November c-link

[romitaman]

From personal experience I know the IDW books "ADD" to the want of the art...... i've sold some ASM pages from the first john romita amazing spider-man addition that i doubt i'd have sold without the book being published!

 

I'm looking forward to the Gil Kane ASM book coming out very soon. Almost all the pages in this book but a handful came from me.... this isnt bragging.......As I'm jsut pretty excited seeing a part of my art collection published as an actual book so it can be seen in great detail by many old and new art collectors.....

[Terry Doyle]

Anyone wonder what the release of 'Artists Edition' books (such as the Mazz DD book) does to the value of the pages contained within? More interest in the artist from the prestige of the book? Fewer actual bidders since they get their 'fix' from the book?

 

 

I'm inclined to believe that the books would promote more interest in owning (comparable) original artwork from the artists represented and may well add new blood to the hobby.

 

From a personal perspective, after a long time in collecting OA, I've released a lot of art from my collection in recent years as my priorities in life are moving in other directions.

 

Something like the Wally Wood book was a godsend to me, as I once owned three complete EC science fiction stories and one cover by the artist, and helps ease the sense loss of those gems departing from my collection. As such, I can still get the thrill of studying an artist's work, close to how it would look "in the flesh" (if you see what I mean), without having huge sums of cash tied-up in OA ownership.

[lb jefferies]

Anyone wonder what the release of 'Artists Edition' books (such as the Mazz DD book) does to the value of the pages contained within? More interest in the artist from the prestige of the book? Fewer actual bidders since they get their 'fix' from the book?

 

I thought for a lot of collectors the desire to own the originals would fade once the artist editions came out but I've actually received more inquiries to purchase my complete Born Again issue after the book was released than I did before.

 

But I think it goes both ways. For the die hard collector it amplifies their need to own the art and for the passive collector it perhaps quenches their thirst. The Mazz artist edition made me want more of his art and the Wood artist edition quenched my thirst.

 

 

[Bronty]

Ah yes, you're the lucky sonofagun that posted that complete issue a while back. Nice to see Mazz getting some love lately, I wish he had stuck around longer. He was a great little talent. I think he did a lot of little and subtle things really well that sometimes go unnoticed but definitely enhance the story. Great artist for a strong writer to work with.

[lb jefferies]

After he left the superhero world he went into indie comics and some of those show breathtaking storytelling ability. Nowhere near as "collectible" but stunning nonetheless (and, as it happens equally as unattainable as the Batman and remaining DD work).

[MachoGrande]

After he left the superhero world he went into indie comics and some of those show breathtaking storytelling ability. Nowhere near as "collectible" but stunning nonetheless (and, as it happens equally as unattainable as the Batman and remaining DD work).

 

Does anyone know why he chose to release the art he did, and not some of the other books?

 

And count me in as one who's desire for a Born Again page has escalated since receiving the Artist's Edition.

[lb jefferies]

The work he inked as well as penciled is the work that means most to him, so that's why he still has most of the BA pages and covers, all of his Year One work, and I believe all of his indie pages as well.

 

He's been quoted in interviews as being surprised by the way Miller ended the Born Again (with the Nuke situation) so perhaps he was less fond of that last book compared with the others and that's why he released them. It's anybody's guess, really.

 

I was just in the right place at the right time to get my pages. 230 was my favorite issue in the run so I went after it.

[blowout]

I was just in the right place at the right time to get my pages. 230 was my favorite issue in the run so I went after it.

 

Did you get the complete book from Mazz himself?

[lb jefferies]

From his rep.

[Nexus]

The work he inked as well as penciled is the work that means most to him, so that's why he still has most of the BA pages and covers, all of his Year One work, and I believe all of his indie pages as well.

 

He's been quoted in interviews as being surprised by the way Miller ended the Born Again (with the Nuke situation) so perhaps he was less fond of that last book compared with the others and that's why he released them. It's anybody's guess, really.

 

I was just in the right place at the right time to get my pages. 230 was my favorite issue in the run so I went after it.

 

Whatever reason he had for selling the issues that he did, I'd say it worked out fine for collectors. The last two issues are the costume-heavy ones and also, in my opinion, the later issues are stronger than the earlier ones. Compare #227 with #233, for example. He got better as he went along.

 

Which is not to say the strength of the story lies with costumes (see: #230...lucky dog!).

 

As for YEAR ONE...he did sell a cover a few years ago. Wish I had a do-over on that one. Doubt we'll be seeing anything else for a while. It may be his de facto retirement fund. Sad as I am that it's not available, though, I tip my hat to him for hanging onto it.

 

 

[Nexus]

Forgot to add: I've also gotten more inquiries about my BA pages since the Artist's Edition was released. I don't think it's a coincidence. As well, the one page I've seen offered publicly since the release of the AE, came with a record price tag. I don't think that's a coincidence, either.

[dem1138]

 

As for YEAR ONE...he did sell a cover a few years ago. Wish I had a do-over on that one. Doubt we'll be seeing anything else for a while. It may be his de facto retirement fund. Sad as I am that it's not available, though, I tip my hat to him for hanging onto it.

 

 

If I recall correctly, didn't you say that the original drawing for the cover was really small?

[lb jefferies]

Whatever reason he had for selling the issues that he did, I'd say it worked out fine for collectors. The last two issues are the costume-heavy ones and also, in my opinion, the later issues are stronger than the earlier ones. Compare #227 with #233, for example. He got better as he went along.

 

Which is not to say the strength of the story lies with costumes (see: #230...lucky dog!).

 

I think his line quality really started to hit its stride around, um ...#230 and then continued to evolve through the end of the story and continued to get even more minimalistic during Year One (and beyond). But I agree that most collectors want a page from 232 and 233. I think I'm in the supreme minority by preferring character pages over Nuke pages.

 

 

Sad as I am that it's not available, though, I tip my hat to him for hanging onto it.

 

Totally agree. Him and Simonson. An amazing achievement to withstand offers for so long.

[Bronty]

After he left the superhero world he went into indie comics and some of those show breathtaking storytelling ability. Nowhere near as "collectible" but stunning nonetheless (and, as it happens equally as unattainable as the Batman and remaining DD work).

 

Now that is something I didn't know and I consider myself reasonably well versed in indy books from the 80s and early 90s!

 

Can you tell me more about this, maybe name some of the highlights?

[Bird]

I always loved the page with Captain America. The writing was great (what did they say, Cap weighs 300+ or something like that?) and the art wonderful. It gets better when Thor and the rest of the Avengers appear, but that page where Cap blows by DD is my pick of the litter.

 

My BA page was lucky enough to get one of the vellum pages slipped in next to it in the AE, so I can flip right to my page whenever I want. Yes it is a Nuke page, but you are right in that so many character pages are great in these issues - the nun pages (her heart skipped just a bit), Ben Urich pages, Kingpin pages, so many great character moments.

 

And then the splashes at the end of each issue! GAWD they are fantastic. BA has such strong emotion, it really is a wonderful sequence of books, eh?

[Bird]

After he left the superhero world he went into indie comics and some of those show breathtaking storytelling ability. Nowhere near as "collectible" but stunning nonetheless (and, as it happens equally as unattainable as the Batman and remaining DD work).

 

Now that is something I didn't know and I consider myself reasonably well versed in indy books from the 80s and early 90s!

 

Can you tell me more about this, maybe name some of the highlights?

 

Well , he produced one of the more critically acclaimed GNs of the last 20 years, Asterios Polyp. I almost bought one myself on Saturday, 50% off, but passed. It will be in my future soon though.

[dem1138]

Asterios Polyp is fantastic.

[Bronty]

never heard of it

[Bronty]

thanks for the info!

[lb jefferies]

After he left the superhero world he went into indie comics and some of those show breathtaking storytelling ability. Nowhere near as "collectible" but stunning nonetheless (and, as it happens equally as unattainable as the Batman and remaining DD work).

 

Now that is something I didn't know and I consider myself reasonably well versed in indy books from the 80s and early 90s!

 

Can you tell me more about this, maybe name some of the highlights?

 

The Rubber Blanket work is really, really nice. And of course, Asterios Polyp (whose ending ties in with one of the Rubber Blanket stories). But don't go in expecting to even recognize him as the same artist who worked on DD and Batman. It's very different. Brilliant, but different.