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New podcast/video from Felix Comic Art (UPDATED 1/3/17!)
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1 - it was eluded to that the time may be near for a million dollar American OA sale.... which are the best candidates?

 

2 - for those collectors that started pre-internet and had to search for comic art the manner that Glenn discussed, which do you prefer - Today where it is easier to track down pieces, there is a community that is easily accessible to discuss art, and easier to get exposed to new art/artists OR do older/more seasoned collectors prefer the times when art was harder to track down, but cheaper and more challenging (with, presumably, a greater thrill of conquest once a page was found)?

 

I'm suspicious of making market predictions. I have a feeling that's like asking in 2006 how many home runs I think Barry Bonds could hit.

 

You ask a good question about which era I prefer. It's hard to answer, in part because I managed to get a collection together before prices went insane. If I hadn't, this era would frustrate me more than it does. I miss the phone conversations and I miss the revelations of whole books being uncovered. There was a level of urban legend that's gone. What was that store in the South (New Orleans?) that had a complete Kirby Tales of Suspence book in bags on the back wall? What mid-west convention did a Ditko ASM cover show up at? The maps weren't drawn yet; in the corners were a lot of "here be dragons" kinds of legends.

 

Today is the golden age of archives. Think about it: unlike 1995 I can find a good reproduction of pretty much anything, and IDW, Marvel, DC, et al are doing a pretty nice job at making good-looking reprints available of everything. That's handy.

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Another great episode and video. Thanks for bringing this to the hobby.

 

a couple of questions (for board discussion or future podcasts)

 

1 - it was eluded to that the time may be near for a million dollar American OA sale.... which are the best candidates?

 

2 - for those collectors that started pre-internet and had to search for comic art the manner that Glenn discussed, which do you prefer - Today where it is easier to track down pieces, there is a community that is easily accessible to discuss art, and easier to get exposed to new art/artists OR do older/more seasoned collectors prefer the times when art was harder to track down, but cheaper and more challenging (with, presumably, a greater thrill of conquest once a page was found)?

 

1. Nothing specific in mind, or at least, nothing that I know to exist for certain. Obviously, it would be something at least two of the current BSDs would want. We won't know unless/until it happens, but it certainly feels like a seven-figure purchase is within the reach of the tippy-top BSD class. I'll also say that if/when it happens, that the hobby will examine all the ins/outs of the sale even more closely than we would have before, given recent revelations.

 

2. I didn't collect OA pre-Internet, but I was an active collector in other stuff. No question, I much prefer how it's done today, with both convenience and security (PayPal!) making huge leaps. Now, I'm one of those guys who gets obsessed with hobbies and WORKS at them, so collecting OA back then would have been right up my alley...but not all things would be equal, namely my budget. I'm good with how this worked out, even if I discovered OA too late to really score the stuff for pennies on the dollar. There's a very good possibility that if I had been buying OA in the '80s/'90s, that much of it would have gotten sold off in the '00s for real life expenses. Luckily, these days, I don't have to worry about that as much.

 

 

 

 

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I'm good with how this worked out, even if I discovered OA too late to really score the stuff for pennies on the dollar. There's a very good possibility that if I had been buying OA in the '80s/'90s, that much of it would have gotten sold off in the '00s for real life expenses.

Which I think raises a very interesting sub-question for everyone: Is it better to have loved and lost [comic art] than to have never loved at all [by being too late for that which remains hidden in decades old black holes]?

 

Re-stating the question that started this, there is everything that's good about insta-gratification via the technology of the internet and affordable computing, but then there's the bad too. What one can do now, anyone can do all other things being equal. What's not equal is disposable income/wealth. That's what makes it more a money than hard-work game now. Is it really better to regularly see dream pieces bubble up and out of your reach at every auction or not even know where they are?

 

I wondered where my grail was for twenty-five years. It was not "in the hobby". And then it was, and was even offered to me. Alas at a price that I had to choke down. That didn't bother me so much though, except that there was no fun left in the piece for me. It was full market, probably a few years out, and then some. There was no fun in it. So I passed. I think it was better when I still thought it was "out there" and could just randomly pop up at any time for FMV or thereabouts, ya know? The real lesson was: I prefer "fun" to "grail", which was not the original plan, but sure has worked for a long time :)

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I'm good with how this worked out, even if I discovered OA too late to really score the stuff for pennies on the dollar. There's a very good possibility that if I had been buying OA in the '80s/'90s, that much of it would have gotten sold off in the '00s for real life expenses.

Which I think raises a very interesting sub-question for everyone: Is it better to have loved and lost [comic art] than to have never loved at all [by being too late for that which remains hidden in decades old black holes]?

 

Re-stating the question that started this, there is everything that's good about insta-gratification via the technology of the internet and affordable computing, but then there's the bad too. What one can do now, anyone can do all other things being equal. What's not equal is disposable income/wealth. That's what makes it more a money than hard-work game now. Is it really better to regularly see dream pieces bubble up and out of your reach at every auction or not even know where they are?

 

I wondered where my grail was for twenty-five years. It was not "in the hobby". And then it was, and was even offered to me. Alas at a price that I had to choke down. That didn't bother me so much though, except that there was no fun left in the piece for me. It was full market, probably a few years out, and then some. There was no fun in it. So I passed. I think it was better when I still thought it was "out there" and could just randomly pop up at any time for FMV or thereabouts, ya know? The real lesson was: I prefer "fun" to "grail", which was not the original plan, but sure has worked for a long time :)

 

I would say there's a 2nd lever to that as well.

 

Not everyone with the same disposable income has the same quality collection either. It's not just how much money you have, but also where you decide to allocate those resources.

 

I know some people that have within a margin of error a close amount of money to spend on OA as me and they have a vastly superior collection.

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Which I think raises a very interesting sub-question for everyone: Is it better to have loved and lost [comic art] than to have never loved at all [by being too late for that which remains hidden in decades old black holes]?

 

Re-stating the question that started this, there is everything that's good about insta-gratification via the technology of the internet and affordable computing, but then there's the bad too. What one can do now, anyone can do all other things being equal. What's not equal is disposable income/wealth. That's what makes it more a money than hard-work game now. Is it really better to regularly see dream pieces bubble up and out of your reach at every auction or not even know where they are?

 

I wondered where my grail was for twenty-five years. It was not "in the hobby". And then it was, and was even offered to me. Alas at a price that I had to choke down. That didn't bother me so much though, except that there was no fun left in the piece for me. It was full market, probably a few years out, and then some. There was no fun in it. So I passed. I think it was better when I still thought it was "out there" and could just randomly pop up at any time for FMV or thereabouts, ya know? The real lesson was: I prefer "fun" to "grail", which was not the original plan, but sure has worked for a long time :)

 

"Loved and lost" would be brutal. At least for me. I don't think I could get back into it again. Some guys can ("To Ron"), but I really feel for the guys who are trying to rebuild collections that they once had but sold off. That regret would kill the fun for me.

 

I pay up to the best of my ability for the things I REALLY want, FMV or not. I'll still love it, regardless of what I had to pay. That sting wears off; the art is permanent! The goal is to acquire it for the collection. If it goes beyond what I'm able/willing to pay, then c'est la vie. In a perverse way, I'd rather see dream pieces go for way beyond what I can pay. Takes all the potential regret away.

 

 

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I'd rather see dream pieces go for way beyond what I can pay. Takes all the potential regret away.

 

 

I actually feel the same way. I would rather be blown out of the water knowing that I had no chance, rather than find out a few more dollars would have done it (of course the high bidder's max could have still been 10x the winning price..)

 

Malvin

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One of my favorite things in this hobby is when I see friends buy a piece and then they reveal the price, and it's a forehead slapper. "Damn, I wouldda bought it for that too" kind of stuff. I love seeing pieces turn up that I thought were out of my league that as it turns out, aren't. Or never inquired about because I thought it was beyond my resources. This mostly only applies to current art, and not vintage stuff....

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+1 on all the kudos

 

regardless of what I had to pay. That sting wears off; the art is permanent

 

Once, I went to one of those "liquidation" auctions at a hotel. Oriental rugs, furniture, sculpture, paintings, etc. During the bidding for a rug, the auctioneer said something to spur the bidding and has stuck with me ever since... it was something along the lines of "you'll never make a rug but you can always make more money". Once in a while that made me pull the trigger on getting some OA. Sadly, nowadays, I don't have to think of that auctioneer in order to overspend.

 

 

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Our AKIRA video with Steve Oliff is now up!:

 

 

in 1989, veteran colorist Steve Oliff was personally selected by Katsuhiro Otomo to color his seminal manga, AKIRA. This video documents their working relationship, including Otomo's trip to Point Arena, CA to collaborate with Steve on developing the color scheme. We're grateful to Steve for sharing his archival materials, including his personal pictures with Otomo and his family. A must-see for die-hard AKIRA fans!

 

Now the part you've been waiting for: The sale goes live tomorrow, Wednesday February 10th, at 12PM PST. Set your alarms!

 

There will be over 300 vintage hand-painted color guides available, from all six volumes, so there should be plenty for everyone. The guides were printed at Otomo's studio in Japan on 10"X14" heavy-stock artist's paper and then sent to Steve, where he colored them using some combination of airbrush, felt pens, gouache, cel animation paint, colored pencil, Pantone film and more! These are not your typical color guides; each piece presents beautifully as its own work of art and is suitable for framing (although as with all colored art, best to keep out of direct light). Price range is $40-$500.

 

We are excited to present this rare opportunity for fans to own an original piece from this legendary work. See you tomorrow, this will be fun!

 

Felix

www.felixcomicart.com

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+1 on all the kudos

 

regardless of what I had to pay. That sting wears off; the art is permanent

 

Once, I went to one of those "liquidation" auctions at a hotel. Oriental rugs, furniture, sculpture, paintings, etc. During the bidding for a rug, the auctioneer said something to spur the bidding and has stuck with me ever since... it was something along the lines of "you'll never make a rug but you can always make more money". Once in a while that made me pull the trigger on getting some OA. Sadly, nowadays, I don't have to think of that auctioneer in order to overspend.

 

 

"That sting wears off; the art is permanent."

 

That is a GREAT QUOTE describing OA collecting.

 

I've only been collecting since 2004, when I stumbled across OA pages on eBay. I was lucky to score my grail fairly early on in my collecting 'life' -- I think the Dazzler #1 cover was maybe the 4th or 5th piece I ever purchased. I overpaid for it a bit, but who cares? It brings a smile to my face every time I see it on the wall.

 

Best advice I ever received in this hobby from some more experienced collectors was to 'buy what you like.' That way, you'll never regret the purchase. And it's true.

 

It's funny, this hobby has changed greatly even since I began collecting. Prices in the early to mid-00's were still manageable.

 

I remember buying a Pollard Micronauts cover (Vol. 2) on eBay for about $250-$300 back then -- actually, a lot of 80s Marvel covers could be had for not much more than that. My first page was a Dazzler #18 panel page that cost me all of $25. Now, everything seems overpriced. I really feel for new collectors who step into the hobby now. If your tastes run older than the year 2000, you are going to have to commit some major funds just to get the collection started. Even as early as 10 years ago, you could start collecting and find quality stuff that wouldn't bust your bank.

 

I would have liked to have experienced this hobby pre-Internet just for the potential gems that could have been found at conventions. But back then, I was just a comics collector.

 

I grew up in Miami, so we only had 1-2 shows a year. I recall John Byrne attended one year and had some art, but I was 14 or 15 and had zero interest (note: I was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person teenager!). Same in 1990-91, when Jim Lee and todd McFarlane appeared at the same Miami Con. I laughed at the sky high prices for art ($200 for a B&W page?? ridiculous!!!)

 

Anyway, Felix, keep up the great work on the podcasts. They are an absolute delight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This month, I talk to artist Nick Dragotta. Nick is the co-creator of the popular Image title EAST OF WEST. He's also an original art collector. Before we got started, he decided he'd like to flip the -script a bit and talk to me about my collecting and what I do as a rep, so this episode is half me, half Nick:

 

http://felixcomicart.libsyn.com/

 

Nick was feeling camera shy so I also do the show-and-tell video this time. I shift focus away from nostalgia and published art to commissions:

 

 

Very excited about next few months, got some great guys lined up. Stay tuned!

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Finally get to know the man behind the tape recorder. Some sweet commissions. Published art has the biggest draw in terms of collecting and nostalgia but commissions are so personal. There are a few of mine that are very special to me.

Edited by Brian Peck
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Outstanding. Listened to the podcast and then watched the video and it was good from start to finish. The best part was the story about your daughter - bravo Felix, this was my favorite edition so far!

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