Q&A with Eric Wenger

Which piece in your gallery is your favorite and why?

Currently my favorite piece in my gallery is the Morales inks on the Bennett pencils. I love Joe Bennett's style, and when I commissioned him to have Spider-Man fighting Electro and Shocker, he did not disappoint. The composition and action are just great. Then, taking that amazing artwork and having Mark ink it, well it took it to the next level. They are framed and hung side-by-side as I had Mark ink bluelines.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I like a lot of people here grew up on a steady diet of comics. I also drew and studied art, but my talent was never good enough to be part of the industry. I started to collect no just comics, but art from the artists themselves, and now I am addicted to the hobby.

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

I had been going to cons for many years, but mostly for comics and for signatures. I started collecting comic art in earnest in 2012 when a good friend of mine introduced me to the hobby. I've had periods of collecting less, and periods where I have been able to collect more. I feel I am finally starting to get more serious about the hobby here in 2021.

How do you display/store your collection at home?

95% of my collection is framed and hung up around my house. There isn't a week where I don't walk around the house and enjoy the art.

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

Wow, top 5? That's a tough list - but this is my current top 5. 1. A Steve Ditko Spider-Man cover or full page splash. Ditko to me is the father of Spider-Man, and his style is forever etched in my mind. 2. A Sal Buscema Spider-Man would take the #2 spot. Buscema on Spider-Man is pure nostalgia for me. 3. John Romita Sr. Spider-Man cover or DPS. JR SR is another artist that will forever hold a place on my list. 4. A Jack Kirby - I mean how can you have a top 5 with The Godfather? 5. Erik Larsen Spider-Man, especially fighting some classic costume Spidey villains like Electro, Sandman, Shocker or the Vulture.