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Topic: OT, a cautionary tale for art collectors (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Paul Greer
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Joined: 18 August 2004
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 6:33pm | IP Logged | 1  

JB, thanking you is the least we could do for all the years you've entertained us. I don't know if you or other comic pros really understand the impact and joy that you guys have had on our lives. Especially during our formative childhood years. Then to see this type of generousity given by you in our adult years makes me realize I'm glad I've remained a fan of this hobby for as long as I have.

Edited by Paul Greer on 29 July 2007 at 6:34pm
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Wallace Sellars
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 6:46pm | IP Logged | 2  

Agreed, Paul.  Three cheers...
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Stéphane Garrelie
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 6:48pm | IP Logged | 3  

The rewarding sentiments are well deserved JB,  for your very class act toward Gerry and for all the rest.
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Jeff Albertson
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 7:19pm | IP Logged | 4  

Very nice gesture, JB.  I've just got to shake my head at that other artist.
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Andy Ihnatko
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 8:47pm | IP Logged | 5  

Gerry, thanks so much for posting this. You really helped me avoid what would certainly have been months and months of hassle...!

A pal of mine attends Comic-Con every year, and he's SUCH a good pal that he offers to get sketches for my TIgra theme collection. I send him a short list of artists I'm interested in, some sheets of character reference, and a bankroll. After that, whatever he gets, he gets.

Michael Golden was one of those artists on the list. I'd seen some recent con sketches of his on CAF and they were all great. But on Friday, when I read your post, I immediately texted my pal. I knew he'd already set up a sketch with Golden on Thursday. I advised him that he should do everything short of commiting a Class "A" misdemeanor to make sure that by the time the con closed, Golden handed him either a sketch or my money back.

Well, he communicated this to Golden and his rep on Saturday and Sunday, and encountered resistance every time. "No, seriously...Michael can just finish this at his studio and mail it to your friend," "No refunds," "I don't even have your money..."

But my friend stuck to his guns and he texted me tonight to report that (a) he has my sketch and (b) I got great value for money. "It's loaded with detail," he said.

He also said that Golden was great to deal with and it was "his wife" that proved to be trouble, for whatever that might mean.

If the sketch is as good as my pal suggests, then it's doubly-impressive because it only took him about an hour. He says that Golden didn't really start it until a little after 4 on Sunday (perhaps because it became clear that my friend was serious about not leaving without one or the other), and it was picked up at 5:30, after the show closed.

It's possible that Golden is just one of those guys who can't function without a hard, inflexible deadline, and a customer who's standing right in front of him and breathing heavily.

Anyway. If not for your post -- and other stories about how long it takes the guy to "finish it at the studio and mail it off" -- I might be facing yet another interminable process of begging and begging an artist to give me a sketch that I've actually paid for and that they promised to deliver back when I was a much younger and stronger man.

And I can only deal with one of those at a time. One Big Name Artist is now on Year Two of finishing his con sketch. I know he's cultivated an affinity for TIgra...in the time since I gave him the character reference, two high-ticket Tigra pieces have appeared in his "for sale" gallery...

Let me add my own tip-o-the-hat to JB. It's reminiscent of so many stories when Specimen "A" acts like a total nozzle, and other people in the community/industry gather around, desperate to prove that no, really...we're not ALL like that. It demonstrates not just a certain strength of character, but a pride in one's profession.

The experience has left my friend a little weary.

He had another problem with another "artist's wife" (his term) and I had to assure him that I personally had never met a wife or girlfriend that wasn't aces. Alison Sohn alone balances out the bad behavior of ten people twice her size, and David Finch's (ach, I can't remember that sweet woman's name) is good for another five at the very least.


Edited by Andy Ihnatko on 29 July 2007 at 8:52pm
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Michael Finn
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 10:10pm | IP Logged | 6  

JB,

Yep, my theme is one minute later and you did Captain America #254, one minute later.  It stands as one of my favorite commissions and hangs proudly in my home.

It makes me happy every time I see it ...which is several times a day.

Michael
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Guest79877180
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 9:09am | IP Logged | 7  

Blog about the subject and (IMO) some nice props for JB.
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Jeff Gillmer
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 9:23am | IP Logged | 8  

JB, I just want to chime in as well and say that you're doing an incredibly nice thing with the extra commission. 

I just can't wrap my brain around the idea that a comic artist (or artist of any kind) would act so rude towards a paying customer.  Would they play the same games with an ad agency if they were hired to do an art slick?  Maybe, but only once.

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William McCormick
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 10:01am | IP Logged | 9  

Just read this thread. Gerry, that sucks. JB, just another reason you were, are and probably always will be my favorite creator.

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Aric Shapiro
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 10:11am | IP Logged | 10  

I honestly can't understand Mike's thought process here.  He must know that this story WILL get out.  You can always deny saying something, but there is no hiding from this.  The timing is also incredibly dumb, right before a major con. 

The net may be large, but the comic community, especially the art collecting comic book community is small. 

I absolutely will NEVER buy a single product with G*****'s name on it until he does right by Gerry and the others. 

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Joel Biske
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 1:04pm | IP Logged | 11  

Wow.... I'm amazed at the lack of professionalism by Michael Golden AND
his agent. Especially his agent. SHE is the liaison to the client/buyer and if
there's a problem delivering in a timely fashion, its her responsibility to
notify and find an adequate solution for the customer.

That said, the commision itself.... misspellings AND a $400 increase to
slap some marker lines on a sketch? I must be missing something there....
The Golden sketches that have been showing up here and at the CAF have
been quoted at $100, and THAT'S all you get for the extra $400. Wow! I
want that gig!

He's one of my favorites, but I would even consider giving him my $$$$.

Now, JB on the other hand has shown remarkable consistancy in every
commission I've seen here. WAY WAY worth whatever it being paid for
them... AND to volunteer to offset Gerry's pain and suffering by adding to
his commission is beyond that call of duty!

I astounds me the bad rap that JB continues to get....
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Aric Shapiro
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 1:08pm | IP Logged | 12  

Horror stories like Gerry's remind me how lucky we are to have Jim Warden working with John.  Warden is the best

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