Contributed by collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photos by Alice Cloos

Since 2009 the New Jersey Comic Art Con has brought the collecting world a show dedicated exclusively to original comic book art. In fact, it was the first real show devoted exclusively to comic book art. No comics were allowed. Now with the summer 2026 convention scene in full swing, the show returned to the Holiday Inn located in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ on August 29, 2026.

The dealer list included top comic art sellers from across the country. Many of the show’s regulars were there like Anthony Snyder, Steve and Rich Donnelly, Hans Kosenkranius Jim Warden, Matthew Fekett (Odins Vault), Abraham Madampil, Bechara Maalouf, Will Gabri-El, Brad Savage, Nathan Rose, and Dom Masullo. Auction houses who were set up at the show were Heritage Auctions, ComicLink, and ComicConnect.

We got their early for breakfast at the hotel restaurant and catch up with Jesse, the head waiter. While we ate we saw collectors were already in the vendor room checking out displays and art portfolios before the show officially opened. There had to be almost 35 tables with a wide variety of original comic art. It was much more than what one would find at a traditional comic convention. There was plenty of room to walk around without bumping into someone else. Dealer Anthony Snyder had a significant wall display and tables filled with items for sale. His booth is never one that a buyer could go through in a few minutes. The same is true for Bechara Maalouf who also had a significant display of wall art and portfolios to explore.

The word variety really describes this edition of the show. There was a strong showing of Silver, Bronze, and Modern comic art to drool over, and while I did not see a lot of Golden Age art there was some nice pieces to check out. There was a good amount of comic book covers, and dealers had portfolios full of original comic book pages including splash pages. Over the last few years, in both vintage comic sales and original art, Marvel has tended to dominate. However, at this show it really was much more evenly distributed between Marvel and DC which was nice to see. Neither Allie nor I walked out with empty hands, and we were very happy with our finds for the day. Most dealers reported good sales.

One of the things that is very cool at this show was seeing groups of collectors sitting around the hotel lobby discussing their purchases, debating the merits of one artist from another, and negotiating deals with each other. Some came just to show off their portfolios. For show promoter Joe Veteri, this is part of what makes the show special and is part of Comic Art Con’s unique value. Many deals were made collector to collector.

Allie and I were happy to see some old friends who both attended and set up at the show. My good buddy and collector Frank Giella made an appearance. The Donnelly brothers are longtime friends and they were set up with a big display and in between sales we caught up with each other. Nathan Rose was set up with a nice display. One interesting person Allie and I met at for the first time was Peter Shapiro who is a judge in Washington DC. He is a collector and dealer working on an app in the prototype stage called Coverscope which is designed to help the collector to understand, identify, track the market, and build a reasoned value for their art collection.

The hotel has undergone an extensive renovation including the Hangar Restaurant and Bar. In addition, there are multiple restaurant options to choose from within a short drive from the hotel.

The show hours ran from 9:30 AM to 3 PM, admission was $20. For those with mobility issues, the hotel is very accessible throughout the building. There was plenty of parking available on the hotel grounds.

The next Comic Art Con will be in the spring of 2027 at the Holiday Inn in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Show dates to be announced.

Veteri can be reached at jveteri@coopmail.net or by calling (973) 768-6649 to inquire about booking a table at his next show. Professional artists can also apply for a show table. However, he asked me to point out that only two artist tables are available. More information on future shows is available at www.veteriproductions.com.