Dealers and conventions

[Dan Shane]

WILLIAM WRITES IN RESPONSE TO MY TIRADE ABOUT DEALERS:

> You misunderstand me. I'm not saying that the dealers made old comics and
> original comic art valuable. Collectors did that. I'm also not
> saying that
> the art itself has no value unless some dealer decides that it
> does. Supply
> and demand determines the value;

AND I REPLY:

I figured that your intended meaning was something akin to that, but I
thought some clarification was due.  Your original post gave the appearance
that dealers deserved all or most of the credit for the desirability and
value of comics and art.  Glad to get that cleared up.

WILLIAM CONTINUES:

> There also seems to be some confusion, at least in my mind, about
> Don Rosa
> objecting to people selling his artwork. Maybe all of you got
> your convention
> drawings for free, but I had to pay Don for the ones I own.

AND I CONTINUE:

Maybe I can do something to relieve your confusion on this issue.  I've
heard Don bemoan his dilemma with convention drawings. When he is in Europe,
he never charges for such drawings because he knows that it's a different
culture of collectors -- no one would ever ask for a drawing unless they
wanted it personally (or at least it's very rare), so he is more assured he
is working for fans.

In America the situation is different.  Here he does charge a fee, like all
other American comic artists who choose to do fan drawings, especially when
they are as detailed as Don's.  His fan drawings are painstaking and
publication-quality, usually in full-color. But since he takes great pride
in his work and wants fans to get something worthwhile for their money, I
have seen him work furiously the entire time the convention was open, never
stopping for rest or breaks, creating as many drawings as possible and
giving up any time he would have to enjoy the convention himself.

He knows there are easier ways to make more money, if money is what he
wants, by simply selling his signature on prints, as many other artists do.
He's told me in the past that he does not object in principal to people
selling something they pay for, but he dislikes seeing drawings that he
thought he was doing for a "fan" being put up for sale on eBay for 10-20
times what Don was paid for it, sometimes within 24 hours of the drawing
being done!  I saw this happen a few weeks ago.  I was on eBay one evening
when I knew Don to be out of town at a convention, and I saw a "fan" drawing
appear for sale.  I found out when Don returned home that he had just
created that piece at that very show.  He had not even made it back home
before the "fan" had tried to cash in at posted price that was many times
what he had just paid!

His reaction to such abuse is to simply not do fan drawings at conventions
except in sketchbooks or for people he personally knows. Otherwise he now
sits at his table and still signs anything that is presented to him, no
limit, and chats and relaxes. And this is obviously his right -- he is not
obligated to do drawings simply because he's a convention guest. Many other
artists do not do drawings, and their reasons are exactly the same as Don's.
(In Europe, Don still does as many free drawings as each situation or
timeframe allows... I think I saw some of you mentioning personally seeing
him doing so during Don's recent trip to some convention in Norway.) This
system has worked well, he tells me... he has a more relaxing and enjoyable
time at American conventions while still fulfilling some people's wishes for
sketches, many for free, on a more limited basis... though he has told me of
a lone incident when a boorish fellow showed up at a convention insisting
that Don was obligated to do drawings for convention-goers on demand,
whether he wanted to or not, and having a childish fit of pique when Don
would not comply.