Nexus Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Don't tip people off! I've been saying the same thing for about a year now. I don't think it's a secret;) I used to collect high grade, until I realized that OA was cheaper than some 9.8s. That was 2005. I'm sure others have reached the same conclusion on their own at varying points. The only problem with Modern OA, especially covers, is that it is just as volatile price-wise as modern variants or #1 9.8s. In most cases you are better off waiting until the series is a bit longer in the tooth and prices have pulled back after the initial surge in demand has subsided to jump in. In addition, you have to be very careful with the pieces you pick up. Interior pages are hit and miss with longer term value. I agree, but I think the volatility is more a concern for day traders than collectors. If you buy to hold, then it's not as much of an issue. You can wait for the series to become established, but the problem with OA is that once it's gone, there's no guarantee you'll get a shot at it later. It all depends on the buyer before you. If it's a strong collector, your chances are slim. If it's a flipper, you'll have a chance, but you'll just have to pay a massive markup. This is not the same as a modern variant or a #1 9.8, where you'll have many opportunities from multiple sellers. Interior pages...depends on the series and the artist. It's all a gamble. Just more of one for speculators when it comes to OA, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Yeah, if you're getting into OA to speculate that can be a dangerous game. You can easily get stuck with pages that no one wants or if you buy something expensive it's possible you may have to wait a while for the buyer to come around. If I am contacting an artist because I want a specific page, it's because I actually want it and assume i'll be buried with it Speculating on any of this stuff is a dangerous game. Buy what you love and what you don't need the money for. Bingo. I was just speaking in terms of relative values. If a 9.8 costs as much as a piece of nice OA, I'd rather spend my money on the OA. I'm not thinking about what they might be worth later, I'm thinking about what makes my collection better in the present. As I've been buying more new art, a friend (who's also a fellow collector) asked me which titles I've bought had the best chance of being recognized 10 years from now and which would be BADGER (i.e. totally forgotten). My assumption is that they will all be BADGER. Which is OK...I still like BADGER, even if no one else does. But it means I have to be prepared to be buried with it, like Tuff Ghost. So, yeah, OA (especially new OA) is tough for both speculators and collectors with ADD. Those who buy and hold long-term, though, will have enjoyed it for that time. Which has value, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCBrad Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Can you give a little insight on where the style of the book comes from? Was this the vision you had in your mind all along when birthing the idea, or is it more of an art decision? Or somewhere in between? I love the clean, hip layout. Nothing superfluous! Thanks for reading, big fan here Well, the mid-century modern style of the architecture, clothing, etc. is something I'm into personally and wanted to include in the look of the book. In terms of the design -- Fonografiks had done these re-interpretations of various comics as '60s style paperbacks, and I really liked the look of those. Nate had worked with Fonografiks before, so when he suggested him, I was completely on board for that. We knew we wanted a clean look to the covers, and I'd wanted to do put the credits and indicia on the back cover of a book for a while, but Fonografiks kind of took everything Nate and I said about all that and came up with the overall look of the covers. In terms of the various articles and ads, with the articles, I'm generally suggesting something based on an existing sources -- the interview in issue one is from Playboy, the fact file in that issue is from an old feature that used to run in New Musical Express, the Nigel ad is a late '60s Volkswagen ad, etc. – but other things are just Fonografiks taking a vague idea and some copy and creating something from scratch. (The "Into Tomorrow" and "Trans-Island Skyway" ads are good examples of that.) -e.s. Eric Stephenson Publisher Image Comics, Inc. www.imagecomics.com Thanks so much for the response. That's a great explanation. I always feel like I'm reading an episode of Mad Men (mixed with something much more twisted) when I read the book. There are much much much worse things to feel as a huge fan of both. You hit the nail on the head with it. In case you have time for follow-ups. As someone interested in the creative side, can you speak for the number of mock-ups, stylistic ideas that you went through before settling on this scheme that you have described? Did Nate and Fonografiks come through on the first shot, or did it take some tweaking? If it took tweaking, will we ever get a peek behind the curtain at early versions perhaps in the trades? Keep up the great work. You the man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wushugushu Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I've only recently begun purchasing OA but I'm sticking to just grabbing pieces from artists that I want to support. Only one page in existence so I don't see the point of chasing pages to flip when I can hold them in my collection. Especially if it is work that I am a huge fan of and truly enjoy. Can't wait till I get some Nowhere Men OA! I really enjoy the way Nate Bellegarde does facial expressions and character acting so I will look out for those pages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e.s. Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Thanks so much for the response. That's a great explanation. I always feel like I'm reading an episode of Mad Men (mixed with something much more twisted) when I read the book. There are much much much worse things to feel as a huge fan of both. You hit the nail on the head with it. In case you have time for follow-ups. As someone interested in the creative side, can you speak for the number of mock-ups, stylistic ideas that you went through before settling on this scheme that you have described? Did Nate and Fonografiks come through on the first shot, or did it take some tweaking? If it took tweaking, will we ever get a peek behind the curtain at early versions perhaps in the trades? Keep up the great work. You the man Well, Mad Men is definitely one of the things we referenced in terms of interior design, etc. I also sent Nate a photo of Jared Harris as after-the-fact photo references last week. (He'd drawn a character who looked remarkably like the real-life Harris...) Nate's been amazing from the get-go. I can only think of a handful of instances I've requested a change in something, and usually it's something really minor. In terms of character designs, set pieces, and all that, he's been fantastic. There really aren't any alternate versions of things. With the cover design, we went through a few variations on that. There was a long gestation period for the book, so by the time we were actually ready to assemble the final product, Fonografiks had revised some things. Also, artwork that we'd originally intended to be used on the covers was set aside for later use. (The third printing of issue three was one of the original covers, for instance.) I'm not sure how much of that stuff we'll ever show. The trade paperback as currently envisioned will be the interiors of issues 1-6, from the first inside front cover to the last inside back cover. We won't be reprinting the cover artwork. I suppose if ever makes sense to do one of those big hardcovers collecting issues 1-12, it could all pop up there. There's a lot of road to travel before then, though. -e.s. Eric Stephenson Publisher Image Comics, Inc. www.imagecomics.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCBrad Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Thanks so much for the response. That's a great explanation. I always feel like I'm reading an episode of Mad Men (mixed with something much more twisted) when I read the book. There are much much much worse things to feel as a huge fan of both. You hit the nail on the head with it. In case you have time for follow-ups. As someone interested in the creative side, can you speak for the number of mock-ups, stylistic ideas that you went through before settling on this scheme that you have described? Did Nate and Fonografiks come through on the first shot, or did it take some tweaking? If it took tweaking, will we ever get a peek behind the curtain at early versions perhaps in the trades? Keep up the great work. You the man Well, Mad Men is definitely one of the things we referenced in terms of interior design, etc. I also sent Nate a photo of Jared Harris as after-the-fact photo references last week. (He'd drawn a character who looked remarkably like the real-life Harris...) Nate's been amazing from the get-go. I can only think of a handful of instances I've requested a change in something, and usually it's something really minor. In terms of character designs, set pieces, and all that, he's been fantastic. There really aren't any alternate versions of things. With the cover design, we went through a few variations on that. There was a long gestation period for the book, so by the time we were actually ready to assemble the final product, Fonografiks had revised some things. Also, artwork that we'd originally intended to be used on the covers was set aside for later use. (The third printing of issue three was one of the original covers, for instance.) I'm not sure how much of that stuff we'll ever show. The trade paperback as currently envisioned will be the interiors of issues 1-6, from the first inside front cover to the last inside back cover. We won't be reprinting the cover artwork. I suppose if ever makes sense to do one of those big hardcovers collecting issues 1-12, it could all pop up there. There's a lot of road to travel before then, though. -e.s. Eric Stephenson Publisher Image Comics, Inc. www.imagecomics.com This is such amazing mess, man! I'm honored that you are taking time to answer questions from the audience. Any chance that you will be here with us at Wizard World Philly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimik Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Don't tip people off! I've been saying the same thing for about a year now. I don't think it's a secret;) I used to collect high grade, until I realized that OA was cheaper than some 9.8s. That was 2005. I'm sure others have reached the same conclusion on their own at varying points. The only problem with Modern OA, especially covers, is that it is just as volatile price-wise as modern variants or #1 9.8s. In most cases you are better off waiting until the series is a bit longer in the tooth and prices have pulled back after the initial surge in demand has subsided to jump in. In addition, you have to be very careful with the pieces you pick up. Interior pages are hit and miss with longer term value. I agree, but I think the volatility is more a concern for day traders than collectors. If you buy to hold, then it's not as much of an issue. You can wait for the series to become established, but the problem with OA is that once it's gone, there's no guarantee you'll get a shot at it later. It all depends on the buyer before you. If it's a strong collector, your chances are slim. If it's a flipper, you'll have a chance, but you'll just have to pay a massive markup. This is not the same as a modern variant or a #1 9.8, where you'll have many opportunities from multiple sellers. Interior pages...depends on the series and the artist. It's all a gamble. Just more of one for speculators when it comes to OA, imo. If you buy when the series is red hot you will need to hold a long time to recoup the price you paid on the vast majority of modern OA. This is what I was referring to with volatility. I prefer to wait patiently for a piece to surface after the initial surge has cooled off and snap it up for less. I learned this approach the hard way after dropping a bunch of $$$ in a one year binge on modern OA (mostly covers) then trying to sell them a couple of years later for what I originally paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimik Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I suppose if ever makes sense to do one of those big hardcovers collecting issues 1-12, it could all pop up there. There's a lot of road to travel before then, though. -e.s. Eric Stephenson Publisher Image Comics, Inc. www.imagecomics.com A hardcover Nowhere Men "omnibus" would be great for two reasons: 1) the design would be slick like the regular issues, and more importantly 2) it would mean that NWM is a successful title a couple or so years out from now as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
necessaryevil Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 The artwork is purely for me. As are the multiple prints of issues. I'd quite like one with the big red beast in it. (His name escapes me at the moment) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e.s. Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Any chance that you will be here with us at Wizard World Philly? Sorry, no WWPhilly. I'll be making a brief appearance at WonderCon -- Beach Ball Comics is bringing me down to sign at their booth on Saturday -- and I'm going to Stumptown in Portland, but after that, I won't be at another show until SDCC in July. it would mean that NWM is a successful title a couple or so years out from now as well. Here's hoping. Issue four had higher orders than issue one, and reviews are just getting better as we go along... -e.s. Eric Stephenson Publisher Image Comics, Inc. www.imagecomics.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangbus Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Any chance that you will be here with us at Wizard World Philly? Sorry, no WWPhilly. I'll be making a brief appearance at WonderCon -- Beach Ball Comics is bringing me down to sign at their booth on Saturday -- and I'm going to Stumptown in Portland, but after that, I won't be at another show until SDCC in July. -e.s. Eric Stephenson Publisher Image Comics, Inc. www.imagecomics.com see bold... I am now very happy I have decided to go. I hope to meet most of, if not all of, the image creators! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stguchi Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Fedex is here.... time for a family photo.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stguchi Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 ALL 9.8 family photo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsJustRyan Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'm think of slabbing all the subsequent prints (1b, 1c, 1d, 2b, , 3b) along with my first prints. The covers are too cool (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stguchi Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I have to thank a friend of Nate for hooking me up with the Comicspros! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wushugushu Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Wow You must be having a great day today Stguchi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonzilla Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I don't think anyone major from Image is going to be at the Philly Wizard World. Why do we even have one here then? The best new talent skips us every year it seems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
necessaryevil Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I rang all my LCs today and none of them got the fourth print of issue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrs Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I rang all my LCs today and none of them got the fourth print of issue 1 my lcs had 1 passed on it tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wushugushu Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Midtown has them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
