ComicConnect Auction 1 1

[cstojano]

On 3/20/2024 at 7:23 AM, PhilipB2k17 said:

IMHO, I think internal page comic art featuring word balloons is just more aesthetically pleasing to collectors. It frames up nicely on a wall, and you can tell what it is at a glance. A lot of "modern" art, you aren't sure if it's a pinup, commission, or a published page. Also, decompressed storytelling has had an effect on the pages as well. 

While modern collectors know what it is, I'm not sure it has legs beyond the specific nostalgia era of the people who bought the comic. On the other hand, I could easily see some random collector who knows nothing about comics gravitate to a nice 80's panel page featuring a character they are familiar with from pop culture, with word balloons and corny comic book dialogue, regardless of the artist, or storyline. It's an interesting cultural artifact, if nothing else.

With Gimenez Metabarons pages I debate whether its better to have an issue 1 page with empty word balloons or a page from a later issue where the lettering is inked in, but in French

Edited March 20 by cstojano

[Bronty]

On 3/20/2024 at 9:38 AM, Ecclectica said:

For Heck, romance comics effects IMHO. But that's what's precisely made him, maybe, the right penciler for the beginnings of Iron Man : you believed immediately that Tony Stark was a playboy, dating the most gorgeous women of the time.

Yeah maybe.     I see that POV, but on the other hand if the market was 12 year old boys, its not hard to convey gorgeous to them.     Draw a couple balloons on a stick (or whatever passed for that in the 60s) and you're done.

 

 

 

[PhilipB2k17]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:47 AM, cstojano said:

With Gimenez Metabarons pages I debate whether its better to have an issue 1 page with empty word balloons or a page from a later issue where the lettering is inked in, but in French

I think exceptions can probably be made for gorgeous painted artwork, from a display standpoint. 

[vodou]

On 3/19/2024 at 11:04 PM, Nexus said:

There was a great ZOT! cover in this auction, as well.

I've kinda-sorta looked several times and just cannot find it. Link please?

[grapeape]

Human Torch concept drawing by an absolute golden age legend. That's a nice bit of coin for this illustration. Earliest drawing.

 

Edited March 20 by grapeape

[grapeape]

I've been tracking Bagley since 2019. Interior pages went from $1k-2k to these results in 2024. Of course it doesn't hurt that Venom is on both pages  There was a venom splash that went for $40k 😢 

These results give me hope that I can find a few more Bagley pages before they really get up there in value. 

[Nexus]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:16 AM, vodou said:

I've kinda-sorta looked several times and just cannot find it. Link please?

https://www.comicconnect.com/item/1031005?tzf=1

[Ecclectica]

On 3/20/2024 at 6:42 PM, Nexus said:

https://www.comicconnect.com/item/1031005?tzf=1

Gahhhh, I was 2 minutes too late !  (to send the link myself)

Edited March 20 by Ecclectica

[Ecclectica]

On 3/20/2024 at 4:01 PM, Bronty said:

Yeah maybe.     I see that POV, but on the other hand if the market was 12 year old boys, its not hard to convey gorgeous to them.     Draw a couple balloons on a stick (or whatever passed for that in the 60s) and you're done.

 

 

 

I still love Heck's women nowadays so I suppose I must be (secretly) 73 years old.

[grapeape]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:42 AM, Nexus said:

https://www.comicconnect.com/item/1031005?tzf=1

I have a lot of respect for this underground art. I had a relative who used to go to a head shop and buy "supplies" during the seventies ..... 

Not a big fan of that, but I was keen to read through Zot, Freak Brothers, and whatever books he bought from that shop when I was 8-10 years of age. 

I have a keen nostalgic care for this type of art, but the dollars I have stay pointed at Marvel material. I hope the interest and value stay strong in this market. It's a part of our history.

[Ecclectica]

On 3/20/2024 at 6:42 PM, Nexus said:

https://www.comicconnect.com/item/1031005?tzf=1

Read several ZOT! TPBs a long time ago : it was a nice read IMHO.

Edited March 20 by Ecclectica

[Brian Peck]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:18 AM, grapeape said:

Human Torch concept drawing by an absolute golden age legend. That's a nice bit of coin for this illustration. Earliest drawing.

 

I saw it in person at OAX, Cominc Connect had it framed in their booth. I really liked it but knew it would go high.

[KirbyCollector]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:23 AM, PhilipB2k17 said:

decompressed storytelling

That is a hell of a euphemism for "stretch it all out so the buyer gets less for his money per comic"

[Aahz]

On 3/20/2024 at 9:20 AM, PhilipB2k17 said:

The Gilbert Shelton/Freak Bothers-ance is interesting. 

I bought a Freak Brothers page this past year.  Multiple reasons that I wanted one and why this one was the page I wanted.  What I did not expect was how phenomenal the art is in person.  First it's oversize, but the level of detail really makes you stare at it.  

[1classics]

On 3/20/2024 at 7:29 AM, grapeape said:

I've been tracking Bagley since 2019. Interior pages went from $1k-2k to these results in 2024. Of course it doesn't hurt that Venom is on both pages  There was a venom splash that went for $40k 😢 

These results give me hope that I can find a few more Bagley pages before they really get up there in value. 

IMO the 375 was the one to go for. If you collected comics in that era you probably had or still have this book in a long box being the 30th Anniversary gold foil cover, not to mention it's regarded as one of if not thee best spidey vs venom battle issue of that era and has a direct tie into, or I should say leads into Venom Lethal Protector #1. The 375 pages as mentioned in the description for the auction just never come up and are held close to the chest, only 1 has been offered ever on Heritage, which was another panel page, not a splash, sold last year for $36k. This splash you're talking about was from 374, also coveted and part of the same battle, Heritage has only had 2 pages which both sold between $38-40k, one was returned and resold for $32k after frame was removed and found the page was adhered to a foamcore, which caused the page to ripple throughout.

On a side note, those bottom panels feature Anne Weying's first appearance freeing Peter's parents from Venom, she later becomes She-Venom in the comics and the Venom movies, played by Michelle Williams, not sure it adds value but still pretty cool.

The 379 I think was still a good deal and part of Maximum Carnage arc, great images, but more of a dialogue type of page and no battle, which is what collectors seem to gravitate to. Overall, great deals for both IMO, especially the 375.

[jjonahjameson11]

On 3/20/2024 at 3:25 PM, Aahz said:

I bought a Freak Brothers page this past year.  Multiple reasons that I wanted one and why this one was the page I wanted.  What I did not expect was how phenomenal the art is in person.  First it's oversize, but the level of detail really makes you stare at it.  

Brick premium

[jjonahjameson11]

On 3/20/2024 at 3:48 PM, 1classics said:

IMO the 375 was the one to go for. If you collected comics in that era you probably had or still have this book in a long box being the 30th Anniversary gold foil cover, not to mention it's regarded as one of if not thee best spidey vs venom battle issue of that era and has a direct tie into, or I should say leads into Venom Lethal Protector #1. The 375 pages as mentioned in the description for the auction just never come up and are held close to the chest, only 1 has been offered ever on Heritage, which was another panel page, not a splash, sold last year for $36k. This splash you're talking about was from 374, also coveted and part of the same battle, Heritage has only had 2 pages which both sold between $38-40k, one was returned and resold for $32k after frame was removed and found the page was adhered to a foamcore, which caused the page to ripple throughout.

On a side note, those bottom panels feature Anne Weying's first appearance freeing Peter's parents from Venom, she later becomes She-Venom in the comics and the Venom movies, played by Michelle Williams, not sure it adds value but still pretty cool.

The 379 I think was still a good deal and part of Maximum Carnage arc, great images, but more of a dialogue type of page and no battle, which is what collectors seem to gravitate to. Overall, great deals for both IMO, especially the 375.

Agreed!  Pages from 375 are the ones to get from the Bagley run

[1classics]

On 3/20/2024 at 7:18 AM, grapeape said:

Human Torch concept drawing by an absolute golden age legend. That's a nice bit of coin for this illustration. Earliest drawing.

 

All I'll say is I did my best and really thought I was going to win it. Someone set up a very high proxy bid heading into the final 3 minute clock, which began around 18k if I remember correctly? Every time I bid I was immediately outbid until this amount with the bp, the next bid wou;d've put me over $40k, which in retrospect in my eyes was probably worth it being so historic and Torch's earliest known illustration, but I figured to hold more dry powder for other lots. Still pisses me off but congrats to whoever put in their high bid and won it. Just makes you think how high that max bid was haha.

[1classics]

On 3/19/2024 at 9:53 AM, comix4fun said:

Maybe it's Gaiman burnout...after that Heritage where he regaled viewers with tales of years gone by....and fans were emotionally spent. 
Or that there's no Morpheus. Either way. 

 

I was also the underbidder for the Sandman 1 page. Despite not having Morpheus, I thought it was still a "good example" with the death of the capture and the POV at the bottom from Dream, but I couldn't get over the hump and push it into the $20's with the BP. This along with the Torch was another one won with their proxy as every time I bid I was immediately outbid, so again, hard to say what their max was???

Speaking of which, there's some talk here of this auction being soft above, but I didn't see that at all. I thought a few may have slipped, most notably for me was the ASM 375 venom vs spidey page, but everything else I went for went for what I thought was either about right, or way over and I had my handed to me for most of that day, but I went for some of what we'd call higher profile items. I could be wrong, but few mentions above I think are more on the lower to mid tier examples by artists that aren't fairing as well. Overall congrats to Vince & Micah, I thought they had a strong art auction this time around!

[grapeape]

On 3/20/2024 at 12:25 PM, Aahz said:

I bought a Freak Brothers page this past year.  Multiple reasons that I wanted one and why this one was the page I wanted.  What I did not expect was how phenomenal the art is in person.  First it's oversize, but the level of detail really makes you stare at it.  

I've seen them in person also. Agree with you about how much detail is in these pages. Very impressive in person.