The Killing Joke page 10 by Brian Bolland
Artist: Brian Bolland (All)
68 Comments - 9,854 Views - 15 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionLarger Scan added due to popular demand. ;-)Oddly enough I thought this day would never come. After so many years of near misses, almost had its, and day late stories I was able to attain this wonderful Joker page from Killing Joke. Most people know my love for Bolland artwork and this was always the glaring omission from my collection. The story behind attaining this piece has reaffirmed my belief that there is Karma in his hobby, and what goes around does come around. I have never been one to shout from the roof tops about "I WILL PAY THE MOST" or "DESPERATELY SEEKING KILLING JOKE PAGES". From experience most of the time that just invites "let's bend him over-itis" and normally the guys that shout the loudest offer the least anyway. That just wasn't my style. The first time I saw the art for this page I was working with Brian Bolland at the 2008 Toronto Comic-Con. It walked right up to the table in the hands of a LOOOOOONG Time collector. He wanted Brian to sign the page and my eyes about came out of their sockets when he pulled it from his portfolio for the signature. It has been locked away for over 15 years, and this is the first time it's seen the light of day. Anyway, we all spoke for a while and Brian signed the page and shook his hand and thanked him for being a fan. Then the collector put his page away and turned to leave the table. At this point there are SEVERAL members of this esteemed hobby that would have tackled the guy and offered him silly money, or pinned him down and not let him leave without getting all his contact information. I thought about giving him my card or asking for his information for about 2 seconds. However, he seemed like the quietest, most respectful fan I had ever met and someone who liked their privacy. So I left him alone. I didn't even get his first name, and he just walked away. I know many of you guys are saying "What!?!?!?!" How could you not push him for info or at least give him yours? Well, I guess that's just not how I do things. Oddly enough, Karma brought the page around to me almost 2 years later. I have many people to thank for making this a reality and first and foremost if Jeff S. Jeff and I have exchanged emails and met a few times over the years and I have tried to keep an eye out for the pages and artists he likes best and he's done the same for me, but never more so than this time. Jeff contacted me about a page possibly being available from a collector he was friends with and it turned out to be THE SAME PAGE. My goodness, what are the odds? A deal was struck, many many many payments were made and the page is here. If it wasn't for Jeff I would not have this page, and that's a fact. I will be eternally grateful for his help and kindness. Addendum: I didn't want this to get lost in the comments. Jeff didn't ask for anything for himself for helping me get this page. He wanted no money, no cut of the deal, no finders fee, no "ransom" money for the information to complete the deal. He's did this to help out his friend, the original owner, and me his friend the collector. That's a rare thing these days when some people would have charged me $1,000 or more just to get the basic information that this page was available. THANKS JEFF I would be remiss if I didn't thank Yoram, for his assistance in acquiring the piece and for helping get it into my hands, and thanks for Spencer for taking great care of the page (treating it with the care he would give his own artwork) and getting it into my hands, and to Mike Burkey for working out a deal for some of my pages to get me over the hump and get this piece paid for. Without the contributions of each person, making everything go smoothly, I would not have attained this wonderful Joker page from Killing Joke. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Duane Murray
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/2/2010
Dang (that's a good "dang", not a bad "dang"...okay, maybe a little bit of a jealous "dang" thrown in.
Brian Peck 
Member Since 2003
Posted on 5/2/2010
Great page! Perfect way to end a Joker page, with the classic Joker death grin. Congrats!
Duane Murray
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/2/2010
And Jeff S. is a very generous person with his connections and helping other collector's get what they seek.
Chris C
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/2/2010
Thanks Duane, I forgot to mention that Jeff wanted NOTHING for his help. No finders fee, no art in trade, no cash for himself, no cut of the deal, all he wanted was to help his friend sell his page and to give it a good home. There are a bunch of guys that would have held the page hostage until they got something out of it, but not Jeff. He's one of the very best people in this hobby.
Mike W
Member Since 2007
Posted on 5/2/2010
Awesome pick up and a wonderful story, Chris!! Congratulations!!
Daniel C.
Member Since 2009
Posted on 5/2/2010
I don't know who's drooling more here. The Joker's victim or me. This is fanatstic. Thanks for sharing.
Malvin V
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/2/2010
Wow Chris, congrats and what a great story. We all have hope yet!
Mike Rice
Member Since 2003
Posted on 5/2/2010
What, no Batman? I kid ... great page. Congrats on picking it up!
John Bamber
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/2/2010
I've just turned the same colour as your background.... Great page - happy (and jealous) for you :)
Malcolm Bourne
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/2/2010
Hey Chris - fantastic page and fantastic story; the artist isn't too shabby either - it's really heartwarming to read a story about a bunch of collectors and dealers all working together - There are a lot of very nice people in this little hobby of ours.....
Carlos DS
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/2/2010
It's going to be difficult to top this one . . . congratulation chris !!!
LB Jefferies
Member Since 2003
Posted on 5/2/2010
Exquisite rendering. And a nice story to boot. Well done.
Peter P
Member Since 2009
Posted on 5/2/2010
This is AWESOME!!! Always LOVED this page! Congrats!!! =)
Ken R
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/2/2010
HUGE congrats Chris! A great story that gives one hope, where hope has all but been written off, haha.
Ron S
Member Since 2007
Posted on 5/2/2010
Excellent! It's great when good things happen to good people. Congrats Chris, it's magnificent!
DC's Showcase
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/2/2010
Brilliant story and this couldn't happen to a more deserving collector. Congratulations, Chris!
Alex B
Member Since 2008
Posted on 5/2/2010
A fantastic page and a great story that gives hope to all of us out there still chasing "their" page. Sincere congrats !
. BRAUNY
Member Since 2007
Posted on 5/2/2010
Congrats on a really nice page and for sharing a great story. Its wonderful to hear OA collectors helping other OA collectos obtain their grails!
Hari Naidu
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/2/2010
Chris, my man! Glad it worked out. Congratulations on a fantastic page.
Felix Lu
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/3/2010
As memorable a page for me from the story as any other and not even for the Joker. It's that last panel. Killer.
John Bamber
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/3/2010
Truly a great page. Happy for you sir...nice to see these things work out
Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/3/2010
The final gruesome panel is one of the most memorable images from the book, and the banter is classic Joker. (Also, thanks for the story. It gives useful clues as to how one might actually go about pursuing such a treasure – provided one has the treasure to pursue it.)
Jeff Singh
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/3/2010
I am glad it all worked out for you Chris it is a great page and you were the right person for the page. Thanks for the kind words.
Lee Benaka
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/3/2010
Thanks for sharing that story! It's great to hear there are still plenty of good guys in this hobby. And what an amazing and chilling page. Congrats, Chris!
Ben Bressel
Member Since 2003
Posted on 5/3/2010
amazing! love the story behind this! congrats Chris.
- Artemaria
Member Since 2007
Posted on 5/3/2010
Great page and an even better story. This hobby survives and flourishes because of the good and not the bad. I am very happy for you that you got one of your grails. Your enthusiasm literally leaps off the page. Congratulations!
Ben DeFeo
Member Since 2007
Posted on 5/3/2010
Wonderful page and a great backstory to boot. These are the things that make this hobby so great. Congratulations Chris!
Rob Pistella
Member Since 2005
Forum Moderator
Posted on 5/3/2010
Outstanding page for an outstanding man!!
Lambo S.
Member Since 2003
Posted on 5/3/2010
Wow, terrific page buddy, congrats!!!! and kudos to all your friends for helping out on this page. those of us in the hobby know they are all good people. Charging a finder's fee? Now what sort of dummy would do that??? ;)
E. Vets
Member Since 2009
Posted on 5/3/2010
A grail for comic art lovers !! Congrats on such an Iconic piece and for sharing the story that goes with it .
Jonathan H
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/3/2010
Congratulations! This is a great day and I'm happy dreams could come true for such a nice guy and dedicated Bolland fan.
Tom Coker
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/3/2010
One of those excellent days in the hobby when someone gets something that truly means a bunch to them. Congrats, Chris!
Will Tervay
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/3/2010
"my eyes about came out of their sockets when he pulled it from his portfolio"... so that IS you in the last panel. Little did we know! ;) Spectacular piece, and the story about how you obtained it...even more so. Congrats.
Scott Williams
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/4/2010
Great page. Couldn't have landed in a better collection or to a nicer guy. It's such an important addition for you, which begs the question--what's next?
Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator
Posted on 5/4/2010
This page is classic. It's a one page story that typifies the Joker. It's an impressive piece of story telling (and lovely art).
J L
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/4/2010
Hey Chris....great page and thanks for telling us the background. I go for a few days and I see I missed out on a major art day. Congrats again!!!!
Patrick Carlos
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/6/2010
congratulations! that's a fantastic story of collectors helping each other out. my friend, who owns the comic shop i go to had a similar experience when a mild mannered guy entered his shop and seeing the art collection donated by various artists to the store, told my friend that he owned some original comic art. there was an urban legend going around that a Filipino teacher from UST had 4 pages from Killing Joke that was purchased in the UK. my friend asked if he was a teacher in US and he answered in the affirmative. it was at that moment that it was confirmed that the 4 pages indeed were kept quietly in the Philippines by this guy in front of him! the only difference is that the guy is still not willing to sell them(none of us could afford it anyway if priced fairly).
Kristof Spaey
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/6/2010
One of the best pages from the book. I love that final panel, still gives me the creeps. :)
Sean Clarke
Member Since 2005
Posted on 5/7/2010
Excellent page, and the story really puts a cherry on top! Every time a comic art collector acquires a long sought grail, you hear a bell, and an angel gets his wings.
Max C
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/7/2010
Fantastic page. Beautiful story. And Jeff S. is truly one of the best guys in this hobby !
The Comic Coffin™
Member Since 2007
Posted on 5/7/2010
I agree with Felix about this being one of the most memorable pages from this classic story. This makes me want to reread the graphic novel again.
Randy House
Member Since 2003
Posted on 5/8/2010
Did i just use the term pièce de résistance on another update from you? Crikey, son! I'm not one of those guys who uses the word "grail" very often, but WOW! I'm so glad you finally have one of Brian's KJ pages in your collection. You deserve it, pal.
Alan N
Member Since 2004
Posted on 5/8/2010
I am so jealous, I need more friend like Jeff! lol! Congrats! It is a perfect example of the greatest Joker story!
Neil Hill
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/8/2010
Too often in this hobby it seems like people are simply making purchases for a hoped for long term investment, and or a quick eBay sale, but your story shows that it's not always about the dollar sign value of something, but its value to its owner (even one who waited a long time to be that person). Congratulations!!
Ken Fries
Member Since 2006
Posted on 5/8/2010
Very nice...everything. Couldn't really ask for a better page from that book, really captures the essence of the Joker's "logic". And the story behind the acquistion makes it all the better. Thanks for sharing both the page and the story; things like this are what I look for when checking out new additions to CAF from artists I admire. Good for you, congrats!
P. Portillo
Member Since 2006
Posted on 6/9/2010
Very beautiful page and a nice story about how you got it.
Thomas V
Member Since 2008
Posted on 8/18/2010
The Killing Joke is my absolute favorite short comic book story. It was the first one I bought in a comic shop. If Brian never draws another comicbook story I will not feel cheated. Every page is gold.
Jonathan Mueller
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/27/2011
One of my Best of 2010 Lowry choices... thanks for sharing! ~:)
Phill R
Member Since 2010
Posted on 4/5/2012
I think, without a doubt, that this is my favorite piece of art on CAF. Wow!
Daniel M
Member Since 2009
Posted on 12/18/2013
WOW!!! An undisputed masterpiece by 2 master storytellers!!!!
Bill J
Member Since 2009
Posted on 8/4/2019
What an awesomely cool page from an awesomely cool book. Great score.
Peter Sullivan
Member Since 2006
Posted on 1/8/2022
You developed a hump while trying to get this page? Lol.
Tom McDonald
Member Since 2019
Posted on 9/23/2023
One of the most chilling pages in the book.
One would be hard-pressed to evoke the same horror of a Joker poisoning than was rendered by Rogers and Austin in their landmark Detective Comics run in the late 70's . . . but somehow, Bolland does it.
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