Frank Cho Painting Fetches 10k @ Baltimore Comic Con

[PeasOfCrap]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/08/frank_cho_update.html

 

FRANK CHO UPDATE: Oil painting sells at Comic-Con auction for $10K

 

Some Frank Cho fans at Baltimore Comic-Con wanted Brandy and Dean sketches. For Cho, though, a high point was doing his oil painting.

 

"I finished the painting at the show," Cho tells Comic Riffs. "It was Zatanna summoning a hell bunny." The canvas, which is 36 by 48 inches, was among the guest-artist works sold at Baltimore Comic-Con's second annual auction.

 

 

"The painting was one of the highlights," Cho tells 'Riffs of the auction, which he says benefits the convention. "It sold for more than $10,000 to a well-known art collector by phone.

 

"He's a very private man and wishes to remain anonymous," Cho continues. "He has bought other art from me in the past. His comic art collection is pretty impressive and he doesn't like people to know which pieces he has."

 

(A Baltimore Comic-Con representative said the event generally does not discuss financial figures from the auction.)

 

Cho says he hopes to devote more time to fine-art painting in the coming years. "I've been going back to Western art in the last several years, which a lot of people don't know that I do," he tells 'Riffs.

 

 

"I like Mian Situ and Z.S. Liang -- those two contemporary Western art guys are great," Cho continues. "I like Frederic Remington. And Carl Rungius -- his stuff is incredible. And the landscape painter Thomas Moran -- the first time I saw a huge Yellowstone painting of his at the American Art Museum, that was a big tipping point."

 

The transition from comics to fine-art painting "is kind of hard," Cho acknowledges. "To go from drawing busty naked ladies to studying color and light and composition. ... It was a hard yet fun transition, like running a marathon."

 

"I could just sit on my and draw comic books all day -- it pays well enough -- but you do get discouraged if you don't evolve" artistically, Cho continues. "You ask yourself: 'What is my next challenge?' It's like God or nature, for whatever reason, has blessed me with this gift, and philosophically, we're here on this Earth for a very short time, so I want to [create] as much art as possible."

 

[pinupcartoonguy]

I will never under the fanboy infatuation with fishnets.

 

 

[Bronty]

not a fan of that painting

[bryan91]

The rabbit looks cool.

[CollectingFool]

I'm a fan of Zatanna. Not because of the fishnets but because I always liked the magic angle and I think the tux outfit when drawn well makes for an interesting looking character. That said I much prefer Frank's pencil/ink style to his paintings. Not a fan of this one. I think he's just not comfortable enough in paint yet to let his style or personality really come through like it does with the pencil/ink stuff.

[Bronty]

couldn't agree more

[mamatsch]

Agreed, though the bunny was kind of cool...

[comix4fun]

I'm a fan of Zatanna. Not because of the fishnets but because I always liked the magic angle and I think the tux outfit when drawn well makes for an interesting looking character. That said I much prefer Frank's pencil/ink style to his paintings. Not a fan of this one. I think he's just not comfortable enough in paint yet to let his style or personality really come through like it does with the pencil/ink stuff.

 

 

What that man can do with a pencil or even a ball point pen is pure magic. Some of that "life" seems absent here.

 

I have no doubt he will get there with the painting though. The guy's a genius.

[Brian Peck]

It went for $10K and not signature Cho "butt". Amzing!

[Bronty]

well it was four by three feet so it was a big piece which I'm sure helped the price... but not my cup of tea. chris is probably right that he will get there eventually with the oils but based on that piece I'd say he's got a ways to go

[AKA Rick]

It's nearly unrecongizable as what Frank Cho is best known for in terms of style. The fact that is is his artwork, and he does have a fan base should not impact the appreciation, demand or value of the piece tremendously... but at $10k, I'd classify this more as a "hobby" purchase from a fan and collector more so than what an art "investor" would pay, since even if he contues with the varied medium of oils and dabbles in the fine arts, this would be considered one of his early try-out and potentially inferrior pieces to something he'll eventually master with better pieces.

 

It's a nice piece as far a artwork goes. As far as being a Frank Cho piece it's "different", not bad. And whether I'd want this piece of artwork or $10,000 if given a choice, I'd take personally take the cash (and maybe use some of that to buy one of Frank's published comic covers and keep rest of the money for a rainy day)

[easyt63]

She looks chubby, anyone else see that?

 

I love Franks normal work, a lot actually. I think he is one of the most talented artists out there. But his personality and the way he handles his fans, he is one of the worst out there.

[AKA Rick]

I'll have to agree that there's a lot of artists out there who lack courteous social skills, mutual respect and somewhat gracious consideration for the public and their fans.

 

But rather dwell on those who don't have it (or don't quite "get it" yet, who hopefully figure it out), I'd rather honor those who do have it.

 

My list of FAN FRIENDLY artists and creators who I'd like to PRAISE for the way they treat their fans and interact in public includes:

 

Philip Tan

Norm Rapmund

Michael Ryan

Josh Howard

George Perez

Jim Balent

Kevin Eastman

Keith Giffen

Amanda Conner

Phil Jimenez

Brent Anderson

 

 

 

[Eric Seffinga]

I don't think she looks "chubby" at all.

 

She's not the distorted "wasp" shape of some of Cho's comic females, though his still tend to be more natural than say Jim Balent's, whose tiny waists would certainly snap their spines with the sheer weight of their engorged bosoms. Frank's painting looks perfectly normal looking to me. I think the hanging jacket behind her lends to the illusion of girth that isn't there. The "chubby" comes across more in the small thumbnails, but enlarged, the waist looks like what I'd expect to see. Certainly not as "chubby" as say a Frazetta lady. And really, I don't think anyone would say that was bad.

 

What's really odd to me in this piece, especially in her face, is that it looks more like a lesser Andrew Robinson painting than anything from Frank Cho. The shape, the lighting, all of it.

 

Still, I'd rather see him stretching out and trying new things than just another piece of Brandy in her underwear. Really.

 

Where it really falls apart is that while I actually quite like the face and execution of it from a technical & stylistic standpoint, the facial expression conveys little, which leaves it to the rabbit and the hat. I'm afraid that for me, the rabbit fails and the blues in the fabric & hat come across too single note. There's a lack of color and glazing that would really have brought those across better. Then again I've only seen the photos in the article. Would love to see some better snaps if anyone got some at the show.

 

-e.

[PeasOfCrap]

here is the woman who Frank painted.

 

sorry i could not link it.

 

 

 

[PeasOfCrap]

[Eric Seffinga]

So this was totally painted on the Con floor then?

If that's the case he did just fine for what it was, IMO (short of some better rabbit reference).

That and he very much flattered his muse.

Face still looks like he was channeling Robinson.

 

-e.

[comix4fun]

I agree, that's a great and flattering likeness, ESPECIALLY for being painted on the convention floor. Better than most of the pieces I see created for these charity auctions.

[comix4fun]

She looks chubby, anyone else see that?

 

I love Franks normal work, a lot actually. I think he is one of the most talented artists out there. But his personality and the way he handles his fans, he is one of the worst out there.

 

 

 

That's odd, Frank's never been anything but courteous, friendly, nice and jovial whenever I have seen him at a convention (which has been every year for the last 10 I think).

 

Maybe he's different towards different people and calling him "one of the worst" might apply to how he's been towards you but doesn't represent how he treats everyone else.

 

It's possible.

[irchooker]

That's odd, Frank's never been anything but courteous, friendly, nice and jovial whenever I have seen him at a convention (which has been every year for the last 10 I think).

 

Maybe he's different towards different people and calling him "one of the worst" might apply to how he's been towards you but doesn't represent how he treats everyone else.

 

It's possible.

 

:cough cough: My reception sounds more like Tyler's than yours, Chris.