The Current Original Comic Book Art Want List – Unofficial

Just a list of 10 pieces of art that I currently look far. None of them are (yet) serious big ticket items so they are all obtainable, and especially so if you consider most of my wants aren’t page specific. While certainly there are uber-high dollar items that I know would interest me, I purposely left the list to items that I actively look for on a semi-daily basis. In fact, I will admit that I’ve left some examples of specific pages off (because I’m paranoid!). I’m not including artists who are currently working on commissions for me.

Charles Wilson III – I’ve talked Stuff of Legend before (and will do so more at BSC soon), and I think I’m on the waiting list for a commission and can’t wait for my turn! Was disappointed to find out that Boogeyman edition cover sold. Interiors are now for sale, but again, they were cherrypicked before I knew about it. Will be very excited whenever I get my email telling me my commission is a go!

Identity Crisis – They were on sale at a site called Big Wow (which looks defunct now), and I haven’t seen any more since, though one was offered at the CGC boards recently that didn’t really appeal to me. I emailed Mike Bair (the inker)to find out if he knew what happened to the pages (or if he had them), but got no reply. At the time, the pages I would have payed prime money for were already gone and the one’s that were slightly less desirable to me were in my mind priced to aggressively. This series brought me back to comics, so getting a real choice page is always on my agenda and since it’s packed with great panels, I figure I’ll be able to nab one sooner or later.

Gray Morrow – I just want a page. The right page. I”m not even intimately exposed to his work, don’t know any of his great storylines or anything like that. This makes him unique in that most of my other choices are very story-centric in motivation, and less about being a fan of the artist. It’s just that every time I run into a Morrow page, I stop and admire. While I know he gets his props, he’s still not mentioned in several discussions that do mention those that are clearly his lesser. I think I want a nice SF/F piece, preferably one with a female figure, because I think his are striking without being bad-girl goofy. I missed out on a perfect piece on ebay when I really didn’t bid like I should have, ending up as the underbidder.

Fables – Arguably this has been the best book month-to-month over the last several years and while many pages are available and affordable, I’ve found it very hard to find one that would satisfy me. So far, it’s been a perfect example of parts not being greater than the whole, which is great for reading, but suck when trying to find a page (though I’ll take the former at the expense of the latter every time). I almost started a thread over at the CGC boards today titled “Sell me a Fables page 1k or lower”, just to get it over with. I still might.

Warlock and the Infinity Watch#1 – For a couple years now, I can’t get Angel Medina or Sal to answer a fucking email to even let me know if they have it, and it’s just not for sale (which would be helpful in itself), but some pages here have serious sentimental value to me and it may be my true grail time (I know, weird). The Donnelly Brothers (you may know them as Coollines) often get covers and pages from the series, but never from issue #1. I inquired this week and Steve got back to me promptly and confirmed that they had none. One day…

The Sword of Azrael – You’re thinking I’m weird by now, but people can go to hell, Joe Quesada was a damn pimp. While most may remember him teaming with Jimmy Palmiotti, in this miniseries he worked with Kevin Nowlan. i talked about how much the Knightfall era stuck with me before, and The Sword of Azrael mini was at the heart of that. Remember when DC just busted out this mini and the Vengeance of Bane one-shot, and how awesome and purposeful it was specifically for Knightfall? Shit was hot. I’ve never seen a page on the market priced realistically, though I’ve seen Kevin Nolan bust some pages out on his blog. Not sure if he’s willing to sell. I’d also be interested in Ninjak (huge VALIANT fan!) pages, but Beck doesn’t have enough scanned.

Kelley Jones Batman Loved it. Lots of the same reasons noted in the above entry,and I just remember thinking that Jones was one of the few artist at DC at the time that was getting funky in an era that’s most known for Marvel and Image flash.

Sam Kieth Maxx – admittedly, this is a dream. I’d have a heat attack if I ever saw one page hit the market. I talked about my admiration for the series at BSC in Lost Image Fantastika and Future SF to Charish, and if a page ever hit the market there is a small group of collectors who would cut throats for it, and I’d guess they’d be outbid by a deep pocket dealer. I periodically check Albert Moy’s (Kieth’s rep) site for shits and giggles.

Sean Murphy - Another artist I hit up (through his rep) for a commission (was too busy) that’s quickly moved up my watch list. I enjoyed Joe the Barbarian#1 (which Grant Morrison is writing) enough to know I’ll continue to read via hardcover if one is released (because Warner Bros will give you a DVD to review no problem, but DC but won’t give you me a fucking comic book, because you know…Vertigo sells like gangbusters). If you consistently produce the best comics and you can’t sell in the 5 digits, you might want to check what the fuck your publicity department is doing or can’t do–that goes for Image as well (hell, these people trust me–where you at?). Anyway, this guy is amazing and his pages (at Cadence Comic Art, who I talked about when I posted my Skottie Young Oz page–highly recommended) are pretty fair, and the higher dollar items actually look worth it (not as aggressive as the Feister prices over there, those asking prices for covers are straight cuckoo for cocoa puffs, so much so that I almost thought they were an error – as in an extra digit – but when I saw multiples at that range, I guessed not). For myself though, I’d probably be more comfortable having a Murphy commission, as I won’t know how Joe the Barbarian will affect me for some time. Guy is amazing though.

Amy Reeder Hadley love her work on Madame Xanadu, and asked about a commission (was a bit busy) and almost pulled the trigger on this cover, but it was just slightly more than I wanted to pay for my Hadley piece right now. So far there have been some nice pages up, but not the perfect page yet. I’ll get one soon.

I mentioned Skottie Young above, and he’d be on the list to but I’m figuring I won’t be able to get a commission unless I see him at a con, which isn’t likely due to geographic reasons.

I tend to be very list orientated, and like to knock them out in bulk to move up more wants. There are obviously other pages I’m always looking for like Marvel G.I. Joe -pages – I have several – but those tend to be pages that I universally bid on. I know I won’t (and in some way don’t care to) win them all, but I won’t allow them to go for less than a certain price! I already have what I call my back-ten, that replaces the list above. I’d like to get to it in 2010 if possible!

Related posts:

1. Joelle Jones – Fables: Legends in Exile Commission
2. Rose Red for that Ass
3. Dorothy – Still in Skottie’s Kansas