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frank x townsondecker UNITED STATES
Member Since May 2006
171 Artworks | Watched by 47

Bill Ward prelim for the 1978 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide

Location: Various publishers
Artist: Bill Ward (Penciller)

4821  Views  -  49  Comments  -  16  Likes

Bill Ward prelim for the 1978 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide
Artwork Details
Location: Various publishers
Title: Bill Ward prelim for the 1978 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide
Artist:  Bill Ward (Penciller)
Media Type: Pencil
Art Type: Prelim
For Sale Status: NFS
Views: 4821
Likes on CAF: 16
Favorited on CAF: 4
Comments: 49
Added to Site: 7/24/2015

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Description
Bill Ward's art for the 1978 Overstreet Price guide made an obvious impression on my 13 year old mind when I first saw it in 1981. Ward's art in general was some of the first "erotic" art I recall seeing when I was way too young to be seeing it! Much of his art (especially in the late 70's and 80's) has a way of being alluring and grotesque all at the same time. The nostalgia was too great for me and I could not resist this prelim. Especially considering the size (approximately 12.5" x 20") and number of full figures on the page!
This being the image for "The Women in Comics" on the hobby's "bible" at the time is a good indications of how the times have changed these last, heading on 40 years...

About The Owner

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frank x townsondecker ( 1 )
Badges: Premium Gallery Owner
Member Since: May 2006
Last Login: April 2026
Ebay Id: fidei
Country: UNITED STATES
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Comments on this Artwork

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NSN Collection Member Since 2005
Posted On 7/24/2015

GORGEOUS Ward !
CHRIS OLIVERIA Member Since 2011
Posted On 7/24/2015

Great pick up! Even has Torchy!
Steve Kro Member Since 2007
Posted On 7/24/2015

Excellent! The Star-Lord approves.
JEff G Member Since 2006
Posted On 7/24/2015

Very Cool!! Thanks for sharing
Will K Member Since 2006
Posted On 7/24/2015

"alluring and grotesque"... you've just crystallized Bill Ward for me. Great piece.
Timothy Finney Member Since 2006
Posted On 8/14/2015

Will K wrote:
" "alluring and grotesque"... you've just crystallized Bill Ward for me. Great piece.  "
That definitely sums up the appeal of (and, at times, my aversion toward) Ward's style. But there's no aversion here. Ward drawing all these great Golden Age heroines (not to mention one of his more attractive modern renditions of Torchy) with a great deal of what the "good doctor" called "headlights" and a bit of gratuitous bondage is pure appeal.
Guenter J Member Since 2004
Posted On 7/25/2015

great!!!!
craig macmillan Member Since 2008
Posted On 7/25/2015

Fabulous pick up - congratulations (& jealousy)
Mark Yanko Member Since 2009
Posted On 7/25/2015

Quite the find, sir...my hat's off to you, with congrats! Your comment about the way that times have changed is true and perceptive.
Dino Mauricio Member Since 2009
Posted On 7/25/2015

Magnificent! I remember this OPG fondly from my early comic collecting smash well....I still admire Ward's creative layout to fit all these great heroines on one cover. Congrats Frank!
Jerry C. Member Since 2009
Posted On 7/25/2015

Gorgeous, sexy and fun! Big congrats!
Rob L Member Since 2003
Posted On 7/25/2015

I can't think of a Ward that I would want more than THIS one ... just AMAZING!!!
Red Raven Member Since 2012
Posted On 7/25/2015

nice !!!
Marc Pecorella Member Since 2007
Posted On 7/25/2015

Frank, it's hard to believe it's a prelim! I remember picking up the guide and thinking what a beautiful cover it was back when. What a piece...of art I mean!!!
. BRAUNY Member Since 2007
Posted On 7/25/2015

Very cool pick up. Congrats!
Tony K Member Since 2012
Posted On 8/6/2015

Congrats! This brings back great memories of endlessly going thru my overstreet. Ward's work always intrigued my young mind!
Andrew Clarke Member Since 2009
Posted On 8/18/2015

Fantastic BW - always wanted a phone girl hanging on the wall. HA has the Cover Painting Original Art in this months auction!
aric shapiro Member Since 2006
Posted On 8/19/2015

Amazing
Josh G. Member Since 2008
Posted On 8/20/2015

awesomeness
Stanton  Singh Member Since 2012
Posted On 8/30/2015

Crazy, sexy, cool!
Thomas Vanderstappen Member Since 2005
Posted On 8/31/2015

Wow!
Dietmar Krueger Member Since 2010
Posted On 9/17/2015

Awesome stuff!!!
aric shapiro Member Since 2006
Posted On 9/18/2015

Stunning
Mark Howland Member Since 2004
Posted On 9/22/2015

Pretty funny!
Dino Mauricio Member Since 2009
Posted On 10/3/2015

Awesome piece Frank! This was my first price guide growing up, especially loved the variety of heroines too! Congrats!
Alex B Member Since 2008
Posted On 10/6/2015

Genius art ! Congrats for this splendid piece !
George 1 Member Since 2011
Posted On 3/18/2016

Oh cool
M,B The collector Member Since 2008
Posted On 4/25/2016

Woooow Maravillosa !!!!!
M,B The collector Member Since 2008
Posted On 4/25/2016

Woooow Maravillosa !!!!!
Bernard Voorzichtig Member Since 2012
Posted On 7/21/2016

Great prelim !
George H Member Since 2009
Posted On 10/25/2016

Beautifully drawn!
Maurizio Scudiero Member Since 2005
Posted On 11/4/2016

Wow ! This is the first Bill Ward's artwork where titties are not in atomic-size and neither popping-out. A fantastic find ! Congtats
Max C Member Since 2004
Posted On 2/28/2017

This is delightful!
Yoann B. Member Since 2013
Posted On 3/8/2017

I find this amazing prelim even nicer than the finished pieces that Ward did!
The  Comic Coffin™ Member Since 2007
Posted On 5/3/2017

This is so great. I remember seeing this Overstreet Price Guide edition as a kid and wanting to then collect all of the price guides.
kelly b Member Since 2004
Posted On 6/8/2017

epic.
Oscar Duart Member Since 2013
Posted On 7/15/2017

Wonderful Ward piece!!!
William Lawson Member Since 2015
Posted On 8/28/2017

WOW! I swear I could have written your intro above myself LOL...such fond memories of this (I was around 8) and saw it in the local comic shop. NEVER forgot it, bought one of those paperbacks editions when I was around 14 too...HA! Fantastic that you own this, simply awesome.
Michael Kenyon Member Since 2008
Posted On 10/24/2017

Boy oh boy do I remember this one
Joe Murray Member Since 2006
Posted On 2/10/2018

Wow, it’s hard to think of this in any other way than just WOW, congrats!!

 Mark Levy Member Since 2004
Posted On 7/1/2018

Took a while for me to come across this one but wow what a great combination of art, ladies, and nostalgia!

 Greg Gross Member Since 2006
Posted On 7/1/2018

Cool piece!  They don't make them like this one anymore!

 George Hagenauer Member Since 2005
2    
Posted On 11/17/2018

Given it is almost and given my dotage memory this may be the prelim Bill ward doanted to the Chicago Comicon Benefit art auction in the early 1980s (maybe 1981 or 1982)  He did several prelims as he worked upthe image (most of the prelims I have seen  were of the actual puiblished  cover) so I can't tell if this is it - this is by far the best one I have ever seen!

 Bob  Kopman Member Since 2007
Posted On 12/16/2018

The covers to the Overstreet guides in the 1970s including this Bill Ward cover will forever be imprinted on my memory. Very cool and detailed prelim. Congrats on owning this.

 J H Member Since 2019
Posted On 5/9/2019

What a super cool piece! 

 Johnny M Member Since 2014
Forum Moderator
Posted On 6/20/2019

This is a fantastic piece of art!! 

 David Grisez Member Since 2009
1    
Posted On 1/20/2021

An amazing piece. Best prelim ever!

 Steven Dilworth Member Since 2012
1    
Posted On 10/15/2024

1st CBPG I ever bought.  I was 11.  My mom did not like it.  I loved it...

 Max Comic Box   . Member Since 2006
1    
Posted On 8/9/2025

Wow!

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