Is unpublished comic art considered published if it makes an appearance in an art book, etc? 0

[spidey300]

Ever since I discovered a Wrightson Swamp Thing original art page I own made a small cameo in the corner of a book (Twomorrow's Swampmen), I've wondered if it can be considered a published page. It's never been published in any other capacity. I've tried searching for answers but only obvious replies come up (eg. covers, splashes, etc.). What do y'all think?

And just to be clear, I don't ever plan on selling this page. Asking out of curiosity. 

Edited September 1, 2021 by spidey300

[aokartman]

Sure, with an asterisk!  Just keep it together with the book for posterity.  Collectors have a sense of how important being published is to them personally, and will appreciate knowing any publication history, whatever the circumstances.  David

[bluechip]

It is published, whether anybody "considers" it so, or not.  But I agree that "with an asterisk" is appropriate.  And it should be clear if it was created with the intent of publishing and then passed over in favor of another cover, or if it was created as a specialty piece which got published later on.  Both are cool, but the former is coolest, IMV.  

[Rick2you2]

Personally, I only consider something “published”, for valuation purposes, if published as a comic book page or cover (or ad) even if technically published because it is part of a printed work. That type of printing represents the publisher’s determination that the art should be treated as intended for mass distribution, that is, a stamp of approval, even if an unpublished version is technically better. I have the cover of a fanzine that was “published”, but I don’t equate that to the cover of a published comic. With that said, I can see how listing it as published with an asterisk makes sense since it was technically published in a book. 

Edited September 1, 2021 by Rick2you2

[JadeGiant]

The term "published" can be used somewhat loosely in the hobby due to the value of something being published vs not. The how  it was published is the key factor here and should always be disclosed when selling so the buyer can make their own decision on how they value the art. 

[thethedew]

I know I bang on about the 'Lost Voyages' of MICRONAUTS in my collection; apologies for yet another mention.

The entire series of 3 issues is unpublished, with the slight exception of a mention in the FINAL issue of MARVEL VISION.

The full article can be read here.
But here is the first page:
 

[Will_K]

Rule: Posting an image on-line (e.g. in a CGC forum) would not make any art "published".

[All-Star Squadman]

Curious thought about this situation:

House AD in some Comic Books for a given month featuring a new character but the book is never published. Several years later the Character makes their first appearance. 

Is the art used for the earlier published house ad the Characters first appearance from an art perspective?  It did appear in several comics and regardless of  not being in a story it would still be something some readers remember.

 

 

 

 

[Rick2you2]

On 9/3/2021 at 10:31 AM, 35CentEra said:

Curious thought about this situation:

House AD in some Comic Books for a given month featuring a new character but the book is never published. Several years later the Character makes their first appearance. 

Is the art used for the earlier published house ad the Characters first appearance from an art perspective?  It did appear in several comics and regardless of  not being in a story it would still be something some readers remember.

 

 

 

 

Good question. From my perspective, yes, they are a first appearance, but for valuation purposes, I don’t value house ads (or trading cards) as highly as story pages since they are not as likely to trigger nostalgia. So, I don’t know if I would value it as highly as a first story page appearance. On the other hand, I may feel very differently if it were a major character, like Swamp Thing, or even lesser character like Phantom Stranger. That’s aside from the artist, of course, which is a big factor. E.g, house ad by Neil Adams, first story appearance, Bill Draut.

[bluechip]

On 9/2/2021 at 11:51 AM, Will_K said:

Rule: Posting an image on-line (e.g. in a CGC forum) would not make any art "published".

So all those "sexy" pieces on ebay are not "published"?