I’m afraid to say my collecting started as a manifestation of an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I’ve had that my whole life without ever being diagnosed. It only became recognizable as I got older and gained self awareness. Looking back, I used to do pretty strange things. Anyway, when a friend of mine introduced me to comics, back in the 7th grade, I must have been 11 or 12, I was hooked and finally my OCD tendencies found a new outlet. I quit for a while during high school and early college, when I became obsessed with other things, and was reintroduced my freshman or sophomore year in college. It’s been full throttle since. Comic collecting led to collecting limited edition books, 1st edition books, graphic novels, original art, art books, photo books, magazines and catalogues. I’ve become like a collecting vacuum cleaner, picking stuff up as I go along. I become relentless in my pursuit of collectibles. I get anxious when I absolutely must have something. It’s a disease.
2. Which comic character was your favorite and why?
Wow, that’s a tough one to answer. It’s changed significantly throughout the years. The first comic I ever picked up was Web of Spider-Man #1. It was such a beautiful issue with this amazing cover by Charles Vess. Immediately, Spider-Man became my favorite character. I just related to him and felt sorry for him and despite all his troubles, wanted to be him. What a wonderful character: fantastic powers, tragic history, real world problems. He was definitely one of the best characters created in the super-hero genre. And I still have much affection for him. There was also Batman from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, which for me, was the greatest incarnation of the character. But as I grew older and my interests changed, other comics and other characters began to really affect me. There was the comic book Sandman written by Neil Gaiman, with this wonderful cast of characters, including the title character Morpheus. There was Cerebus, with its protagonist, a barbarian aardvark, who was a vehicle for the authors varied, poignant and often controversial view points. There was the father in Lone Wolf & Cub, who was so complex in that he was very dark, vicious and deliberate in his ways, while remaining heroic, admirable and relatable. Usagi Yojimbo, a samurai rabbit, from the comic of the same name. Ultimately, if I had to choose one favorite character, it would probably be Bacchus from Eddie Campbell’s Deadface/Bacchus series. He’s the ancient god who survived and continues to live in our modern times. He’s just an extraordinary character, experience worn, somewhat bitter, but still has a thirst and appreciation for life, adventure and a good yarn. Not a great role model, but a hell of a character.
3. We were told that your collection of collectibles is vast and varied, how do you go about finding these collectibles?
There are things I get because I love them aesthetically, but I definitely keep one eye out for their value and potential for appreciation. And there are things I get because they speak to me personally and I could give a damn what their monetary worth is, because I would never part with them. So yes, the collection is vast and varied, but I think the items I collect hit the same emotional nerve, whether it’s something that catches my eye or my heart. I get a good chunk of my collection through online outlets. I can credit/thank Terry Richardson for my ebay addiction. I hardly ever visited eBay, until I started searching for one of his books. I was a big fan of Terry’s Sisley catalogues, and I read about an exhibit in Berlin featuring outtakes from several of those shoots and a book that was published in conjunction with the exhibit called Too Much. I checked with a few stores and no one even heard of it. So I started searching for it online obsessively, especially on eBay. Unfortunately, I never did find the book on eBay. To this day, eBay is a daily ritual. As for the book, I became convinced it was an urban legend and the book actually never existed. Terry confirmed its existence, but confessed to having only one copy himself. I looked for this book for the better part of 5 years before coming across it from some seller on a German equivalent of craigslist. I couldn’t believe it and I wouldn’t believe it until I actually saw it in my hands. It was incredibly difficult to make the transaction and I had to recruit one of my German models for help, but I finally got it. It was a beautiful book, but certainly anti-climactic, as it was such an arduous journey. I prize that book above all others. Ebay and the internet are the primary sources for my collection. But certainly, not the only source. I go to comic book conventions, small press conventions, art book festivals, galleries, specialty shops, including one of my favorite stores in NY, Dashwood Books, which deals exclusively in photography publications (small plug). I contact artists directly, publishers directly. I check out various galleries and establishments wherever I travel. I seek out other collectors with similar interests. Whatever it takes. I’m relentless in that regard.
4. How can you tell if the work you are obtaining is authentic?
It really depends on the item. Most books and comics list the printings or have tangible distinctions that stand them apart from other printings. So that’s pretty easy. As for art, you try to procure them from reputable sources or from the artists themselves. I’ve also had artists occasionally authenticate works that I was interested from a third party. Obviously there is a danger of fakes, but I think common sense, experience and a careful eye will catch those things. As with anything, you just have to be careful and expect a certain degree of risk.
5. Do you sell or trade your collection?
I do, sometimes an item just loses its luster for me or my tastes change or it no longer has that sentimental value. And sometimes I will see something that’s a bargain and feel that I can sell it for a profit or use it as currency for something else I want. I’ve actually done quite well in that regard. It’s all part of collecting. There are plenty of outlets for reaching other collectors, some mainstream, some a little more exclusive, but if you have something of value, someone else will want it. This part is also a lot of fun.
6. Do you try to draw or render your favorite comic hero in your own spare time or when you were growing up?
Not really. I’ve loved the visual arts as long as I can remember, but ironically, never developed any artistic abilities myself. So I tried to enter the visual arts world through the back door. I studied film and literature and really thought that I was going to either make movies or comics. Sadly, that hasn’t materialized. But I haven’t given up yet. I have a really interesting project that I’m working on and I will try to get it out there one day.
7. What's on your current favorite list, comics wise?
Well, my interest in art goes well beyond just comics. But I have to admit that my first artistic love was comics. And over the years that love has grown and diversified. To be honest, while I understand the value of the comic greats like Jack Kirby and Gil Kane, within their historical context, and while I always liked their work and admired them, I didn’t grow up on their comics and never developed that connection to them. Much like I value Citizen Kane from a historical context, but I can’t say it’s among my favorite films. There were exceptions, however. I really enjoyed Steve Ditko’s work on the early Spider-Man comics and artists such as Walt Kelly, George Herriman and Jim Steranko. But mostly, the artists that I truly love are the ones that re-ignited my interest in comics and continue to affect me today. Eddie Campbell with his poignant autobiographical and mythological stories, Chris Ware and his Acme Novelty Library, Daniel Clowes, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, Chester Brown, Eric Drooker with his beautiful wordless woodcut stories, Dave McKean who may have been the first artist to blow my mind, Anders Nilsen, Paul Pope, David Mazzucchelli, Charles Burns. As well as some wonderful European artists who don’t have as much recognition in the US, but are no less masters of the form, such as Frederic Coche, Lorenzo Mattotti, Thomas Ott, David B, Milo Manara, Olivier Schrauwen and many more that I’m forgetting. There is so much creativity in comics and so many exceptional comics. It used to be that artists drew comics because they couldn’t get work elsewhere. But the current crop of artists draw comics because they love comics and they’re as talented as some of the best fine artists out there.
...and art wise?
I think much of my interest in art stems from my love of German Expressionism, which had an affect on me before I knew what it was or what it was called. The deep, rich, passionate colors, the distorted figures, the wood cuts. And I find today’s so-called Deviant Art is the grandchild of the old German Expressionists and is often characterized by similar attributes, but is also influenced by cartoons, comics and pop culture. So much of my interest lies in these type of artists, from the classics like Lynd Ward, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Frans Masereel, Conrad Felixmuller to modern masters like Mark Ryden, Marion Peck, John Currin, Marcel Dzama, Dave Cooper, James Jean to new artists trying to establish themselves like Kathleen Lolley, Jack Long, Jason Hernendez. Again, I’m missing a ton of people, as I’m just going off the top of my head. Art has transportive qualities for me. I fall into the works, whether they’re comic book pages or fine art, to the world they present. It really just takes me away. And definitely, a lot of the art that I love has fantastic elements to them, some almost fable like, because that speaks to my own imagination. It’s what I would render if I had the ability. I do want to mention one more artists who I greatly admired. I was incredibly saddened to hear that Dash Snow passed away recently. We’ve lost some great photographers lately, Luke Smalley, Shawn Mortensen, but Dash’s passing really hit hard. While I’ve met him a few times, I can’t say that I knew him (he never remembered me), but I’ve followed his work for a few years now and to me he was a courageous artist, a true punk artist and a man of extraordinary vision. His art was uninhibited, much like his life. I have all his books and like them all, but I really loved his zines. His work and his zines were so intertwined. They were the perfect outlet for his art. And his love for those wonderful zines was clearly evident. I especially loved “In the Softest Grey Petals of the Bomb, Lay Your Finger Across My Lips,” on which he collaborated with Leo Fitzpatrick. It is dark, thoughtful and serene. Very poetic and very moving. I also loved “Gang Bang at Ground Zero,” a hysterical and disturbing zine he did with his father. He was a great artists and taken way too soon.
8. Is there something out there you haven't been able to track down yet and want badly?
While there are a few items that I’m having a difficult time tracking, most things I’m interested in are out there, they’re just too expensive. I don’t have unlimited funds. I have a family, big expenses and my disposable income is quite limited. So often it’s not about finding something, it’s about finding something affordable and not overpaying. I would love to get a piece by Robert Crumb, a great Sandman page or a Dave McKean Sandman cover, a Dave Cooper painting, a mint copy of Terry Richardson’s Hysteric Glamour book, some of Larry Clark’s early books or a Ryan McGinley print, and they’re out there, I just can’t afford them at the moment. But I’m good at finding opportunities. Sniffing out an undervalued piece or by combining trade and cash to get something I want. I feel that at some point, I will be able to get the things I want. There are, however, some items that are not necessarily expensive, but are impossible to find. That Terry Richardson book I mentioned. While most of his other books are more expensive, Too Much is impossible to find. Likewise, I would love to get Ryan McGinley’s The Kids are Alright. I’ve only ever seen it at a gallery showing of his. I’ve never seen it for sale anywhere. I’m sure it would be less expensive than some of his other books, but try finding it. There is a particular Raymond Pettibon zine that I’ve never been able to locate; some of Chris Ware’s early self published comics. I would love to get my hands on the first 3 issues of the original Purple Fashion magazines from the late 90's. My wish list is huge, a combination of stuff I can’t afford and stuff I can’t find. And it really crosses all my interests.
9. How do you envision the future of comics/art collectibles as we enter into the digital age? Do you envision changes in the distant future?
I think digital technology is both good and bad for comics, as it is for any printed media. I think it’s good in the sense that it allows more talented people to produce quality works. Unfortunately, it’s bad for the same reason. There are a lot of hacks out there who are able to produce mediocre and poor work and put it out there, essentially muddying the field and making it difficult to find the quality stuff. In the end, I think it will probably do more harm than good and will end up eventually maiming the printed media. I don’t want to say kill, because there will always be people like myself who have the utmost respect for printed matter. There are website and organizations devoted to preserving and discussing printed matter. I love it and others do as well. I love the feel of it, the tangibility to it. It’s comfortable and organic. I don’t want to read off my screen. I already spend way too much time in front of a computer screen. I don’t want to be forced to use it for even more of my recreational time. On top of that, art and photography just doesn’t look the same on the computer screen as it does in person or in printed form. But there is no getting around it, eventually, and I mean well into the future, it will essentially replace the printed media in many ways. More and more comics are being produced strictly for the internet, including some from the big publishers. And the audience for it is growing. On the other hand, I think it’s going to make printed matter and collectibles of today and yesterday that much more valuable. And I think this especially applies to magazines. I feel as collectibles, magazines are extremely undervalued. They’ve never been collected, since they’ve always been regarded as disposable. Not any more. These days many wonderful magazines are produced with such care in design, quality of printing and beautiful content, that it’s impossible to toss them out. But because there is no back issue market for them (other than eBay), they’re still not considered collectible. That will change. Magazines will be the next collectible items. Even now you can see how much old Dutch magazines are going for. And old issues of Face, ID, Italian Vogue, Purple, Self Service, Pop are extremely tough to find. They may still be affordable if you do locate them, but that’s no easy task. Anyway, as digital technology advances and more people have access to the internet, these beautiful products of the printed age will be highly sought after. Mark my words.
10. What does your family think about your collecting, especially your young son? Where do you store your comics/art collection?
Well, my son is 15 months, so he really has very little opinion on the matter, though he seems to love going after my stuff with his peanut buttery hands. So maybe he approves after all. My wife is obviously very unhappy with my collecting ways. If she didn’t have the tolerance of a saint, I would have been hacked up in my sleep a long time ago. She’s not happy, but she knew what she was getting herself into. My stuff wasn’t hidden. There aren’t enough closets in Manhattan to hide my stuff. So she was aware of my “sickness” and has put up with it. I get horrible glares every time I bring stuff into the house and truthfully, I’ve become more selective with my purchases and have cut down significantly, both for financial reasons and lack of space.
As for storing my art, the stuff is everywhere. Every closet, tons of bookshelves, on the floor, under the bed, in the corners, in the baby’s crib (just kidding). It’s a problem and we need to move into a bigger place, which will hopefully happen very soon. But, in all honesty, the stuff I have she does appreciate and enjoys it. I’ve turned her onto comic books, she appreciates art and she goes through some of my books and magazines. She just can’t deal with the volume. My parents, brother and most of my friend just think I’m a weirdo. I don’t disagree.
11. Bonus Question: Your motto in life in relation to your love of collecting.
Honesty, I don’t see my collecting as a positive thing. It’s an obsession. I’ve fantasized about unburdening myself of all my stuff and having nothing to my name. That being said, I’ve taken my OCD and turned it into a hobby I’m proud of. I live and breathe this stuff. But I don’t think it is healthy to be that obsessive about anything. Frankly, I see it as an addiction. It’s a drug. And addiction is bad. So remember kids, don’t do drugs. Hey that’s a motto, right?
)
