By Robert M. Overstreet

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 will see the release of the second book in our “How To” series, The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic & Animation Art. In this column, adapted from his introduction to that book, Bob Overstreet spells out the appeal and accessibility of the art market.

There are many ways to collect original comic book, comic strip and animation art, and while these fields may be under-documented compared to comic books themselves or any number of other pop culture niches, that certainly doesn’t speak against the viability of collecting in these areas. In fact, at present the original art market is commanding a tremendous amount of attention.

There are some very strong reasons for this:

First, each piece is inherently one of a kind. 

Second, we have entered an era in which the acceptance of pop culture by the culture as a whole has never been greater.

Third, and subsequent to my second point, we have achieved a large degree of recognition of these component pieces of a larger work standing on their own as art, too.

All of this makes for a very interesting environment in which to collect or deal in these pop culture treasures.

In the pages of our new book, you’ll hear from the experts in each of these areas, and they’ll offer their insights on how they got started, what they’ve seen in the marketplace, and how they’ve seen the business evolve. From what they say, we believe you’ll be able to piece together your own unique, informed approach to collecting comic book, comic strip and/or animation art.

The first thing we always say though, whether in art or comic books or any other specialty, is collect what you love. Whether you’re spending tens of dollars or $10,000, don’t let anyone talk you into anything you wouldn’t want to keep in your collection. While the market – particularly in original comic book art – is very liquid at the moment, the best bet to a path with as few regrets as possible is to collect what you love.

And as you’ll always hear us say in each of our publications, get informed.

Don’t be afraid of diverse and sometimes conflicting opinions. Eventually you’ll have to sort things out for yourself, but the key to understanding any field of endeavor is to get informed. There are many great resources out there in the art fields – most of them in the form of experienced collectors and dealers – and you’ll find that a high percentage of them are willing to share their knowledge with you.

Another important element to understand is that while there are many record prices being paid, there are many pieces in each of these niches that are priced so that even the most unseasoned beginner can pick up some truly enjoyable pages, strips or cels. Again, when you start with something you love, it’s hard to go wrong.

That, of course, is not to say that the record prices haven’t commanded attention. In fact, it’s been a tremendously interesting part of the field.

Comic book original art of both covers and story pages have continued to set records showing increased demand all through 2012. Heritage Auctions set the record in 2012 with the sale of Todd McFarlane’s cover art for Amazing Spider-Man #328 which sold for $657,250. His cover art for Amazing Spider-Man #325 went for $83,650 and his cover art for Spider-Man #1 (1990) brought $358,500, while a great Kirby/Sinnott panel page featuring the Silver Surfer from Fantastic Four #55 went for $155,350.  The original cover to Flash #137 sold for $167,300 and the cover to Brave & the Bold #34 went for $89,625.  A Frazetta paperback cover painting, “The Solar Invasion,” brought $262,900.

A few EC covers and stories sold, too. Among the covers, Crime SuspenStories #16 ($62,737.50), Tales From the Crypt #32 ($31,070), Weird Fantasy #8 ($80,662), and Weird Fantasy #16 cover ($50,787.50). Among the interior pages, a Graham Ingels seven-page story, “Partnership Dissolved,” from Crime SuspenStories #8 went for $16,730, while his “Poetic Justice” eight-page story from Haunt of Fear #12 sold for $20,315. A six-page story by Wally Wood for Weird Fantasy #11, “The 10th At Noon,” sold for $26,290, and a seven-page story by Jack Davis for Haunt of Fear #13, “Wolf Bait,” went for $26,290.

And if you’ve been watching the market, you’ve seen animation attracting a renewed energy as well.

We’re going to continue tracking these fields. In the meantime, I really hope you’ll check out our new book!