Capullo selling his Batman artwork online

1 1

In case anyone here was not aware, Greg Capullo just listed some of his Batman work for sale on his website -

Link here - http://capulloart.net/?v=7516fd43adaa

While he's got some nice pages on there, they won't come cheap. Wait till you see what some of the panel pages are going for.

Askin' ain't gettin'....

Greg Capullo's pricing seems higher than what Neal Adams or Jim Lee would charge, and although subjective as an opinion, Capullo's work is many levels below those artists on the Batman title. I see him on par with David Finch and Tony Daniel in terms of where his pricing should be. But different strokes for different folks.

Fair to say, they're not priced to move and sell per se, otherwise you'd visit the website and see most of the inventory sold. However, that being said, they're priced direct from the artist who controls the inventory and pricing, so to that degree, theoretically it's not like if you're a fan of Capullo's artwork, that you could find similar original art cheaper. So, he's done an excellent job creating his rate standard, being consistent in what he charges and for the super-collectors of his work who value the original art at the asking price at least it is available.

I think if Capullo is ever in fund raising mode and finds his artwork is stacking up, he'd probably benefit from securing an art rep to help him understand the marketplace and how to price his art to actually sell. Otherwise, you never know if Capullo's star ever starts to fade and what once was hot commodities becomes less desirable artifacts not many eventually want to pursue. I do think he's probably going to be in the realm of Joe Mad, Mark Schultz, Travis Charest whose body of work isn't super expansive nor has relevance in terms of new or consistent releases, but are followed by fans and supported in the secondary market with stability in value/pricing.

Neal Adams charges a ridiculous amount on his site too but it's rare when it's actually worth it. His work is better when it's inked by someone else and he has this addiction to adding line movements and crosshatching that are unnecessary.

As for Capullo, I honestly don't blame him for charging what he's charging for his art. Whether you like the art / story or not, it's a Batman for a new generation that has been a top seller for DC. It's a now classic run from the Capullo / Snyder creative team Capullo also learned from the mistakes of McFarlane when it came to selling original artwork to the public. His stuff WILL go up just like McFarlane's, it's just a matter of time. It's akin to buying Jim Lee's art during his X-MEN or BATMAN run, McFarlane's run on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, Joe Mad's run on UNCANNY X-MEN, Neal Adams on GREEN LANTERN or John Byrne's run on X-MEN or FANTASTIC FOUR.

Better to buy on the ground floor while no one is looking before hype and demand kick in to make those pages out of reach. Just my 2 cents.

he needs to put down the pipe.....

I've decided to be positive about it, after clicking that link and seeing the pieces and the prices, and congratulate Greg on high level of personal confidence he possesses.

That's tough to find in the world today.

I think this is definitely the case of an artist that really isn't interested in selling his work, but if someone's willing to pay the ask, he can be persuaded. The Spawn pieces are just as high.

 

Better to buy on the ground floor while no one is looking before hype and demand kick in to make those pages out of reach.

I can agree that Capullo speaks to a new generation, but unlike Byrne, Adams, McFarlane, Lee,etc. who "earned" the proverbial "hobby love" by starting off with pricing in the hundred dollar range and slowly increasing in price/value, Capullo is coming out of the gate "at tomorrow's prices, today" where maybe these could be worth the asking price or more, maybe even much more in 10 years, but for the average collector when you're looking at $1-3k for interior pages, some non-splash pages @ $10k+, and a cover for $30k, what that money can buy today for more established and proven artists, and proven in the context of sustainable popularity like Kirby, Ditko, Romita, etc. - - or even his current contemporaries like Finch, Campbell, Hughes, Lee, Granov, Brooks, Cheung, etc., you get a lot more buying power with buying non-Capullo pieces, which feels like if they all went to a no-reserve traditional comic art auction where the marketplace determines the pricing, I'd speculate the art would sell for 1/3 of the asking prices, if not possibly even 75% or even 85% or more less than the listed price (i.e. a paneled page like Batman #37 Pg #8 = http://capulloart.net/product/batman-issue-37-page-8/?v=7516fd43adaa priced at $6,500 might probably sell for under $1,000 at auction - - and even if it sold at $3k, that's still more than 50% less than the listed price).

It feels like the mid/late 90's tech stock bubble where many companies were based on "potential" so the speculators bought into companies based on what they could become rather than what they actually were, and inadvertently, people woke up and realized how overpriced they were and the market crashed. A few like Apple survived and thrived, others like CMGI are pennies on the dollar off their highs. So, it is a risk with some upside if Capullo does emerge as a great storytelling artist that resonates with the type of nostalgia fans have for certain creators 10, 20 or even 30 years from now like Kirby Fantastic Four; Ditko Spider-Man; Adams Green Lantern; Byrne X-Men; Miller Daredevil; McFarlane Spider-Man; Lee Batman; etc. - - but keep in mind, even paneled pages by the more recent greats can be had for less than what Capullo is asking for his paneled pages today.

I'd love to see Capullo personally test the market and get that reality check to the valuation of his art by submitting a few pieces to Heritage and Comic Link and let the marketplace prove the naysayers wrong with explosive sales prices or let him know roughly what the marketplace values his art at if they fall short of what he has his art listed at online. All it takes is 2 pieces, and it's a test, not a commitment to all inventory. He may find if his art doesn't sell for what he's asking, and rather than sell it on the cheap, just pull the pieces, keep them in the "black hole" so years from now he can bring them out with a "fresh to market" perception when maybe the market matures to appreciate his artwork at higher values when he can slowly sell one piece at a time to retain the perception of scarcity and get the prices (or more) that he wants. Right now, it feels like a general consensus among collectors I've heard is that his pricing is extremely optimistically on the high side of what the market bares for his art today, and is out of reach for most collectors and is a risky gamble for investors.

yow, there's an extra 1 at the price of some of those panel pages

I'm not really familiar with him, but looks like he's hoping the the billionaire with the Impossible Collection to be a fan.

First off people are allowed to price at whatever prices they want. That being said the prices are pretty much on par with Hush pricing levels, and I think most would prefer to own a page from Hush than Capullo/Snyder Batman.

One interesting thing to me is that the pricing seems to be a bit all over the place. A few things actually look fairly reasonable to me and a few seem crazy high.

I am actually interested in 2 pages. These are all inks/pencils on separate boards correct? (The lack of overall info on the sight probably irritates me more than the prices.)

I am actually interested in 2 pages. These are all inks/pencils on separate boards correct? (The lack of overall info on the sight probably irritates me more than the prices.)

yes, I believe you are getting two pages - the inks and pencils - unless you are getting the pencil only haunt pages.

Better to buy on the ground floor while no one is looking before hype and demand kick in to make those pages out of reach. Just my 2 cents.

$90k for an early Spawn dps inked by McFarlane? $12k for a decent Batman in action panel page? Ground floor is already stratosphere.

Meanwhile I do like the Batman panel page, where I do not like most 21st century comic art. But I'm not interested over $800 or so. Poor me - lol

I don't like separate pencils and inks, and personally, none of these pages is a must-have. I really do like his art though and think some of the recent Batman stories are great.

Meanwhile I do like the Batman panel page, where I do not like most 21st century comic art. But I'm not interested over $800 or so. Poor me - lol

same here. would I bite at $500 for a panel page? probably. 1k too rich for me.

I think a few people here will be surprised at how many of these pages sell today at these prices.

If these panel pages with decent Batman images went to auction there is no way they would sell in the 3 figure range.

I think a few people here will be surprised at how many of these pages sell today at these prices.

 

If these panel pages with decent Batman images went to auction there is no way they would sell in the 3 figure range.

Have you seen any sales by Capullo of his Batman stuff? I ask because I haven't.

The couple of pieces that have popped up on CAF seem to have come from the inker.

He's had the same asking price on his Batman 1 cover for several years now.

Of course if a decent Batman page went to auction it would have to sell for 10-15 times the top of the three figure range to meet his asking price.

The first page that caught my eye was a page with no Batman on it and some character vomiting up what I guess is a little clayface....for $2600.

His twitter statements regarding pricing and reasons behind the high amounts --

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/722116952001548288?p=v

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/722123452308668418?p=v

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/722071617241812992?p=v

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/721397614625832960?p=v

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/721396486265835520?p=v

He has a price, but its a high one and I understand the reasoning behind it.

I was looking forward to purchasing a page from this run, but those prices really put me off. While I think his and Snyder's run have been great, I don't think it was that great for what he's asking. Glad I wasn't the only one thinking it.

Apparently though people are buying. Been seeing tweets about people grabbing pages so I guess there is the answer for some of us and his prices.

 

His stuff WILL go up just like McFarlane's, it's just a matter of time. It's akin to buying Jim Lee's art during his X-MEN or BATMAN run, McFarlane's run on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, Joe Mad's run on UNCANNY X-MEN, Neal Adams on GREEN LANTERN or John Byrne's run on X-MEN or FANTASTIC FOUR.

 

Better to buy on the ground floor while no one is looking before hype and demand kick in to make those pages out of reach.

 

No.

I agree, it's an analogy that has a basic and critical fault. All of those other artists didn't sell their artwork on day one at what it might eventually be worth someday. They sold their artwork at what the market would bear and then the market created itself in the trading and selling of those pages on the secondary market. It grew organically, it wasn't forced with a price tag reflective of a severe multiple of perceived market.

For example, check out some of those Byrne or Adams pages for the little penciled price on the back....unless it's a cover you aren't seeing 4 figures, you aren't even seeing high three figures. The Byrne pages that sell for $40,000 now sold for $75, $100, $150...which is why they sold, which is why a market was built and which is why the market can sustain itself after being grown organically.

I don't fault anyone for asking what they want for their items, but to think this is, in any way, a "ground floor" is correct only in that you're getting it from the source, not in the equity or value being transferred.

His twitter statements regarding pricing and reasons behind the high amounts --

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/722116952001548288?p=v

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/722123452308668418?p=v

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/722071617241812992?p=v

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/721397614625832960?p=v

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/GregCapullo/status/721396486265835520?p=v

 

He has a price, but its a high one and I understand the reasoning behind it.

 

While I agree that an artist doesn't have to sell his art if he doesn't want to, but why put it at such a price that's difficult to justify in it's purchase? If you don't want to part with it then don't, but putting it out at such a high price that a lot of fans can't justify spending on it just comes across wrong in my opinion. And opinions are like a-holes and I got plenty of them.