As we’ve been working on our next book, The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic & Animation Art, we’ve reached out to a number of our Overstreet Advisors. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing samples of the feedback we’ve been getting. This week we’re hearing from longtime Comics Buyer’s Guide editor (and Scoop columnist) Maggie Thompson. You’ll note that she develops a theme fairly early and sticks to it…

Editor’s note: The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic & Animation Art can be found on Pages 321-322 in the August 2013 issue of Previews from Diamond Comic Distributors.

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

Scoop: What is the first thing that compels you about a piece of comic art?
Maggie Thompson (MT): Ordinarily, the first thing that draws me to a piece of art is its connection to a creator or creation I admire. I keep an eye out for the artist and, occasionally, for the character or strip.

Scoop: How do you define the eye appeal of a page?
MT: Interesting question. I guess it’d be connected to how well it represents what appeals to me about the creator or creation I admire. If there are distracting aspects (poor anatomy, for example), I know they’ll annoy me in the long run and am less likely to acquire it. I guess that’s a reverse definition of “eye appeal.”

Scoop: Is that different than the eye appeal of a cover or is it the same?
MT: It’s probably the same; I don’t have the yearning for cover art that would lead me to prefer covers to interior pages (which, at a guess, separates me from many collectors). A huge part of the appeal of comics to me is the story-telling, so I’m happy to have pages in which the story is figuratively front-and-center.

Scoop: When purchasing a cover from the paste-up era, is it more desirable to have the logo in place or not?
MT: I don’t care whether there’s a logo – though I am concerned about the eventual disintegration of the rubber cement. So maybe I prefer no logo, come to think of it.

Scoop: Other than eye appeal, what are the ways you evaluate a piece?
MT: Wow. Another stumper. I consider favorite characters, favorite artist well-represented, nostalgia, prime example of a favorite strip or comic book, and resistance to aging (which is to say that I prefer a page with no rubber cement). I’m sure I’ll think of more.

Scoop: What makes a page stand out from other pages of the same issue or same run?
MT: Excellence or importance of story point, dynamic image at a distance, and/or iconic character identification. (Footnote: I also want to be able to frame it for display in my house – which is to say I want it to be family-friendly.)

Scoop: Splash pages are often touted. Including the obvious, what gives them their appeal?
MT: They’re more likely to be designed in the first place to be eye-catching and attractive from a distance.

Scoop: 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.
MT: If the item is super-hard to find, it’ll probably just evade my ability to buy it. Hal Foster originals have always been forever beyond my reach, always costing just slightly more than I can afford. (Well, these days, way beyond what I can afford.) If the question is whether the potential price for something I own will make me put it up for auction, I can say it has happened twice, and I’m considering a third such sale. But I’ve never acquired art in order to resell it, and I still feel a pang about the two I no longer own.

Scoop: When does a page of comic art transcend being a component of a bigger effort and become a piece of art unto itself?
MT: It is always a piece of art unto itself, whether or not it is a part of a larger whole.

Scoop: Does action always trump “talking heads” material, and if not, when doesn’t it?
MT: Comic-book and comic-strip art is a combination of story and picture; something seen at a distance as a single image on a wall is more likely to be eye-catching when it contains action; something examined up close can have a huge (trumping?) impact when actually read.

Scoop: 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?
MT: Meh. What I care about is the impact and attractiveness of the image. Come to think of it, given the choice of any Modesty Blaise strip, Don and I picked one that not only didn’t have Modesty but that also, ironically, showed Willie expressing what he saw as defeat. So, yeah, no importance.

Scoop: How does the flow of the story on the page or how a page reads contribute to its desirability?
MT: Hugely.

Scoop: From the paste-up era, what is the impact of missing word balloons or caption boxes?
MT: It’s a unique piece; if I want it, I want it.

Scoop: How important is it that the main character is in all (or many) of the panels?
MT: See the Modesty Blaise response. Nevertheless, if it’s a page featuring a bunch of guys in suits talking about being nervous about confronting the super-hero, I probably wouldn’t bother with it. On the other hand, not all terrific comic art is even from primary-character material.

Scoop: How do first appearances, crossovers or other notable events affect the desirability of a page?
MT: I love them. I usually can’t afford them.

Scoop: How does the aging of the art board or paper affect your decision making?
MT: The art is unique; if I want the piece, I’ll put up with its aging. On the other hand, given two similar pages, I’ll opt for the one with less damage. If I’m looking at a stack of strips, for example, I’ll tend to pass up the ones with greater damage.

Scoop: How does restoration or clean-up impact a piece of comic art?
MT: The art is unique. If I want it, I want it. If it’s restored, I’ll put up with it (maybe even hoping I can get it for less).

Scoop: 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)?
MT: The art is unique. If I want it, I want it.

Scoop: How much effect does – or should – nostalgia have in such purchases?
MT: Nostalgia is an element in the decision to go after a few items; there’s not much that’s on the market that is actually nostalgic for me; I am old.

Scoop: What – if anything – makes a piece an automatic “yes” for you?
MT: The only item I’ve gone after aggressively had a combination of historic importance, wonderful execution, originating creator, and one of my favorite characters. So that combination. But price can still make the item elusive; I don’t borrow money to feed my comics habit. I was hugely lucky to be able to buy that one item; such a treat may not happen again.

Scoop: In addition to such choices as collecting by creator, by series, or splash pages, what are the different ways to collecting comic book art?
MT: That pretty well sums it up, I’d think, except for by character, by theme (bondage, dentistry, horror, “Good Girl Art,” etc.), and by super-terrific stunningness.

Scoop: Where do you see the market going over the next five years?
MT: At a guess, as with key comics, the ultimate key pieces will see prices continue to rise. Also as with comic books themselves, run-of-the-mill items will be available at prices low enough to continue to make them attractive for home décor. People who just enjoy hanging one-of-a-kind popular culture on their walls should be able to find something to suit them.

Recent Notable Sales/Acquisitions: I’ve been happily continuing to buy “minor” pages, strips, and magazine cartoons at auction. None is “notable,” except to me, and I’m having worlds of fun. (Got a lovely “3D” Larry Marder tiny “Bean” color piece from him at Comic-Con. Investment: $5. Addition to my walls: priceless. See how that works?)