilty as charged. I re-inked all the faded marker work from the page in question. And with all due respect Hari, I think the page looked like hell when Albert commissioned me 3 or 4 years ago, so besides being paid for my service, I felt I was rescuing the piece from some hideously drastic fading. It was beyond an eyesore, and not in the way that glue stains or random white out can be, but more like something that was damaged. In the end, I was quite satisfied with the final result, and would defy anyone to be able to distinguish my line from Terry's. This is as much as anything due to the fact that Terry had a super clean, almost mechanical line at this time, which is the type of line easiest to "ghost" for an inker, as opposed to an expressive, organic line. My goal was to be as invisible and unobtrusive as humanly possible, and in my mind I succeeded. I can see how this might rub some people the wrong way, but it is what it is.

 

I don't know how common this practice is. I was asked at this years Comic Con by Joe M at All Star to do some similar restoration on a couple of Neal Adams Batman pages that had marker work by Adams that was badly faded and water damaged. For various reasons I won't go into, I declined.

 

If Albert sold or tried to sell this piece without full disclosure, tell me, and I will give him holy hell. Seems unlikely to me. But, I wonder if I should have noted and dated my work somehow in the margin or on the back of the page since it seems less and less likely that disclosure will be made as the piece changes hands. The quality of the piece won't fade, but the history of it might and that's a problem.

 

So bring out those torches and pitchforks, and I'll be waiting for you at the top of the windmill!

 

Scott Williams

[Bronty]

burn 'im at the stake! j/k scott. thanks for the history

[heartened]

I think Stephen can attest to this better, as a previous owner, but having seen the piece in its original state (with some marker areas fading) I would have preferred they just found a way to preserve it the way it was. It was certainly not so bad as to diminish its eye appeal. Of course it looks "better" fully inked, but that's not the way it originally was. It was partly marker back then, as Austen and other inkers (Starlin) had done back in the day, and fading is an unfortunate consequence. But, in my opinion, this could have easily been preserved instead of restored, and it would not have affected value.

 

And yes, those of us who've been watching for some time have a duty to disclose issues that are relevant on pieces of art; this is our hobby we're protecting, not any individual sale prices.

 

Best,

 

Coming in late here.

 

Yes, guilty as charged. I re-inked all the faded marker work from the page in question. And with all due respect Hari, I think the page looked like hell when Albert commissioned me 3 or 4 years ago, so besides being paid for my service, I felt I was rescuing the piece from some hideously drastic fading. It was beyond an eyesore, and not in the way that glue stains or random white out can be, but more like something that was damaged. In the end, I was quite satisfied with the final result, and would defy anyone to be able to distinguish my line from Terry's. This is as much as anything due to the fact that Terry had a super clean, almost mechanical line at this time, which is the type of line easiest to "ghost" for an inker, as opposed to an expressive, organic line. My goal was to be as invisible and unobtrusive as humanly possible, and in my mind I succeeded. I can see how this might rub some people the wrong way, but it is what it is.

 

I don't know how common this practice is. I was asked at this years Comic Con by Joe M at All Star to do some similar restoration on a couple of Neal Adams Batman pages that had marker work by Adams that was badly faded and water damaged. For various reasons I won't go into, I declined.

 

If Albert sold or tried to sell this piece without full disclosure, tell me, and I will give him holy hell. Seems unlikely to me. But, I wonder if I should have noted and dated my work somehow in the margin or on the back of the page since it seems less and less likely that disclosure will be made as the piece changes hands. The quality of the piece won't fade, but the history of it might and that's a problem.

 

So bring out those torches and pitchforks, and I'll be waiting for you at the top of the windmill!

 

Scott Williams

 

Hey Scott,

 

You know I respect you as a person, inker, and friend. My recolletion of the piece's original (faded) state may also be fading (pardon the pun!), so I'm looking forward to seeing a scan that Stephen may have from back before it was re-inked. Will keep the pitchforks sharpened but still hanging on the wall for now

 

Didn't see you at SDCC, even though it sounds like you were there...

 

Hari

 

[stinkininkin]

I think Stephen can attest to this better, as a previous owner, but having seen the piece in its original state (with some marker areas fading) I would have preferred they just found a way to preserve it the way it was. It was certainly not so bad as to diminish its eye appeal. Of course it looks "better" fully inked, but that's not the way it originally was. It was partly marker back then, as Austen and other inkers (Starlin) had done back in the day, and fading is an unfortunate consequence. But, in my opinion, this could have easily been preserved instead of restored, and it would not have affected value.

 

And yes, those of us who've been watching for some time have a duty to disclose issues that are relevant on pieces of art; this is our hobby we're protecting, not any individual sale prices.

 

Best,

 

Coming in late here.

 

Yes, guilty as charged. I re-inked all the faded marker work from the page in question. And with all due respect Hari, I think the page looked like hell when Albert commissioned me 3 or 4 years ago, so besides being paid for my service, I felt I was rescuing the piece from some hideously drastic fading. It was beyond an eyesore, and not in the way that glue stains or random white out can be, but more like something that was damaged. In the end, I was quite satisfied with the final result, and would defy anyone to be able to distinguish my line from Terry's. This is as much as anything due to the fact that Terry had a super clean, almost mechanical line at this time, which is the type of line easiest to "ghost" for an inker, as opposed to an expressive, organic line. My goal was to be as invisible and unobtrusive as humanly possible, and in my mind I succeeded. I can see how this might rub some people the wrong way, but it is what it is.

 

I don't know how common this practice is. I was asked at this years Comic Con by Joe M at All Star to do some similar restoration on a couple of Neal Adams Batman pages that had marker work by Adams that was badly faded and water damaged. For various reasons I won't go into, I declined.

 

If Albert sold or tried to sell this piece without full disclosure, tell me, and I will give him holy hell. Seems unlikely to me. But, I wonder if I should have noted and dated my work somehow in the margin or on the back of the page since it seems less and less likely that disclosure will be made as the piece changes hands. The quality of the piece won't fade, but the history of it might and that's a problem.

 

So bring out those torches and pitchforks, and I'll be waiting for you at the top of the windmill!

 

Scott Williams

 

Hey Scott,

 

You know I respect you as a person, inker, and friend. My recolletion of the piece's original (faded) state may also be fading (pardon the pun!), so I'm looking forward to seeing a scan that Stephen may have from back before it was re-inked. Will keep the pitchforks sharpened but still hanging on the wall for now

 

Didn't see you at SDCC, even though it sounds like you were there...

 

Hari

 

I know your questions come from the right place Hari. I'm not losing any sleep over this, so not to worry. As an art collector, there is no way I would have paid market value on the splash in it's fading condition. It looked BAD! And there are a few other pages from that same issue that look even worse. I don't know what Terri used (I'm thinking Sharpie since that seems to be one of the most unstable markers of all and was readily available back then), but thank goodness he only used it sparingly and only on a few issues.

 

Anyway, I could have sworn I had before and after photocopies of the splash in question, but I haven't been able to find them yet. I'll look some more.

 

Sorry I missed you at Comicon Hari. You should have come over to Artist's Ally and slummed it a little with the rank and file. Next year I guess!

 

Scott Williams

[spider9698]

I may have a better image somewhere. Let me keep diggin'

 

[/img]

[DStorm]

Speaking of "Did anyone see any of the following at SDCC?" .... Did anyone see Dave Stevens original Betty's Bath art? Wow! $100K ... I think it was at tri-state comics ... not 100% sure though, I forget ....

[NelsonAI]

Thanks for the scan Stephen.

While you can see some fading, the art itself doesn't look so bad. It's not as if the inks from the sharpie bled (which they are known to do -- so avoid using them for autographs as well).

 

Will

- Since you saw the X-Men art in person in L.A., I'm sure you commented how great the page looked. Did anyone ever mention restoration?

 

Thanks.

Cheers!

N.

 

 

 

 

[bocaratondefense]

Did anyone ever mention restoration?

 

 

 

 

That's really what it comes down to for me. If collectors/dealers want to clean or retore or re-ink original art they own, that is their perogative; everyone can do whatever they choose with their own personal property. The big question is whether there was full disclosure to all potential buyers.

[Darcy Q-migration]

Hey Guys,

 

I nkow this is a little off topic, but I was just wondering if anyone had seen any Kirby sketches at SDCC? I have been looking for one for ages now, and they are just so hard to come by!

 

Darcy