CGC Announces New Signature Series Program

[plitch]

Authentication of Sketches and Signatures Debuts With Hero Initiative’s The 3-Minute Sketchbook

 

CGC announced today a new offering in its Signature Series program. CGC will authenticate the original art back board sketches with the CGC Signature Series label. No grades will be assigned, but every piece will be authenticated and encapsulated in CGC tamper evident archival holder. This program will be available first to CGC Authorized Witnesses, and CGC will not be accepting submissions from the general public at this time.

 

"CGC is really excited about offering this program to collectors." Said Steve Borock, President of CGC, "The CGC Signature Series label combined with this amazing collection continues our commitment of protecting the hobby while expanding our offering to meet the desires of collectors."

 

"We fully support CGC’s new program of authenticating back board sketches," said Scott Gramling, Editor-In-Chief of Wizard Magazine. "It can eliminate the sale and distribution of forgeries on the open market. It will enable buyers to know that what they are getting is an authentic piece, which was verified by the best in the business."

 

Hero Initiative’s The 3-Minute Sketchbook

 

The CGC Signature Series sketch certification program debuts with The 3-Minute Sketchbook, the Hero Initiative’s latest benefit project, on August 31, 2007 at a gala event at Secret Headquarters, a combination comic store/art gallery in Los Angeles. Hero’s The 3-Minute Sketchbook features pieces from over 100 artists, and 35 backboard sketches are authenticated and encapsulated by CGC.

 

"The CGC Signature Series is growing in leaps and bounds," said Paul Litch, CGC Senior Grader and Modern Age Specialist. "These are some of the most amazing pieces we’ve seen – the program is going to be spectacular."

 

"CGC has been a great partner and contributor to The Hero Initiative, and we’re very happy and proud to be the inaugural recipient of some of these authenticated sketches," said Hero Initiative President Jim McLauchlin.

 

Artists who are interested in certifying their sketches should contact CGC via 1-877-NM-COMIC (662-6642). The launch date and pricing schedule for this program will be announced when it becomes available.

 

For more on The Hero Initiative, please visit www.HeroInitiative.org.

 

For more on The Secret Headquarters and The 3-Minute Sketchbook event, visit www.thesecretheadquarters.com

[superman20]

sweet, never tough of this, but wow...what a great idea

[g-man]

wow...can OA be far behind?

[Raphael]

very awesome idea! i usually prefer getting sketches on comic boards, but since the blank fallen son covers came out, i was using those.

 

i'm sure there will be haters for these as well. i think the next step is Signature Series photographs

 

any word on pricing?

[Jason Truong]

Only on back boards? I am a 9x12 sketchpad and 8.5x11 sketchbook type of guy.

 

Sadly, I see this increasing the sales of sketches on the open market (eBay). There's a reason why freebie sketch artists have started to charge, and it's because of eBay. Now with the authentication of sketches, I see more going up on there.

 

Sure, it can filter out some of the forgeries, but what's to say that non-CGC authenticated sketches are forgeries.

[AlexH]

Sweeeeet

[armydoc]

For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this. I think that it is eventually going to end the free con sketch. There will be lines of witnesses getting sketches at cons with the sole purpose of flipping them. This is going to turn off artists (IMHO). We can talk about "authentication" all we want. Most of the reason for slabbing is to sell (liquidity). Please don't attack me if you don't agree, just my 2 pennies.

 

This is if this ends up spreading to all sketches, which I'm sure it eventually will.

[Kevin Boyd]

A lot of details on this program are currently being worked out. It has a lot of positives and some potential negatives, but I also recall what people were saying about graded comics when CGC was first announced, and what people were saying about autographed comics when Signature Series was first announced.

 

The first and foremost question being asked now is will the market support this? I think it has some potential (look at the interest these sketch covers are generating), but as a fan and collector of OA, I would find myself more inclined to keep any OA I get and not sell it on eBay.

 

This service also has some benefit to creators and OA reps and we will be encouraging them to test the service out to see if it is beneficial to them as well.

 

 

[armydoc]

A lot of details on this program are currently being worked out. It has a lot of positives and some potential negatives, but I also recall what people were saying about graded comics when CGC was first announced, and what people were saying about autographed comics when Signature Series was first announced.

 

The first and foremost question being asked now is will the market support this? I think it has some potential (look at the interest these sketch covers are generating), but as a fan and collector of OA, I would find myself more inclined to keep any OA I get and not sell it on eBay.

 

This service also has some benefit to creators and OA reps and we will be encouraging them to test the service out to see if it is beneficial to them.

 

 

I think one of the potential negatives (for collectors, not artists and especially not their reps) is the contribution to the rapid inflation in the prices of OA. I know you have to pay to play, but who really benefits from this? None of my other OA is slabbed and there are no doubts as to its authenticity. A sketch or piece of art isn't like a comic book, where the subjectivity or another's opinion of a grade is in question. That is the beauty of CGC to comic books (leveling the field). I don't see this benefiting the collector.

[Kevin Boyd]

I think one of the potential negatives (for collectors, not artists and especially not their reps) is the contribution to the rapid inflation in the prices of OA. I know you have to pay to play, but who really benefits from this? None of my other OA is slabbed and there are no doubts as to its authenticity. A sketch or piece of art isn't like a comic book, where the subjectivity or another's opinion of a grade is in question. That is the beauty of CGC to comic books (leveling the field). I don't see this benefiting the collector.

 

Good questions, and ones I can't easily answer. As an OA collector this isn't something that I was looking for, but as a person that has sold OA I do see this as being somewhat beneficial for helping sell OA.

 

Not everyone can attend a convention and obtain a sketch from a creator, and they turn around and buy these on eBay. On the other hand, a sketch obtained from a creator is usually a PERSONAL exchange between the creator and the fan/collector and I don't really care for the flipping of sketches obtained under the pretext that these are not for resale - I know I don't sell any of these that I get for myself, but I have sold for people that did get tired of sketches obtained and wanted to sell them.

 

However, depending on the cost of the holdering service, I might be interested in getting some of my pieces holdered to protect them and store them in something a little better than a portfolio, but I don't want to get them framed either. This seems like an interesting alternative. Especially if I can record some details about the piece for later reference.

 

BUT I do know some artists that might see this as being an additional revenue stream as some Witnesses will commission sketches from them with the understanding that these are for resale and we will have to see if this does help improve buyer confidence in online OA sales.

[alwaysbronze]

isnt CGC supposed to be a grading company. so where's the grade. this doesnt make sense.

[Kevin Boyd]

Grading of OA isn't really an issue as these are one-of-a-kind pieces. This is a proposed usage of CGC's existing encapsulation process to service a growing segment of our hobby, the OA market, which has really exploded over the last decade. Certainly from my experience at cons, I have seen a pretty big shift towards OA collecting and people are spending more money obtaining original art (sketches and commissions) for their personal collections. CGC sees this as a means to provide a service to these collectors, and is testing the idea to see if there is a need or desire for this service.

 

The recent Captain America sketch cover fever is an excellent example of this being an area of potential growth. Also, look at the interest people have in sketches on covers of Signature Series submissions.

[Jason Truong]

However, depending on the cost of the holdering service, I might be interested in getting some of my pieces holdered to protect them and store them in something a little better than a portfolio, but I don't want to get them framed either. This seems like an interesting alternative. Especially if I can record some details about the piece for later reference.

 

So wait, you can get pieces already done, and have them authenticated? Or, just slabbed?

[Jason Truong]

CGC sees this as a means to provide a service to these collectors, and is testing the idea to see if there is a need or desire for this service.

 

Bigger slabs would help, cause I personally don't like getting sketches/commissions on a backboard.

[Kevin Boyd]

So wait, you can get pieces already done, and have them authenticated? Or, just slabbed?

 

That's one of the details that still has to be worked out, for now, I think the testing will be on new and/or recent pieces obtained by our Witnesses.

[Kevin Boyd]

Bigger slabs would help, cause I personally don't like getting sketches/commissions on a backboard.

 

They do not need to be on a back board, other types of paper are okay. From what I've been told, some of the three-minute sketches are not on back boards. What is crucual is that the art needs to be able to fit into the existing CGC holders, which includes the Magazine holder.

 

I think back boards are being suggested as an ideal size, especially if this service is offered at shows where on-site grading is offered. Larger artwork will have to go in the mag holder, which will have to be done at CGC central.

[alwaysbronze]

isnt CGC supposed to be a grading company. so where's the grade. this doesnt make sense.

 

I should clarify, I was not suggesting there be a grade, I was questioning why CGC is now in the encapsulation/authenticating business when there is no grading involved.

[Raphael]

So wait, you can get pieces already done, and have them authenticated? Or, just slabbed?

 

That's one of the details that still has to be worked out, for now, I think the testing will be on new and/or recent pieces obtained by our Witnesses.

 

if older pieces can be autheticated, i would totally get my sketches encapuslated

[Kevin Boyd]

I should clarify, I was not suggesting there be a grade, I was questioning why CGC is now in the encapsulation/authenticating business when there is no grading involved.

 

Think of it as a natural extension of Signature Series services.

[Jason Truong]

Bigger slabs would help, cause I personally don't like getting sketches/commissions on a backboard.

 

They do not need to be on a back board, other types of paper are okay. From what I've been told, some of the three-minute sketches are not on back boards. What is crucual is that the art needs to be able to fit into the existing CGC holders, which includes the Magazine holder.

 

I think back boards are being suggested as an ideal size, especially if this service is offered at shows where on-site grading is offered. Larger artwork will have to go in the mag holder, which will have to be done at CGC central.

 

How big is the interior of a mag holder?