In our hobby, there are many different areas upon which to concentrate.  Some folks like to collect only Golden Age, Silver Age or Bronze age books.  Some prefer to concentrate on certain characters.  Some folks like to collect things related to comics -- toys, games, posters, etc.  And some, like myself, like to collect original comic art.  

This area of the hobby has recently (in the last 20 years or so) undergone an explosion.  Back in the '60's, '70s and '80's, unless you lived in New York or L.A., original comic art was hard to come by.  With the advent of websites like ComicArtFans.com or eBay, and the websites maintained by original art dealers, it is much easier to get pieces by your favorite artists or featuring your favorite characters.  Auction houses like Heritage Galleries have also made it easier to get the stuff you want. 

Now, collecting comic art has become more mainstream.  Comic art is very desirable because it is truly a "one-of-a-kind" collectible.  Each page or cover is the only one of its kind, which is attractive to collectors.  Plus, it's hard to get much closer to the artists you love than owning an actual, hand-drawn creation by that artist.  Many collectors have their pages or covers framed and hang them around the house or office so that they can be seen all the time.  This practice is fine, as long as they are framed with archival materials and kept out of sunlight. 

The ways of collecting art are as many and varied as the art itself.  Collectors approach collecting art in ways that are meaningful to them.  I am a huge Spider Man fan, and almost all the original art in my collection depicts Spidey.  Some collectors love certain artists, and their collections are almost exclusively works by that artist.  Still others look for the best examples that they can find of certain artists -- an Avengers page by George Perez, a Spider Man page by Steve Ditko or John Romita, a Submariner page by Everett, a Fantastic Four page by Kirby, etc.  Still other collectors only collect covers or splash pages. 

There are many factors that determine a price for a page.  Covers are usually the most expensive of the page types, because they are the most desirable.  Splash pages usually command high prices, and the prices reduce as you move to 3/4 splashes, 1/2 splashes, etc. down to panel pages.  The more that the featured characters appear on the page, the higher the price.  What the characters are doing on the page helps determine the price.  For example, a page with Spider Man fighting the Green Goblin is worth more than a page when Peter Parker and his friends are hanging out at the Coffee Bean, but, in turn, that page is worth more than a page with supporting (not main) characters talking.  The rule of thumb here is that the more integral and interesting the page is, the higher the price.

The older pages are worth the most money, as a rule, but this is not always true.  For example, a generic superhero page from the '80's is never going to be a valuable as a John Romita Jr.  Spider Man page from 2001.  In addition, the more popular the character, the higher priced the page.  Spidey and Batman pages are always going to be more expensive than Darkhawk and Rom pages.  Not that the pages from less popular characters are not "hot" and collected -- I have friends with very interesting collections of second and third tier Marvel and DC character pages.  In fact, in my own collection, I have some pages I love from Man-Thing, Nova, and Morbius.

Of course, certain artists are always going to bring a premium regardless of the characters they are doing.  Frank Miller, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bernie Wrightson, Richard Corben, Los Bros Hernandez, George Perez, Michael Golden, Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane are a few of the most collected "modern" artists.  There is a whole crop of new artists just starting out today, and some collectors pride themselves at being able to find and collect these young guys (and ladies) before the get "hot."  Once you have been collecting for a while, you will get feel for what artists are the most desirable, as I have not named a ton of artists who are very prized and hard to get.  Additionally, some collectors collect exclusively independent art -- not from the big 2 companies -- and these collectors are almost always driven to collect certain artists like Dan Clowes, Jeff Smith, Dave Sim or the aforementioned Hernandez brothers.   

 
A word about price -- I have tried to stay away from saying what pages go for in today's market, as it is very volatile at this point.  Pages that would be selling for $50 or $100 a few years ago are bringing hundreds and even thousands of dollars today.  It is hard to find any cover from Marvel or DC regardless of age, artist or character for less than $500, and they are most always many times more than that.  The real secret to collecting art is the same as it is for any collectible -- buy what you like and what you can afford.  If you pay $1000 for a page that you love, than it is worth it, even if that is the only page you buy this year.  If you find an artist or character you love and the pages are selling for $20 each, you will be happier with them than a $1000 page you bought just because it was showy or popular.  Lots of folks who have been collecting art for years have great collections today because they bought the $20 pages back then that they loved.  

There are only a few things that you should be cautious of when you buy pages.  There is not much counterfeiting going on, but it is still something to be mindful of, especially in the area of convention sketches.  A convention sketch is a sketch that you pay the artist to do at a convention.  Lots of collectors are very into convention sketches, and they are a great way to get a relatively inexpensive piece by an artist.  However, there have been instances of these being counterfeited and sold on eBay.  There was a problem with this a couple of years back with sketches by Michael Turner, and several counterfeits turned up.  ComicArtFans.com is a great resource to check these before you buy them, as there is a wide network of collectors on there and you can get on the message boards with photos before buying.  Another thing you should be careful of has been caused by the advent to technology.  In the old days (and sometimes still today) pencilers penciled the pages and then the inker inked over the pencils to create the finished art.  Today, many pencilers use art programs that create the penciled art in the form of "blue line" art which is then e-mailed to the inkers.  The inkers then print the pages on Strathmore and ink the blue lines.  Or, the pencilers will pencil the pages and then scan them and make them blue line art to send to the inkers who ink the blue lines.  There may be no original pencils for a page (except in cyberspace somewhere) or the pencils may exist as a seperate piece of art from the inks.  This makes the inked page less valuable, especially if there is a penciled page just like it.  Watch when you are buying a piece that the listing for it doesn't say "ink over blue-line" or something to that effect.  If you are going to buy these pages, price them accordingly.  Get familiar with how an individual artist works before bidding.  Many artists have their own websites or blogs and you can contact them directly to ask.  Remember, penciled pages are always worth more than inks over blue-line, even uninked pencils.  

Collecting art is a fun and rewarding hobby.  There are clubs all over the country of art collectors that get together to show off their art and trade pieces.  With a little preparation to learn values and types of art, you can have a great collection.  Plus, in many cases, it leads you to meet and even socialize with the artists who are your favorites.  There is nothing greater than walking up to you favorite artist's table at a con and have them know you by name, or bringing some piece you bought at auction to the artist at a local con and have him sign it -- as often as not, you get a wistful smile while he looks at the piece and some great stories about what was going on when he created it.

Enjoy! 

With summer fast approaching we certainly have a LOT to look forward to. The simple question is which will make the most...Avengers?  Spider-man? Maybe Batman will sneak in and surprise us. Personally I think this is a great year for Comic Book movies, but wait till next year...so many great sequels are a coming.
 
Chime in , let us know what you think will be the best of 2012
 
Avengers Latest Trailer

 
Spider-Man Trailer

Batman - Dark Knight Rises

Just 3 more days till Chicago (I know its called c2e2...I'm old school). Yes folks its that time of year again. When the convention season starts full swing. Personally I think many or most of us look forward to different Cons for different reasons, but at the end of the day they always seem to bring on great memories, old friendships and new. How can you beat walking down aisles of merchandise, costumes artists writers stars and well you know...the people who think we are the weird ones.

With Chicago's Line up this year, there can be no doubt , fun is in the air. Sean Astin & John Cusack lead the way for us entertainment geeks, and yes folks those loveable survivors from the Walking Dead - Lauren Cohan & Steven Yeun will be there for all to meet . the line up is most impressive . the comic creators selection is filled with  names rarely seen at conventions. Joe Kubert, Neal Adams,  J. Michael Straczynski and believe me that's JUST the tip of the ice burg (famous last words from Titanic). This convention could take hours and hours just to make the first walk around, but it certainly will be worth the effort. This show has something for everyone (Did I mention that Lauren Cohan will be there..? sigh)

So remember to set the alarms. Drive, Fly, take a Bus, make the trip. Have some fun enjoy a show meant for the kid and fan in all of us. We hope to see you there

c2e2 Starts Friday April 13th thru Sun April 15th

http://www.c2e2.com/

Raychul Moore is a freelance video game journalist who describes herself as a hardcore gamer, writer, cosplayer, collector, video producer, Youtuber, and geek. She’s been featured in GamePro Magazine, CNN, USA Today, comicsalliance.com, Craveonline.com, RollingStone.com, and countless other websites and magazines.

CPG recently caught up with Raychul and had the opportunity to speak with her about her love for gaming, collecting, cosplay, and her love for it all!

When it comes to comics, games, and pop culture collectibles the biggest demographic in relationship to gender is still male. Have you seen this changing over the years? What do you attribute this change to?

Yeah, I have definitely seen the industry change and more females are expressing the same passion for geek culture. But I don't know if I have contributed much to that. I have been told that because I have taken sexy pictures in the past or because sometimes I have cleavage in my videos that I am actually a negative force in the female group of geeks. But, I still don't see why just because I am a gamer I have to pretend to not have boobs. I do have them, and I love them. :)

When did you first get into video games? What caught your attention and how did it progress from there to where you are today?

My dad actually got me into gaming. He bought himself an Atari 2600, but little me kidnapped it and I have been gaming obsessively every since. Most dads with a daughter try to get her into sports or something like that, but not my dad. We would spend our quality time watching Star Wars or Indiana Jones. He would call me from downstairs when Star Trek was on and he also fueled my addiction to collecting action figures and other cool gadgets. My dad is awesome.

You are a collector of many things from video games to action figures to horror movies. What are your favorites in your collection and why?

My favorite piece in my collection is definitely the Phurba Dagger from Uncharted 2. There were only 500 made, if I'm not mistaken, and I am the proud owner of one. I don't let anyone but myself touch it. It's definitely my precious.

At what age did you get into collecting and how? Do you think people are "born collectors" or is it something people can pick up at any age? What was the first item that made you into a "collector"?

I got into collecting because of my dad. The only thing he really collected was Star Wars memorabilia and promo items from all three original films release years. I was never allowed to touch them when I was younger, so I looked forward to when I was older when I could finally actually touch them. I think that's when the collecting bug bit me. Now that I have a huge collection of my own, my dad had given me most of the Star Wars collectible items he had and they are some of my most treasured pieces. I do think having the collector obsession is something that can't be taught or just picked up. It's just something that is naturally in some of us that makes us want to surround ourselves with the things we love, like Star Wars toys, video games, and action figures.

Where do you see the video game market going in relationship to licensed comic characters? Do you think that video games are bringing comic characters to more of the mainstream public that might have never picked up a comic book?

I am torn on this. I do think it's almost like giving a lot of the forgotten comic book characters a new beginning. But on the other hand, it's turning some of our all-time favorites into water-downed, over-hyped, merchandise machines. Like Spider-man and Superman for instance, great characters, but enough already. With so many other great characters to chose from, I am kinda tired of always seeing the same few. Give me a survival-action-adventure game of Y the Last Man and I'd be happy. Also kinda sad to see The Walking Dead become a point-and-click adventure game. If any comic/graphic novel deserves a rich in story and character development, action/adventure game (looking at you Naughty Dog)...it would be The Walking Dead. Which is kind of another weird spot with me. I love that the show has opened up so many new fans to the comic....but at the same time, it's kinda bastardized the graphic novel that I adored so much. So yeah, I am very torn on that subject.

What are you interests in cosplay and how did you get involved in it? What are you favorite characters that you have dressed up as and why?

I adore cosplay because it takes what I love about games and makes it real. In games I get to pretend I am that character, but in cosplay I get to be that character. I have dressed up as Natalia from the Danger Girl comics, Supergirl, Poison from Final Fight and Babydoll from Sucker Punch. My favorite costumes I have done are my female Kratos from God of War and my female Thor. But my fan favorite is by far my Cammy from Street Fighter. I only cosplay as characters I know and love because I want to represent them as best as I can.

You recently entered the Maxim Gamer Girl contest. According to the contest they are looking for a woman who has the “looks, personality, and gaming skills”. What are your thoughts on the contest and your competition?

I am so pumped for this contest! Well, nervous too. I think I have a good shot because I don't just specialize in one or two specific games or genres. My gaming knows no bounds. I play pretty much everything. But, there are some gorgeous girls in the contest, who definitely look the part of Maxim, so I am nervous. It's always hard with these vote-based contests because it turns out to be whichever girl has the largest following, not the girl who has the most experience or passion for the topic. But, that being said, my fans are being so supportive, I know if I won I could make them proud. So now I sit here and refresh the page over and over like a coke addict. :) I would really appreciate the support from any one who could spare the 2 minutes to vote! I need all the help I can get and you can find me on the Maxim Gamer Girl site. If anyone wants to game with me, my twitter is www.Twitter.com/theRaychul, just let me know! :)

Do you have any interesting plans or projects in the works?

I do! I am working on a few new live show ideas with a few other girls. Hopefully I will have more info on that in the coming weeks!! Other than that, I will be at E3 and SDCC which are my two favorite events of the year!!

To learn more about Raychul's gaming, collecting, cosplay, and more you can visit her online at Raychul.com

Head’s up Captain America fans!  As the clock is ticking down to the release of The Avengers, Walt Disney Studios today has announced the release date for the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger. The film will be released April 4, 2014. According to the press release the sequel “will pick up where The Avengers leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world”.

One can only guess who will be the villain in the follow-up movie and what struggles he will have to endure in the modern world. Could this film be part of the lead up to Avengers 2 and could potential new members of the Avengers be introduced in the film? Whatever, the plans we can all rest assured that Chris Evans will once again bring everyone’s favorite sentinel of liberty to new heights in the sequel.

The original painted cover art to the November 20011 issue of Heavy Metal by artist Simon Bisley in excellent condition and measuring 18x 20” realized $6,701.50 on eBay. The artwork was published as both cover art and also as a poster.

Simon Bisley is a British artist best known for his artwork on Heavy Metal, 2000 AD, Lobo, Batman, Hellblazer, and numerous other comic titles. His dynamic and brilliant multi-medium artwork is a favorite with comic book and comic art collectors alike.

ComicsPriceGuide.com has just learned Steve Borock has been named Senior Consignment Director of its comics department at Heritage Auctions. Borock joined the company in January of 2009.

 “Steve’s three years at Heritage have proven to us that we all made the right decision when he joined the company,” said Ed Jaster, Senior Vice President of Heritage. “His expertise and extraordinary commitment to customer service has further cemented our status as the leading auctioneer of vintage comics and original comic art. He has proven invaluable with major collections and private clients and has helped us take our ComicMarket for third-party sellers at HA.com to a whole new level."

Borock has been a key figure in the business of comics for more than a decade, introducing third-party certification to the hobby and acting as Primary Grader at Comics Guaranty Corporation (CGC) when the firm started up in 1999, a post he held until late 2008. His reputation for fairness, honesty and impartiality was a key component in CGC's gaining acceptance among the community of collectors and dealers.

“I love this hobby,” said Borock. “Helping collectors realize top dollar for their comics and original comic art is what I enjoy most, so Heritage has been a perfect fit for me. The team here is fantastic and working with them has been a real blast. They’re hard working and, put all together, constitute likely the most knowledgeable team of comics and comic art experts in the world, a team I look forward to being a part of for a long time to come.”

“Promoting Steve was a no-brainer for us,” said Jim Halperin, co-chair and co-founder of Heritage Auctions. “His impact was almost immediate and he continues to impress us with his commitment to both Heritage and collectors across the board.”

Steve Borock can be reached at SteveB@HA.com

Heritage Auctions, headed by Steve Ivy, Jim Halperin and Greg Rohan, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $800 million and over 700,000 online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

It's only 31 days till we get to see the Avengers assemble in theaters! Marvel has released the latest TV trailer for the film and it features a witty Tony Stark giving Loki a headcount regarding of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and also some additional footage of Loki's army.

The Avengers directed by Joss Whedon and starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth , Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, and Cobie Smulders  assembles May 4, 2012.

Want to own a prop copy of Captain America #1 made for the film Captain America: The First Avengers? Well, Joe Maddalena and Profiles in History are holding two separate raffles to give away two original prop copies of the comic book. The prop copies of Captain America Comics #1 were made for the film production and  each prop comic book has been certified by CGC as a 9.4. This is a rare opportunity for comic fans to obtain a prop for free!
 
One prop comic book will be raffled off at the Chicago Entertainment and Comic Expo (C2E2). For those not attending C2E2, Profiles in History will raffle off the other prop comic book via FaceBook. The winners will be announced on April 14, at 5:30 p.m. CDT, just before the Captain America: The First Avenger auction at 6 p.m. CDT. 
  
At C2E2, fans will be able to pick up a raffle ticket at the Profiles in History booth (#609) starting Friday, April 13, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. It is a one entry per person limit. Profiles will announce the winner on April 14 by random drawing at approximately 5:30 p.m. CDT, just before the Captain America: The First Avenger Auction at 6 p.m. in room S404abc at McCormick Place 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60616.
 
Fans can enter the online raffle by visting Profiles in History’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/ProfilesInHistory , click on the “contest” tab and follow the on-screen instructions to fully complete and submit the entry form (a valid email address will be required). The raffle begins at 6:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, April 2, 2012 and ends at 3:30 pm PDT/5:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday, April 14, 2012. The winner of the online raffle will be selected by random drawing from all eligible entries on April 14, 2012. The winner will be notified by email and identified on Profiles in History’s website and Facebook page on April 16, 2012. The online raffle is also one entry per person.
 
No purchase is necessary for either raffles. Fans should go to Profiles in History's website or Facebook page for complete official rules.

For more information on the Captain America: The First Avengers auction visit: Profiles in History.

A CGC Certified 6.5 copy of Suspense Comics #3 with off-white pages closed at $24,977 after obtaining 38 bids. This truly scarce Golden Age key is The cover is considered one of Schomburg's best covers.

The scarcity and dramatic classic bondage cover art of Suspense Comics #3 is what fuels this books demand and keeps it high on numerous collectors wantlists. The CGC label noted that there was a very tiny piece of taple on the centerfold at the staple.

According to the CGC Census there are only 19 copies certified with the highest certified examples grading 8.0.