What if... : ChrisK

4 juin 2023,  par  2DGalleries

 

It is ChrisK's turn to answer 2DG's  "What if...?"!

 

 

1. If you could tell us what triggered that passion about comic art and how you acquired your first original piece of art?


My passion for comic art evolved out of having read comic books. So, nostalgia for the stories I read as a kid are a huge component of what I choose to collect. But, as I’ve gotten deeper into the hobby and learned more about its evolution as an art form, I certainly collect way outside of what I read when I was young. I had no knowledge of Breccia, Caniff, Crepax, Herriman, McCay, Moebius, Raymond, Wright, etc. at that time, but I’ve grown to love the wide spectrum of creators across the globe that have contributed to the art form and, as a result, collect broadly today.


The first piece of comic art I acquired was a two-piece Batman & Grendel convention commission that Matt Wagner had done in advance of the release of Batman/Grendel.

The owner of a comic store in Champaign, Illinois had brought it back from a convention and displayed it in his store. Up to that point, I had never thought you could have contact with a creator of comic art – let alone commission something from him. I traded a bunch of comics for the art and have been collecting comic art ever since.

 

 

2. If i could add to my collection any artwork currently displayed in 2DG galleries?


I have an intense fascination with Francois Schuiten right now — his art from Obscure Cities, in particular. So, a piece along those lines on 2DG would be the focus.

 

 

 

 

Obscure Cities strip by François Schuiten, in Mzee collection

 

 

 

3. If i could keep only one piece of art from my collection?


This is such a challenging question, as I’m sure it is for most OA collectors.


There are a series of pieces that I just have such a hard time imagining what it would be like to not enjoy them in person – the Byrne/Austin X-Men DPS, the Moebius, the Kirby TOS 79 title splash, the Brave & the Bold issues I read as a kid, etc. So much of my collection is something that I have deep nostalgia for having been exposed to it at a young age.


But, if it’s going to be just one piece, it’s probably going to be the Carol Day 139 from the Lance Hallam storyline that first saw publication on February 20, 1957 in London’s newspaper, the Daily Mail:

 

 

 

Carol Day strip 139 by David Wright

 

 

The center panel of that three-panel strip is one of the prettiest pieces of strip art I have ever come across and encompasses so much about Carol Day and her creator, David Wright. He was a brilliant visual storyteller and Carol Day 139 is a one-strip master-class in evidencing his skill.

 

 

4. If i could get another chance to purchase an artwork that i missed in the past?


Well, while we’re on the topic of Carol Day, a fellow collector named Jeff Singh introduced me to the strip by sharing Carol Day 425 with me at a convention here in Chicago many years ago:

 

 

 

Carol Day strip 425 by David Wright

 

 

It was stunning and sparked an interest in the strip and its creator that eventually led to the establishment of a publishing entity with two other Carol Day enthusiasts (Slingsby Bros, Ink! with Roger Clark & Guy Mills) that just published our first volume of Carol Day stories (Lance Hallam). Carol Day 425 is the first step on that path and I missed a chance to add it to my collection a few years ago.


Big mistake. I do know where it is…so it’s a mistake I plan to fix some day!

 

 

5. If i could buy any of the artworks listed for sale on 2DG at the moment?


There is an incredibly unique piece from Alberto Breccia’s Perramus. While in the ‘for sale’ portion of the site, it is listed as ‘sold’, so not sure actually available, but it’s the piece that jumps out.

 

 

 

 

Perramus by Alberto Breccia, a piece recently sold on 2DG

 

 

 

6. If you were a comic book character?


As of right now, I’d be Mitchell Hundred, the fictional, super-hero mayor of NYC from Ex Machina — which is likely a function of being an American wishing for an everyman political figure who seeks a balanced and realistic approach to government, as messy as that might be. At the moment, such a person only exists in fictional stories, unfortunately!

 

 

 

 

 

Mitchell Hundred from Ex Machina

 

 

 

7. If you could get the chance to spend a day with a comic book artist from the past?


No doubt it would be David Wright, the creator of Carol Day. The publishing partnership I mentioned is analyzing his stories and art as we publish collected stories from the strip.

So, I’d want to spend time with him and dig deeper into what was behind his creative decisioning throughout the years as he thoughtfully navigated his signature character through life.

 

 

 

 

Pencil portrait of artist David Wright by Henry Coller (source: https://carol-day.com)

 

 

 

8. And if you could ask him only one question?


There’s a moment in a later storyline involving Carol Day and her lover at the time that, to an outside observer of the strip, seems visually significant. It’s a kiss on Carol’s hand as the relationship is coming to a painful end. I’d like to know if that moment is as significant as I think it is…or am I over-reading something into that moment and how it is visually presented.

Only David Wright could answer that question.

 

 

9. If you had to keep (or own) only one convention sketch?


Only one option here, but it’s a great one — an Eliza Ivanova sketch of Dream, Death & Matthew from the Sandman done at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. She absolutely
nailed it.

 

 

 

 

Dream & Death by Eliza Ivanova

 

 

 

10. if you had the opportunity to read the sequel of a comic book?


I’d love to read the next sequence of stories Neil Gaiman might create about the next Dream (the child formerly known as Daniel) in a sequel to The Sandman.

If the stories of Morpheus mined the deep histories and experience of the character, the new stories would examine Daniel as he builds his history and experience. I think that could be very interesting.

 

 

 

Finally, this is ChrisK's answer to a question provided by Aka from the previous What...if ?:

 

Aka : Acquiring which of your art has given you the greatest thrill, and why?

 

The answer to that question is the Moebius 'Long Tomorrow' page for two primary reasons.

 

 

 

Moebius strip for The long tomorrow in ChrisK's collection

 

 

 

The first reason is that I never thought I'd own a Moebius piece. I just did not feel like I had enough connection to collectors of his work to be able to put my hands on a really special piece of his.

 

The second reason is that I assumed that if I ever did chance into a great Moebius piece, it would not be from 'The Long Tomorrow'; just too short a story and too sought after by so many collectors for its subsequent broad science fiction influences. So, a great piece by an extraordinary artist from a signature & rare story? That is the definition of thrilling!

 

 

We would like to thank ChrisK again for his time and answers!

 

2DGalleries

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3 commentaires
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zzutak Great share... interesting and thoughtful remarks.
18 juin 2023 à 01:16
Joao Great interview from a Great Collector!
11 juin 2023 à 12:51
9A Very interesting thanks ! I will give a closer look to David Wright work.
4 juin 2023 à 10:58