The Russ Cochran Comic Art Auctions - a 30 years Retrospective

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Hi

Coming close to 30 years ago, I started collecting original artwork via Russ Cochran's Comic Art Auctions.

As a progression to my passion for the EC comic books which, at the time, Russ was in the process of reprinting via his hardback library sets, I decided to seek out some of the original artworks (being sold on behalf of Bill Gaines).

As Russ reprinted an EC title, Gaines would then release all of that title's OA for sale, via auction.

To participate in the EC art auctions, you had to subscribe to Russ's Art Auction catalogs.

With nearly 3 decade's worth of Cochran Art catalogs behind me, I thought it might be a fun idea to look back on some of the highlights from those publications.

What will follow is a selection of pages that I think might be of interest to other OA collectors on this forum.

I would always pencil in the hammer prices, so as well as a visual record of what was sold, I also have sales prices duly noted.

First up are selected pages from Russ's September 15, 1982 Art Auction.

I bought Lot # 13, Al Feldstein's 8 page story art for "7 Year Old Genius!", from WEIRD FANTASY # 7, for the sum of $484.

I later traded-away this story . . .

Cover to the # 11 Art Auction Catalog, which comprised of 24 pages.

Where's a time machine when you need it? Thanks for posting, it's cool!

Incredible prices. This was the real beginning of our hobby. Russ deserves a lot of credit for organizing these and establishing the market for Frazetta, Wood, Herriman, Raymond, Foster, and others...

Rob

Where's a time machine when you need it? Thanks for posting, it's cool!

You're welcome, Ferran.

I'll be back tomorrow with highlights from Russ's # 12 Auction Catalog . . .

Incredible prices. This was the real beginning of our hobby. Russ deserves a lot of credit for organizing these and establishing the market for Frazetta, Wood, Herriman, Raymond, Foster, and others...

 

 

Rob

Thanks, Rob, I hope this will prove an interesting and worthwhile thread.

I will add anecdotes, wherever appropriate, along the way.

These are fantastic. The next catalog contains Kurtzman's "Corpse on the Imjin" correct? This is gonna sting a little.

Terry, can you explain the auction procedure? Were bids mailed in? Phoned in?

Thanks,

Darren

Great stuff Terry...so cool you saved them all these years. I've seen some at (boardie) Cryptkeeper's... he told me he used to send Russ letters from France with bids on certain pages after he got the catalogs.

Gasp !!!!

The stuff went for peanuts compared to what it sells for today.

Thanks for doing this!!!!

These are fantastic. The next catalog contains Kurtzman's "Corpse on the Imjin" correct? This is gonna sting a little.

Yes, that is correct. I bid on that story (one of Kurtzman's best), but lost out. I'll scan highlights from auction # 12 during the course of today.

Terry, can you explain the auction procedure? Were bids mailed in? Phoned in?

 

Thanks,

Darren

Hi Darren

I'll do better than that, I'll scan a page where Russ explains the auction procedure.