How long have YOU been collecting comic art? and how did you get started?

[mrpunch0]

2003? It's all a blur.

 

I'd been out of comics for a while and a friend took me to WWChicago. After a weekend of getting sketches from a few artists, I grabbed a George Pratt Wolverine painting on the way out.

 

It's been downhill ever since.

[jjeanius]

Let's see...I got my first convention sketches as a kid back in '85, and I'm so happy I still have them. Two Ron Frenz Spideys (one in each costume), a John Byrne Superman, and a GI Joe cover prelim my brother got from Larry Hama. I stopped collecting comic books in the early '90s, and just got back into the hobby after the first X-Men movie. At that time, I collected X-Men, then moved on to ASM. Once I completed my ASM run (complete with a CGC 7.0 AF 15), I had grand plans to read them all, but just couldn't get into the early issues. As much fun as they were to look at, I needed another challenge (I've always just been a collector at heart, and the search is most of the fun). I then sold all of my ASM's, and started chasing new trend EC's...got to the point where I only needed 9 more issues, and got frustrated after awhile since I couldn't find 'em...and without any success, it wasn't long before I just gave up. I really loved the EC's, they certainly were a lot of fun to read, and I loved being transported to that time period every time I held one...but they just spent so much time in boxes in my closet...

 

Meanwhile, I bought my first page in Chicago in 2003...a $20 Chen Wolverine page (no Wolverine, I just thought it was a nice looking page), and then at SD 2003 I picked up a few Promethea pages from JH III. That was it for awhile, though I still picked up some con sketches when I could. Early last year I sat down and made a list of artists/titles I would like to get a cover from. First one I got was a James Jean Fables cover, and a friend traded me the cover prelim to my favorite Fables cover...and that was all it took. I was hooked in a big way, and even though I've been a collector my whole life, I don't think I've ever felt such all-consuming desire before. I became totally enamored with James Jean, and as Fables is my favorite book, I also started collecting the interior pages. The rest of the "dream list" was quickly forgotten. I did end up picking up a couple of other pieces from the list (an Ex Machina cover, for example), but just ended up selling it a few months later to fund more Fables/JJ goodness. While I WANTneedneedneed so much Fab/JJ art, it truly amazes me how much absolutely gorgeous art is out there that I love to look at but really have no desire to actually own. I am very thankful for this, as I have very expensive taste when it comes to looking at other people's collections. I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own specialized interests.

 

And it amazes me how competitive this hobby can be...obviously many of us are filled with the same all-consuming desire for the OA. This competition can be healthy, as long as everyone plays nice and gets the chance to "win" every now and again. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to always be the case. I just hope that the nature of the beast doesn't end up turning too many people off in the long run. It worries me that, in the end, the only people left standing will be those with the most money, or those most willing to stab others in the back.

 

OK, sorry for the rant...if you made it this far. :-)

[jjeanius]

Forgot to mention...

 

It's funny, now my focus has TOTALLY shifted. While I still read comics every month, I don't go out of my way to find the nicest copy, or worry about whether it's a 9.6 or a 9.8...I just buy them to read. I don't worry about key issues, or keeping the run complete, or anything like that...I just buy what strikes my fancy at the LCS. And when it comes to back issues, I'm now totally content with reprints.

 

Now, if anything, the comics are just a good source of entertainment...that double as an art catalog. :-)

[Harvey Dude]

Some great pieces Mister Trent.

 

As for me, I started purchasing original art in the early/mid eighties when I bought the Tracy #101 and #108 painted covers. Over the years, I have picked up about 15 pieces - all Harvey material since they are still pretty cheap.

[Mister Trent]

Some great pieces Mister Trent.

 

As for me, I started purchasing original art in the early/mid eighties when I bought the Tracy #101 and #108 painted covers. Over the years, I have picked up about 15 pieces - all Harvey material since they are still pretty cheap.

 

The Harvey comics of the 1960s were my first introduction to American comic-books. Heritage continue to yield stacks and stacks of these under-rated gems, of cartoon originals, at bargain-basement prices. Fill your boots

[adamstrange]

My foray into original was, to me, a natural growth of my interest in comics. Like the comics, like the artists, like the artwork. The first page I remember getting was 3 years after I started collecting comics and it was a splash to a Russ Heath war story. I've been picking up pieces here and there since them but I'm pretty strict in limiting how much I spend on OA as comic collecting remains my core interest.