First 3 Watchmen covers in Feb HA

[Cbone3-migration]

@ making book in Vegas. I'll take $1,000,000 on the over, please.

[comix4fun]

Any other guesses? I may have been waay off but the rest of you are just chicken

 

$101,750 for the #1 cover.

 

 

Is that including or excluding shipping cost?

 

 

Just a couple of years ago, $50K was an almost inconceivable number for #1. Now the over/under is 2X, with most picking the over. Wow.

 

That was before the McFarlane auction. Hey, get while the gettin's good. There is certainly no guarantee that these prices continue going upward and so now certainly seems like an ideal time to sell.

 

 

Well, being that these are out of the Shamus collection, I think the decision to sell was made prior to those McFarlanes being sold. It was just a matter of timing and structure.

 

Shamus only consigned additional pieces after the success of the first auction.

 

So he beat his own bushes for art based on his own success?

[Bird]

Any other guesses? I may have been waay off but the rest of you are just chicken

 

$101,750 for the #1 cover.

 

 

Is that including or excluding shipping cost?

 

 

Just a couple of years ago, $50K was an almost inconceivable number for #1. Now the over/under is 2X, with most picking the over. Wow.

 

That was before the McFarlane auction. Hey, get while the gettin's good. There is certainly no guarantee that these prices continue going upward and so now certainly seems like an ideal time to sell.

 

 

Well, being that these are out of the Shamus collection, I think the decision to sell was made prior to those McFarlanes being sold. It was just a matter of timing and structure.

 

Shamus only consigned additional pieces after the success of the first auction.

 

So he beat his own bushes for art based on his own success?

 

Well, he beat his brother's bush. (Is that legal? Not in all 50 states I don;t think.) The consignor is Gareb's brother I believe. Equally odd name.

[suspense39]

I'm pretty sure these were sold at Sotheby's I the 90's as a set.....I'll have to go look at my catalogs to confirm.

[suspense39]

Artwork to the covers of watchmen 1-12 estimate 20,000-25,000 from Sotheby's 1993

 

Also in the original 1993 catalog they are shown in black and white.....I wonder if these have been colored since then?!

[Brian Peck]

In the 2nd post Terry already answered that "Covers 1 through to 12 sold for £17,250 in Sotherby's 3rd comic art auction (1993)"

[suspense39]

In the 2nd post Terry already answered that "Covers 1 through to 12 sold for £17,250 in Sotherby's 3rd comic art auction (1993)"

 

Thanks must have missed it.

[tth2]

Any other guesses? I may have been waay off but the rest of you are just chicken

 

$101,750 for the #1 cover. Tim won't win it, because he will come to his senses by February. Plus, I've been in his living room and, with the view he has, the WM #1 cover would only detract from it.

Actually, I just noticed Terry`s post that it`s just pen and ink. That takes me out of the running.

 

Man, if there was ever a comic cover that would be worth a lot more if it had been painted/colored in its original form, this would be it. Without the yellow of the happy face and red splotch of blood, it really loses its power.

[Eric Seffinga]

 

[suspense39]

 

So is there a colored and black and white version?

[delekkerste]

Actually, I just noticed Terry`s post that it`s just pen and ink. That takes me out of the running.

 

Man, if there was ever a comic cover that would be worth a lot more if it had been painted/colored in its original form, this would be it. Without the yellow of the happy face and red splotch of blood, it really loses its power.

 

Yeah, and if you look at the photos posted above of the framed cover on display, I think anyone looking to buy the #1 cover as some kind of pop culture/art icon that transcends the comic book hobby will be severely disappointed. I mean, it's cool for what it is, but it's definitely something that can stay in the comic room and not in the living room - few outside the comics/OA hobby are going to be blown away by it. As a fellow OA collector friend of mine reminded me recently, "there are very few people in the world who actually care about this stuff like you and I do." Too true, too true.

[Nexus]

 

So is there a colored and black and white version?

 

The b/w version is the original art. The color piece is the color guide by John Higgins, which appears will also be available at this auction. It may be what Tim is looking for. It will certainly cost a lot less. Although color guides don't have the cachet of pen/ink OA (at least amongst our insular group as Gene notes), that shouldn't matter as much to fans such as Tim. (Although it is smaller, which may be a deal-breaker for Tim's wall.)

[Nexus]

Some more pics (taken from Wizard World Philadelphia 2009):

 

 

 

 

Note: I believe the #11 cover is a recreation done for the Sotheby's auction, as the original was lost or damaged along the way.

[GotSuperPowers?]

Actually, I just noticed Terry`s post that it`s just pen and ink. That takes me out of the running.

 

Man, if there was ever a comic cover that would be worth a lot more if it had been painted/colored in its original form, this would be it. Without the yellow of the happy face and red splotch of blood, it really loses its power.

 

Yeah, and if you look at the photos posted above of the framed cover on display, I think anyone looking to buy the #1 cover as some kind of pop culture/art icon that transcends the comic book hobby will be severely disappointed. I mean, it's cool for what it is, but it's definitely something that can stay in the comic room and not in the living room - few outside the comics/OA hobby are going to be blown away by it. As a fellow OA collector friend of mine reminded me recently, "there are very few people in the world who actually care about this stuff like you and I do." Too true, too true.

 

Funnily enough, I was in a meeting with our Director of Content this morning and he asked me if I still collect comic art, and that he has some wall space to fill...so yes, few people who actually care like we do, but those that read (past tense) may well be happy to splash some cash for a little bit of something they like. In this case, I'll be helping him shop so I'll get to have some fun too! I doubt it will be for a Watchmen cover though!

[plasticmoz]

Thanks for the pictures (thumbs u

[OAFan-migration]

Thanks for the pictures (thumbs u

 

X2.

 

I know that the below sentiments have been expressed on countless prior occasions, but what the hell.

 

FWIW, I think that the amount that these pieces garner will surprise some people. WATCHMEN has a transcendent quality that reaches out to people beyond the traditional comic book spectrum. Speaking purely for my 12-year old self at the time, I remember being shocked, first by the boobies (12-year old self's words, not mine), and then by the fact that the bad guy not only "won," he might have actually saved the world in the process. For a kid in 8th grade, that's some heady stuff.

 

Since then I've gone back and read it once a year, and come away with something different each and every time. A previous poster noted the artistry of the book's layouts, and called it the Citizen Kane of comic books (I'd love to read that article he referenced, BTW). Although I've heard this sentiment expressed across a variety of mediums, this might be the most deserving.

 

The artistic value can and should be debated. THE question, I think, is this. To what extent do the aesthetics of a piece trump, inform, or play a role in the piece's artistic value? Are these pieces the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of art ever put for auction? Maybe not. Are they artistically significant? IMHO, without question.

 

So for the sheer nostalgic value of WATCHMEN, the effect it has had on those reading it, its perfect snapshot of the era, and a host of other artistic factors beyond that of the aesthetic appeal, I think these pieces are going to kill it.

 

(And I'm not just saying that because I have a Dave Gibbons Green Lantern cover )

 

[dem1138]

Yes, the cover to #11 is a recreation. Either the original or the published stated cover or some version thereof showed up and sold on eBay about 6+ years ago. No one paid it much attention at the time since it isn't much of a cover and it sold for a song.

 

 

[Nexus]

Yes, the cover to #11 is a recreation. Either the original or the published stated cover or some version thereof showed up and sold on eBay about 6+ years ago. No one paid it much attention at the time since it isn't much of a cover and it sold for a song.

 

It was around four years ago, if memory serves, and was the prelim.

[dem1138]

Yes, the cover to #11 is a recreation. Either the original or the published stated cover or some version thereof showed up and sold on eBay about 6+ years ago. No one paid it much attention at the time since it isn't much of a cover and it sold for a song.

 

It was around four years ago, if memory serves, and was the prelim.

 

Are you sure it was the prelim? I know the #11 was lost somehow and that's why Shamus had it recreated but I don't recall what showed up on eBay as being the prelim.

 

I know you keep records though so I'll defer to you.

[Nexus]

Since then I've gone back and read it once a year, and come away with something different each and every time. A previous poster noted the artistry of the book's layouts, and called it the Citizen Kane of comic books (I'd love to read that article he referenced, BTW). Although I've heard this sentiment expressed across a variety of mediums, this might be the most deserving.

 

I didn't actually call WM the "CITIZEN KANE of comic books", but was making the point that, like CK, WM can't be fully appreciated unless the viewer/reader is willing to invest some time in dissecting it.

 

Here's a link:

 

http://www.capnwacky.com/rj/watchmen/

 

J. Michael Straczynski had a fantastic write-up about Gibbons' WATCHMEN art a few years ago where he took one pedestrian looking page and completely broke it down. He wanted to show how even the simplest looking page was packed with meaning and the effortless flow of one panel to the next. Unfortunately, when I try to Google "J. Michael Straczynski" and "WATCHMEN" all that comes up is BEFORE WATCHMEN.