Three weeks ago in Scoop, we began running market reports and observations from contributors to our new book, The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic & Animation Art. We started with Comic Art Con founder Joe Veteri. The we shared thoughts from Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect.com Chief Operating Officer Vincent Zurzolo and former Comics Buyer’s Guide editor Maggie Thompson, followed by veteran comic art dealer Anthony Snyder and longtime collector Art Cloos.

This week’s Q&A is with collector Nick Katradis, a recent addition to the ranks of the Overstreet Advisors, who was as quick to support our new book as he was to share his opinions.

Editor’s note: The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic & Animation Art was offered on Pages 321-322 in the August 2013 issue of Previews from Diamond Comic Distributors. Retailers can still place orders for it.

Overstreet Advisor Questions for
The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic & Animation Art#1

Overstreet: What is the first thing that compels you about a piece of comic art?
Nick Katradis (NK): When I first look at any piece of comic art, my brain instantly thinks of the comic that the page is from. I try to remember the story and if I do, my brain reacts either positively or “no big deal.” If the comic was a favorite or “important” to me, then I make a conscious decision to buy it.

Overstreet: How do you define the eye appeal of a page?
NK: The eye appeal of any comic art page is based on the main character being on a few panels; then I look for action. All collectors look to see a full body image of a main character, if possible, and/or a fight scene between superhero and villain.

Overstreet: Is that different than the eye appeal of a cover or is it the same?
NK: A great cover has to show “movement”. The main character of the title has to be placed prominently on the cover and if the villain is on the cover, its a huge plus. Then I want to see action. either a fight scene or the hero jumping or falling or punching! Basically, moving on the cover!

Overstreet: When purchasing a cover from the paste-up era, is it more desirable to have the logo in place or not?
NK: The logo of any cover, especially if its the original one, makes a cover much more desirable. It makes it look as close to the comic as it was originally published.

Overstreet: Other than eye appeal, what are the ways you evaluate a piece?
NK: The artist of a piece is the most important qualification in valuating a piece of art. If it’s a great artist, it trumps almost everything else. The second most important characteristic is if the comic is the main title that the artist is known for. For example, any Jack Kirby page is great, but the most valuable and most desirable Kirby art is from his Fantastic Four run. A John Romita page from Amazing Spider-Man would be the most desirable, etc.

Overstreet: What makes a page stand out from other pages of the same issue or same run?
NK: The most valuable or desirable pages from each issue, are the ones that the main hero is shown in many panels, and/or the pages where the hero is in a slugfest with the main villain.

Overstreet: Splash pages are often touted. Including the obvious, what gives them their appeal?
NK: Splash pages to me, are more desirable than most of their covers. But let me qualify what I mean, the Page 1 Splash of a title. This is true with most Bronze Age splashes. Their appeal is because usually the splash has the indicia, which pulls you closer to the published comic as it shows that this art is from a comic first and foremost. Also, the splash usually has a title logo on top with words that usually gives a synopsis of what happened last issue or is about to happen. It also has word balloons and describes the storyline. To me, the cover, as great as it can be, is sterile by comparison. The cover is usually more valuable than the Page 1 Splash, but not more desirable, as far as I’m concerned. I will take a great splash anytime and I also value many splashes as much as covers.

Overstreet: Given that any page of original art is inherently a one-of-a-kind item, what are the other ways that rarity or scarcity could enter into the equation?
NK: Rarity or scarcity is a manufactured event; no such thing. Almost every page that was published from mid 1960s on is out there, just not visible, as many owners do not display their art until it comes time to sell them. Collectors strategically do not show their art so when one page is put up for sale, people flock to buy it because they feel that they may never get another opportunity. Meanwhile, the seller has another eight pages from the story. I have seen this a few times. Dealers also put out certain pages one at a time sometimes, to see what demand is there. If demand is healthy, they put out subsequent pages for higher and higher prices.

Overstreet: When does a page of comic art transcend being a component of a bigger effort and become a piece of art unto itself?
NK: An interior panel page becomes important on its own if it features a key event, or introduces a new character, or a new costume, etc. If the panel page is from an iconic and historic comic, then any page from that issue becomes a “stand-alone” masterpiece. Also, if a panel page is by a great artist from a great comic, each page stands alone.

Overstreet: Does action always trump “talking heads” material, and if not, when doesn’t it?
NK: Action almost always trumps talking heads in a panel page, as comics are a visual medium; however, there are times when the storyline trumps the action on the page. An example would be, a page where the hero reveals a key change or event in the storyline.

Overstreet: And in terms of action, particularly in superhero titles, how important is it if the hero is triumphant or winning as opposed to being defeated in on the page in question?
NK: A panel page that shows the hero being defeated will always take a back seat to a page where the villain is defeated by the hero and where there is no doubt about who won.

Overstreet: How does the flow of the story on the page or how a page reads contribute to its desirability?
NK: Comics are called “sequential art” because the panels have to flow from page to page and show motion as well as a sequence of events. The better this is displayed the more desirable the art becomes.

Overstreet: From the paste-up era, what is the impact of missing word balloons or caption boxes?
NK: The word balloons are critical in any panel page. It is the storyline that first creates the nostalgia for the art pages. The collector usually seeks art pages form his or her favorite and most memorable storylines.

Overstreet: How does the significance of the featured character affect the appeal of a piece?
NK: Each main character in any comic has a fan following. Some collectors collect only Captain America or X-Men, etc so if the main character is on the panel page it makes it more desirable, and more valuable to the collector.

Overstreet: How important is it that the main character is in all (or many) of the panels?
NK: Same as the previous question.

Overstreet: It seems that the market generally deems art from main or original titles, such as Amazing Spider-Man, more desirable than that of secondary titles, such as Spectacular Spider-Man. Only speaking in general, is that the case or is that reading too much into it?
NK: This is absolutely true. A Jim Starlin Captain Marvel panel page or cover will sell for multiples of other examples of his art from any other comic series he worked on. This is true with most artists. A Jack Kirby Fantastic Four #55 page will sell for six figures, while a page from a Fourth World title can be had for $2k.

Overstreet: How do first appearances, crossovers or other notable events affect the desirability of a page?
NK: First appearance of any character will make the art from that comic much more desirable and valuable. Basically, the “significance” of the page in the Universe continuity is directly correlated with the value of the piece. There are exceptions: Art from Omega Men #3, the first appearance of DC’s Lobo, is not so desirable because the character’s look in this book is so different from his current, accepted appearance.

 Basically, the original “look” in this book becomes almost unidentifiable to the collector. So a Simon Bisley Lobo page can sell for thousands of dollars, while a page from Lobo’s first appearance in Omega Men #3, for only a few hundred dollars.

Overstreet: How does the aging of the art board or paper affect your decision making?
NK: Aging of the paper affects the desirability, but in general, most collectors will accept a browning or yellowing page if the art is from a comic they loved. If the page is from the 1960s or 1970s, aging of the paper is more acceptable than from a modern comic, where condition has to be pristine, in general.

Overstreet: How does restoration or clean-up impact a piece of comic art?
NK: This is a personal issue with collectors. Some collectors don’t mind the restoration of a historic piece, in order to preserve it for future generations. However, the restoration has to be disclosed. If a collector buys a piece and then finds out it has been restored without disclosure by the seller or the dealer, then tempers do rise.

Overstreet: How do different penciler/inker teams affect the desirability of a piece (for instance, Jack Kirby inked by Joe Sinnott vs. Jack Kirby inked by Mike Royer)?
NK: Any collector will tell you that “the inker makes the difference in any piece of art”; the comic art page is a true collaboration of artist and inker. The differences are so great that the prices paid for a particular inker can vary by thousands of dollars. There is a “desirable” inker over any artist’s pencils. To a certain degree, the collector’s own taste makes the difference. But in most circumstances, the “marketplace” determines who is the most “desirable” and “valuable” inker over any pencils.

Overstreet: How much affect does – or should – nostalgia have in such purchases?
NK: Nostalgia is the driving force to collecting comic art. Period. If anyone feels “artistic merit” alone creates the sky-high prices realized over the past few years, they are misinformed. As collectors got older and gravitate to comic art from just collecting comics, they seek out their most memorable stories and tiles and artists, from when they remember reading the actual comics. This force alone creates the zeal and quest to obtain the comic art. Of course, I’m talking about collectors. The speculators-investors in the hobby will only buy a showpiece because their intent is to sell it down the road for multiples of what they paid. These are the people that believe that they are “investing,” but they still call themselves collectors.

Overstreet: What – if anything – makes a piece an automatic “yes” for you?
NK: If a page of comic art is from a memorable comic that I remember reading, it’s a buy for me. Period.

Overstreet: In addition to such choices as collecting by creator, by series, or splash pages, what are the different ways to collecting comic book art?
NK: People collect in different ways. Some people buy only panel pages, some only covers and splashes. Others collect a specific tile only, regardless of artists. And others collect only one artist or one character. each method has its own merits.

Overstreet: How do you price your pieces?
NK: I never price any of my pages, until someone approaches me to sell something. Then I ask them how they value the piece. I think about it, and determine a price at which I can let the piece go or not. If the value I assign to the piece of art is multiples of what the buyer thinks its worth, I usually say, “It’s not for sale at this time.”

Overstreet: Where do you see the market going over the next five years?
NK: The comic art market will continue to grow over the next five years. The reason is that more and more comic readers are learning that the comic art is available and they chose to become collectors. There are others that will enter the hobby as collectors but are actually speculators. They buy only art that they feel will appreciate the most and usually will pay way above a fair price in order to obtain the piece. They think they are determining “a new value” for the piece just because they paid that much for it.

These “collectors” will have a rude awakening at some point when the music stops. This may take a long time, but at some point, prices do pull back. Every hobby takes a breather, and every hobby has setbacks. It happened with stamps, with coins, even fine art. Hobbies and collectables always come back over time, but one’s time horizon for getting out of a hobby is critical to how much they “pay up” for the art today.

If a collector builds a collection over a long time, 10 years or longer, and they buy comic art, within their means, then they will always be happy with their collections. The sweet spot to any collecting is buying what you want to own forever and being able to sell some comic art that no longer excites you.