BCarter27 Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) I expected some nostalgic love for these two, but WHOA- https://www.ebay.com/itm/KEVIN-NOWLAN-STRANGE-TALES-VOL-4-ORIGINAL-COVER-ART-1987-SIGNED/263525853722?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 https://www.ebay.com/itm/KEVIN-NOWLAN-SECRET-ORIGINS-VOL-2-17-ORIGINAL-COVER-ART-1987-SIGNED-/263525862795?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368 Does Nowlan have a cult of fans out there? Just two bidders took the Secret Origins cover into the stratosphere, but there were more people near the top of the Strange Tales cover (as I expected, but not at $4500). Or is this just a continuation of the floor solidifying for Copper covers (as discussed during my shock at the recent Weiss auction, etc.)? Edited March 14, 2018 by BCarter27 Copper craziness... It's not just covers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinkininkin Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) 7 minutes ago, BCarter27 said: I expected some nostalgic love for these two, but WHOA- https://www.ebay.com/itm/KEVIN-NOWLAN-STRANGE-TALES-VOL-4-ORIGINAL-COVER-ART-1987-SIGNED/263525853722?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 https://www.ebay.com/itm/KEVIN-NOWLAN-SECRET-ORIGINS-VOL-2-17-ORIGINAL-COVER-ART-1987-SIGNED-/263525862795?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368 Does Nowlan have a cult of fans out there? Just two bidders took the Secret Origins cover into the stratosphere, but there were more people near the top of the Strange Tales cover (as I expected, but not at $4500). Or is this just a continuation of the floor solidifying for Copper covers (as discussed during my shock at the recent Weiss auction, etc.)? Don't know if I'm in a "cult", but Kevin Nowlan is one of my favorite artist's to have ever drawn comics. He is especially influential and prized by other artist's and is held in incredibly high regard by that group. These prices do not seem stratospheric to me, and the Secret Origins cover was my favorite of these 3 covers, and worth every penny IMHO. Anyone have a clue about why Mignola was selling these? Not really a need to know, just curious. Edited March 6, 2018 by stinkininkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Marino Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I think I've been collecting too long, 4-6k for a 30 year old cover seems downright reasonable. BrianHoward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delekkerste Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Pete Marino said: I think I've been collecting too long, 4-6k for a 30 year old cover seems downright reasonable. I've been collecting for so long that $4-6K has gone from looking expensive, to looking cheap, and now back to looking expensive again to me. That Strange Tales/C&D cover is really cool, though. Edited March 6, 2018 by delekkerste BrianHoward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCarter27 Posted March 6, 2018 Author Share Posted March 6, 2018 25 minutes ago, stinkininkin said: Secret Origins cover was my favorite Interesting... But to me, no background, wonky faces -- but without the more extreme stylings of someone like Mignola to set the piece apart. 27 minutes ago, stinkininkin said: He is especially influential and prized by other artist's and is held in incredibly high regard by that group. An artists' artist, then. I've liked his work, but these seem like superstar prices. So I wasn't sure if the result was due to the artist or the period. Would these have been $2500-3000 covers just 2-3 years ago? Is this part of the bubble we are seeing this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironmandrd Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 To me these prices seem reasonable to a bit low for the Cloak and Dagger. These are 1987 covers by a known artist, even if the characters/titles are not A listers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronty Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) 52 minutes ago, delekkerste said: I've been collecting for so long that $4-6K has gone from looking expensive, to looking cheap, and now back to looking expensive again to me. That Strange Tales/C&D cover is really cool, though. I know what you mean Its a mental transition from doubting the value, to seeing the value and opening the wallet, to having enough that you don't want to spend the cash if you don't have to. Edited March 6, 2018 by Bronty delekkerste 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESeffinga Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 hour ago, stinkininkin said: Anyone have a clue about why Mignola was selling these? Not really a need to know, just curious. It wasn't Mike, if i'm not mistaken he said it was his daughter Katie selling them. He gave them a bit of a bump on his social media I'm sure. If he gave them to her to sell, I'm not aware. Or why, though I'm pretty sure she just graduated college and is about to start Vet school, so maybe she just needed the funds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobrac Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Cool to see stuff like this hit the market. Nice covers and interesting, offbeat characters. I wonder if the winner of the SO cover thought they would end up paying over $6K after dropping a strong bid in the closing moments? Guess so. Win big or go home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhamlau Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I was bidding on the CD cover , for what I thought was pretty heavy. I was not prepared. My 3500 didn't even register. On review though that was me being a little naive and not thinking it through. Covers for Marvel and DC by known artists in the classic era (pencilled, inked, lettered, stats) are special rare things..I can see across the board those floating up still. I mean why would a copper age cover be so significantly cheaper then a bronze age? The art is just as good, they exist in similar numbers, and the people who want to buy them are in their prime earning point of their lives. On every measurable factor they should be very similar price wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panelfan1 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 4 hours ago, zhamlau said: I was bidding on the CD cover , for what I thought was pretty heavy. I was not prepared. My 3500 didn't even register. On review though that was me being a little naive and not thinking it through. Covers for Marvel and DC by known artists in the classic era (pencilled, inked, lettered, stats) are special rare things..I can see across the board those floating up still. I mean why would a copper age cover be so significantly cheaper then a bronze age? The art is just as good, they exist in similar numbers, and the people who want to buy them are in their prime earning point of their lives. On every measurable factor they should be very similar price wise. I came in at 4100. Didnt win either. Sad on one end - happy on the other - as money not spent means more for the next piece of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lago32 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 9 hours ago, ESeffinga said: It wasn't Mike, if i'm not mistaken he said it was his daughter Katie selling them. He gave them a bit of a bump on his social media I'm sure. If he gave them to her to sell, I'm not aware. Or why, though I'm pretty sure she just graduated college and is about to start Vet school, so maybe she just needed the funds? This may explain why she ended the auctions early for the 5 pages she listed a month ago by Nowlan from Outsiders Annual #1.....a move I wasn't overly impressed with. I shouldn't be surprised though as I know of one prominent collector who is hoarding every page he can get his hands on from that issue and who probably made her a strong offer for the lot. Here's to hoping her dad gifted her some Seed of Destruction or Wake The Devil pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCarter27 Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 20 hours ago, zhamlau said: I was bidding on the CD cover , for what I thought was pretty heavy. I was not prepared. My 3500 didn't even register. 15 hours ago, Panelfan1 said: I came in at 4100. Didnt win either. Were you guys bidding because of Nowlan or because you had a nostalgic draw to the covers from that period? (I'm sure the answer is both to some extent, but pick one.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhamlau Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 27 minutes ago, BCarter27 said: Were you guys bidding because of Nowlan or because you had a nostalgic draw to the covers from that period? (I'm sure the answer is both to some extent, but pick one.) Long Answer: Sorta Neither. I have a question when it comes to art: "does it look iconic, does it 'feel' right?" SO many pieces just dont stand out. They fall into the middle somewhere and just 'exist' without being special or bad. Nothing wrong with that, I have a LOT of pages that fall into that realm. But sometimes a piece comes up and you just know its right. This cover was 'right'. The characters positioning, the action, heck even the zipatone...all of it worked. When something does that, I go nuts. Ive owed Nowlan Strange Tales cover art before, I think he is a great, maybe my favorite framed piece on my wall is a DPS he inked from Azrael. This just hit the wheelhouse for me. I was going to pay to have trade craft made up for it and put it on the wall. I just wasn't prepared for other people to actually "see" this piece for how good it was. I thought I was gonna sneak it out...surprise...others picked up on it too. Short Answer: Nostalgic+ BCarter27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panelfan1 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 49 minutes ago, BCarter27 said: Were you guys bidding because of Nowlan or because you had a nostalgic draw to the covers from that period? (I'm sure the answer is both to some extent, but pick one.) Strictly C+D. It was a good rendition. BCarter27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvin Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 hour ago, BCarter27 said: Were you guys bidding because of Nowlan or because you had a nostalgic draw to the covers from that period? (I'm sure the answer is both to some extent, but pick one.) I bid on the Alpha Flight cover, purely out of nostalgia and not Nowlan. Although knowing it was Nowlan and the likely price the cover would go for, my snipe was higher (I would argue beyond what I would normally pay) I was competitive but still about 10-20% off from the final price. Malvin BCarter27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhamlau Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 The only thing I didnt like about the STales cover is that the face was fixed in the published on Cloak. I Liked the published version better than the art, but overall it didnt detract enough to put me off it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCarter27 Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 So for the people here that put bids down, it seems like the era/nostalgia was the primary factor with Nowlan being gravy... All signs pointing to mid-level Copper's floor being solidified as its generation continues to arrive. For me, the two most interesting questions to watch over the next few years will be-- 1. When will mid-level Bronze start softening? Its days are numbered, but what's the number? 2. How many years of growth does mid-level Copper have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dlux Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Ugh! So bummed I missed this one. Was only a few dollars off the top. Should have gone higher. Love his alpha work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otherworldsj331 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 On 3/6/2018 at 12:02 PM, delekkerste said: I've been collecting for so long that $4-6K has gone from looking expensive, to looking cheap, and now back to looking expensive again to me. That Strange Tales/C&D cover is really cool, though. Reminds me of the martial arts philosophy, from white belt to black back to white again to eventually complete the circle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
