R.I.P. Conrad Eschenberg (1953-2023) 2 2

[christosgage]

On 3/22/2023 at 2:54 PM, Lee B. said:

Conrad Eschenberg ran lots of ads in the Comic Buyer's Guide and even published one or two art catalogs.  Here are some examples of pieces he offered and his asking prices.  RIP Conrad.

http://comicartads.com/content/godzilla-4-cover

 

I bought that Godzilla cover from him too. Had to sell it seven years later to pay medical bills. Would love to buy it back but I haven't seen a trace of it since.

Back to Conrad though, was he a police officer before dealing in comic art? Or am I thinking of someone else? (I know Joe Jusko was, that may be it.)

[Bronty]

He was a police officer yes.   Its noted in his obit.

[All-Star Squadman]

I too recall Conrad setting up at the small (but for me as collector usually excellent) RVC shows going as far back as at least 1989.   Dealt with him on Comics many  times over the decades and while I did not always agree with him regarding the comics market he always explained the reasons behind his positions.

Here are a couple of art pieces I purchased from Conrad. The Cap 230 page was the both the first Cap and first Sal Buscema page in my collection. At same time I picked up a small handful of other Sal Cap Pages but the 230 was first one I selected.  Back then they were a bit pricey at $125-$175 a page. Man have times changed!

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by All-Star Squadman

[vodou]

On 3/23/2023 at 11:52 AM, All-Star Squadman said:

first Sal Buscema page in my collection. At same time I picked up a small handful of other Sal Cap Pages but the 230 was first one I selected.  Back then they were a bit pricey at $125-$175 a page.

They sure were. A few years before Conrad won a bill lot of Sal, 150 or more pieces -incl covers/splashes from Sotheby’s for around $1200 iirc. That’s what we were overpaying for 3 years later.

The market knew, that stuff sat for years at his prices, even with me picking up 3-5 every Boston con!

[grapeape]

On 3/21/2023 at 6:27 AM, delekkerste said:

I learned only yesterday that Conrad Eschenberg ("Conrad's Comic Art" and "Conrad's Comics-n-Art") passed away on February 14. As he was one of the early major dealers in the comic art hobby, and still in contact with a number of people, I was stunned that almost nobody seems to have heard the news either:

Conrad Eschenberg Obituary

I didn't know him well, but, enjoyed seeing and speaking with him at conventions, especially the early NJ art cons, which he attended despite suffering from Parkinson's disease (which he lived with for well over a decade). While he hasn't been at conventions for a long while now, I was told that he really wanted to somehow make it out to SDCC this year.  I think the last time I spoke with him was on the speakerphone in the car as me and a mutual friend were driving to SDCC, probably around 2017-19.

In any case, I thought people would want to know and maybe share a memory or two here.

R.I.P. Conrad. 

This is one of the "minor" pages I bought from Conrad Iron Man 249 pg.17. I also bought the first three pages of the same comic. Conrad had every type of art collector covered. I no longer own the Doom Renoir art and I don't know of the FF5 pg. whereabouts(It was over my budget, congrats whoever owns it). The ask for the Kirby FF was $7,000 in 1998. This shows the range of art. Conrad also had pre-hero, sci-fi and fantasy art. Just an unbelievebale eye for the best art. I hope as a community we can support Conrad's family if the opportunity should arise. This is a time to be human first. I only posted this art to give folks who don't remember Conrad a taste of his inventory. He was ahead of the curve along with other respected dealers like Mitch.

* I no longer own IM 249 pg.17 I regret but that's life as a collector.

[Lee B.]

Here's Iron Man #249, page 17, from Conrad's 1997 art catalog:

http://comicartads.com/content/iron-man-249-page-17

I don't have an ad from Conrad for the Fantastic Four #5 page, but it sold at a 1993 Christie's auction for $5,175:

http://comicartads.com/content/fantastic-four-5-page-22

[pemart1966]

On 3/23/2023 at 10:54 AM, christosgage said:

I bought that Godzilla cover from him too. Had to sell it seven years later to pay medical bills. Would love to buy it back but I haven't seen a trace of it since.

Back to Conrad though, was he a police officer before dealing in comic art? Or am I thinking of someone else? (I know Joe Jusko was, that may be it.)

I believe that he was a police officer at the same time as he was dealing in comic art.

[pemart1966]

On 3/23/2023 at 2:57 PM, grapeape said:

This is one of the "minor" pages I bought from Conrad Iron Man 249 pg.17. I also bought the first three pages of the same comic. Conrad had every type of art collector covered. I no longer own the Doom Renoir art and I don't know of the FF5 pg. whereabouts(It was over my budget, congrats whoever owns it). The ask for the Kirby FF was $7,000 in 1998. This shows the range of art. Conrad also had pre-hero, sci-fi and fantasy art. Just an unbelievebale eye for the best art. I hope as a community we can support Conrad's family if the opportunity should arise. This is a time to be human first. I only posted this art to give folks who don't remember Conrad a taste of his inventory. He was ahead of the curve along with other respected dealers like Mitch.

* I no longer own IM 249 pg.17 I regret but that's life as a collector.

Didn't Conrad have, at the same time, this page AND the page before or after it?

[grapeape]

On 3/23/2023 at 3:57 PM, pemart1966 said:

Didn't Conrad have, at the same time, this page AND the page before or after it?

I'm pretty sure he did I just couldn't find my catalog. I believe he had the splash where Thing is slumped over on deck of ship with eye patch on and a few others 👍 

I used to stare at his catalogs for hours.

[grapeape]

On 3/23/2023 at 12:27 PM, Lee B. said:

Here's Iron Man #249, page 17, from Conrad's 1997 art catalog:

http://comicartads.com/content/iron-man-249-page-17

I don't have an ad from Conrad for the Fantastic Four #5 page, but it sold at a 1993 Christie's auction for $5,175:

http://comicartads.com/content/fantastic-four-5-page-22

That's exactly what I paid $60 for the page. Also bought 1-3... he had the cover for $350 I think and most of the pages from 249. It was the most well rounded collection of great stuff in one place that I could remember. 

I really missed seeing him at conventions and I rarely make it back to New York. Again I'm praying for Conrad's family. This has to be a difficult time.

 

[Funnyslover]

I knew Conrad well and over the years bought many silver age Kirby and a few Ditko splashes from him. His prices were always somewhat ahead of the market but as the quality was there, I couldn't resist buying. And he did give a discount for multiple purchases. At the December 1997 Christies auction, I was bidding on a Kirby Avengers 1 page against Conrad and I won. Those were the days. I see from my records I bought Avengers 1 pg 12 for 2185; Avengers 2 pg 14 for 2760; Avengers 2 page 16 for 2300 inclusive of taxes and delivery. On a later deal, he wrote "I saw you were serious about the Avengers 1 so I stopped bidding at 1800. You bid 1900 and I let it go. I was willing to go to 2200" He once mentioned that he took out a remortgage when a large amount of Kirby art came on the market. So many memories. A great guy. I miss him.

Edited March 26, 2023 by Funnyslover

[vodou]

On 3/26/2023 at 11:18 AM, Funnyslover said:

He once mentioned that he took out a remortgage when a large amount of Kirby art came on the market.

The way I heard it was that he liquidated his retirement account to take down a large part of the Tony Christoper Collection.

[Bird]

I set up once at a NJ art con. I only sold 2 pages all day, both McFarlane Infinity Inc to Doug from Coimiclink. But the day was well spent sitting there, because I was across the aisle from Conrad. He unfortunately spent most of the show on the floor under the booth in pain, but looking at his display was time well spent. Even if I did only sell two pages, perhaps the only 2 pages I was offering that I should not have sold!!! So I didn't get to talk to him too much, only a bit, but the quality of his booth was stunning to me.

 

[TupennyConan]

Just learned of this news. Happy to see this thread underway. Godspeed, Conrad. 

[NelsonAI]

R.I.P. Conrad

Condolences to all his family and friends.

I always enjoyed catching up with him at shows over the years.  He was one of the first comic book dealers that successfully transitioned into dealing original comic art exclusively.

[heartened]

Conrad was a long time friend and someone I always loved to talk to at the conventions.  As his parkinson's worsened we often spoke about it and the treatments, as he wanted my opinion as a doc as well.  I always appreciated that even though he felt like spoon at the shows, if friends like me come then he would crawl out from under the table where he was often laying in rest to talk to us.  I really appreciated that and because of it we always spoke for a while.   He was a fountain of information that he shared willingly with friends, and was so passionate about kirby and pre-hero art in particular.  He was very tough to do business with for his "cream of the crop" and back in 2004 or so we literally spent a whole day upstate at his place to do a massive cash and trade deal.  Gave up some key pieces but in return I got the FF 5 chapter splash with Doom and all the FF on it and also the first Swamp Thing opening splash from Swamp Thing 1.  He got great stuff too rest assured.  He was quite savvy.  Anyway, very fond memories all around and I'm sorry we lost touch the last 5 years or so, which I assume was due to his declining health.  RIP my friend.  Youwill forever be remembered as part of the most memorable period in my collecting journey.

 

[pemart1966]

On 3/24/2023 at 2:28 PM, grapeape said:

I'm pretty sure he did I just couldn't find my catalog. I believe he had the splash where Thing is slumped over on deck of ship with eye patch on and a few others 👍 

I used to stare at his catalogs for hours.

In looking at FF 5 again, I believe that it was the last page that he had too.

[MisterX1964]

Thanks for sharing this piece of sad news. I spoke to Conrad once back in 2005, and purchased some art from him. He was really helpful and a pleasure to deal with. I know that at the time he owned the splash page from Swamp Thing #5, so I guess he was a big Wrightson fan. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by MisterX1964
added image

[mtlevy1]

Remember Conrad from the days when the hobby was a bit more affordable, he had great art at multiple SDCCs wish I had purchased some!

In late 2007, eventually did a very smooth deal through the phone/mail - an Everett Subby 53 (in my CAF) and a BWS/Brunner Dr Strange Page (not in my CAF) for cash

Everett Sub-Mariner 53 with Sunfire End Page, in Mark Levy's 2. Scarce Teams - '72 Everett Sub-Mariner 50 - 57 Comic Art Gallery Room (comicartfans.com)

The MP4 page isn't in my gallery so posting here...

[Frisco Larson]

I had heard a while back that he passed away. I saw him at pretty much every Chicago comic con from the early 90s up until sometime in the 2000s I guess, when it got too difficult for him to set up. I knew he had a health issue, but I didn't know him well enough (or so I thought) to ever inquire as to what specific problem ailed him. I remember him laying down behind his table the last few times I saw him set up in Chicago, but I think I thought he had a bad back, not knowing he had Parkinsons. I seem to recall buying some Golden Age from him and although I looked at his art and discussed it with him every show I saw him at, unfortunately, I never bought any art from him. I was mostly a comic collector then and just dipped a toe into the art world from time to time. He always had an incredible display of artwork, usually the best at the show. He was always nice to me, even though I only bought a few comics from him over the years. I have one of his catalogs from way back in the day and it always makes me smile to see the inventory he had. RIP Conrad, you'll be remembered fondly by many!