Q&A with Daryl R

Which piece in your gallery is your favorite and why?

Batman is my all-time favorite character and Bernie is one of my favorite creators so this piece is an "ultimate" for me. Even though Bernie is not remembered primarily as a "Bat" artist, this beauty represents the best of both worlds to me. Like any good art, it evokes an emotional reaction from me every time I see it.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I'm just a dude.

How long have you been collecting comic art and what prompted you to start?

I began collecting comic art in the eBay days of the early '00s. The first piece of OA I purchased was a Norm Breyfogle title page from Batman #455 (still have it). I guess that's fitting since the first modern comic I laid my hands on as a kid was Batman #457 in 1990 and Norm was the current bat artist at that time. I was hooked from then on and quickly started snapping up back issues as well as new releases. By the early '00s, collecting comic art was a natural progression for me since I no longer actively read as many comics (was in college and also had a full-time job), but I still loved the art from the comics. I also saw the beauty and the value of owning the original art as opposed to just a published version which was something I never even considered in my younger years. Sadly, eBay was my primary source for finding comic art for many years since I was barely aware of any of the dealers' websites or the comic art auctions until much later. I didn't even discover CAF until 2015 and that is around the time my collecting became much more serious. Over the last decade, I ramped up my collecting a bit, but have also realized that my collecting focus and tastes are still evolving.

How do you display/store your collection at home?

I have a large "bat cave" bonus room that my wife has graciously allowed me take over with my comic art. I have a couple lounge chairs on either side of 2 vintage spinner racks filled with favorite comics as well as some comics on my "to read" list. The walls around the room display some of my favorite covers and a variety of Wrightson pieces. The majority of my collection, however, is safely stowed away in a collection of portfolios.

What are your top five most wanted original pages or commissions?

1. An "ultimate" for me would be a Wrightson Frankenstein plate 2. A Kelley Jones Knightfall cover is an unrealistic want 3. A prime Neal Adams published Batman 4. A Zeck Punisher cover would be kinda cool 5. Did I mention a Wrightson Frankenstein plate?