The Official November Heritage Auction Thread 2 2

[BuraddoRun]

21 hours ago, Pete Marino said:

holy cow, this may blow past a lot of Comic Art hammers:

@Bronty ballpark?

https://comics.ha.com/itm/miscellaneous//p/7236-156001.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515

20 hours ago, exitmusicblue said:

Whoa whoa, demonic tutor...

Heh. I just posted about this artist not too long ago: Douglas Shuler. He's a nice guy. I got a commission (2.5" X 3.5" oil painting on a Magic artist proof card) from him.

 

6 hours ago, ESeffinga said:

That’s really all I wanted to know. The significance. There had to be something to it, or it wouldn’t be what it is.

Like very early comic and D&D art, before someone realized that comics/games had real worth and started putting trained artists to work on it. Most of the art at the beginning is hot garbage, but there are many people willing to spend crazy $ on straight up amateur drawings if they have enough fond memories of the product it was used for, creating that supply/demand spark. Historic value.

I’m learning. It’s not for me, but it’s certainly fascinating to see.

On some level it’s like the commercial art version of Piero Manzoni. Someone had to be first. And the work sells, so...

Although I dunno that many are nostalgic for Manzoni? Maybe Gene? 
 

I think there's more to it for some, especially with Magic. Kinda like someone eventually falling in love with someone they initially weren't attracted to, and then they they did become attractive to them. Demonic Tutor is a staple in Magic to this day. There are lots of players who pulled out wins due to this card, so many who may not have liked the art genuinely do enjoy looking at it now, even enough to call it "beautiful" (for an ugly demon, you know LOL). I was never fond of this particular piece, but I do carry a fondness for the artist's work in general, and it's a combination of it being there from the beginning, some of it looking nice to me, and some of his cards being favorites of mine and in many of my old decks. Nostalgia + grown fondness + actual admiration (in some cases).

6 hours ago, Bronty said:

well.   That early, crude art is a mix.   Some of it is terrific, some of it is unspeakable.   But to add on to the point you made about the mix of artists changing, that's not always for the better.   By today you have this homogenous mass of corporate krap where everything looks the same and ZERO risks are taken.   The "Legends" set was the sweet spot for me in terms of the technical ability bar having been raised while still having that early artistic freedom.

But, all of it is too small (the originals for the early sets are 5x7 inches) for me to want to spend too much on the originals.   Not enough presence for me, and that's why I sold the pieces I did have years ago, although I can see why some people wouldn't care.

From the original Magic artists, Anson Maddocks was my favorite. I have an original piece of his as well on a card-size (3.5" X 2.5") Living Artifact artist proof. I didn't commission this one. I just bought it from him. But yeah, Magic art today has less freedom than it used to, but a lot of the art is still very nice.

 

[ESeffinga]

8 hours ago, vodou said:

I see it as simply: time to find the next great garage band.

To be fair to Bronty, I think that is probably the crux of what he is talking about. I really don’t know much about Magic, other than friends and some coworkers being into it for ages. Me calling it cardboard crack, and laughing as they would take runs from

work on their lunch break every week to hit one of the shops in the area to buy booster packs, etc. And I loved looking at the cards, for the art. Hahaha. I was like the proverbial guy who liked reading Playboy for the articles. Hahaha. And I was seeing some familiar names from the comic art world in there, which filed my interest in seeing the cards. George Pratt did some. Jon Muth did some. R.K. Post did a few. Doug Gregory Alexander did one of my Deadman commissions for me way back when. Etc. So it was interesting for me to see those cards at that point and time. 
 

I think what Bronty is saying at least as far as Magic goes, that art has homogenized. And there is something to be said for that. Using the music analogy again, It’s not unlike the punk rock DIY era of bands just going for it. And once there is money in the thing and the super pro musicians show up, and there is middle management and investors and mess, the bands get too polished. It’s all too same/same corporate and that raw energy is lost. Less risks taken. Etc. 

I was coming at it from a comic standpoint, but just to educate myself, I’ve dug in just a little and looked at some of the more recent Magic card art offerings, and there really isn’t a huge swing in style or quality there anymore. Everyone is super good at their jobs, the art is printed so small, that seeing the character that may or may not be inherent in the originals is difficult in that art reduction has a tendency to tighten things up and make them look more polished and highly rendered. This robbing the pieces of some of that energy character and spirit. Plus it’s hard to be a snarling upstart, when your work is so technically advanced.

He can correct me if I misunderstood. Like I said, trying to learn.
 

Looking through the sea of fantasy art in 2020, I can certainly see where one would yearn for a level of that more “pure” innocence from an early work. Not unlike that of a child’s drawing exuding 1000% more joy and raw expression in the act of drawing than 100 pro works can ever provide. Magic has a name to protect, and they are less inclined to bring in someone as graphically different to what has become their house style like Jeffery Allen Love would be, when they have so many people painting (especially digitally) in such a polished similar vein.

In some respects it seems a bit like the tiger eating its own tail. Or the stylistic copy of a copy of a copy that so often happens in art. The thing has consumed itself, with everyone looking at the art that is published and tailoring and refining their style to fit into what has become that editorial mold. So less like pulling art from someone like George Pratt (I remember his card art having a wonderful rougher primitive quality to them), and more leaning to someone like Doug Gregory, who always had a level of polish to his work. The content and stylization of which was always cool. But if everyone adopts a very similar work approach, the individualism gets lost in the mix?

 

Thats enough, art-speak OT discussion from me. Back to auction talk.
 

[exitmusicblue]

Ploog, the Hildebrandt bros, even Sienkiewicz tried their hand at some Magic cards.

A personal favorite:

[cstojano]

10 hours ago, exitmusicblue said:

Ploog, the Hildebrandt bros, even Sienkiewicz tried their hand at some Magic cards.

A personal favorite:

Yeah I was going to say Ploog as well. Karl Kopinski was another (Warhammer artist). Interestingly, Ploog's stuff doesn't seem to be worth that much, same for Kopinski. I assume it's too late??

[stinkininkin]

16 hours ago, jjonahjameson11 said:

The OA image for the Subby 67 cover has been posted...looks very nice!

Bought this off the 7/11 stands and 13 year old Scott thought that was the coolest costume ever! I copied this cover once or twice, and this piece hits me squarely in the nostalgia nuts.

Edited September 26, 2020 by stinkininkin

[comix4fun]

49 minutes ago, stinkininkin said:

Bought this off the 7/11 stands and 13 year old Scott thought that was the coolest costume ever! I copied this cover once or twice, and this piece hits me squarely in the nostalgia nuts.

I am glad this terms is surviving....it's perfect. 

[glendgold]

1 hour ago, stinkininkin said:

Bought this off the 7/11 stands and 13 year old Scott thought that was the coolest costume ever! I copied this cover once or twice, and this piece hits me squarely in the nostalgia nuts.

Did they use this image as a Marvel Value Stamp? I feel like they did.

[stinkininkin]

6 minutes ago, glendgold said:

Did they use this image as a Marvel Value Stamp? I feel like they did.

Yeah, I believe so. I feel like I saw this image a LOT back then. At least I would always take notice when it would pop up. 

I must have a soft spot for symmetrical wide stance cover shots like this. The first War of Worlds Killraven issue (AA #18) also by Romita, and the big daddy Strange Tales #178 Warlock cover by Starlin are all favorites.

[comix4fun]

10 minutes ago, glendgold said:

Did they use this image as a Marvel Value Stamp? I feel like they did.

#63!!

[jjonahjameson11]

Bernie Wrightson Batman 320 cover.  The pic of the OA hasn’t been posted yet, but here’s a pic of the published cover!

[sfilosa]

On 9/26/2020 at 1:09 PM, stinkininkin said:

Yeah, I believe so. I feel like I saw this image a LOT back then. At least I would always take notice when it would pop up. 

I must have a soft spot for symmetrical wide stance cover shots like this. The first War of Worlds Killraven issue (AA #18) also by Romita, and the big daddy Strange Tales #178 Warlock cover by Starlin are all favorites.

Feel like I saw this on a 7-Eleven cup also, but not sure.

[comix4fun]

3 hours ago, sfilosa said:

Feel like I saw this on a 7-Eleven cup also, but not sure.

This is the only Slurpee cup I could find with him on it. Same costume though. 

[Bronty]

He would have seemed a lot more 'SAVAGE' without the disco outfit

[Will_K]

Subby '66. He can do the batusi.

[comix4fun]

1 hour ago, Bronty said:

He would have seemed a lot more 'SAVAGE' without the disco outfit

I think it depends on how one pronounces "savage".....

It's a little like "dude"....it can have so many meanings. 

[Will_K]

On 9/28/2020 at 12:35 PM, Will_K said:

Subby '66. He can do the batusi.

The batusi and going under water !!

Edited September 29, 2020 by Will_K

[batman_fan]

Which book it this one from?  

[stinkininkin]

1 hour ago, batman_fan said:

Which book it this one from?  

FF 55. Nice page. I had a killer page from this issue years ago and I stupidly traded it.

[The Voord]

On 9/25/2020 at 11:49 PM, jjonahjameson11 said:

The OA image for the Subby 67 cover has been posted...looks very nice!

Looks like Freddie Mercury minus the 'tache about to break out in a chorus or two of, "We will rock you".

Hope the new 'Glam Rock' suit was waterproof!

Edited September 30, 2020 by The Voord

[tth2]

On 9/28/2020 at 11:35 PM, comix4fun said:

This is the only Slurpee cup I could find with him on it. Same costume though. 

Same "Romita Face" too.