LOST or STOLEN: Ron Frenz & John Byrne - WHO'S WHO UPDATE '87 #5 - Titano

[Gal Schwartz]

LOST or STOLEN:

 

WHO'S WHO UPDATE '87 #5, Titano pinup (with Superman & Lois Lane),

illustrated by Ron Frenz & John Byrne.

 

I'm a bit bummed to announce that this artwork is currently MIA,

either lost or stolen:

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1368212&GSub=136781

 

 

 

The piece was last seen at:

 

Staples,

500 E Hamilton Ave

Campbell, CA 95008

 

 

A good friend of mine was handling some scanning for me and the

piece went missing from a pile of art he was scanning.

 

If you ever see this piece, please be aware that it is my property

and I'd be very thankful if you could notify me so I could have it returned.

 

I won't press charges against anyone who currently holds it if he does

the right thing and returns it, I just want it back.

 

I'd be thankful for any lead, please feel free to contact me at:

galschwart@gmail.com

 

 

Thanks,

Gal

 

[RICKYBOBBY]

Gal-isnt that the piece you JUST picked up?

[Gal Schwartz]

Gal-isnt that the piece you JUST picked up?

 

 

Yes. I was proud to finally have my 1ST John Byrne art.

 

Guess I wasn't the only one who liked it...

[NelsonAI]

 

Sorry about the art Gal.

Hopefully, there were video cameras in place and they can assist in getting the art back.

 

All the best.

N.

[John E.]

Whoa. That's the exact Staples where I go to get my art scanned too. I tend to go during off-peak hours so that it's not so busy at the print dept but every once in a while the lone employee is swamped. I'll usually wait and wait and wait for the scans to get done so that they never leave my sight. Did your friend leave them with Staples overnight? Was the missing page scanned nonetheless? Or was it not scanned? That might be a clue. I'm sorry about the loss. I hope you recover it.

 

Edit: Whoops. This is not the place I go to get scanned. I go to the Office Max on Bascom near Hamilton not far from the Staples you're talking about. I was gonna ask the guy who scans my artwork if he knew anything about it. Sorry I can't do that now.

 

Also, are you local here? I would give the local comic shops a BOLO ("Be on the lookout") for your art, starting with Heroes Comics, since they are the closest shop. If it was stolen, thieves tend to be dumb and that shop may be the first one they go to to cash in.

 

 

[Gal Schwartz]

Whoa. That's the exact Staples where I go to get my art scanned too. I tend to go during off-peak hours so that it's not so busy at the print dept but every once in a while the lone employee is swamped. I'll usually wait and wait and wait for the scans to get done so that they never leave my sight. Did your friend leave them with Staples overnight? Was the missing page scanned nonetheless? Or was it not scanned? That might be a clue. I'm sorry about the loss. I hope you recover it.

 

Edit: Whoops. This is not the place I go to get scanned. I go to the Office Max on Bascom near Hamilton not far from the Staples you're talking about. I was gonna ask the guy who scans my artwork if he knew anything about it. Sorry I can't do that now.

 

Also, are you local here? I would give the local comic shops a BOLO ("Be on the lookout") for your art, starting with Heroes Comics, since they are the closest shop. If it was stolen, thieves tend to be dumb and that shop may be the first one they go to to cash in.

 

 

 

Hi Jay,

 

Thank you for your advise, maybe it would lead somewhere and at least

it would give us something to do about the whole ordeal !

 

I'm not a local (I'm from Israel), but my friend (who went to STAPLES) is.

 

He is an awesome guy, who was picking up art pages for me for a couple

of years, and did some scanning on my request, just before shipping

a group of pages over here to Israel.

 

He is one of the nicest guys in the hobby (and I was lucky to know a few),

and I'm more than thankful for everything he'd done for me.

 

The missing page was actually scanned, and as far as I know,

he handled the scans using an automat scanner.

 

The shipped package arrived intact, so it (probably) wasn't stolen during

shipment, as this piece was the only one missing.

 

 

My friend said he would print out an image of the piece to give to STAPLES,

and as you advised, I'd ask him to notify Heroes Comics as well.

 

Jay, if you get around to pay them a visit, I'd be very thankful if you could

also ask them about the missing piece.

 

Any further help from the group would be most appreciated and I'd like

to stress that I don't wish to press charges against anyone who had "found"

the page, I just want it to be rightfully returned to me (I'd pay for shipping, etc),

no question asked.

 

 

Much thanks,

Gal

[JadeGiant]

How does scanning work at Staples? Is it self serve or does an employee have to do it for you?

[John E.]

How does scanning work at Staples? Is it self serve or does an employee have to do it for you?

 

At every office supply store that I've gone to these scanners are behind the counter and customers rely on an employee to scan for them. But as an outsider looking in, I have these questions:

 

1. Did your friend leave the artwork at the store to be picked up later? In other words, did the art leave his sight?

 

2. Has he gone back to see if Staples still has it, perhaps in their lost and found?

 

Otherwise, I would create a flyer with the image and description of what happened to send to the local comic shops. It should read something like this:

 

"Hi, my name is Gal Schwartz and I'm an original comic art collector living in Israel. On January 10, 2017, a friend of mine dropped off a stack of artwork to be scanned at Staples on 500 Hamilton Ave, San Jose, and when the art was returned, there was a piece missing. My friend has gone back to Staples to retrieve it, but the store claims they don't have it. I am appealing to you for help in retrieving my art. If anyone comes to your store to sell it, will you please offer them $150 and incrementally raise it to $250 until you make a purchase? I am willing to reimburse you for the purchase and any other expense. Because I'm not local and want the art back more than anything, I do not wish to involve the local authorities or press charges. If you retrieve the art or have any information to its whereabouts, please contact me at _____ or my proxy at _____. Thank you."

 

I can put the word out to the local shops that I frequent, but something more physical, like a flyer is going to stick better than word of mouth.

 

John

Feel free to PM if you need more info.

[Fred Chamberlain]

Hope it turns up. The video idea is a great one.

 

An aside, I was turned on to buying a Mustek flatbed scanner by a comic pro a handful of years ago. It is a great piece of equipment, easy to use, much more convenient than going out and ultimately cheaper. I've scanned hundreds and hundreds of pieces over the 8 or so years that I've had it.

[RICKYBOBBY]

I personally wouldn't let the art leave my sight. Even when it comes to framing I take the piece, get it measured and bring it back when the frame is ready and have them finish it while I wait.

 

But the page was sent and scanned and then missing while in your friends hands. I'll just ask the most obvious question is this friend REALLY a friend?

 

RickyB

[kav]

I have many times left the last piece scanned/copied on the copy machine and often didn't realize it till days later. I'm thinking thats what probably happened.

[Gal Schwartz]

But the page was sent and scanned and then missing while in your friends hands. I'll just ask the most obvious question is this friend REALLY a friend?

 

RickyB

 

 

Without a doubt, he is a wonderful, honest

and trustworthy, good human being.

A true friend.

 

I just hope others would prove to be half as

decent to return it.

[John E.]

But the page was sent and scanned and then missing while in your friends hands. I'll just ask the most obvious question is this friend REALLY a friend?

 

RickyB

 

 

Without a doubt, he is a wonderful, honest

and trustworthy, good human being.

A true friend.

 

I just hope others would prove to be half as

decent to return it.

 

So did he return to Staples to see if it was left behind in the scanner? There's still a lot of details missing in the story to declare it stolen. My first inclination is that it was left in a scanner.

 

I talked to the shop owner of Heroes today and asked him if anyone has shown up at the shop with the art. He says no one has, but told me that a police report needs to be filed so that he can have "ammunition" to do anything about it if someone does try to sell it off and I agree with him.

[RICKYBOBBY]

But the page was sent and scanned and then missing while in your friends hands. I'll just ask the most obvious question is this friend REALLY a friend?

 

RickyB

 

 

Without a doubt, he is a wonderful, honest

and trustworthy, good human being.

A true friend.

 

I just hope others would prove to be half as

decent to return it.

 

So did he return to Staples to see if it was left behind in the scanner? There's still a lot of details missing in the story to declare it stolen. My first inclination is that it was left in a scanner.

 

I talked to the shop owner of Heroes today and asked him if anyone has shown up at the shop with the art. He says no one has, but told me that a police report needs to be filed so that he can have "ammunition" to do anything about it if someone does try to sell it off and I agree with him.

 

+1 .. I still don't get it though.. you said you found out the cover was missing when you opened your package. Wouldn't have your friend told you that he lost the cover or it's missing before the package arrived to you?

 

 

[AKA Rick]

I have many times left the last piece scanned/copied on the copy machine and often didn't realize it till days later. I'm thinking thats what probably happened.

 

I would speculate the same, and if found by the next customer or an employee, I doubt if they'd think "cha' ching!" and eyes light up as if it were found treasure and more so, "cute drawing" as they crumple it up and throw it away.

 

I'd have doubts of the piece being stolen as a pointed effort. I could see someone taking it, as it was left behind accidentally but that, to me is the same as if you were walking down the street and found a dollar and picked it up and put it in your pocket... you're not stealing nor a thief, it's a circumstantial opportunity.

 

 

 

 

[kav]

every time I went back they had my artwork in a big box of left behind stuff of which there was always quite a haul. people forget stuff on scanners a lot.

[Mephisto]

I have many times left the last piece scanned/copied on the copy machine and often didn't realize it till days later. I'm thinking thats what probably happened.

 

I would speculate the same, and if found by the next customer or an employee, I doubt if they'd think "cha' ching!" and eyes light up as if it were found treasure and more so, "cute drawing" as they crumple it up and throw it away.

 

 

 

 

 

That was my thought as well if the piece was accidentally left behind. I could see an employee just chucking it at the end of the night not knowing this black and white drawing has an real value.

[kav]

As this is a common thing, they all have a lost and found box

[thehumantorch]

As this is a common thing, they all have a lost and found box

 

Agreed, I'd think it happens often and standard procedure is for staff to toss it in a lost in found box. They may not know something is valuable but they know you cared enough to come in and scan it and you probably want it back.

[kav]

Also, they would not know its value unless they were afficianados-I have left many comic pages on bluline paper and it was always there when I returned.