How do you choose your original comic art?

[superboylives]

Choosing a commission is easy for me. You have an artist you like and a particular character you want and you cross your fingers until you see the final results. With the commission prices increasing I’ve started to look at original comic pages as an alternative. Specifically original comic pages made in the past 5-10 yrs. So we’re not talking Kirby or Miller’s Dark Knight. I realize that all comic art has jumped in price, but the nostaligic collector is paying a premium.

I’m new to this so I have a few questions for collectors. How are you picking which art to purchase? Does the page or cover appeal to you because you loved the story? Is it because it's composed or drawn well? (I’ve seen covers go for a ton of money, but all of the color is missing on the inked page so it appears to be missing detail to me.) Is it character driven? Like a Jim Lee Batman or Ditko Spider-man page. What’s the big deal about a splash page? Does it matter if you’ve never read the book? Does it matter if the penciler inked the art or should the price be less if it is inked by someone else and it has blue pencil underneath? What if the final art is light boxed or drawn over digital pencils and the penciler hasn’t left a mark on the final art? Should these pieces cost less? I would love to hear all of your opinions. We all buy what we like so there isn’t a wrong answer. Thanks.

[Punisher1919]

Very interesting and relevant conversation piece! I typically go artist, character, then story, but not always in that order. I own pieces by my favorite artists that aren't my favorite characters (or even close for that matter....Iron Fist by Opena and Zatanna by Mann), but some of those pieces are ones I value the most, simply because the art is so spectacular that I don't care what the character is. In terms of story, I own a few pieces that aren't necessarily as aesthetically pleasing as others, but the story is one I love and the storytelling ability of the artist in question is great (ie. double splash page from Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth). I find it's best not to discriminate when it comes to character and artist...I personally think it's detrimental to say I only collect Punisher, or I only collect DC, or I only collect (fill in the blank).....don't pigeonhole yourself like that, you'll miss out on some amazing pieces.

The one term that's becoming popular within a group of my collecting pals is FAFC (Favorite Artist, Favorite Character)....and that's something truly spectacular to own.

In terms of the published page thing, I definitely prefer original inks over original pencils. I know lots of collectors prefer the Capullo method of owning both the pencils, then an inked version of the bluelined pencils. This is great for display-ability, and you don't lose out on seeing the big dog (Capullo)'s pure contribution. I personally prefer original over original, but I get the counter-argument here, and If I was bigger into Capullo, I might feel differently as I wouldnt want to lose his pencils, regardless of how talented the inker is. My favorite pencil/ink team is JRJR/Klaus, and I have just as much of a love for Klaus as I do JRJR, so I dont feel like anything's lost when Klaus went directly over JR's pencils.

[carlito1978]

I stick with nostalgia. Stories that were meaningful to me. Occasionally if see a bargain page that is outside of that i would consider it. But otherwise I find the pages that I have where it's driven by the character or by an artist where I have no connection to them to be the pages that stick way back in my art portfolios that I don't ever see.

[risingstar]

How do I choose? I actually have a rules of acquisition list in place to help control how I spend and what I buy, otherwise, things can get out of control in a hurry.

1) If it won't be displayed, I will not buy it. I have never been the type of collector to store artwork in a portfolio. If I can't see it, what's the point in owning it, let alone spend all that cash to acquire it? However, this is a personal collecting philosophy. I realize and respect the choice others have in collecting.

2) I only buy painted/colored pieces. These display the best, I think. Unless the pen/ink piece is mindbogglingly beautiful, I will pass.

3) I need to be able to resell it somewhere down the line. I'd never ask Neal Adams to draw Frogman. While I'm not adamant about making a profit, getting most of what I paid should be an objective. Thankfully, to date, I have always turned a profit.

4) I generally will not buy artwork featuring a character I already have. I do not need 3 Captain America pieces. One if enough. However, if a better one than the one I presently own becomes available, I'd try and sell the one I presently own.

5) I have to like the character and artist. I realize that sounds obvious but it isn't always that clear cut. Some artists' shenanigans (and personality) can sour you to their artwork, which is why I typically steer clear from having conversations with them. Also, no matter how nice the piece is, I'm not buying a Squirrel Girl.

I think that's pretty much it!

[madmanny]

I am very much of the mindset of buying pieces to display, if I wouldn't put on the wall then I won't leave it in a folder to slumber like a Pharoah of old.

Character(s) and only certain artists. Sketchbook is different as I tend to let the artist pick what they want in that as its a bit of fun.

[superboylives]

Originally Posted by Punisher1919

The one term that's becoming popular within a group of my collecting pals is FAFC (Favorite Artist, Favorite Character)....and that's something truly spectacular to own.

I really do love the idea of FAFC. Easier to attain with a commission, but something to really keep in mind.

Originally Posted by risingstar

How do I choose? I actually have a rules of acquisition list in place to help control how I spend and what I buy, otherwise, things can get out of control in a hurry.

1) If it won't be displayed, I will not buy it. I have never been the type of collector to store artwork in a portfolio. If I can't see it, what's the point in owning it, let alone spend all that cash to acquire it?

2) I only buy painted/colored pieces. These display the best, I think. Unless the pen/ink piece is mindbogglingly beautiful, I will pass.

3) I need to be able to resell it somewhere down the line. I'd never ask Neal Adams to draw Frogman. While I'm not adamant about making a profit, getting most of what I paid should be an objective. Thankfully, to date, I have always turned a profit.

4) I generally will not buy artwork featuring a character I already have. I do not need 3 Captain America pieces. One if enough. However, if a better one than the one I presently own becomes available, I'd try and sell the one I presently own.

5) I have to like the character and artist. I realize that sounds obvious but it isn't always that clear cut. Some artists' shenanigans (and personality) can sour you to their artwork, which is why I typically steer clear from having conversations with them. Also, no matter how nice the piece is, I'm not buying a Squirrel Girl.

Spectacular rules to go by. When I started out collecting animation cels I followed most of these same rules. I never bought more than I could display, I never had two of the same character and kept the amount I paid for art in check.

Unfortunately with original comic art I've broken some of those rules. I've sold some pieces for a loss, because the character I commissioned was important to me, but not a popular character. I love color art, so I only own one pen/ink. I love it, but it's of a character that I already own.

Another problem I have is that I now own 30 Timm pieces and can't display them all unless I turn the place into a museum and the wife won't go for that. I hate keeping art stored in a binder. So how do you decide which to sell? The Andy Robbins Method? It's an efficient way to purge, but you have to be ok with never getting that art back. I know this is a 1st world problem, but how do you guys handle it?

I also avoid having conversations with artists at conventions. Conventions can be stressful. You never know what kind of day that artist has had, so I don't want to judge them on this one encounter and then get soured on their art. On the other hand I did pick up a commission from Brett Bean and it was such a pleasure talking with him that I keep him in mind for future commissions.

[MONSTER]

I really don't have any set rules on collecting. I still read comics so I still like to grab pages from books I'm currently reading. I also try and focus on some of my favorite artists like Tim Sale, Lee Bermejo and Ron Lim as well as favorite characters Hulk and Silver Surfer. I wish I was laser focused and only collected one artist or character but I just can't do it. If the art speaks to me and I can afford it, then I'll go after it.

[JadeGiant]

I buy what I like. I buy Hulk related artwork. I buy with cash and avoid credit. Those are the main rules I follow.

This is 100% a hobby for me so the investment angle is way down the list in priority for me. It is nice to know that anything you buy will return your money when you sell but I have found that I don't enjoy a hobby as much if I am thinking about selling something before I have even bought it. I will say that I try and get art as reasonably as possible so I think I would do OK if I ever decide to sell, but this is because I like to get art at as low a price as possible so that I can afford more of it, not because of what return it might bring. I used to buy in other hobbies with "investment" in mind but I always found myself looking at the stuff in my collection in terms of what it is worth, not just how much I appreciate it.

I try to stay focused on Hulk related artwork. I will buy a rare non-Hulk piece here and there but mainly those that are inexpensive. I don't consider it pigeon-holing myself at all. When collecting statues I would buy non Hulk stuff and it was the first to go on a sell-off to raise money (to buy Hulk stuff). I have learned what I enjoy most and stick with it. It can take a while to discover what this is for each person and it can change over time.

I have a bit of 11x17 OCD issue so I try to buy art in that size when getting commissions.

[risingstar]

Originally Posted by superboylives

Another problem I have is that I now own 30 Timm pieces and can't display them all unless I turn the place into a museum and the wife won't go for that. I hate keeping art stored in a binder. So how do you decide which to sell? The Andy Robbins Method? It's an efficient way to purge, but you have to be ok with never getting that art back. I know this is a 1st world problem, but how do you guys handle it?

I also avoid having conversations with artists at conventions.

You're probably one of the biggest Timm commission collectors. It's an awesome collection. If you feel you have too many then perhaps you might consider only keeping your top 5, selling the rest, and perhaps buying a bigger piece like an an Alex Ross piece, or saving the cash for something else or you can take the family to Disney or Hawaii. Liquid cash gives you lots of options, however, artwork sitting in portfolios does not. It's almost a crime to keep dozens of beautiful Timm pieces in portfolios. I could never do it. I'd actually feel guilty after a while.

As for meeting artists, yeah, I hear you. I mean, to be fair, we also play a role in the sense that sometimes we can't help but imagine or hope that some of our favorite artists would also be cool in real life. All this to say, I tend to see myself as a temporary custodian of all the artwork I own. In time, everything will be sold. I'm surely not going to be buried with it.

[superboylives]

Originally Posted by risingstar

You're probably one of the biggest Timm commission collectors. It's an awesome collection. If you feel you have too many then perhaps you might consider only keeping your top 5, selling the rest, and perhaps buying a bigger piece like an an Alex Ross piece, or saving the cash for something else or you can take the family to Disney or Hawaii. Liquid cash gives you lots of options, however, artwork sitting in portfolios does not. It's almost a crime to keep dozens of beautiful Timm pieces in portfolios. I could never do it. I'd actually feel guilty after a while.

As for meeting artists, yeah, I hear you. I mean, to be fair, we also play a role in the sense that sometimes we can't help but imagine or hope that some of our favorite artists would also be cool in real life. All this to say, I tend to see myself as a temporary custodian of all the artwork I own. In time, everything will be sold. I'm surely not going to be buried with it.

I agree with you. It does seem idiotic to keep them in portfolios. I love the art, but I only get to see all of them when I'm looking through CAF. I don't even look through the portfolio that often. Maybe once every 2 months. But trying to get down to 20 pieces let alone 5 is still pretty tough. Once had a deal with the owner of the Alex Ross/Bruce Timm JLA cover, but I couldn't figure out which of the pieces to sell to come up with the $15K. I have become pretty attached to them over the years. I'll rank them tonight and make an effort to sell off the bottom 5. After they're gone I'll do the same thing with the next bottom 5. This is going to be painful. But on the upside my least expensive piece (pen/ink aside) cost me $1100 and $1100 buys quite a few $350 interior pages.

I've already had this conversation with my wife regarding selling off my collection after I'm gone. One of my best friends gets to pick anyone of them he wants for free and then he will help her sell the rest. She doesn't understand art or get why any of this is valuable. All of this goes out the window if my daughter needs cash for college in 10 yrs. Family comes first so I'll be cleaning house if I have to.

Originally Posted by JadeGiant

This is 100% a hobby for me so the investment angle is way down the list in priority for me. It is nice to know that anything you buy will return your money when you sell but I have found that I don't enjoy a hobby as much if I am thinking about selling something before I have even bought it. I will say that I try and get art as reasonably as possible so I think I would do OK if I ever decide to sell, but this is because I like to get art at as low a price as possible so that I can afford more of it, not because of what return it might bring. I used to buy in other hobbies with "investment" in mind but I always found myself looking at the stuff in my collection in terms of what it is worth, not just how much I appreciate it.

I really do understand where you're coming from. I never consider any of the art I buy as an investment, but even my cheap pieces are expensive to me. What would you consider a inexpensive piece? Some collectors on Felix's podcast are spending over $10k for things like it's $1k. I wonder if there is a different thought process for collectors that buy mainly $50-$350 pieces of art vs collectors that purchase $1k or more pieces. I bought my first $100 commission last year and I was far less critical about the art. I was fully aware that I'd never see that money again if I needed to raise cash, but I didn't care. I feel very different when something costs me over $800. Do other collectors feel the same way or do you place the same value(for want of a better word) on a $50 piece as they place on a $1500 piece? You've spent the cash. Whether it's worth the amount you paid for it in 2yrs you don't care.