Daredevil #187 Cover
Artists: Frank Miller (Penciller) , Klaus Janson (Inker)
32 Comments - 1,248 Views - 23 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionI thought people might dig seeing this one as I’ve kept it in the black hole since 1986 when I bought it. Definitely a roller coaster of a day.It was the tail end of the 1986 SDCC. I’d been there for the weekend with my dad and a friend, and it was about 3 pm on Sunday. I managed to score a stunt Deep Sleep pistol from Logan’s Run for $30 an hour before, and I’m sure had a small stack of books under my arm, but remarkably, I still had an even $600 left over. Teenage logic required that, because I would save all year for con with the intention to spend every cent, I had to find something to buy; it was unthinkable to go home with any money left over. So I’m trailing my dad who was probably happy to finally be leaving, and I’m trying to absorb everything I’m looking at because I know it will be another whole year before I’m back, and as we are winding our way though the aisles to the exit, I see a small table with a wire frame display hung with a few pieces of original art. One cover immediately catches my eye to the exclusion of all else: it’s the cover to Daredevil #159. I was a massive Frank Miller fan like pretty much everyone who was reading comics in the 1980s. The young man at the both, his name is Albert Moy, is asking $400. I’d never even read the issue though; my LCS has a copy on the wall but they want an outrageous $15 (and no trades or reprints back then, so I’d only read the last few issues I was able to buy off the stands and the ten or so issues before those which were still pretty affordable on the back issue market). But, what the hell - it’s Frank Miller, and a cover no less, and I have to spend this money, so I buy it. On my way once again, the exit to the main hall is in site, and literally no more than 20 or 30 feet away from Albert, there is another dealer I had somehow managed to never come across during the entire weekend, especially surprising because his booth is massive, at least four long tables pushed together into an L shape, and on them, literally stacks and stacks of original art. Each stack is at least 10 inches high. How did I possibly miss this? Unusually, there’s no wire backing display with art hung on it, either, just a single chair, maybe a bag and a couple of boxes a few feet away from the closest table, and the dealer is standing by nearby chatting with another collector. I’m pretty happy with my purchase but I wander over. I can tell my dad is getting a little impatient but I figure there probably won’t be much there so I’d just have a quick look. And I will never forget this: I walk up to a random stack, simply because there aren’t people in front of it, and this entire 10 inch stack, all of it, is Frank Miller Daredevil pages and covers. I randomly pull out the cover to Daredevil 170 (Kingpin Must Die cover). I ask the dealer how much. He says $600. Holy crap. I flip though panel pages and I see the Daredevil 178 cover peaking out (Power Man/Iron Fist). 700 bucks. I glance up and the dealer is talking quietly to another collector. I hear the dealer say to him, “Check this out,” and out of his bag he produces Miller’s Wolverine #4 cover (the one with Wolverine in the chair in darkness) and he tells the guy, “I just picked this up for $800.” Jesus. But all of this is out of my price range, as I am down to $200. Near the bottom of the stack is an 11x17 manilla envelope. I look at it, it’s got a Marvel return address. I open it, and it’s the ENTIRE Daredevil 187 issue. That incredible double page splash, everything. It’s even still in sequential order. $2200 gets the whole thing and he’ll even throw the envelope in for free. I ask my dad to borrow the money. Of course he says no. He thinks the art is strange and the concept of spending two thousand dollars on it was patently ridiculous. Truth be told, he wasn’t particularly happy I wasted $400 on the 159 cover. So I ask the dealer if he’d sell me the cover. He doesn’t want to split the issue up but I’m persistent and it’s the last day of con, so he lets he have it for $190. I had zero idea until about 2000 or 2001, that original art was even worth anything. I should add I never did find out who the dealer was - I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Scott Free. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Eelco V 
Member Since 2004
Posted on 11/20/2021
Great story! And awesome you managed to hold onto this very cool cover! Wow!
NEBUR ADLAN
Member Since 2009
Posted on 11/20/2021
Incredible times...inches and inches of superb cheap art 😭
Top Miller cover
Dino Mauricio
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 11/20/2021
Amazing Miller DD cover and great story. Thanks to a keen eye, good fortune and persistence, you scored a fantastic treasure, congrats Sam! When collectors dream of time travels, it's often inspired by stories like yours.
Amir E
Member Since 2020
Posted on 11/20/2021
What a fun, and at the same time in this current market, depressing story 😂. Thanks for posting!
Bill J
Member Since 2009
Posted on 11/20/2021
incredible art and fascinating story! Thanks for sharing!
Todd Hignite
Member Since 2006
Posted on 11/20/2021
Great to see this hugely memorable cover, Sam--and really loved reading the story behind it! Those were the days! Thanks a lot for sharing!
Andy Wurst
Member Since 2004
Posted on 11/20/2021
Fantastic story and incredible piece of original art. Thank you for sharing this.
bob fish
Member Since 2011
Posted on 11/20/2021
great story....love it ! and congrats for the cover :-)
LB Jefferies
Member Since 2003
Posted on 11/20/2021
Wonderful story to read on a Saturday morning. And a stellar memory. I can't even remember what clothes I wore yesterday.
Canada Jones
Member Since 2017
Posted on 11/20/2021
I wonder if you made that whole story up to cover up the fact that you have a time machine. But nonetheless Great Cover!!!
Mark Levy
Member Since 2004
Posted on 11/20/2021
The cover and the story are both great - your father sounds like a gem - and I imagine surprised at the value of these works when you pick one of the top artist-title combinations back in 1986!
Fuzzy Dunlop
Member Since 2009
Posted on 11/20/2021
I came for the historic, iconic cover, but I stayed for the fantastic story that went along with it. Personal stories like the one you shared is why I love coming to ComicArtFans so much. Thank you for opening up that black hole!
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
Posted on 11/20/2021
It right there on the cover! Sensory and memory overload!
Malcolm Bourne
Member Since 2005
Posted on 11/20/2021
What a wonderful experience. We all dream we could have had the same happen to us. And a great piece of history. Hope it's proudly displayed somewhere
Harry M
Member Since 2006
Posted on 11/20/2021
I don't know what is better, the cover or the story! Congrats.
artless artmore
Member Since 2013
Posted on 11/21/2021
Unreal! Spectacular cover(s), and what a tale! I hope you update your Dad on current market prices of classic Miller DD covers every Thanksgiving so he knows he did the right thing to let u decide how to best spend your allowance
Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 11/21/2021
For this cover, Miller knew less was more. (Cheers to great art and the stories of collecting it.)
John Espinoza
Member Since 2014
Posted on 11/21/2021
Incredibly cool story and historical account of acquiring OA in the 80s. Imagine how you would've felt today if you had NOT bought it? Probably like that Daredevil figure right there. Pat yourself on the back for pursuing your passion at such a young age!
Kirk Dilbeck (3-Wishes and Patron-of-art)
Member Since 2006
Posted on 11/21/2021
Cool cover and even better story Sam. What treasures.
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
Posted on 11/21/2021
Thanks for sharing both the cover and the story! We all have epiphanies like this... Well, it's just that some are more intense than others! Belated but sincere congrats!
Jonathan Mueller
Member Since 2005
Posted on 11/21/2021
Awesome cover, the emotional impact is palatable; but your story is even better. Thanks for sharing, happy collecting!
Tyler T
Member Since 2020
Posted on 11/21/2021
One of the best stories I have read on here so far. Great cover!
Simon Ma
Member Since 2013
Posted on 11/21/2021
I did a "show and tell" compare and contrast assignment in front of my fellow students back in the 90s with this cover and the cover to Superman 321 by Garcia-Lopez – same theme but different approach. When I asked which one they preferred they without exception chose the Garcia-Lopez. Me, I would take the Miller. You have a great cover and a just as good memory! Thank you for digging out your treasure for us all to see.
Jordan Joanou
Member Since 2008
Posted on 11/21/2021
Great score. Great story. Color me jealous.
This DD cover is in my Top 10 List of Favorite Covers.
Please reach out to me if/when you ever decide to sell or trade this cover. Big mahalo, Jordan
Paul Brzegowy
Member Since 2010
Posted on 11/25/2021
I hope your story inspires others to bring more art out of the darkness!
Thanksw for sharing.
Peter Sullivan
Member Since 2006
Posted on 11/27/2021
You fibber. This was not kept in a black hole. Its been displayed! You can see the light damaged areas that have turned a creamy brown. Lol. A beautifully simple cover from the run.
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