Man’s Childhood Comic Book Collection Fetches $3.5 Million

By Jamie Stengle, Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — The bulk of a man's childhood comic book collection that included many of the most prized issues ever published sold at auction Wednesday for about $3.5 million.

A copy of Detective Comics No. 27, which sold for 10 cents in 1939 and features the debut of Batman, got the top bid at the New York City auction Wednesday. It sold for about $523,000, including a buyer's premium, said Lon Allen, managing director of comics for Heritage Auctions, the Dallas-based auction house overseeing the sale.

"This really has its place in the history of great comic book collections," said Allen, who added that the auction was high energy, with "a bunch of applause at a couple of the top lots."

Action Comics No. 1, a 1938 issue featuring the first appearance of Superman, sold for about $299,000; Batman No. 1, from 1940, sold for about $275,000; and Captain America No. 2, a 1941 issue with a frightened Adolf Hitler on the cover, brought in about $114,000, Allen said.

Among the 345 well-preserved comics bought decades ago by the Virginia boy with a remarkable knack for picking winners were 44 of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide's top 100 issues from comics' golden age.

"It was amazing seeing what they went for," said Michael Rorrer, who discovered his late great uncle Billy Wright's collection last year while cleaning out his late great aunt's house in Martinsville, Va., following her death.

Opening up a basement closet, Rorrer found the neatly stacked comics that had belonged to Wright, who died in 1994 at age 66.
"This is just one of those collections that all the guys in the business think don't exist anymore," Allen said.

Experts say the collection is remarkable not only for the number of rare books, but also because the comics were kept in such good condition for half a century by the man who bought them in his childhood.

"The scope of this collection is, from a historian's perspective, dizzying," said J.C. Vaughn, associate publisher of Overstreet.

Most comics from the golden age — the late 1930s into the 1950s — fell victim to wartime paper drives, normal wear and tear and mothers throwing them out, said Vaughn. Of the 200,000 copies of Action Comics No. 1 produced, about 130,000 were sold and the about 70,000 that didn't sell were pulped. Today, experts believe only about 100 copies are left in the world, he said.

Allen said that 80 of the lesser-valued comics from the collection will be sold in an online auction Friday that's expected to bring in about $100,000.

Rorrer, of Oxnard, Calif., got half his great uncle's collection and his mother took the other half to give to his brother Jonathan in Houston. Rorrer, 31, said he didn't realize their value until months later, when he mentioned the collection to a co-worker who mused that it would be quite something if he had Action Comics No. 1.

"I went home and was looking through some of them, and there it was," said Rorrer, who then began researching the collection's value in earnest.

Once Rorrer realized how important the comics were, he called his mother, Lisa Hernandez, of League City, Texas, who still had the box for his brother at her house. The two then went through their boxes, checking comic after comic off the list.

Hernandez said it really hit her how valuable the comics were when she saw the look on Allen's face when the auction house expert came to her house to look through the comics.

"It was kind of hard to wrap my head around it," Allen said.

The find was a complete surprise for the family, and it is unclear if Ruby Wright was aware of the collection's significance. Rorrer said he remembers her making only one fleeting reference to comics: Upon learning he and his brother liked comic books, she said she had some she would one day give them. He said his great uncle never mentioned his collection.

Allen, who called the collection "jaw-dropping," noted that Wright "seemed to have a knack" for picking up the ones that would be the most valuable. The core of his collection is from 1938 to 1941.

Hernandez said it makes sense that her uncle — even as a boy — had a discerning eye. The man who went to The College of William and Mary before having a long career as a chemical engineer for DuPont was smart, she said. And, she added, Wright was an only child whose mother kept most everything he had. She said that they found games from the 1930s that were still in their original boxes.

"There were some really hard to find books that were in really, really great condition," said Paul Litch, the primary grader at Certified Guaranty Company, an independent certification service for comic books.

"You can see it was a real collection," Litch said. "Someone really cared about these and kept them in good shape."

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On the Net:
http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/childhood-comic-collection-expected-fetch-2m-200923607.html

Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance

Power went out at the house, this is what I could finish before work.
I went old school to honor Gary Friedrich, creator of Ghost Rider.

Updated 2/13/2012

Stand Up Against Injustice against Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich

As many of you may have heard, the creator of Ghost Rider has been counter-sued by Marvel. Click HERE to read more about that.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36893

They are now saying Gary can no longer claim to be the creator, cutting off his livelihood, but have also slapped him with $17,000 bill for damages to the corporate giant.

As you can see in Gary's last update (see below) he is going to appeal but in the meantime, he and his lovely wife are broke and in need of our help. I've seen the comics community come together and it's a beautiful thing when it happens. Let's do it again.

Please donate whatever you can and help Gary pay his bills. Every little bit helps. He gave me some of my fondest childhood memories. The least we can do is thank him and help. Here is a link to Steve Niles' page and Donation link.

http://www.steveniles.com/gary.html

Here is Gary's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fgroovygary

and Gary's last post....

A NOTE TO MY FANS AND SUPPORTERS:
Since the various news agencies and websites have reported the ruling against me on my claims against Marvel in the Ghost Rider lawsuit, and the assesment of a $17,000 judgment against me and my company instead, I have read an amazing amount of comments in my support on the internet, and have received many messages of support directly. Although the reports of my employment situation and financial difficulties as well as problems with my health are unfortunately true, I want to let everyone in the comic book world, especially my supporters and fans of the Ghost Rider character which I invented, created, and wrote, that I am going to appeal the Court's ruling and continue to fight this as long as I am able and that your support of me means more than you will ever know. I have heard your voices. I thank you with alll my heart, and I appreciate your thoughts and best wishes as I soldier on.
Feel free to keep in touch with me via e-mail: fgroovygary@aol.com.

Thanks again and God bless you.

Here is a link to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.: http://cbldf.org/

Here is a link to an online protest against Marvel and Disney because of the actions taken against Gary!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/boycott-disney-and-marvel-comics/?utm_sour...

My personal input: Marvel Comics told the creator of Ghost Rider not to sell any artwork, unless officially licensed and sanctioned by Marvel, and he cannot claim that he created Ghost Rider. Marvel Comics and Disney are bullies, kicking someone when he's down. Marvel Comics and Disney are acting like spoiled, entitled thugs! Not only are the artists and writer targets under this spiteful legislation, but the next targets are cosplayers dressing as Marvel characters! Why? Have you ever entered a costume contest? Was it as a Marvel character? Did you win? Did Marvel or Disney get a cut of your winnings? Then you have a bullseye on your back too. Stand up against injustice! Boycott Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance! Boycott The Avengers! Boycott The Amazing Spider-Man! Until this is overturned, stand up against injustice!

The Day That Marvel Put A Bullet In The Head Of Artists’ Alley

As a result of the Ghost Rider case between co-creator Gary Friedrich and Marvel Comics – a case that Gary is still appealing - Marvel has demanded that he pay them $15,000. This is the money Gary has raised over several years, selling Ghost Rider prints at shows such as San Diego Comic Con.

The implications of this are not just for Gary, though they are pretty horrific.

But for every creator selling sketches, prints or the like at Artists Alley in comic conventions up and down the land.

There has been an… unwritten rule. That comic publishers don’t try to gain monetarily from artists selling work in such a fashion… as long as it doesn’t go too far. It doesn’t extend into merchandise, it doesn’t offend, and it doesn’t cannabilise any of a publisher’s own licenses. Legally, publishers could, arguably, go after so many creators for selling a head sketch of Captain America for $5, but they don’t. It’s considered promotion of the company, of the characters, of the brand, and helps creators make a living.

There were some moves a couple of years ago, for certain publishers to use certain favoured creators as a self-policing force, taking on creators who used characters in a pornographic, or other non approved fashion, but it’s been very minor.

Now, all that is under threat. Because if you do get into any dispute with, Marvel say, in the future, suddenly all the sales you made in the past, could be considered up for grabs.

It doesn’t mean they will, but they might. Technically, that has always been the case. But now it has actually happened, and for a five figure sum as well.

F%#k.

Here’s a convention sketch of Ghost Rider, by Tony Moore. To pull a name out of a hat…

Source: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/10/the-day-that-marvel-put-a-bullet-in-the-head-of-artists-alley/

'Ghost Rider' Creator Owes Marvel $17 Grand

Late last year Federal District Judge Katherine B. Forrest ruled against writer Gary Friedrich, who created the Ghost Rider character back in 1972 and had sued Marvel Entertainment/Disney in an effort to get a share of revenues from movies and merchandise based on his creation (see “Marvel Owns Ghost Rider”). As part of its legal defense Marvel had filed a counter claim seeking revenue that Friedrich had earned from selling Ghost Rider prints and merchandise at conventions, and that claim as well went in Marvel’s favor.

So the current situation, which is described at length on the 20th Century Danny Boy site, is that Marvel is demanding payment of $17,000 from the penniless creator, who must also agree not just to stop selling any Ghost Rider products of his own creation, but also to refrain from any action promoting himself as the creator of Ghost Rider for financial gain (though he is “permitted” to sign Ghost Rider items, as long as those items are licensed Marvel or Hasbro Ghost Rider merchandise).

With a new Ghost Rider movie opening on February 17th, the specter of a giant media conglomerate hounding a penniless creator for its pound of undeserved (depending on how tolerant one is of the exploitation of freelancers under the rubric of “work for hire”) flesh is something of a marketing nightmare for the film, especially if this story escapes from the hermetic world of comics industry news and makes it to the mainstream media.

Why is Marvel/Disney willing to take the flack from such judicial overkill? Blame the lawyers, who are fearful of showing any weakness on copyright issues, especially with the growing number of lawsuits from comic creators (and their descendants, see “Marvel Gets Kirby Blowback”) seeking a share of all that Hollywood gold now that comic book-inspired movies are as common as fire ants in Texas.

There is also another troubling aspect to this decision, at least for freelance artists, many of whom have earned extra money for years by doing sketches or prints based on their previous comic work for the big publishers—creating drawings and other items that feature copyrighted characters. Does this mean that they too will face legal action? Perhaps not immediately, but should they sue their former employers for a share of the revenues generated by their creations, all bets are quite obviously off.

Source: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/22111.html

Gladiator Pencil Drawing 7

Gladiator version 7. The back foot on my mind, I want to point it downward and make it visible. The cape was being hard on me this week but I think I nailed it tonight.
Inked version to follow.

Updated: 2/13/2012

Will DC's New 52 Revive its Legacy?

Superhero comics were a thing of the past. With declining readership, DC Comics decided to relaunch their universe as the "New 52." What that means for their superfluity of iconic characters remains unclear. Recent changes in both entertainment culture, not to mention a flagging economy, have given the public cause to suggest DC's recent decision to reinvent its entire comic book universe and bring all titles back to issue one is no genuine attempt to improve on time tested characters but instead a stunt to boost their sales.

There is no lack of evidence to back up these claims either. DC co-publisher Dan DiDio has been quite upfront on the matter and, in an interview building up to the launch of the "New 52" reboot, said of readers "...people are leaving anyway, they’re just doing it quietly."

In the DC universe of infinite universes it's easy to think that everything that can be done, has been done. Every adventure seems to have been had and most everyone has died at least once. Those that aren't eventually resurrected are generally replaced by another who takes on their name and costume so that their legacy, and series, might survive. This willingness to do anything and everything with characters is likely at the root of reader apathy and critical cynicism. If characters can survive even death, then no amount of plot gimmickry, no matter how clever, can distract from the fact that none of these characters will ever change or grow.

A bright spot in the New 52 comes from an entire overhaul of the Superman storyline. For starters, he can't fly and he can bleed. Suddenly Superman almost seems relatable. This could have been just what the character needed to reestablish DC as a major force in the world of publishing but, despite a promising +364.7% increase in sales when the new Action Comics hit the stores, critics have been using words like "underwhelmed" and "inconsistent" and sales have slowed a steady average of -14.8% through December.

Unfortunately, the changes to the DC Universe don't seem to affect every title. Other characters, some well known and others less so, have seen little change. Batman, Animal Man, and Swamp Thing are, aside from some costume changes, indistinguishable from their pre-52 incarnations. Batman is just as he's always been, but at least he is getting a fresh, mysterious, story arc. The first issues of Animal Man and Swamp Thing have merely picked up where they left off before the reboot. Sales for these titles has declined less than Action Comics with Animal Man seeing 16% growth in its second issue. It seems the reboot is more successful with the established fan base, who desire little change, than with the new audience DC desires.

This overall decline in sales and lack of a clear statement as to what the "New 52" really is, along with six other titles having already been canceled, leaves it difficult to see this reboot as anything other than half-hearted. Unless there is a real commitment to the emotionally gripping stories and consistent artistic quality that today's readers have come to expect, there can be but little hope for even the most revered of titles.

And if there's no hope for Superman, how can there be any hope for DC?

____________
About The Author: Elaine Hirsch is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education to technology to public policy, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead. She currently writes for a criminology website.

Daliy Sketch Challenge Gladiator

Gladiator drawing. Work in progress.

Silver Surfer kills Jason Vorhees on Friday the 13th.

Spiral Character Sketch

Spiral (Rita Wayword) is a fictional character, a super villainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in the Longshot miniseries by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams.
Before being known as Spiral she went by her real name is Rita Wayword, though better known as 'Ricochet Rita', a professional stuntwoman who befriended Longshot when he first appeared on Earth. Rita was attacked by her evil, future self which led to her meeting Longshot and falling in love with him. When Longshot sought to return to his home dimension, the Mojoverse, the love struck Rita went with him, only to watch Longshot fail and be captured by the dimension's evil overlord, Mojo. Longshot was promptly mind wiped to forget all about Rita, while a much worse fate was left for Rita.