Henk Dekker - Boats on Beach

Another nice sea scene with some boats near the shore of a beach. This was sold as a Henk Dekker original (Dutch, 1897-1974), but I'm not sure since the signature is so hard to read. The painting is actually quite a bit darker in person but for some reason it photographs lighter. Unframed, the piece is quite small at about 7 3/4 x 5 inches.(click for larger image.)

Gregory Gallo II

This was, I think, the very first original piece of art I ever purchased. I bought it from the artist, whom I worked for many years ago (proabaly around 1992), for what was, at the time, a relatively large amount of money. There are actually about 6 or 7 paintings in this "series" that look very similar to this one in compisition and color. They were all very detailed, and were my favorite pieces he had done. I had to have one and I hit him up at the right time with a good cash offer! (click for larger image.)

Gregory Gallo

This painting was a gift of sorts. I used to work for the artist back in New York a long time ago. I saw this painting the morning after it was completed and was really blown away by it. I made such a fuss over it that my friend sold it to me for $2. It's very large at about 4 feet by 4 feet and is dated 10/14/92. The photo is not the best since the canvas is not on the stretchers at the moment. (click for larger image.)

Edgar Freyberg Seascape

This is a very nice seascape by the German artist Edgar Freyberg (b. 1927). It's an oil on canvas and is pretty large at 24" x 32". I'm told his work is in several museums and I know he has sold in auctions around the world. I believe there is a gallery in London that currently represents him. (click for larger image.)

Koemann

This painting is by an artist I haven't been able to identify. The seller says it's Dutch and the signature reads "Koemann", but the signature is not definitive in person. Still, a very lovely little painting with great light. This one is quite small - without frame it measures 5 1/2 x 8 inches and is painted on an oak board. (click for larger image.)

Jan Valach

My very first oil painting! Don't know anything about the artist except that he might be Czech. This is pretty large at 20 x 28 without the frame. (click for larger image.)

Asajj Ventress by Mahmud Asrar

This is a great piece by a relatively unknown artist Mahmud Asrar. I think he's super-talented and reminds me a lot of the great Adam Hughes who he cites as an influence (click for larger image).

UPDATE: SOLD THIS PIECE IN JUNE OF 2008!!

Art Adams Wolfman

I can't get enough of these incredibly rendered Art Adams pinups. While I generally prefer the sexy female characters he does, this one was too nice to pass up. (click for larger scan.)

Public School 49, Queens NY

This is where I went to school from kindergarten through the sixth grade. My mother also attended the school when she was a young girl. Our house was half a mile from the school and I walked it everyday right through Juniper Vally park. Many years after I attended, the school was renamed Dorothy K. Bonawit Kole school. I searched the web but all I could find out was that she was a teacher and principal in the New York area sometime around the 1940's - 1960's (I think). The photo above was probably taken just after the completion of construction in 1932. You can see the old Elmhurst gas tanks (constructed in 1910) in the background. The empty lot in the foreground was completely covered in housing while I attended (as was all of Queens). I took a trip to NY in October of 2006 and took the picture of the school seen below (click for larger images).

Killing Joke Prelim 3

UPDATE: SOLD THIS PIECE IN AUGUST OF 2008!

The most recent KJ prelim I picked up featuring a nice shot of the Joker! (Interesting note: the pencil image has a slight red cast to it. That's because I took a picture of it with my digital camera behind my house while the San Diego forestfires of 2007 were raging. Lots of ash in the sky and everything tinged in red. Eerie... (Brian Bolland pencils. Click for larger image.)

Thumbnails - Click for Larger Image

This is a thumbnail gallery of my original comic art collection, organized by artist. Clicking a thumbnail image will take you to the original blog entry for the piece. Once there, you can read my comments about the piece and you can click on the image there for a larger scan. Comments are welcome, so if you see something you like, let me know.


Adams, Arthur

Adams, Neal






Buckler, Rich






Byrne, John (Alpha Flight)

Byrne, John (Fantastic Four)

Gibbons, Dave

Mazzucchelli, David







Miller, Frank

Sienkiewicz, Bill





Comic Strip Art



Godwin, Frank





Murphy, John Cullen

Raymond, Alex

Spranger, Frank





Starr, Leonard

Alpha Flight 28, Page 02

This page features some of the members of Omega Flight; Courtney (disguised as Guardian), Wild Child, Diamond Lil, and Flashback. On their way to cause trouble, no doubt... (Pencils and foreground inks John Byrne, background inks Keith Williams. Click for larger image.)

Killing Joke Prelim 2

UPDATE: SOLD THIS PIECE IN 2011!!

I'd heard from a fellow collector that Brian Bolland did multiple prelims per page. I got to ask Bolland directly at San Diego Comicon 2006 about his working process, and he confirmed that he only did one version per page (as shown above), and used a projector to transfer the image to the final art board. (Click for larger image.)

Frazetta - The Trials of Judas Wiley

Frazetta is a God. There, I said it. I'd love to own bunches of Frazetta's, but the stuff isn't cheap. This is a cool pencil prelim for the 1972 painting. (Click for larger image.)

Update 01/17/08: Thought I'd add the picture of the finished painting which is remarkably similar to the prelim:

UPDATE - SOLD THIS PIECE IN MAY 2009!!

On Stage 01-28-65

I really like the inks on this beautiful On Stage daily by Leonard Starr. Dollar for dollar, you get the most bang for your buck with strip art. This period of the photo-realistic strips is my favorite, and was loaded with amazingly talented illustrators. To see more of what I'm talking about, and to get a glimpse of my former collection, check out my CFA-APA article from issue 65. (Pencils and inks Leonard Starr. Click for larger image.)

Big Ben Bolt 09-05-61

My already small strip art collection was whittled down to only two pieces in the last year or so. I sold my best pieces, but kept this one and an On Stage daily because they just aren't worth selling, and I enjoy looking at them. This is a nice BBB strip by the great John-Cullen Murphy. When you see strips like this one, you begin to realize where a guy like Neal Adams picked up his tricks. (Pencils and inks John Cullen-Murphy. Click for larger image.)

Alpha Flight 07

I wish I had bought all the Alpha Flight covers I was offered! I passed on a few good ones. At least I have the Alpha Flight 15 cover, and this one. I really enjoyed the Aurora character, and always liked this cover. (Pencils and inks John Byrne. Click for larger image.)

Alpha Flight 26 End Splash

The big reveal! You didn't think Byrne was going to fake a death, did you!? (Pencils and inks John Byrne. Click for larger image.)

Alpha Flight 05, Page 13

Another cool page from issue 5. Love the big panel with the close-up of Puck! Byrne is using marker here, and the paper is more glossy than I've ever seen. It makes his inks a lot slicker - looks great! (Pencils and inks John Byrne. Click for larger image.)