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PEDIGREE BOOK UPDATE
1/24/08
ALLENTOWN CHAPTER OF PEDIGREE
BOOK REVEALED
Comicpedigrees.com is proud to unveil the Allentown pedigree
chapter of their forthcoming book on the 45 greatest Golden Age collections
ever discovered, which can be viewed here.
This sneak peek reveals how each collection will be presented in the book,
including their discovery, the original list, charts and graphs on grade and
content, and tons of pictures of pedigree copies. "We've spent countless
hours researching each collection to make sure no stone was left unturned,"
says Matt Nelson, who is co-authoring the book with Stephen Ritter. "Thanks
to the scope of this project and the community's anticipation, most everyone
has been forthcoming with information. We've discovered many new facts that
will surprise even the most seasoned collectors."
Nelson continues; "As you can see in the Allentown write-up,
it's a challenge to present the mountain of material in an orderly fashion,
but luckily we've got Arnie Sawyer working with us." Sawyer, well known for
his work on the first Marvel Universe cardset from Skybox, as well as
several instantly recognizable logos throughout the industry, also designs
movie posters for independent films. "Arnie has graciously taken on this
project despite his busy schedule, but I know it's a labor of love," says
Nelson. "It's apparent from this Allentown chapter that he's the right guy
for the job."
The book is slated for a summer 2008 release, as Nelson and
Ritter are currently finishing the last of the 45 write-ups. Ritter explains
why the tail end of this book project is in some ways the most difficult:
"even as we finish editing and finalizing the front and back end of the
book, the stream of new information doesn't stop. Many times we've had to
revisit chapters that were previously finished, and add or completely change
things based on new facts that have come to light. But accuracy is our #1
goal. We've only got one shot to get this right."
7/16/07
THE FOUR
CRITERIA FOR A PEDIGREE COLLECTION HAVE POSTED
Even though these criteria have been loosely defined in the hobby for many
years, no one has attempted to quantify them until now. Using the data we've
gleaned from sales histories, CGC grades, original lists, and discussions with
dealers and collectors, these four criteria now have specific parameters
established to judge future collections that enter the market. These criteria
will also be the central part of our upcoming book. Check it out
here.
6/1/07
PEDIGREE LIST OF 45
GOLDEN AGE FINALLY REVEALED
The definitive list has finally been posted here.
These 45 collections will be the focal point in
Volume I of our forthcoming book on pedigrees. Each pedigree contains a brief
story, information on the quality of books, pictures and graphs. If anyone has
more information pertaining to any of these collections, please contact us
(credit will be given in the book).
12/1/06
Matt Nelson, Stephen Ritter, Mark Haspel and West Stephen, co-writers of the forthcoming book on the greatest pedigree comic collections ever discovered, are excited to announce that they've secured a deal with Arnie Sawyer to handle the graphic design for the book. In addition to running a successful studio in New York City, Arnie is also a well-known collector, and has already made his mark in comics through graphic design. Both the Diamond International Galleries and Gemstone logos were created by him. "We're very excited about working with Arnie because, as a knowledgeable collector with many pedigrees in his own collection, he has insight into our project that the typical graphic designer would not. Plus his work is just top-notch," says Matt Nelson.
Arnie Sawyer Studios, Inc. www.asawyer.com was founded in 1980 as a graphic design and illustration studio after Arnie graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. As an illustrator, Arnie's clients include The New York Times, NBC-TV, and numerous monthly trade and consumer magazines. The Friars Club of NY commissioned him to paint a series of portraits of their most famous members, all of which are prominently displayed in the clubhouse. In a short time, Mr. Sawyer began designing posters for 'Art' and foreign films. Soon these obscure and often subtitled movies grew in importance and stature, becoming what is now known as Independent Cinema, winning the lion's share of Oscar nominations and statues each spring. As the industry grew, Arnie worked for most of the biggest and smallest distributors, including: Miramax Films, New Line Cinema, Samuel Goldwyn, October Films, IFC Films and others. They now place ads nationwide for their client's openings around the country in addition to their continued design work.
In the 90s Arnie brought his love of comics and skill at graphic design to the trading card industry. His studio designed nearly every Marvel Cardset for the first three years, and Arnie's painted portrait of Stan Lee (which had earlier been used as the cover of FOOM Magazine) was included in the first Marvel Universe cardset from SkyBox. The sets they designed included Marvel Masterpieces, Fleer Ultra X-Men, Marvel Universe, Spider-Man and Wolverine and many more. Interestingly, all but 2 of the comics covers portrayed on the cardbacks of the revolutionary first Marvel Masterpiece set (painted by Joe Jusko) are actually from Arnie's personal collection! Arnie also worked on DC Comics sets (Return of Superman, Kingdom Come, DC VS Marvel) as well as sets for Topps (Star Wars, Universal Monsters, Vampirella) and Inkworks (Elvis, James Bond, Spawn) in a frantic 5 year stretch.
When approached with the idea of working on the pedigree book, Arnie jumped at the chance. "I always love working on comics projects and images... and this book will be a lot of fun. I'm excited to get to work right away!"
"We feel that Arnie's participation brings a whole new level of professionalism to our book," states Stephen Ritter. "In just our first meeting with him, several ideas fell into place, and our objectives became more focused. He's used to deadlines, so we stand a good chance of finishing the book on time!"
11/07/06
THE GREATEST GOLDEN AGE COLLECTIONS EVER DISCOVERED
SLATED FOR 2007 RELEASE
Matt Nelson and Stephen Ritter, both previously working on separate books about pedigrees, met this past winter and decided a joint effort would produce a sum vastly greater than its parts. Stephen is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, and sets up at many shows throughout the year. Matt runs Classics Incorporated, a conservation and restoration business. They have recently teamed up to produce Comic Book Pedigrees(CBP), the website you're reading right now!
Joining them on the book is Mark Haspel and West Stephan of CGC, both show goers themselves. Mark and West's involvement opens the doors to CGC's vast accumulation of data they have amassed from grading thousands of pedigreed books over the last six years. Having handled and graded hundreds of copies for each pedigree, their experience will be heavily tapped for the book.
"Dozens of participants have joined to help us make the book as accurate as possible by offering original lists, histories, and pictures from each pedigree collection," remarks Matt Nelson. "Thanks to an enthusiastic response, we’ve uncovered 34 full or partial original lists, which we consider will be the nucleus of the book. Several more are in the process of being tracked down. Very soon we’ll be adding a full list of the collections we’re covering, and which lists we’re missing."
Nelson continues, "Pedigreed comics represent the absolute best you can get as a collector. They have redefined our grading system and pricing structures, and yet have maintained an aura of mystery all of these years. There is much to be said, and many books to compare. What are the top five collections? How many pedigreed Action #1’s are there? Fewer than you think, out of 80 collections. How do collections compare, grade to grade? What parts of the country have most collections come from?"
All of this and much more will be answered in the forthcoming book, slated for a 2007 release. As a teaser, CBP is now previewing the Windy City write-up to give you an idea what to expect from each pedigreed collection entry in the book.
If anyone has any information on pedigree collections, please contact Stephen Ritter at sritter@woh.rr.com, Matt Nelson at spectre52@aol.com, or Mark Haspel at mhaspel@cgccomics.com.
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