CAT Eyes on Original Art by Patrick Bain  A long time ago I dabbled with my own comic dailies called One Man's Treasures.  I won't go into the details but creating story and art for a comic strip was harder than I thought.  So, I commend the creators who stuck with it for decades knowing that sometimes people got them, and sometimes they didn't.  But either way, the daily schedule marched on with no regard for writer's block or cramped drawing hand.  Today, let's preview some of the works that made it!

Turning Directly to the Funnies Page

Johnny Comet by Frank FrazettaI guess modern kids don't know what it's like to open a newspaper, skip the headlines, sports, classifieds, and especially the obituaries--and turn directly to the daily or Sunday funnies.  Comic strip art speaks to that nostalgia.  I present as evidence that the "modern" art and preeminent piece in the upcoming September Heritage Auction is now thirty years old!  Of course, I'm referring to a piece by Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin & Hobbes.

A Kid and his Imaginary Tiger - A Rare Sighting

Calvin & Hobbes comic strip art by Bill WattersonA remarkable scarcity exists of original Calvin and Hobbes comic strip art.  I counted past HA sales of 9 unique daily strips--only one hand-colored.  And there was one hand-colored Sunday comic strip sale.  (By the way, the one up for sale previously sold in 2020, more on that later.)

For context, a total of 3,160 strips were made during Watterson's run from 1985 to 1995.  So, about 3/10 of 1% of created comic strips have made it to Heritage Auctions.  There's a pretty good chance that other auction houses have not seen too many either.

Calvin and Hobbes Comic Strip Art Market

Calvin And Hobbes by Bill WatersonIf you have a daily strip from Calvin and Hobbes to sell right now, this is a great time.  Supply is low, prices are high.  How long will that last?  Past history suggests this art doesn't come to market very often and maybe it never will.  On the other hand, there are probably 3,000 pages of art somewhere, maybe Bill Watterson's vault.

For now, we can only consider recent sales.  The above daily sold in 2021 for $132,000.  The hand-colored art currently for sale sold previously in 2020 for $102,000.  As a hand-colored page with an inscription by Bill Watterson, the current art likely sells at a premium to $132 grand.  And it probably sells for less than the $200K spent in 2012 for a color Sunday strip.

The current bid is over $60,000. But what happens if there is a deluge of supply for any reason?

Other Amazing Funnies

Peanuts Comic Strip Art by Charles SchulzPeanuts by Charles Schulz merits the title comic strip royalty.  The series has a long history with decades of art.  Twelve strips are currently up for auction ranging from 1958 to 1995 to illustrate the point.  A 1955 daily sold earlier this year for $90,000.  One from 1950 fell just short of $200 grand in 2020.

Other strips similar to the one above sold recently in the $20,000s.  I'm amazed that prices have held up so well on a series with so much supply.  I couldn't find any recent sales for under $10,000.  However, with several strips available from the 1990s, a buyer might get one for $3,000 to $4,000.

For an inexpensive alternative to Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes, I suggest Garfield.  It has enjoyed sustained commercial success.  Recent months have seen a huge supply so original dailies can be purchased in the hundreds rather than the thousands.

Superheroes Galore

Superman comic strip art by Wayne BoringThe funny pages have a long history of heroes like the Phantom, Terry and the Pirates, Flash Gordon, Prince Valiant, and Tarzan.  Here I want to mention 3 Golden Age DC superhero strips offered in the September auction.  Wayne Boring served many years as the Superman artist including work on the comic strip.

This art from 1948 is particularly nice in depicting Clark transforming into Superman.  No doubt this art will sell on the high end of Boring Superman art due to age and content.

Batman daily by Bob KaneI could make the case that a comic strip from 1945--prominently featuring Batman--by creator Bob Kane--OUGHT to sell for $100,000.  I base my statement on what Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes sell for.  But alas, there is no data to support that lofty presumption.  But it will probably sell slightly higher than another Batman daily from the 1940s featuring art by Dick Sprang.

Sprang is an industry legend who contributed to Batman under Bob Kane's name.

Comic Strip Art Wrap-Up

Tarzan by Hal FosterIf I wanted to make a safe bet on comic strip art in the upcoming Auction, I think the Bob Kane Batman checks a lot of boxes.  It is scarce, creator drawn (we believe), and an enduring character.  Calvin and Hobbes hold the most desire because the characters have not been commercialized or proliferated.  But, if those other 3,000 strips hit the market for whatever reason, then paying $150,000 for a common daily won't be a good thing.

Frank Frazetta's Johnny Comet Sunday may be the bargain of them all.  Consider his sparse work on comics and the million-dollar price tags for his paintings.

Check out my other CAT Eyes on Original Art articles: Batman preview and Marvel Bronze Art preview.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.