Q&A with Joe A

Which piece in your gallery is your favorite and why?

Although it's tough to pick a favorite, it currently has to be the Matteo Scalera Dark Knight Returns commission. As one of my favorite artists currently working, I feel like he captured those characters so well.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I started reading comics in the late 80's with Classic X-Men being my gateway off a mall bookstore spinner rack. One of my first purchases after that was the Dark Knight Returns and I was hooked. Soon I was swept up in the early 90's explosion and the rest was history. I dropped out for a while and was lured back by Instagram posts from my favorite creators. I now tend towards reading and appreciating newer and less super hero books and creators. I love the craft of creating the books and tend towards interior pages that show off storytelling over splash pages and covers.

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

I have been collecting original art for a relatively short amount of time - only since 2019. I had fallen out of collecting single issues and became much more focused on the artists themselves. Original art collecting is the best way to have a connection with the artists themselves, and there's only one of that piece in the world!

How do you display/store your collection at home?

I keep my art in portfolios that I browse through semi-regularly.

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

Top on my list currently are a Darwyn Cook Parker spread and a Travis Charest Wildcats X-Men Golden Age page. I'd love to own the Steve Lightle cover to my first comic ever - Classic X-Men #30 but my holy grail would be a Dark Knight Returns page. My commission theme is Dark Knight Returns Batman and Carrie Kelley, so I hope to continue growing my collection of unique artists doing their take on these two.