Al Plastino’s JFK Superman Art Stolen?

[shadroch]

You can't donate something you don't own. The blurb mentioning the donation could have been added by the production people with the artist being unaware of it at the time.

I'm sorry but I have a hard time with the idea that LBJ and or the Kennedy clan had any involvement with whatever occurred.

[techtre2003]

I don't see where the art was his to donate. DC may have donated it,or said they would, but they certainly were not in the habit of returning O.A. to the artist in that era. Were they?

 

That would be my thought. Why would he have any claim to it?

[wizardseye311]

I tried to ask him if it was donated by him or by DC as work for hire. He wouldn't answer, but waxed poetic about how, when I'm his age, would I look back, and feel like I did all I could to have made the world a better place. I think what this boils down to is that work he did fifty years ago will now be sold for a minimum of 200 thousand dollars for the ten pages, and he's upset that money isn't going to him. I'm all for artist rights, but he was paid when he did it, and doesn't even have a "thank you" from anyone to whom it may have been donated to prove he was the one who donated it. That being said, if you give something away it's no longer yours. Whatever happens to it after that is beyond your control. I understand that he feels slighted, but IMHO he's on a fool's errand.

[jimjum12]

...... what if Al could be authorized to do a few recreations of the art..... everybody could be happy then.... GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

P.S. Al looks like such a cool old guy..... hope this somehow works out for him....

[Aman619]

was Plastino given the same -script that Swan drew from? and that all? or was he given copies (stats in those days) of Swan's pages? But if they had the stats, they wouldn't have needed it redrawn!

 

this new info begs more questions about what happened. If DC was asked by LBJ to print the story, Id think theyd just ask to get the pages back to use rather than commission another artists to redraw it (at their expense).

[sborock]

Posted his update in the OA section:

 

Not only did our consignor purchase the JFK story at auction from Sotheby’s in 1993, he still has the invoice as well, but in fairness to everyone though, we have withdrawn the art from our November 22 auction while Mr. Plastino’s claim is being investigated.

 

I will try and keep you all updated on what we find out.

Peace,

-Steve

[TheShadowKnows]

Posted his update in the OA section:

 

Not only did our consignor purchase the JFK story at auction from Sotheby’s in 1993, he still has the invoice as well, but in fairness to everyone though, we have withdrawn the art from our November 22 auction while Mr. Plastino’s claim is being investigated.

 

I will try and keep you all updated on what we find out.

Peace,

-Steve

You are a stand up man,Steve

[sborock]

Posted his update in the OA section:

 

Not only did our consignor purchase the JFK story at auction from Sotheby’s in 1993, he still has the invoice as well, but in fairness to everyone though, we have withdrawn the art from our November 22 auction while Mr. Plastino’s claim is being investigated.

 

I will try and keep you all updated on what we find out.

Peace,

-Steve

You are a stand up man,Steve

 

Not just me, this was a decision made by all involved at Heritage.

[comix4fun]

Posted his update in the OA section:

 

Not only did our consignor purchase the JFK story at auction from Sotheby’s in 1993, he still has the invoice as well, but in fairness to everyone though, we have withdrawn the art from our November 22 auction while Mr. Plastino’s claim is being investigated.

 

I will try and keep you all updated on what we find out.

Peace,

-Steve

 

 

Over and Above Steve,

 

Hopefully this can get rectified to everyone's satisfaction shortly.

[comicdonna]

Posted his update in the OA section:

 

Not only did our consignor purchase the JFK story at auction from Sotheby’s in 1993, he still has the invoice as well, but in fairness to everyone though, we have withdrawn the art from our November 22 auction while Mr. Plastino’s claim is being investigated.

 

I will try and keep you all updated on what we find out.

Peace,

-Steve

 

 

Over and Above Steve,

 

Hopefully this can get rectified to everyone's satisfaction shortly.

+1

[Ares]

Do you think Al just wants the art back after seeing what OA prices are going for now?

[shadroch]

If Mr Plastino is given title to this art, for whatever reason, what will stop every other artist from demanding his art back? Even if Mr P gets it returned, it had better end up in the museum.

[wizardseye311]

Here's an article in the NY Post about how he was "stunned" to find out it was for sale while posing with a smile next to a $20,000.00 price tag on one page of it. Al says, “I was thinking about my grandchildren. When I pass on, I want them to be able to see it — of course!” Yes, because you've never once taken them to the library to see it, or even bothered until now to see if it was even there. If it was so important to him why did he not even know what happened to it? In '93 it sold for $5,000.00. $500.00 a page. Not really worth bothering about. Now that they're going for a minimum of 200K, well, you get the picture. This whole thing smacks of greed. From the artist's claims, and the timing of when it would be sold. As if a Presidential assassination wasn't bad enough, there are those who would try to profit off of it's anniversary.

 

 

http://nypost.com/2013/10/25/comics-artist-devastated-to-find-masterpiece-at-auction/

[Speedy-D]

Here's an article in the NY Post about how he was "stunned" to find out it was for sale while posing with a smile next to a $20,000.00 price tag on one page of it. Al says, “I was thinking about my grandchildren. When I pass on, I want them to be able to see it — of course!” Yes, because you've never once taken them to the library to see it, or even bothered until now to see if it was even there. If it was so important to him why did he not even know what happened to it? In '93 it sold for $5,000.00. $500.00 a page. Not really worth bothering about. Now that they're going for a minimum of 200K, well, you get the picture. This whole thing smacks of greed. From the artist's claims, and the timing of when it would be sold. As if a Presidential assassination wasn't bad enough, there are those who would try to profit off of it's anniversary.

 

 

http://nypost.com/2013/10/25/comics-artist-devastated-to-find-masterpiece-at-auction/

I'm gonna say this theory is furthest from the truth.

[wizardseye311]

Here's an article in the NY Post about how he was "stunned" to find out it was for sale while posing with a smile next to a $20,000.00 price tag on one page of it. Al says, “I was thinking about my grandchildren. When I pass on, I want them to be able to see it — of course!” Yes, because you've never once taken them to the library to see it, or even bothered until now to see if it was even there. If it was so important to him why did he not even know what happened to it? In '93 it sold for $5,000.00. $500.00 a page. Not really worth bothering about. Now that they're going for a minimum of 200K, well, you get the picture. This whole thing smacks of greed. From the artist's claims, and the timing of when it would be sold. As if a Presidential assassination wasn't bad enough, there are those who would try to profit off of it's anniversary.

 

 

http://nypost.com/2013/10/25/comics-artist-devastated-to-find-masterpiece-at-auction/

I'm gonna say this theory is furthest from the truth.

 

 

Do you think if they were still going for $5,000.00 he would be going through this much trouble? Is he trying to get back every single piece of original art he ever drew? I started this thread because I thought the artwork had been stolen. In time the truth will come out.

[miraclemet]

Mr. Plastino has previously railed against seeing his signature get offered (not actually sold) on ebay for 10-20x markup from his signing fee, and as a result stopped signing books under most circumstances, and when he does sign it is at newly heightened rates.

 

So Al being upset to see someone else profiting from his name/talent/work is not a new occurrence.

 

I agree that he has the right to be upset, frustrated, or disappointed, and would probably feel the same way if I were in his shoes, but to play the victim again, just rings more and more hollow each time.

 

[lemonman5]

Mr. Plastino has previously railed against seeing his signature get offered (not actually sold) on ebay for 10-20x markup from his signing fee, and as a result stopped signing books under most circumstances, and when he does sign it is at newly heightened rates.

 

So Al being upset to see someone else profiting from his name/talent/work is not a new occurrence.

 

I agree that he has the right to be upset, frustrated, or disappointed, and would probably feel the same way if I were in his shoes, but to play the victim again, just rings more and more hollow each time.

 

I unfortunately had to experience this first hand at NYCC. I wanted to get my Action Comics #252 signed and he told me someone tried to sell a CGC SS copy for some crazy number, so he will never sign that book again. It sucks, because the book I wanted to get signed means alot to me. It is the first key I ever bought (way back when I was in middle school).

 

He did sign a bunch of other books though.

 

I can understand how he's starting to feel about things like his signature and now the JFK art. He's starting to see the ugly side of the the business.

[shadroch]

Maybe he should stay away from conventions so he can enjoy his obscurity.

[Davenport]

I can understand how he's starting to feel about things like his signature and now the JFK art. He's starting to see the ugly side of the the business.

It'd probably be tough for anybody to see things they created as a young person commoditised when they're elderly. Imagine some 1st place artwork you left to your school, or some woodshop or metalshop project, turning up at auction for hundreds of thousands when you're in your nineties. Some fondly remembered act of generosity being cashed out.

 

Suppose he could've gone another route. Kept his mouth shut until some insane dollar-figure was attached. Then spend the rest of his days kicking out signed commemorative replica-reproductions. Hire every ghost-artist available, keep numbering/signing, flood the market as much as possible before his dying breath. Every piece pointing back to how valuable the original was.

 

[techtre2003]

OR he could be honored his work is so great and so many people enjoy it to pay extreme amounts of money for it. Yes, I can see his frustration but would he rather people think his stuff is and not want it?

 

I also think it's funny how he's mad at the high prices for his signature so he quits signing stuff. Um, that's gonna drive the prices up further. So why doesn't he just sign everything in sight and drown out the market instead? Or, just personalize everything he signs.