Sunday, December 21, 2008

Jim Lee Batman original art auction


Batman original comic book artwork by Jim Lee. Bid on this piece Jim created and is now auctioning off for a personal cause. Bid bid bid. :)

Quoted from the auction page:
As my schedule permits, every now and then I try and help out with worthwhile causes whether it's the CBLDF or the Clearview School Fundraiser...this time I am doing something on a smaller scale but for as big and worthy of a cause. Something for a friend of a friend. Someone I have never had the honor of meeting but has a plight which moved me into action.

On November 12th, 2008, a friend of a friend, Portia Cano, passed away after battling bone cancer. Diagnosed back in 2003, she underwent dozens of major surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments before she fell to the disease, leaving behind her husband, Marco, and four children, ages one to ten. Unfortunately over the years their bills mounted, as her health insurance didn't cover all of the treatment.

So every year, Will and Amy, friends of Carla and me put on an informal fundraiser to benefit the Cano Family. This year, I am contributing this piece I drew specifically for the fundraiser. I am giving any art collectors looking for an one of a kind holiday gift to check it out here first. It measures 11x14 and is on 2 ply bristol board and is drawn in ink and whiteout.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Alpha Flight Byrne original comic book art


Here's another nice splash page that sold for a nice amount. Alpha Flight pages from John Byrne must be more hard to find than one thinks. Try looking for one. You just don't see them available very often. At least not really nice ones.

Then check out this eBay auction featuring Alpha Flight 26 page 1 splash with Guardian by Byrne pencils and inks by Wiacek. Sold for $2100.00 (realized price).

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Jim Lee X-Men 3 page 13 for $2850.00


Nice Jim Lee interior page from X-Men 3 (page 13) recently sold on eBay for $2850.00. Nice amount of money given these less than stellar economic times. I'm sure this page would have sold for at least $3500 had this been a year ago, maybe more. The page features Wolverine in a couple panels and a large furry Beast face in the middle panel. All in all, a nice panel page.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Common sense and buying/selling/trading original comic art

Happy Thanksgiving! I'd like to give thanks for the great art that we are all collecting. Hope everyone has a safe and prosperous new year, and everyone gets that grail original comic book art piece they are seeking. ;)

Regards
burton @ 11by17.com

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Many novice collectors over the years have asked me for suggestions to prevent trouble in their dealings. Here's a short list of things I tend to keep in mind (and come to mind as I ramble). If you have other ideas, please add your comments.

1. Know who you are dealing with as best as you can if you are dealing outside of eBay or your "known source". If you are a collector, ask around with your other art contacts or art collecting friends. If buying from another art collector with their own website, has the collector and site been around a while? Do you know anyone that may have owned the piece(s) that the source is now selling?

2. Get as much specifics as you can down in writing if the deal is a trade or involves time payments. What happens if you can no longer complete payment? What happens if you change your mind? From the dealer perspective, we hate flakey people esp when they say one thing and do another (ie. verbally agree to something, then back out). In most cases, a verbal agreement can be binding in a court of law. If you aren't sure, don't agree yet. Other questions... How soon is payment expected? Are there specific dates that payment needs to be sent? Will I get artwork after the last payment is received? etc.

3. Confirm what exactly you are picking up before you start the deal. Is it all original art or are there stats, paste-ons, zipotone, etc which make this less than what you visually expected? Is it a print or truly original hand drawn artwork? Is this the original published piece? With the advent of artists inking over blue-line copied pages or drawings, make sure it is exactly what you are seeking. Also look out for commissioned pieces. Scans don't always tell the whole story so ask about white out, aging of the paper if the art is not current (many times yellow with aging), type of ink or markers (ie. I've seen some 90s artwork that was inked by magic marker, and guess what, black marker ink can fade to brown or reddish brown ink later on), etc.

4. Confirm your shipping terms and method of packing and shipping. Is it gonna be rolled up in a tube when it shouldn't? Will it be shipped flat so the art isn't mashed? Will the artwork be securely bagged before packed, in case your delivery person leaves it out in the rain? What does the shipping cost include?

5. Use common sense. If it's too good to be true, be skeptical too. But at least ask to get details to be sure you are getting what you want. If you don't ask, you'll never know and maybe you'll regret not asking as you miss out on that grail. :)

Most legitimate dealers and collectors can handle the simple and honest questions so fire away. Have fun collecting and enjoy the hobby. The friends you'll meet along the way will be worth it esp when it comes to adding that "last" piece to your collection. ;)


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One more thing. Here's a sad story that I just read and wanted to remind everyone about. Use caution when working out deals, use caution down to the last detail including how you ship your artwork or collectible (valuables). You can't over apply common sense. Read the fine print. I hate hearing about these kind of stories but a lesson can be learned.

Shipping by UPS: In The Wrong Hands
http://cbs5.com/local/UPS.rings.shipping.2.874914.html

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

"Tiggers Don't Like Honey" fetched almost $50k in auction


Great article about a recent high dollar amount original art transaction. He bought it for his wife.


LONDON – Tiggers might not like honey but collectors apparently do.

A sketch by Winnie the Pooh illustrator E.H. Shepard titled "Tiggers Don't Like Honey" fetched 31,200 pounds ($49,770) at auction Tuesday, well above the pre-sale estimate of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds ($24,000 to $32,000).

Bonhams auction house said the drawing, of Pooh dipping his paw into a honey pot while Tigger and Piglet look on, was bought by a private collector in Germany for his wife who had loved the characters as a child.

The large oval pencil drawing is an enlarged version of an illustration that appeared in A.A. Milne's children's classic "The House at Pooh Corner."

A sketch drawn for another of Shepard children's books, the Wind in the Willows, sold for 7,440 pounds ($11,842). The drawing outlines Rat and Mole having a picnic on the riverbank.

The sale also included items from the collection of Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix Potter, including a letter in which the author expressed her dislike of the merchandising of her character.

"There is nothing to be made of 'Peter' commercially," she wrote. "There have been dolls, china slippers, etc. for years — they bring in royalties; but somehow I never care for any of them."

The 1936 letter is addressed to dollmakers Elizabeth and Edith Todhunter, two sisters Potter entrusted to make Mr. McGregor and Peter Rabbit figures.

The Potter collection also included a signed first edition of "The Tailor of Gloucester," which tells the story of a poor tailor, his cat, and the mice that live in his shop. The lot sold for 3,840 pounds ($6,124).

The sale prices include a buyer's premium.

In another auction on Nov. 11, Bonhams will sell an unpublished watercolor illustration by Potter of a female rabbit who wore a pink ribbon around her neck but who did not appear in any of Potter's tales. Also going up for sale then, will be a Christmas card featuring guinea pigs designed by the author and illustrator, the auction house said.

Complete AP article found here.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Jets fans must not be hit by the economic woes

Hope everyone is doing well and surviving some crazy times --stock market chaos, more foreclosures all over, and pending extreme recession for years to come, etc etc. Sorry to remind y'all. I found this article interesting because it seems there still are many optimistic people out there and I'm sure the bad times will pass eventually. If you don't believe me, read on.

Apparently the NY Jets football team will raise at least $40 million dollars from PSLs for their new stadium opening in 2010. They are auctioning off the licenses for some prime location viewing, but that doesn't include the tickets to the games which are suppose to $700/game. The first PSLs sold for more than $65k. How far off can collectible investments be from recreational weekend investments such as this?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27287683/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Big-spending New York Jets fans are sealing their bids for the best seats in the house with a click.

Online bidding went as high as $65,100 per seat through the first two days of the team’s unprecedented auction of 2,000 personal seat licenses. The PSLs are in the Coaches Club — located near the 50-yard line and behind the Jets’ bench — in the new Meadowlands stadium, scheduled to open in 2010.

Fans can specify which seats they want to bid on through the online ticketing Web site StubHub. The public auction, which started Sunday and runs through Oct. 27, marks the first time a U.S. sports team has done so with PSLs.

(more...)

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Fans unite in auction to save Superman's house

Here's a follow-up to the auctions that were running to help save the house where Superman was dreamed up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081001/film_nm/us_media_superman

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Superman's home planet Krypton was destroyed, but his house on Earth will live on thanks to loyal fans and an online auction that raised $100,000 to restore the rotting home where the Man of Steel was created.

Everything from original artwork to a role on the hit television show "Heroes" was sold in the month-long auction, which ended on Tuesday, to save the dilapidated Cleveland, Ohio, house where Superman was dreamed up by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster more than 70 years ago.

"This was easily the most humbling spectacular project I've ever been part of, and showed just how much people care about this character and why today Superman still matters," said novelist Brad Meltzer, who organized the auction.

Meltzer said $101,744 was raised in the month-long sale of art, memorabilia and other donated goods, more than double the $50,000 goal. The extra money will allow organizers to fix up not just the outside but also the inside of the Cleveland house where an elderly couple now live.

Meltzer, who discovered the deteriorating house while researching a novel, said at first he wasn't sure people would care about restoring the red-and-blue house where the superhero who wears the red-and-blue suit was dreamed up in 1932.

But the response has been overwhelming.

"The house where Google was created is saved. The farm where Hewlett-Packard was founded is preserved. We protected the house where Dr. Seuss lived, where Elvis lived," noted Meltzer. "So the idea that Superman's house was just rotting away struck everyone as inherently wrong."

Meltzer, who offered the naming rights to a character in his next novel as part of the auction, takes no credit for saving the home, saying loyal fans of the comic book hero came to Superman's rescue.

"We're all Clark Kent. We all know what it is like to be boring and ordinary and we all want to be able to rip open our shirt and do something beyond ourselves. That's what happened here. Ordinary people made a difference."

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Fundraiser for Siegel and Shuster Society


Here is some great artwork for sale, and it's all for a great cause.

Join "Ordinary People Change The World" and
bid on one-of-a-kind items donated by famous authors and artists to help repair and restore the house where Jerry Siegel first created Superman. 100% of the proceeds go to the Siegel & Shuster Society.

Auction includes items from:


and more.

Couple of notable items that standout to me include the Charest Superman piece, getting Jim Lee to draw you and Supes, Alex Ross original, as well as a Heroes walk on role.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

$4650 - Dale Keown Hero Initiative Hulk 1 sketch cover!!


Here's an awesome cover sketch on the Marvel Comics/Hero Initiative Hulk # 1 by Hulk supreme-artist Dale Keown. Pencil and ink plus grayscale pencil in super detail. This might be the best Hero Initiative Hulk art cover too!! You can see the glare off the Hulk's eyes... Love the way DK did Hulk's hair. There aren't many artist that have such a dynamic and unique vision of the Hulk. I can only name a few artists whose style on the Hulk really blows me away --Keown, McFarlane (pencil and inked!), Ditko, Kirby, Sal Buscema, Jeff Purves, Mike Deodato, John Byrne and Bruce Timm.

[ Speaking of which, if you have any Jeff Purves Hulk pages for sale or trade, email me!! ]

This cover "sketch" is a fine example of Dale's work and this piece would be great in anyone's collection, whether you are a fan of his art, or just collecting comics. Plus as a bonus, this piece could be sent off to the folks at CGC for authentication registration with the price of purchase.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Vintage Classic X-Men #2 cover by Arthur Adams


Here's a nice cover that will no doubt sell for a high price. It is the cover to Classic X-Men #2 by Arthur Adams, from 1986. Many days to go but definitely an auction worth watching closely and bidding!! :)

This one has a pretty nice team shot too.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Dark Knight by Whilce Portacio!


There are 2 sweet Whilce Portacio Batman pieces on eBay and ending soon. Some details.. The one ending first is inked and might be more "finished", the other sketch is tight penciled and I'd say is equally nice too. Whilce is still pumping out some cool stuff!

NOTE: One more Whilce Batman sketch showed up on eBay but it's a really nice one!!

Whilce Portacio original art hasn't really really taken off yet, in popularity nor prices. I can imagine that once people figure out that his early work on Punisher, X-Factor and Uncanny X-Men was actually very very good and solid, things will change. And let's not forget this body of work was done around the same time that Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, and the other "Image" artists came into their prime in the late 80s, early 90s. Maybe Whilce's work got lost behind their great work. His Image Comics Wetworks book was solid too. And don't forget Whilce also did some great work as an inker on a variety of titles including Alpha Flight and Longshot (over Arthur Adams), before getting his own book. His run on Heroes Reborn Ironman is very underrated.

If you have any of his early Punisher, X-Factor, or Uncanny X-Men original art for sale or trade, shoot me an email please!! Always interested in 70s, 80s and early 90s original art.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Liefeld New Mutants original art fans rejoice?


Let's talk Rob Liefeld.

Don't hate on the guy. No I'm not defending the guy. But he has got to be the most hated early 90s artist that I know of. I swear I think people love to hate the guy and his "art". I'm not sure where I stand with his stuff either, quite honestly. I mean, there are times when I look at some of his earlier work, especially his run on New Mutants 87 through 100 & X-Factor 1, and remember those days when I did actually pick up an issue or two to follow the story, characters and art. Then... I remember why I don't have any of his art in my collection now... when I look at the out of proportion human anatomy, the strange page layouts (ahead of his time?), and the strange looking "women" he draws. How many freakin muscle bulges can an arm have anyways? I'm not a doctor but damn I didn't know an arm could do that.

But to me, Liefeld will be best remembered as the guy who first drew Cable (who is a proportionally challenged character anyways), and the fact he had a Levi's commercial back when it was hip. Let's not forget Youngblood did sell many issues too. Someone bought them. And dude is still selling comics today.

Art is subjective. The reason I want to "talk" Rob Liefeld was that there was an interesting auction that ended today. It was a recreation to his New Mutants 87 cover by Rob Liefeld. And when you look at the cover, this is very representative of those early 90s. It is to me. His art style when he worked on New Mutants 87 was strong with period details including cross-hatching goodness and such. That was a good time to be collecting comics if you were a kid back then. But what intrigues me about the piece specifically though, was that someone asked him to specifically trace the cover because they liked his art the way it was back then. Apparently there were at least a dozen other people (bids) who also liked it and the auction realized over $500.00. Say what? Yes $510.00 for a Rob Liefeld cover recreation! I thought his art sucked. So my question is, did it get as much as it did due to the art or was it due to the significance of the issue/time period? Is this a good sign for Rob Liefeld original comic book art fans to get their cash ready?

Open the door already. Could there be a revitalization on his earlier style/art that put him on the comic book map? Maybe it was "only" a $500.00 auction, but I know that the interior art from X-Force 1 changed hands earlier this year and I can imagine the transaction was not cheap. Plus I'm pretty sure there will be a price jump on his art should any more of his stuff becomes available, especially pages/covers/art that hadn't been on the market previously. Like representative pieces. Nice ones. Those closet Liefeld fans are already wondering where is all his art and who is hording it all --New Mutants, X-Force, and didn't he do an issue (cover) of Uncanny X-Men long ago? I would think there is potential to make some money by setting the market price for his art. That seems inevitable.

In the meantime, if you have a representative Liefeld New Mutants cover or splash for sale/trade, shoot me an email. I might be interested. ;)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

X-Men move to San Francisco


Always get a kick out of reading the local newspaper and finding a comic book related story. With the X-Men moving out of their digs in Westchester County, NY, I guess they've found a new home in the City by the Bay. There goes the neighborhood. ;)




Link to SFGate.com article

X-Men go west, to San Francisco

If you pay attention to the national news, it's been the world against San Francisco lately. If we aren't getting hammered for the city's activism in the gay marriage debate, our role as a "sanctuary city" routinely causes controversy.

But San Francisco just got some pretty big (albeit fictional) allies in its progressive fight for equality: The X-Men have moved to the Bay Area.

This isn't a small deal in the world of comic books. The X-Men, who settled in the Bay Area in the just-released 500th issue of the Uncanny X-Men, are arguably the most popular and recognizable superhero team in comic book history. And they've spent most of their 40-year existence based out of a mansion in Westchester County, N.Y.

But it should be no surprise. The trials of the X-Men, who discover at puberty that they are mutants, and are often forced to hide their true identities out of shame, have a lot in common with left-leaning causes, most notably the gay rights movement. In the comics, the X-Men have had gay and bisexual team members and associates, and their numbers were once decimated by a virus that had strong similarities to the AIDS epidemic.

Marvel Comics Executive Editor Axel Alonso says the city will be more than just a backdrop for the comic.

"The X-Men moving to San Francisco isn't just a physical move, it's a spiritual move. I love San Francisco and we want to see it really represented," says the city native during an interview last week at Isotope Comics in Hayes Valley. "Anyone who looks at the X-Men, the analogy is right there: If you're different in any way due to race or sexual orientation or just being nerdy, there's an X-Men character for you. They're about being different and finding strength in that weakened position."

Action movie fans will note that the X-Men and their nemeses have already been to San Francisco, destroying the Golden Gate Bridge and much of Alcatraz in the 2006 film "X-Men: The Last Stand." But for that sequel, the filmmakers didn't do any meaningful filming in the Bay Area. The movie was shot in Vancouver, and visual effects were used to add a few landmarks to the background.

The comic has much more of an insider's vibe. Marvel Comics artists will be visiting San Francisco frequently to get a feel for the fashion, architecture and even the way residents walk and talk. There are no cable cars in the first issue, but the artists did include a KRON TV news truck and a panel where the iconic mutant Wolverine walks through Noe Valley. The heroes make their base in the concrete bunkers beneath the Marin Headlands and join the protest of a controversial art installation at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Perhaps most significant, they seem to appreciate San Francisco's much publicized (and recently criticized) role as a sanctuary city.

"San Francisco is now a mutant sanctuary," X-Men group leader Cyclops proclaims, near the end of Issue 500. "Any of you - and your family or loved ones - are invited to join us here, and know safety and protection our kind has never known."

Of course, this being a comic book featuring a guy who looks like a giant blue cat, there are a few moments of pure fantasy. While the leader of San Francisco in both worlds is a young attractive politician with great hair who seems more than a bit starstruck, in the comics, the mayor is a woman not named Gavin Newsom. And the X-Men somehow establish their enormous base without a historical society protest or a single tree-sitter in sight - although, to be fair, they do set up a hippie-friendly hydrokinetic power plant, presumably using tidal power from the ocean.

"We believe that homo sapiens superior represent the future, so we better start living like it," says X-Men member Beast, sounding as if he's about to run for governor. "Soon the X-center won't just be green, it'll be positively viridian."

Whether the X-Men will settle here for the next four decades isn't known, although Alonso says the story arc is mapped out for at least a year. Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada says the length of their stay has a lot to do with reader reaction.

"Temporary or permanent is a weird thing in the world of comics," Quesada says. "As far as we're playing it right now, we just got to San Francisco. We're not planning to leave any time soon."

X-Men and the sanctuary city

Parallels between the X-Men and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement have been so strong that some real-life conservative groups have denounced the comics and movies for being pro-gay rights. Here are a few themes from the X-Men comics:

-- The X-Men don't discover their super powers until puberty. They often try to hide their differences until finding others like themselves.

-- The mutants suffered (mostly in 1990s comics) from the Legacy Virus, which wasn't understood at first and killed many mutants before treatment was found.

-- Anti-mutant slurs are frequently heard in the Marvel Universe. ("Mutie" is a common one.)

-- Efforts have been made to "cure" mutants by changing them back into nonpowered humans.

-- One of the biggest struggles for the X-Men is a political: establishing rights for mutants that are equal to humans without powers.

- Peter Hartlaub

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

9 Kirby auctions!! X-Men 1 pages!!


I count 9 Jack Kirby auctions on eBay this week!! Time to get out the wallet and get ready to spend some money.. Current prices but expect that to change as it gets closer to when these auctions end.


41460: Jack Kirby X-Men #1, page 10 Original Art $5,500.00-
41461: Jack Kirby - X-Men #1, page 11 Original Art $11,000.00-
41454: Jack Kirby Mister Miracle #17 Pg 15 Original Art $180.00-
41449: Jack Kirby Fantastic Four #90 Original Art $3,500.00-
41455: Jack Kirby Mister Miracle #17 Pg 20 Original Art $240.00-
41456: Jack Kirby Mister Miracle #17 Pg 17 Original Art $300.00-
41442: Jack Kirby Fantastic Four #21 Page Original Art $600.00-
41443: Jack Kirby Fantastic Four #28 Original Art X-Men $2,600.00-
41444: Jack Kirby Fantastic Four #37 Original Art Page $2,200.00-






Avengers 99 page 28


The last page of Avengers 99, page 28, by Barry Windsor-Smith with inks by Tom Sutton sold today for more than $4000.00. I wasn't expecting that high of a price, but then again, how often do BWS pages and art come up on the market? Actually a pretty nice interior panel page with most of the Avengers, including Thor.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Avengers 52 cover by John Buscema


And yet more great art can be found on eBay this week. This time, it is the cover to the Avengers 52 by John Buscema.

For sake of historical tracking, :) I'll update this post when the auction ends with realized price. Put in a bid now while it's still low.

UPDATE: More than $16,000.00

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Hero Initiative Hulk 1 original art covers


Yeah!! The folks at Hero Initiative are at it again. Last year, they had an amazing run of Hero Initiative Ultimate Spider-Man 100 covers auctioned off on eBay. This year, they are doing Hulk #1 sketch covers. And wow are they ever. They've got some SUPER nice pieces up for auction already including some gems from Dave Simons, John Cassaday, Guillermo Del Torro, Paul Renaud, Dean Yeagle, John Romita SR, Jay Lynch, Brian Denham, Marat Mychaels, Bob Wiacek, and more to be announced/ posted soon.

Keep this link handy as it it to the HeroInitiative eBay store. and they will be updating this store with new covers regularly.

Shown here is the John Cassaday Hulk #1 cover. I'd love to see a Todd McFarlane, Jeff Purves, or maybe a Dale Keown version. Drool drool... Bid bid... :)...

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Avengers 1 page 30 !!


Whoa, wasn't expecting another Avengers 1 page, and both auctions are running in the same week. Here we go.. Avengers 1 page 30, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Stan Lee, 'Nuff said. This page features Ironman, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Loki too! This is the page where the Avengers get their name!!

I'll update this auction after it closes. Looks like a steal right now, at "only" $9,999.00 (reserve not met), almost 10 days to go.

UPDATE: $23,100.00 but reserve not met.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Daredevil 4 page 1


Super rare stuff coming out of eBay this week, and from the same seller to boot! First Avengers 1 page 1, now Daredevil 4 page 1 by Joe Orlando and Vince Colletta, with story by Stan Lee. Currently at $12,300.00 and rising. 4 days to go.

Also gotta love the guy standing behind DD, with his fist clenched and looks like he's ready to sucker punch him. Lock and load. heh.. :)

I'll update this auction when it closes. Anyone wanna guess the approx final price before it ends?

Update: $12,701.00

Avengers 1 page 1 - wow!


You gotta check this out. Avengers 1 page 1 by Jack Kirby from 1963. Rare rare rare. Check out the auction for more details. I'll update this post with the final realized price, but it's currently at $49,500.00 with 4 days to go.

Update: Seller ending due to error in listing, but why do I get the feeling this auction sold off-line.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Charles Schulz Snoopy Peanuts original strip art


This just ended today. Here's a rare and really nice Charles Schultz Peanuts original strip art that sold off eBay for $23,100.00. Features Snoopy playing golf in all 4 frames of the panel. Really clean original art and doesn't seem to have authenticity problems either.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

New York Times article on Collecting Original Comic Book Art


Taken from June 30, 2008, New York Times article, "From Trash to Auction, Faster Than a Speeding.. Well You Know".


Comic-book collectors like their numbers. They know that the first issue of X-Men, which introduced Marvel’s mutant superheroes, was published in 1963 and had a cover price of 12 cents. They also know that today a copy of that issue, in near mint condition, is worth $16,500. (Parents, take note.)

And while the market for back issues is well established, more and more collectors are turning their attention to the hand-drawn covers and interior pages that make up a comic book. This original art has become the focus of auctions with sales in the five and six figures. It’s a surprising turn of events for work that in the early days of the industry, was considered so unimportant that it was used to sop up ink or spilled coffee, given away to fans or even destroyed outright.

The art eventually stopped being discarded, and in the 1970s it generally became policy to return the covers and pages to the artists, many of whom began selling it to fans and collectors, who are hungry for it. Last month the cover of Weird Science No. 16, from 1952, drawn by Wally Wood, sold for $200,000. In February an inside black-and-white page from the 1963 X-Men No. 1, by the influential Jack Kirby, sold for $33,460. Late last year two color paintings by Alex Ross, used as covers for a recent Justice League story, were sold by his art dealer for $45,000 and $50,000. In 2005 an auction for the black-and-white cover of Batman No. 11, from 1942, by Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson, closed at $195,500. (read more)

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Read the rest of this New York Times article here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/arts/design/30comi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Rest In Peace, Michael Turner

When I first heard the news, I was blown away. I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of such a great artist and person, at such a young age.

http://www.aspencomics.com/community/forum_posts.asp?TID=11978&PN=1&FID=25&PR=3

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Monet painting sells for $80.5 million

So much for a recession. The art market is strong.

Olivier Camu, head of impressionist and modern art at Christie's in London, said the sale "illustrates the continuing strength and confidence of the art market."

---------

Reuters.

LONDON - A Monet water-lily painting sold for $80.5 million on Tuesday, doubling the previous auction record for the artist and ensuring London's key art market season got off to a flying start.

"Le Bassin aux Nympheas" had been expected to fetch $35.4 million to $47.3 million, but after an intense bidding battle it smashed the previous Monet auction record of $41.5 million set in May.

It was part of the evening sale of impressionist and modern art at Christie's which raised $284 million, the highest total for an auction in Europe. All figures include buyers' premiums.

Olivier Camu, head of impressionist and modern art at Christie's in London, said the sale "illustrates the continuing strength and confidence of the art market."

Some experts have predicted a correction or even collapse in values due to deepening economic gloom caused by falling stocks, rising oil prices and the mortgage meltdown.

Christie's, its main rival Sotheby's and other London auction houses hold a series of sales of modern and contemporary art over the next 10 days during which works worth more than $1 billion will go under the hammer.

Elsewhere in the evening sale, a pastel picture by Degas sold for 13.5 million pounds, well above its pre-sale estimate of around 5 million and the second highest price paid for the artist at auction.

Rich Russians
Looking ahead, Christie's holds its main post-war and contemporary art sale on Monday featuring "Naked Portrait With Reflection" by British artist Lucian Freud, which is expected to fetch $19.7 million to $29.5 million.

The 85-year-old artist shattered the world auction record for a living artist in May when "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" sold for $33.6 million in New York.

Media reports said the buyer of the Freud was Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, underlining his country's growing importance in the art market along with the Middle East and Asia.

The owner of Chelsea Football Club was also reported to have bought Francis Bacon's "Triptych, 1976" for $86 million, another auction record, this time for post-war art.

On Monday Christie's expects Bacon's "Three Studies for Self-Portrait" to sell for more than $19.7 million, and a Jeff Koons sculpture called "Balloon Flower (Magenta)" to make about $23.6 million.

Overall the auction house is selling art estimated to be worth up to $591.2 million.

Sotheby's is offering more than $394.1 million worth of art, including two more Bacons — "Figure Turning," estimated at $19.7 million to $29.5 million and "Study For Head of George Dyer" ($15.7 million).

At the same auction next Tuesday, the company is offering a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting owned by Irish rock group U2 and estimated at $7.8 million to $11.8 million.

To coincide with the Wimbledon tennis championship, former champion John McEnroe is selling an Andy Warhol of him and his former wife Tatum O'Neal to raise funds for charity. It is expected to fetch $492,000 to $690,000.

Copyright 2008 Reuters.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Byrne Austin Uncanny X-Men 132 page 12


Byrne Austin Uncanny X-Men 132 page 12. I can imagine this one will get at least 3-5k with current valuation of Byrne Austin Uncanny X-Men art. Nice Storm splash in the center panel to boot. :)

Is it just me, or does it seem like there have been many many high ticket items on ebay the past year+ ? With the San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner, maybe this is a sign of the quality of this year's show. I can only imagine the number of gems that will become uncovered there.

If anyone is seeking any other Byrne Austin Uncanny X-Men artwork, I'm aware of a couple other pages that were offered to me from other collectors last month. Lemme know if you might be interested and I can put you in touch with them.

NOTE Image recreated from auction details.

FOLLOW-UP $5,600 and reserve not met.

Kirby Captain America 105 page 15


More Jack Kirby original art with inks by Dan Adkins, from 1968, Captain America 105 page 15. If you are looking for Kirby Captain America, this might be the one to get. Capt in all seven panels. I can't remember the last Kirby Captain America page on eBay. I've seen many Kirby FF, esp earlier this year. See my other postings for more valuation on those Kirby FF pages.

UPDATE: Sold for $5,122.05

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Kirby Sinnott FF 61 page 19


Kirby/Sinnott Fantastic Four 61 page 19. Twice up. Nuff said.

Mr Fantastic and Human Torch taking on Sandman in this early FF page.

Currently at $17,877.00 with 2 hours to go. I'll update this one after it closes.

UPDATE: Reserve not met.

Hulk abducted. Hulk will smash.

[AP Associated Press.]
LOWELL, Mass. - Missing: an eight-foot-tall green man wearing ripped purple pants and missing his feet.

Police in Lowell, Mass., say a promotional statue for the movie "The Incredible Hulk" disappeared from its spot in front of a local theater this week.

Police Captain James McPadden said the statue is probably in some kid's bedroom. But he thinks more than one person was involved and that a car or pickup truck was needed to whisk it away.

The statue is missing its feet because it was bolted to a platform and whoever took it snapped it off at the ankles.

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Hulk promo statue photo courtesy of Slash Film

Byrne Avengers 165 original art


Byrne Avengers pages are slowly coming out of the closet and selling at 5-6k+ prices. These early gems hardly ever show up and when they do, they will command these high prices since many collectors are dearly seeking a piece for their own collection. Could it be that Byrne/Austin Uncanny X-Men original art has slowly made it's way around to all the "hard-core" collectors seeking pages from that run? Has this artificially created demand for his other early work that isn't as well publicized and not as well known?

Here are 3 auctions I'm aware of that ended recently:

Avengers 165 page 1 (Listed at $24,500.00)
Avengers 165 page 23 (Realized $6,050.00)
Avengers 165 page 27 (Realized $5,900.57)

Reportedly, an unknown page from this issue sold in the range of $7250.00 earlier past year.

If you are already thinking like I'm thinking, here is a checklist of Byrne artwork from the Byrne Robotics website (Official John Byrne site)

Romita Sr Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man 15 cover


If anyone blinked, this 1977 Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man 15 original cover artwork by John Romita Sr auction ended this morning at $7050.00

Really nice large Spiderman image on hard to find early Romita Sr cover. Might not be from ASM, but still great great cover artwork for a nice price.

As noted in the auction, the published cover had a mask statted to Flash's face/head, and another body statted in the background amongst the rubble. Nevertheless, can't beat the original vision as shown in the original art without those 2 stats.

If you have any 70s-80s Romita Sr Amazing Spiderman (ASM) or Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man original art for sale, please contact me.