New Year's Day...new year's art collecting goals

I decided I would write this up without looking at my previous entries regarding a comic art want list. I have mentioned before that collecting is really a "right now" mentality and I want to express my current thoughts about my collecting goals for the new year without bias, even if it is bias from myself.

Not really goals, but realities, is that I have to pay off 3 pieces of art this year. I have a Gene Colan Tomb of Dracula 44 splash (more on that issue later!) page that will be paid off around March. Thanks Mike! And thanks to Roger Clark as well, who let me put two pieces from his New Year's Eve sale on time payments. They are major commitments and won't be done until early mid-year, representing a size-able portion of my comic year budget unless I sell sell sell. And I am sell sell selling right now, please check the links above right! 2013 is about fiscal responsibility in the household, and I need to generate my own money for art. That means I need your money, if you need some art at least.

1) Now and always (I assume) - Starman. Except now I expect to find a cover each year, or two or three! I bought a lot of panel pages this year and brought my total, including ancillary titles like the 80 page Giant; Secret Files; etc., over 100 pages. And I am definitely in the market for the rest of them. All Tony Harris Starman pages and covers are on my want list, just some more than others.

2) My real grail needs mentioning even if it remains elusive. Double page spread of Dr. Strange by P Craig Russell from Ultimate Spider-Man Super Special. I spoke with Craig about this at a convention this year and he confirmed that it is long gone. I can hope though.

3) More pages from the crossover between Tomb of Dracula 44 and Dr. Strange 14 with art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. I now have my fill (4) of the pages Burkey is selling from issue 170 of Dr. Strange (for now at least - I have my eye on one more I must admit) and have moved these issues into my sites. I have one page from each issue and they are great. I am also getting the page one splash from Burkey when I give him the rest of the cash. (Thanks Mike!) I should be able to get at least one more this year, or I will count the year as a failure art collecting wise I would think. I know where some are, so I should be able to shake one or two loose.

4) Hmm. Now I have to actually think and separate reality from dreams. I guess I would say an Art Adams commission. $2000 is a tough thing to "fit in" but it could happen. I have already had the content cleared by John (thanks John!) but have not had the money and the guts at the same time to pull the trigger.

5) I have been really looking at Hal Foster Prince Valiant strips and wonder if I can get one under the radar some time. Surely a panel could be in my range. The same for an Alex Raymond piece.

6) Dave Sim Glamourpuss/The Strange Death of Alex Raymond art. I will also include the recent Mars Attacks cover Sim drew featuring Cerebus. This stuff is gold. I love it.

7) Frank Miller. I really have this on target for 2014 but if the right piece at the right price were to come along I would jump on it. Frank Miller is one of my favorite comic artists, and I am blessed to even think about having the disposable income to pursue this.

8) Barry Windsor-Smith. Storyteller preferred, but also Daredevil 236 art, X-Men Life Death stuff, or other stuff as well. Anything is on the table if he drew it but I would definitely like to acquire at least one more piece of art drawn by this talented man in the year 2013.

Let's see if we can get to a clean 10 now.

9) Oh, obviously I need more Dr. Strange Flight of Bones art. This is one of my top collecting foci right now, although pages are scarce. I have about 25% of the total pages (11/44 I think) so getting more is tough but I want them. As I  want...

10)...Matt Smith pages from Showcase 94 (95?). The storyline with The Shade. These go for $50 or so, but I will easily pay double that. The most expensive Matt Smith art out there!

Now this does not mean I will have these goals tomorrow, but tonight this is what I am thinking while I wait to watch the Knicks and Amar'e. Happy New Year y'all!