Superman 13 Cover

Anyone who has read my blog knows what a huge fan I am of the comic work of John Byrne.  If it's not already the consensus, he will go down in history as one of the greatest comic creators of all time.  He had phenomenal success with his work on The X-men, Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, She-Hulk, Avengers, and Superman, to name but a few.  It should be noted that Byrne was almost always the writer and penciler on most of these titles (and sometimes inker and letterer!).  I first saw his work in X-Men 123, which my high school art instructor had in his classroom for some reason.  I was blown away by the art.  Not long after, I immersed myself in the world of comic books.  At that point, Byrne was writing and drawing both the Fantastic Four, and his own creation, Alpha Flight.  He instantly became my favorite writer and artist.

When I first started collecting comic art, I wanted Byrne Fantastic Four art above all else (you can read all about my hunt for that stuff here on my blog).  Over the years I was able to acquire some great Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight art.  A few years ago however, I re-read (again) Byrne's Superman run.  Boy was it fun!  I remember vividly when he moved to DC and took over their biggest character.  He did not disappoint.  I quickly decided that I would like a nice Superman cover for my collection.  I'd seen a few change hands, and I knew there were some good ones floating around.  I recalled seeing one cover sell on ebay for what would now be considered a very modest price - I regretted not getting it.  Saw another for sale on a website, but somehow just missed it.  Finally, I was able to find this one.  It's got a great, large shot of Superman on the cover.  When I got it, it didn't have any of the logos so I added them myself.  Typically, I would put the logos on an overlay as to not disturb the original art, but this time I applied them directly to the art.  I think it came out great.  The cover looks twice as good as it did before! (click for larger image)

The Power That Preserves - Original Painting - Darrell K. Sweet

(click for larger image) A journey of over a decade has come to an end!  I finally found one of the Darrell K. Sweet covers to one my favorite fantasy novels! I started collecting original comic art in around 2003 and started thinking about the original art for The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.  Originally a trilogy of books, and later followed up by sequels, these books really spoke to me when I read them in my adolescence.  I was a big Dungeons and Dragons player (for those old enough to remember), and when I saw the book covers they brought to life that fantasy world which existed in my mind.

When I stated blogging in 2007, I posted a request for information about where the original paintings for the covers might be (here).  I searched ebay, spoke with other collectors of sci-fi and fantasy art, spoke with art dealers, and networked with anyone who I thought could shed some light on where they might be.  Nobody seemed to know.  I spoke with the artist’s former agent who inquired with Mr. Sweet if he recalled where they ended up.  It turned out to be a dead end; he could not recall because they were sold so long ago (Mr. Sweet has since passed away).

As time passed, I would often contemplate the notion that I might never see one of the originals. Were they buried deep in someone’s private collection?  Perhaps in Europe or Asia?  Were they destroyed in a flood or fire?  Did someone who didn’t know what they were accidentally discard them?  I wondered all these things.  I got to the point that I would have been happy just to know they still existed.  But fate had something better in store!  After years of searching, I was able to find this painting and make it my own!  In light of all that history, this piece has a very special place in my collection – I treasure it.

For those who have read the novel, this painting may be the best of the original trilogy in that it features so many important characters and story elements– the hero (or fool?) Thomas Covenant with his “half hand”, the giant Saltheart Foamfollower, Bannor of the Bloodgaurd, and High Lord Elena (and perhaps a Raver).  In the background we see the Colossus of the Fall.  In the foreground we see the Staff of Law, and most importantly, a certain white gold ring.  :)

Original paperback:

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