Yep, the Biz nailed it. Saw Simon at a convention recently (name-drop, name-drop) and he told me Lobo is his favourite character (he approves of the Jason Momoa casting, assuming that ever goes ahead) so he always goes all out when it comes to the Bastich, which your drawing obviously proves. 

“I beg your pardon!” was my first reaction to your comment until I Googled it; sorry, but that is one of his films I have not seen. Back in the 1970s when my brother was in a single-sex high school he had a friend with the surname Bates. I am sure you have a shrewd idea as to what that friend’s nickname was. That is what happens when you go to a school without the civilising influence of female pupils.

😂

Jaw-dropping. I can see why you might have left out the background in your fine teenage effort to re-create it  – how do you begin to do that? A cover that is in a class of its own. Congrats. 
 

Thank you, but if I had known how historic it was I would have tried to take a better photograph. 

Another sketchbook devoted to only Green Lantern? I cannot wait. He used to be one of my favourites probably because of the Neal Adams and Mike Grell art – two of DC’s biggest guns. (Do not bother with any of the Dirty Harry films after the first two as the other three were not very good apart from the “Go ahead, make my day,” line and the last film giving the “Merc with a mouth” his name.)

Could almost be a homage to the famous Magnum Force poster. Snart even has the curling lip like Clint. Fantastic. 

Anyone can tell that it is Barry under that cowl (or is it Wally?). Really enjoying this sketchbook splurge you are uploading. Some of the artists I know and some I do not but all the drawings are great (some greater than others). Always wanted to meet JLGL. One day perhaps. 

I never knew you had a thing for The Thing (obviously the best member of the FF). Is it just me or does it look like the Ebon Moss-Bachrach incarnation? That is a lovely touching description. 

Thank you for your comment with which it is hard to disagree. Neal was a titan, and creators and fans owe him him a large debt of gratitude. Creators for fighting for their rights, and the return of all their original artwork. Fans for the ability to acquire that artwork through legal channels, but more than that for all the superlative work he created over more than half a century, off and on, which continues to entertain and inspire. He was often imitated, but there ever was and there ever will be only one Neal Adams. We were lucky to have had him.

Yes, it was sad. Damage limitation. Many long-time collectors will have heard about one professional – no longer with us but there is still no need to name and shame him – who was reputed to have gone into the Marvel offices (perhaps DC’s too) and left with armloads of OA for reasons on which you can only speculate. 

“Religion”? Isn’t there another sensitive subject you should never bring up with strangers in polite conversation? If only I could remember what it was. Oh dear, if you don’t get on with dull conversationalists. Perhaps we had better put off our reciprocal in-person visits as I am mind-numbingly tedious and boring; like a lot of other stunningly good-looking people I have never felt the need to cultivate a personality in the way ordinary people have to to compensate for their ordinariness. “Deep down I am quite shallow,” as famed looker Ava Gardner is reputed to have quipped. Sorry to hear about your financial situation. Roger was supposed to be a guest at this weekend’s Macc-Pow Comic Festival. Perhaps he will travel to your neck of the woods if you have anything like that in your area. Norman Lindsay is a new one on me, although I did see Sirens many years ago on TV and there were moments in it which were quite diverting, and Sam Neill is always worth watching.

Five people?! I really must get out more. I am on only the one. Oh well, it is quality and not quantity and mine is a doozy. I think you might even know them or at least know of them. I had better leave it at that. Sorry.

Rather than rewrite two massive blocks of 5000-character text this is an update based on new information.

Well, it looks like “I am picking up” on this wager, as thanks to my friend, Andrew G, there is evidence that this drawing is by BWS. He has told me that it is the first page of Rune 1. Coincidentally, Andrew travelled to Paris to see the Dawn of the Superheroes OA exhibition before he was aware that it was coming to London, and it was he who recommended I go see it when it was in the British capital, and even though I was initially reluctant I was very glad I did because it is my favourite ever art exhibition, tying with the Rembrandt Self-Portraits in The National Gallery back in 1999, which shows how highly I rate it. Also, Andrew is one of two people prior to my posting it on CAF to whom I showed the drawing and asked who they thought it was drawn by and they both without any prompting from me and independently of each other said BWS. So a big shout-out to Andrew – thank you!

“Never meet your heroes,” has never been a phrase that holds much water, in my experience at least, when it comes to comics creators at conventions (or film directors in public places but that is a story for later this week). I have always found them friendly, courteous and accommodating even after the 45 minutes plus it had taken me to get to the front of the queue of 60+ people who were lining up for FOC convention sketches. If you are at a loose end the weekend after next then I have heard that Roger is attending the Film/TV/Comic convention at London’s Olympia. If the line for him is too off-putting then there is always the option of queuing to see Mel Gibson. I know which of the two I would prefer to have sitting next to me on a long train journey. It would not be President Trump’s Special Ambassador to Hollywood, regardless of how many exciting films he has made. What was that you were saying about how some artists were awful in real life?

You may well live to regret your offer as I am renowned for eating like a horse, drinking like a fish, farting like a hero, and always outstaying my welcome. Just as soon as I can clear up the house a bit so that every single flat surface is not piled high with comics/books/magazines/newspapers then I would be happy to extend the same invitation to you. I will give you a shout when I am ready. In the meantime I had better draw this to a close because the sound of every other CAF member reading this and screaming “Get a room!” is deafening. 

Well said. And yes, my life is verrrry boring.  I can, however, admire the draftsmanship. Reminds me a little of Korky from The Dandy, which is a reference most non-UK comic fans will not understand. 

They do not do much for me (just as I am sure a lot of my stuff has no appeal to you) but it is always a cause for celebration when someone picks up a personal Grail so Congrats!

... and a nice and friendly guy as well – they do not always go together. That is a beautifully-rendered Joker which reminds me of the Alex Ross version. Great score. 

Very happy birthday to CAF’s number one commenter! You don’t look a day over. 

“Suck on this.” Wouldn't want to bump into him late at night in a dark alley. Fantastic likeness and, as you say, the eyes have it. 

Wow, you won that! “Hats off.” They say you should choose your battles and I never stood a chance with that one so I stayed away from it but full credit to you. I have got to that age/state of mind where envy does not come into it and I am just happy that someone else in the CAF community got that page. The Studio artbook (sadly out of print) is a classic and I remember swiping from a Jeff Jones painting in that book for my Art and Design school coursework over *choke* four decades ago. Needless to say, your BWS collection is phenomenal.

Thank you for your “half-full” reading of the purchase. I will be honest and say that more than half of the drawings (the half they have only partially shown in the thumbnail) are just quick pencil sketches by the same unnamed artist on layout paper and one of those is even just pencilled lettering.The six “showcased” pieces are the only ones with any real value. It was/is a gamble.

Nope, I have made a conscious decision to not try to contact BWS for a number of reasons, but to instead live in a state of blissful ignorance – the story of my life.

Yeah, I would agree, and I do not have any illusions that it is anything more than a sketch and colour guide (another reason why it ain’t signed) but if it is by BWS it is also a little handful of stardust – the jury is still out.

Different from his work in the twentieth century but not bad at all; in fact, very good. Nice to find he has still got it. 

Great page with a classy layout. Heard about your quest in Felix's podcast – good luck with your bidding; we are all rooting for you. 

I recently heard on Instagram someone saying that we don’t see through our eyes only but also through a prism of accumulated experiences. I can look at the above page and appreciate it on an aesthetic level – the Stern/Byrne run is also my favourite  version of Cap – but you can also eloquently articulate its personal significance for you. I think most if not all of us can relate to that: a page we have’s value is not based on its financial worth but its deeper meaning particular to us alone. Thank you for posting your artwork (I am sure I am not the only fan who enjoys seeing OA from that classic collaboration) and also for sharing your gripping and also gently moving narrative.

Gorgeously beautiful and poetic one-page story which it is a treat to see unobscured by captions and word balloons. Thank you for sharing. 

Yes, you are right there. Well spotted. It is also a recurring image in stories about pirates as part of the skull and crossbones and can be seen obscured by the protagonists on the cover of Swords of the Swashbucklers 1.

Gimmicks like the hologram and the [plastic] jewel on the front of the Eclipso comic drawn by Bart Sears at around about the same era seem more like the strategy British comics had in the twentieth century when a free gift would be given away with the first three issues of a new comic to entice readers.

Ahhm, I don’t know about that. That tiny inset of art did now come with the cover when I picked it up.

Thank you for that comment. I have to admit I was in two minds about posting the cover because of the chance it might be misinterpreted – “it is morbid, disrespectful, in poor taste under the circumstances” – but I realised that people are going to think what they like whatever you say or do. Artists create their work to be seen. My intention was to celebrate Butch’s art (although there is no getting away from there being an element of my showing off – “look what I have”). It is so often said that I hesitate to repeat it but artists do achieve a form of immortality after they have gone by having their work live on after them. That is what separates artists from mere mortals such as myself; when everything I have said and done will be long forgotten there will still be people looking at and appreciating their work. It was heartening that nobody left any negative comments which means the CAF community took my posting in the spirit in which it was intended. I hope I have done right by Butch and his family.

Who knows why editors make the choices they do?

Thank you for your comment. I do think that the “idiosyncratic” use of language is what makes it so poignant, and for a long time guessed it was  because the writer is someone for whom English is not their first language, but now it occurs to me that it might be just someone who is neurodivergent but whatever it is it is not hard to see who holds the whiphand in that relationship. As far as “bankers” go – if there is one thing I have learned from my years of heavy gambling is that “bankers” are mythical creatures and don’t exist in real life, at least not at a working man’s price; they are figments of a deluded gambler’s fevered imagination. My “banker” is to stay away from gambling as you can’t beat the bookie.

You are right the commission was not a very risky bet; perhaps 1/10 – not a working man’s price, as the saying goes. Thank you for reminding me about that prestige format mini-series which featured art from Messrs Bolton, Vess, Hampton and Johnson, which prompted me to dig out my old copies but also to change the last line of my description to what it reads now which I think is better than what it was.

Very impressive indeed. How can anyone/anything top that? Could look at that for days and still see something new. Deepest congrats. 

Correction: sorry; better than any cover, hands down. Congrats. 
 

As the man said: As good as any of the covers, and better than many of them. 

You are not wrong when you call this fantastic. Together with the panel page you have a great representation of what Butch Guice could do even at that early stage in his development. He will be missed.

Awesome, just awesome.

Yep, had a feeling you would go for this one. Glad I stayed away from it as there was no way I was going to match how far you would have been willing to go. It is bee-yoo-ti-full. Congrats. 

Wow, totally off the chart. Classic issue with, I think, inks as well as the pencils by Von Eeden in his prime. Congrats on this and thanks for sharing. 

That is as good a depiction of the interplay between Ollie and Dinah as I have ever seen, and considering the other artists who have worked on them that is really saying something. It is a sad time for Butch’s family, friends, and many fans. 

A whole narrative in a single beautifully-coloured image. You cannot but help being reminded of the classic Worms of the Earth story Tim Conrad worked on with Barry Windsor-Smith. 

A beautifully-composed portrait of an artist whose work I always looked forward to seeing when it was serialised in Epic Illustrated. I had no idea that he had been unwell as referenced in one of the above comments. I too hope he has a full recovery. 

That is a fantastic page-filling full-figure pose. It is coming up to 20 years but Frank Cho’s Shanna mini-series is still the definitive Shanna for me. Thank you for sharing. 

I used to know a guy who said he knew Brion James personally and that in real life he was a real sweetheart. You’d never be able to tell that from this portrait. “If looks could kill …” Brrrr.

Wow! Art curator – impressive. Hmmm. Should I be spared, I am going to be uploading onto CAF a drawing at the end of next month which I would really value your opinion on. It should be right up your street – I won it on Heritage this year, it was un/misattributed, and it is, in my opinion and that of two non-CAF-member comic fans I know, by a British artist. It would not surprise me if you had thrown a couple of bids on it yourself as you seem to be able to identify a hidden gem. Sorry to be so “cloak and dagger” but I have not scanned it yet or written out my typically verbose description detailing what it means to me and my argument for why it is by who I think it is. Also, I might find the “smoking gun” to prove it is by who I think it is by 25 May. I said that Mark Cox had an eclectic taste in comics; he has nothing on you as, judging by your collection, your knowledge from Altergott to [E]Zquerra seems too be every bit as broad.

“You can buy this now, or regret it for the rest of your lives,” ~ the Winter Soldier.