The coolest thing about beginning a new hobby is discovering the people who have been enthusiasts all their life, or for a timeframe that seems like that. It’s kind of humbling, and very very frustrating at times. But it’s cool, in a life-affirming way. Take my word for it. I have begun collecting original comicbook art. I bought my first piece on Christmas day, 2005. I had been gathering up courage for almost six months, by then, stalking eBay auctions, bookmarking online dealer pages, trying to figure out the best way to get a deal. But at the end of it, my first comic-art buy was a completely impulsive one, the low bid made on the basis of the assumption that not too many eBayers would bid on Christmas day. And then I won, and realised that the seller would accept only money-orders and checks. And a lot of frantic emailing and the standard 2fargon-rescue followed. It took me a couple more months before I got those pieces in my hand, but all was cool.

And then I got serious with the Frank Quitely piece. I had been looking high and low for anything by Quitely – as if you didn’t know – and when I found a seller, I had to talk to him and figure out how much he really wanted for it, and if he had anything else by Quitely, and whether other people were buying Quitely pieces too. And Daniel did the coolest things ever, he pointed me to the Knockturn Alley for comic art, THE place for all collectors to maintain their own galleries, talk comic art, sell and buy their pages. This was the place pieces sold on eBay went to, and this was also The Source, the place from where the eBay pieces came. (Well, most of them, anyway.)

After months and months of dedicated stalking I know something more about comic book artwork – at least with regards to which page from which comic is in whose collection, which piece is most likely to come up on eBay soon, and, to a lesser extent, who will buy a piece that’s on eBay. I have learnt things that would make your hair curl – like why this eBay auction for a Sandman#8 page ( the issue in which Death first appears) was abruptly terminated. ( The answer? Someone made a 3000$ offer to the seller, and he accepted. This was within half an hour of the item coming up for sale.) I also know where my money will be going for the next couple of months, and possibly all of next year. I have also been indulging myself by buying artwork now and then, nothing too groundbreaking, but stuff that makes me really happy. And isn’t that what counts in a hobby?

So after much comic-art stalking and sobbing to self, I decided – the heck with it. There is nothing shameful about parading one’s paltry art collection. Maintain a presence, as the experts say. So here it is – my very own Comic Art Fans gallery. Feel free to take a look around. Feel free to make comments about my taste. Also bookmark it if you want to, because it’s going to be updated. Pretty soon, and very frequently.

And just for the record, quite a few of the pieces you see here wouldn’t even have arrived in India until now if it were not for 2fargon and madhav. Thanks guys, I owe you big.