Time to Graduate to the Comic Art Con

“As for me, I am in pursuit of excellence, I have no time to get old.”

~ Will Eisner

I know a whole lot about comic books.

I know how to grade.

I know how to care for them.

I know how to take advantage and survive a comic convention.

Yup, there isn’t much about comics I don’t know about.

Or so I thought.

It’s safe to say that you and I love the work that a particular artist publishes but have you ever tried to acquire that artwork before?  Hell, do you even know how to go about it properly?  For the first time in a long time, I didn’t have the answers!!!  Luckily I found what I was looking for at the ‘Comic Art Con’ in Secaucus, New Jersey. 

Minutes away from the Lincoln tunnel, right next door to the Meadowlands (home of the Giants & Jets), is probably the largest expo of comic book art that exists.  It’s a dream come true for any real comic book fan.

It’s the fifth year and tenth show overall for this convention.  Vendors from all over the country and the top auction houses come for this one-day show.  This says a lot and shows how impressive this convention truly is.

Parking is free.  Kids are free.  Admission is only $10 and you can see historical pieces of original artwork from comic book history.  Honestly, it’s the type of art that you hear people talk about, or may see online, but you never expect to see it in person.

An enormous amount of original comic book art is at this show. 

Work from Ditko and Kirby. 

Pages from numerous amounts of comics/superheroes were represented. 

Prices ranged from $25 to six-figures!!!

In the grand scheme of things, the aspect of this show that I love so much is that everything is a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

I won’t lie to you.  As amazing as I’m making this show sound, I was a little intimidated at first.  Hell, other than knowing the type of art I like, I don’t know how to shop for original artwork. 

After being a spectator for just an hour, those problems quickly went away.  Co-promoter Dan Gallo perfectly summed up how a show with such lucrative pieces is the best place to learn about a whole new hobby and investment opportunity. 

“By coming here, you get to meet, talk and ask questions to vendors.  Not just any vendors, but thee vendors.  You get to meet with only serious collectors and hear the stories of their mistakes and triumphs.  Best of all, no one is going to rush or pressure you.  The atmosphere is nice and relaxed and you have time to really know the vendors, auction houses, their inventory, ways of the trade and meet/network with other people.”

As I perused the walls of art, and slowly flipped through pages of work, time after time my jaw would drop to the floor with the pieces of work in front of me.

I may sound over the top, but it was the honest truth.  This wasn’t something I was viewing on my computer.  I was seeing the original work with my own eyes.  Being able to see the work first-hand allowed me to see notes written next to side panels, the original blue pencils from the artist and the page information written at the top of the page. 

It made the show, and the work, that much more powerful.  I talked with long time collector Thomas Fish about the industry and how a show like this is so beneficial than buying work online. 

In Thomas Fish’s words, “If you're a collector, or you enjoy the hobby, it's much more fun and beneficial to interact with other collectors.  You get better knowledge here.  You can learn first hand what goes on, what people are looking for.  Online, there's a big disconnect.  There's no personality there and it's beneficial to come to a show like this.”

His knowledge on the median, and the work he collects, was extremely impressive. Then he told me something that really showed how much of a hardcore dealer he is and how important this show truly is.

"This is the only specific comic art show in the country.  I actually live in Northern Virginia.  It took me four and a half hours (to get to the show).  I came up here last night.  I don't miss this show.  If I'm not out of town on business, this is THEE one show, I can't miss.”

After seeing many art pages well into six figures, and safely assuming someone has a million dollar piece in a vault somewhere, it was easy to see why people from all over the country were coming to this one show.

I was extremely excited by this point.  I wanted to know more, I wanted to buy some art, but I still didn’t know what the hell I was doing.  After 20 minutes of shopping, I knew that I shouldn’t make any rash decisions.  So I decided to do the next best thing: ask someone with 20 years experience (versus my 20 minutes of experience) of the trade.

Vincent Zurzolo is the COO of Comic Connect (a site which is a much better alternative to buy/sell comic books and artwork compared to ebay.  As someone who’s disgusted with ebay, I speak the truth.)  Luckily, Vincent shared some tips on how any type of newcomer can get into collecting vintage comics or comic book art.

"So there's a piece of art for every budget, and there's a budget for every piece of art.  What I always tell collectors that are getting into the art market is figure out which characters you really like, which artists you really like, and stay focused.  Make a list up of what you want to collect. You have to put a strategy together and figure out what you want to do. 

So basically figure out what your budget is, how many pieces you want to buy a year, which characters and artists you like…is really going to help you figure out how to build your collection.  Then after that, you need to see if your strategies and goals are realistic and if you can make it happen.”

Vincent was giving me tons of great tips.  Then, he used the dreaded H-word:  HOMEWORK!!!

"Make sure you do your homework at a convention.  Maybe contact them beforehand and see what types of pieces they'll be bringing to the show, and if there's something you really want to see, you can ask them to hold it in the morning before you show up.  Never be shy.  If you're bringing pieces to trade, use it to bargain and get a discount on top of it.  That's all okay.  People are extremely passionate about this art.  It's all one-of-a-kind.  It's important to realize that you'll always have that one piece.  Hopefully over time, that one-of-a-kind piece will appreciate in value.”

The Comic Art Show can really help you make a different type of investment.  As an added bonus, it can also be a great learning experience for anyone of all ages.  Especially kids.

Jonathan Mankuta, from the high end collectible show on SyFy ‘Hollywood Treasure’, is an avid supporter of the ‘Comic Art Show’.  He’s also a big comic book collector and an expert of comic book art.  After showing up multiple times to this show, he truly sees how important it is for children to especially visit.

“This is a great show for kids because kids get to hold pages of original art used to produce comic books.  That's not something you get on ebay.  It's not something you get on mail order.  This is really where all the artwork is.  Kids get to actually see the process of what comic books are made from.  They get to physically hold it and that's really fascinating for a kid.”

In the long run though, Mankuta admits that this is an opportunity for anyone to be engulfed in a whole new dimension of comic books.  Anyone with just a little bit of love for this hobby will see things in a whole different light.

"If you're new to the comic art hobby, all you need is a love for comic books.  Sometimes you want a gift for someone, sometimes your kid has only seen Spider-Man in the movies or cartoon, maybe your husband has old books from his childhood collection; here is the chance to come in and find what was actually used, hand drawn, from the artist."

With so many people into comics, it’s a matter of time before a show like this becomes the next big thing.  Yes, the original comic art market is small, but the Comic Art Show can open the doors to the many, many, fans of comic books.

As I said before, I was extremely intimidated when walking into this show.  Now, I can’t fucking wait for the next show on September 22. 

I’ve been a comic fan for about 20 years.  After just a few hours of checking out the Comic Art Show, I am now EXTREMELY hooked on the original art side of comics.  I know for a fact you will be too.

***MY YOUTUBE REVIEW OF THE SHOW***

MAN LOVE FOR DAREDEVIL

“At the same time, as you know, unless you are a comic book reader, Daredevil is not a known thing.”

         ~ Avi Arad

It’s a shame.  For the first 20 or so years, the Marvel Character Daredevil was never utilized properly. You can easily argue several different reasons why that’s the case, and chances are, they’ll all be valid in their own way. 

How I would caption this old Daredevil panel.

Personally, and I feel that this shows how tough writing can be, was the C-toD-list of villains that Matt Murdock was up against. 

Look at the first dozen issues of Daredevil. 

We’ll take away Electro and Ox since they’re in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, and of course, Sub-Mariner for obvious reasons.  Know who are the two biggest villains are for Daredevil?

The answer…The Owl and Stilt-Man. 

Outside of the fact that The Owl somewhat looks like an owl, and that Stilt-Man uses giant hydraulic metal legs, even veteran comic book readers can’t tell you much more about them. 

Daredevil had a lot of problems out of the gate.

Personally, I felt like they were constantly going for a Spider-Man lite.  Hell, even in current comic books, I get that feeling when Daredevil swings around the city.

So why did people slowly start loving Daredevil?

Frank Miller Daredevil.  Doesn't get
much better than this.

The better question to ask is not why, but who.

Frank Miller didn’t necessarily change the character.  Instead, he just expanded upon the early life of Matt Murdock.  Also, he specifically added the characters religion, which was a taboo statement, even by today’s standards.  Mix that in with the darker genre of film noir that people aren’t aware of much anymore, and you see why many consider Miller to be a genius.

Many consider Miller’s work on Daredevil to be utterly brilliant, by epic proportions.  The only one that you can compete with Miller is the writing of Brian Michael Bendis. 

Again, a brilliant series in which many consider to be Bendis’ best work.  It was a dark and gritty world in which Daredevil was mentally tested to the extreme. 

Do yourself a favor and
pick up the first volume
of Mark Waid's Daredevil.

With so many years of dark yet amazing stories, you’d think Daredevil would be seen in a whole new light.  Well, you’d be wrong.  Instead, Daredevil is looked at as the Marvel answer for Batman. 

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

It’s so frustrating that no one will give the devil his due (Sorry for the pun).  Why do people have to compare Daredevil to anyone else?  I can understand a comparison between him and Barbra Gordon, but that’s it. 

This would be a good time to explain why I even enjoy reading Daredevil so much.

How many times have you felt lazy, and put something off?  If you say, “That’s never happened to me”, you’re full of shit.

I hurt my foot recently and haven’t been running like I should.  Matt Murdock went blind, and had the balls to fight adversity, and accomplish his lifelong goal of becoming a lawyer and helping others.

A great fan piece of a big moment in Daredevil lore.

Essentially, his power, is also his handicap.  This unique aspect of Daredevil is why I enjoy the character so much. 

Unfortunately, many others don’t feel the same.  Not that they hate Daredevil, but most simply feel indifferent. 

  

Since this is the case, I want to do something.

I’d like to do a weekly vlog/blog on Daredevil.  I plan on spotlighting issues in the best chronological order as possible, while doing my best not to give away any spoilers. 

Hopefully it’s good, but to be honest, I’d just be happy if it doesn’t totally suck.

***MY VLOG ON THE TOPIC***

GET YOUR ART ON AT SketchCon

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

~ Pablo Picasso

Just say the word to yourself; SketchCon.  If you’re hearing it for the first time, you have to admit, it sounds intriguing as all hell.  I know I was.

The first time I heard about SketchCon was when I interviewed artist Christian Masot at the ‘Toys on the Hudson’ show in ­Jersey City. Mascot summarized SketchCon by saying, “It’s a show for original artists, sculptor & paintersto show off their work, and sell it as well.”

After talking about it for some time, Masot really hyped up SketchCon.  Oddly enough, I still didn’t know what to expect from the show.  The second I walked into the Whisky Café, I could tell that this show was going to be fucking awesome.

           

Ever see the look on a kid’s face when they see presents under a tree or walk into Toys “R” Us for the first time?  I’m pretty sure I had that same look.

I noticed breathtaking paintings, zombie prints, custom t-shirts and best of all, a fully stocked bar.  I instantly wished I was there as a spectator so that I could have more fun, but I reminded myself that I was on the clock, which helped me stay clear of the bar.

The show was a lot to take in. One thing I should mention is if you give me a pencil and sketch pad, I’m more likely to hurt myself than accomplish any type of beautiful art.  So for someone in my position, it was a little overwhelming.

Luckily, the vendors and other show goers made this a great experience.

Not one artist/seller talked down to me while I asked them, what may likely have been, ridiculous questions. Nor did anyone refuse to explain to me the creative process of a piece or act as if they were plain old better than me.

Meanwhile, I was talking to other show goers as if we had known each other for years. Talking and simply being in awe of the artists’ work brought a sense of community. All these great conversations took place while awesome rock music was being played… this was pretty bad ass.

I mentioned before that I’m not much of an artist…surprise surprise…but that also goes for home decorating as well. I REALLY don’t like going shopping at big stores for decorative household items like Ikea or Wal-Mart. Although some of the individual items may look nice, and will possibly bring a particular feel to your home, that one item that you think will make you original can be found in thousands of stores around the world.  In retrospect, there really isn’t any individualism to anything at a major store. 

Cue in SketchCon.

Each item at SketchCon is truly one of a kind.  Better yet, if you find a particular piece that you kind of like, you can have it specifically modified to be something you truly love!  Here’s an example of something I want to get my parents:

ArtistGerald Terado runs ‘Zombified’.  As thetitle may suggest, he takes pictures of people, and turns them intozombies. 

I want to give my folks something unique for their anniversary.  They love Harley-Davidson motorcycles and zombies.  So I’m going to turn to Gerald for help.  I plan on giving him a picture my parents love of the two of them next to their Harley.  Terado will do his zombie magic, and will soon make an awesome zombified portrait of my parents.

This is just one example of the uniqueness behind SketchCon.  You won’t find this in just any store.  You won’t find this in another home across America.  Instead, I’m going to find something personal that my parents will really enjoy, and I’ll give my money to a local artist. Personally, it would be greedy to ask for anything more. 

I mentioned before that the show is a lot to take in.  However, if you’re an art student, or someone that wants to learn more about art in some way, you’re going to learn A LOT at SketchCon. 

Artists wanted to talk about, well, art.

They want to share their experiences.

They want to tell people about mistakes they’ve made so that others don’t do the same.

Basically, they want to share knowledge, and give people advice on how to accomplish their artistic goals.

Class truly is in session as SketchCon.  If you just look around and ask a few questions, you’ll definitely walk out smarter than when you walked in.

Except for the fact I couldn’t drink at the show, the positives greatly out way the negatives.  Here is a breakdown of the 2012 SketchCon…

CROWD:

            Young to old, novice to expert, even clueless to teacher, there’s a nice eclectic crowd that comes to SketchCon, but best of all, non of them have a narcissistic attitude, making you feel like they’re better than you.

            It’s a real nice mix of people, to match the different types of art being shown.  The funny thing is that I didn’t even realize till just now just how friendly everybody was. Seriously, if it wasn’t the fact that I was working at this show, I could’ve had a beer with anyone there.  Well, except for the 13 year-old-kid.

STAFF:

            Except for Christian, I didn’t really deal with much of the staff.  However, I noticed how the staff interacted with the vendors, and show goers.

            The whole time, I noticed how they were helping answer questions, showing people where they should go, and most importantly, letting people know the second that the bar was open.

            Of course, the crowd broke out into applause when that announcement was made.

SIZE OF THE SHOW:

            As the day went on; the crowd size fluctuated a lot.  It went from easily movable, to somewhat jam packed (especially near the stage).  However, once the bar/kitchen opened up, the entire floor was pretty easy to move around.

            After that, it only got annoying when people were carrying around large purchases, or when a few vendors took up too much space at their table.  Not sure if this is a sign that the show will get larger next year, but it would be great if they add more floor space and vendors.

VENDOR QUALITY:

            On a 1-10 scale.  This is an 11 easy.

            The vendor quality is really what made SketchCon so fantastic to visit.  There was literally a little of everything, and something for anyone. 

            You had custom t-shirts, to hand-made jewelry, to personalized art, to pretty much anything else. 

            It’s also proof that if you have personalized art that you want to sell, that this is the best way to take it to the public.

GETTING IN/OUT:

            The Whiskey Café is pretty easy to get to no matter where you’re coming from.  It’s off of two major highways, and can easily be accessed through public transportation. 

            As a bonus, it was surprisingly easy to get there by using some local back roads.  I didn’t have to deal with the headaches of weekend highway driving.  Yet another reason why Google Maps kicks the snot out of Apple Maps.

            Most people in New Jersey know where ‘Mid-Evil Times’ is located.  For the most part, it’s right next door.

WORTH YOUR TIME:

            SketchCon is a toddler.  This is the second year the show has been around, and anyone that visited can tell you, it’s going to get A LOT bigger and better.

            The organizers are onto something big here. I don’t know what they’ll do next to take the show up a notch, but I’m really excited to see what they do.  Personally, I’d love it if they have tattoo artists and creative workshop classes.

            The atmosphere is second to non.  People will find high quality work, experts want to spread knowledge, and just an overall good vibe from everyone attending.

            Anyone who’s a novice to master, looking for original work that someone took pride in making themselves or is just looking to have fun, needs to visit SketchCon.  Hopefully this show is held more often, because if that happens, everyone in general would benefit.