The Most Awkward Moments In Comic History

When I was growing up you didn’t have too many words that meant something dirty along with the original meaning.  Sure we had the words we snickered at such as the name “Dick”, but it seems that today you can twist just about any term into a dirty word.  I’m not criticizing, I’m just observing.  That being said, comics that were written many moons ago used terms that, today, seem a little dirtier than they were meant.  In other words, serious comic strips back then may be termed as humorous now.

So, this is The Comic Whisperer’s list of some of The Most Awkward Moments in Comic History.   These are actual panels from actual comic strips, nothing is doctored or photoshopped.

1.)  Expose Myself  These were two words that, I think, always had that filthy twist to them.  I was just as likely to laugh at James Bond saying he didn’t want to “expose himself” to his enemies as I am to laugh at it today.  That being said, I am not sure of any day or age where Robin exposing himself wouldn’t be funny.

2.)  Vibrator  I’m not sure what the weapon was exactly in this comic but I know what I pictured in my head.  I don’t think I need to add anything to this comic other than asking if this weapon took batteries or if it plugged into the wall.

3.)  Making Love To a Goat  This one is purely visual and it’s implications are what make it funny. It clearly wasn’t meant to have any dirty second meaning, but it’s very easy to assign one.

4.)  Mounting The Ant  Jimmy Olsen is arguably the king of the characters when it comes to being  morphed into something else.  If you look back through comic history you will see the many forms that Jimmy has taken.  Some are quite funny.  In this particular case he has been made very tiny and is asked to do something that seems quite normal, but our own twisted thoughts assign other meanings.

5.)  Donald and Daisy Duck  It’s hard to surf the net without finding a site that talks about little dirty, if not subliminal, messages and pictures embedded in Disney’s films.  Whether it’s the word “Sex” spelled out in the leaves in The Lion King or the supposed erection sported by the priest in the Little Mermaid, Disney has come under fire.  Personally I’m not sure if it’s just us seeing something dirty where it’s actually innocent, or if it is done intentionally by artists hoping to add a “signature” to their films.  Either way this one is clear, even to Daisy, that there is more than one meaning to what Donald is saying.

6.)  Cable TV There are child and teen superheroes more so today than in the past.  There was also a time when Cable TV was the only place where you would see racy story lines.  The two facts collide here with one of the most time tested child/teen heroes of all time, Robin.  As in life these teens need to grow up and there is no better comic than Teen Titans to show the transition from teen to adulthood.  It can be an agonizing process...

7.)  Selling More Comics  They say in movies and books that the best way to sell more is to include nudity, sex, violence and adult language.  Movies and books adopted this philosophy very quickly and the theory was right.  The more sex, violence, nudity and adult language the better.  Stories that were once exclusive to cable tv, or stashed behind the counter in a book store, became mainstream.  In time comics took up the trend.  She-Hulk was drafted to take help sell more comics...

8.)  Then and Now  This is a clear case of what the term meant then versus what the term implies now.  I really can’t add anything else to this one, it speaks for itself.

9.)  Spankings As a kid spankings were no joke.  I know that today there is a great deal of controversy around whether spankings are an acceptable form of punishment.  I can tell you, though, that when I was a kid they were acceptable.  Today spankings aren’t just associated with punishment anymore.  They’ve taken on a double meaning which I don’t really need to explain.  Here the meaning is pretty straightforward....

10)  Undergarments  Most DC fans find Batman to be a dark, brooding, serious character that has few humerous idiosyncrasies.   If he did have them one would not predict undergarments to be one of them.  Robin, though, appears to have discovered something...

This list has been a chance to poke fun at an industry that has been around through many wars, trends, presidents, fads, etc.  One of the things that has changed most over the years is our language , and the meaning of words, making it impossible for us not to be able to look back and have a laugh.  The display of these panels was not meant to offend anyone and I apologize sincerely if it has.  As a human race we have changed dramatically over the years and change can be good.  I suspect in 20 years we’ll be able to look back at the captions of today and marvel at how much we have changed.

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Just Give Me a Friggin’ Sign!!

This post will be somewhat of a rehash and it won’t focus as much on comics like normal, but it needed to be written.  Consider it therapeutic.

It’s no secret that my son and I are trying, very hard mind you, to get our business regional and national attention.  The fact is that this blog is read internationally as well as nationally.  I want to thank all of the readers in China, Japan, Malaysia, Germany, the UK, Portugal, the US, Canada, and several other countries.  The hard part about thanking people is that you don’t want to miss anyone, so if I missed you I apologize.

Anyway, we are trying to get our business more exposure.  As you know, we buy, sell and appraise comic books and we run a charity called “Comics Help Kids Read” that gets comic books in the hands of kids who are learning to read.

Recently I’ve felt as though we weren’t gaining enough traction and saw that we were actually losing followers on Twitter and Facebook.  Being a hard working and ethical person I often look to the universe to somehow reward me for staying on the right path and doing the right thing.  In the past this has always been the case.  I also look for signs that the universe is listening and look for any possible forms of “feedback” that confirm that it’s “listening".

I got that feedback recently and here’s the story.

I keep notes posted all over my office and bathroom (the two places I spend time thinking) that are motivational and designed to help me with my “self-talk”, the stuff I say to myself in my head.

Oh, don’t tell me you don’t talk to yourself in your head.  You give yourself feedback constantly.  Things like, “I look terrible in this shirt” or “Why couldn’t I get that thing to work?”.  That kind of stuff.

Having read that your “self talk” is very important I keep these notes hanging all over the place and my wife puts up with it.  I want to remind myself to think positive.  To put those positive vibes out into the universe.

Then I check to see if the universe is listening.

It sounds freaky and new-ageish, if new-age is even a term anymore, but it’s not.  It’s being written about more and more that what you say to yourself is important and what you think changes your life.

I recently started a business partnership with someone to do something outside the comic book industry.  Like you, I need income so I needed a revenue stream to keep a roof over my head.  But in doing so the doubts hit me.  Shouldn’t I stay focused on one thing?  Shouldn’t I stick with the comic book business and keep pushing until it takes off?  I admit I was really torn.  It’s no secret that my wife has cancer and if I don’t have income I can’t take care of her and my kids.

So, I put it out to the universe.  What should I do?  Where should I focus?  I need an answer!!

I didn’t immediately see an answer as I had hoped.  Trust me, I looked and looked.

So, here’s the rehash part.

Then yesterday it came.

I was in my office working on plans for The Comic Whisperer and how we could continue to grow and I, as always, heard a piece of a TV show my wife was watching.  It was the Garage Brothers.  A show I blogged about previously.

As I said in the previous blog I don’t watch much TV, I prefer to read or mess around on my iPad, so I don’t catch many episodes of, well, anything.  Name a show and I can virtually guarantee you I haven’t seen more than a couple of episodes...if any.  There are exceptions; I love American Horror Story, Impractical Jokers, The Carbonaro Effect and Dexter (which is no longer making new episodes) but in general I don’t spend much time in front of the TV.

So, since Garage Brothers has had many episodes that aired the chances of me seeing (or hearing in this case) an episode I was familiar with was virtually nil.  Actually, that’s what’s nice about not watching TV.  Whenever you sit down in front of the boob tube you are almost guaranteed not to see a rerun.

Hearing it was on, and me needing to take a lunch break,  and almost guaranteed that I hadn’t seen the episode, I sauntered into the living room and sat down.  The show was at a point where they were just uncovering something so I came in at a good point.  I recognized the piece immediately.   They were uncovering a statue of the Silver Surfer.  This was the show with the comic book expert....the only episode I have ever seen.  The very one I blogged about.  What were the odds??

I took it as my sign.  Stick with the comic book business.  Stick with doing what I know and love.  After all, isn’t naming a show Garage Brothers making a commitment?  They can’t exactly go off and start an accounting firm.  They are committed.  American Horror Story can’t start showing a romance (unless it has a gruesome ending).  They are committed.  Michael Carbonaro can’t do a show on remodeling houses (unless he just makes new furniture appear).  He’s committed.

Again, I owe a debt to the Garage Brothers.  It’s just weird that the lesson comes from the same freakin’ episode.

All this being said, we can’t fail can we?  The universe told us so through that episode, right?  The odds of seeing the same episode when countless others could have been aired is too small, right?  It had to be a sign.  Well, this sign said “Garage Brothers” and I am going to take it and run with it.  It’s what I wanted anyway.

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We look forward to many years of serving you.  The universe said so.

Old School Collecting

I am fortunate enough to live near a bagel shop that is owned by a gentleman and his wife that sells comic book art along with their deli/bagel items.   The funny thing is that he tells me his shop has been there for 12 years and I never saw it because it was on a road I don’t normally take.  Having lived here for more than 15 years I may have missed out on some good items.  The good thing is that I now know it’s there.

The gentleman is easily recognized when you walk through the door.  Not because he is the only gentleman behind the counter but because underneath the hat he wears is a crop of bright green hair.   Hair that can easily be confused with the hair of the comic book villain, the Joker.  I would put a picture of this gentleman, but I haven’t gotten his permission to do so and I don’t feel comfortable doing it.  Take my word for it, though, he looks like the Joker would if he worked at a bagel shop.

I commented on his hair and he handed me his card.  He is famous for going to ComicCons and dressing as the Joker.  It’s no secret that I live in CT and he calls himself CT Joker.  My son, knowing that there is a person who dresses as the Joker at local ComicCons, and is known for his high pitched Joker-like laugh, asked him if he was, in fact, him.  He responded by laughing this high pitched shrill laugh that could easily be that of the Joker himself.  It was him.

What a rare find, a bagel shop owned by someone who may be the Joker come to life, and it was miles from my front door.  The comic art for sale was an incredible find as well.  It will soon find it’s way onto the walls of my office.

Needless to say we all got talking comics, collecting, and the value of individual comics we have.  The topic eventually came around to old school notions about collecting and grading comic books.  I had to get in a plug for my business, so I started digging into his thoughts after collecting for 35 years himself:

“I’m The Comic Whisperer and I have a local business that is known for buying, selling and comic book grading.”

“Wow, that’s cool.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an independent appraiser outside of CGC doing grading on comics I see on eBay.”

“No, you won’t.  I do more of private stock for old school collectors.  I’ve been grading comics for over 40 years.  I was grading before the appraisers at CGC were even born.  I’m not criticizing them, it’s just a fact.”

“Yea, I wanted to get a comic book graded but I didn’t feel comfortable sending a valuable comic of mine through the mail not knowing who got it and how it was handled.”

“I know what you mean.  Many people feel like that and that is where my business comes in.”

I went into a gratuitous advertisement for my business that you really don’t want to read, so I’ll skip ahead.  He continued:

“I’m more old school when it comes to collecting.”

“Yep, me too.”

So, what does old school mean?  For those of you that are in your 20’s or 30’s you won’t know exactly what he is referring to, but I do (I’m way out of my 20’s and 30’s).  Old school means that you treat every comic book with care, don’t let anyone else handle them without you watching like a hawk, and you still like to read your collection.  This means you don’t get your comics sealed in a shell, you still read your comic books, you don’t send them away for a stranger to handle, and you certainly don’t sell them unless you are forced to at gunpoint.  In other words, you treat your comics with tender loving care, like your kids.  Your don’t lock your kids in a shell, you still like to talk to your kids, you don’t let strangers babysit your kids, and you would’t give them up for anything in the world.  THAT is old school.

I have to say it’s nice being old and watching how comic book collecting has evolved over the years.  I don’t always like the way the trends are going, that comics are treated like museum pieces not to be touched or read and they are sold at the drop of a hat for a profit.  But things change and that’s good, I like change.  My way isn’t always the right way and without change I’d still be riding a horse to a client’s house.

The very next day we were back at the flea market looking for good deals on comics and something hit me.  It hit me when we got to a stand that was selling an old dental hygienist chair that dates back to the 70’s (still younger than me...sigh).  There was a crowd around it of people talking about what a great find it was.  I talked to an older gentleman next to me (yes, older than me) and said:

“It looks like what was out is now coming back in.”

He nodded his head and smiled and said:

“So true, I wish that I had kept all my stuff instead of getting rid of it.  I could sell it for a fortune today.  It’s all coming full circle.”

I couldn't agree more.  All of these new fangled ideas of locking comics away never to be read again or buying them just to flip them for a buck (my apologies to those who have comic book businesses or stores, you are the exception and the reason for me living) will come to pass and the old school will come back again.  It all does come full circle.

I’ll be ready when it does and please remember who I am.  I am The Comic Whisperer.  I can be reached at any time of the day or night and comics are my life.  Please follow me at:

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I also have a charity in which I collect donations and old comic books to donate to children who are just learning to read.  You can donate at:

www.gofundme.com/comicshelpkidsread

I look forward to working with anyone who want their comics treated like they’re my own.

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

We had a person who wanted to donate to Comics Help Kids Read, the charity I discussed in a separate blog, (found at www.gofundme.com/comicshelpkidsread) and he asked how much I wanted the donation to be.  I jokingly said a penny for every space on a checkerboard, but I want the penny to double for each space.  He said, "Done".  He had no idea what he was getting into.

I turned him down because what he was thinking, and what the reality of the situation was, were completely different.  Even Bill Gates couldn't make a donation that size.  (see the bottom of the blog to see what the total dollar amount would be if a penny were doubled for every space on a checkerboard).

Let me ask you a question.  If someone offered to donate $5 million right now in cash OR donate a penny each day for a month, doubling it each day, which would you take?  The smart bet is on the penny that doubles each day.  It doesn't seem logical to turn down $5 million right now for a mere penny doubling each day though, does it?  Think about it, at the end of 16 days you wouldn't have even broken $1,000 yet if you were doing the "penny a day, doubled daily" plan.

Let's talk a look because things aren't always what they seem.

Let's take a standard month of 30 days.  If we go by a penny doubled each day of the month it would look like this.

Day 1  = $.01
Day 2  = $.02
Day 3  = $.04
Day 4  = $.08
Day 5  = $.16
Day 6  = $.32
Day 7  = $.64
Day 8  = $1.28

Total donation based on days 1 - 8?   $2.55 (maybe I should have taken the 5 mil...)

Let's keep going:

Day 9    = $2.56
Day 10  = $5.12
Day 11  = $10.24
Day 12  = $20.48
Day 13  = $40.96
Day 14  = $81.92
Day 15  = $163.84
Day 16  = $327.68

Total donation based on days 1 - 16?  $655.35 (and the person who chose $5 million is out having fun and laughing at me.)

Again, let's trudge on:

Day 17  = $655.36
Day 18  = $1,310.60
Day 19  = $2,621.20
Day 20  = $5,242.40
Day 21  = $10,484.80
Day 22  = $20,969.60
Day 23  = $41,939.20
Day 24  = $83,878.40

Total donation based on days 1 - 24?  $167,756.91 (maybe I should have taken the $5 million, what could possibly happen in the next 6 days?)

Day 25  = $167,756.80
Day 26  = $335,513.60
Day 27  = $671,027.20
Day 28  = $1,324,054.40
Day 29  = $2,684,108.80
Day 30  = $5,368,217.60

I didn't even hit the $5 million dollar mark, in total dollars, until Day 29, but then I crushed the competition with a grand total of $10,550,678.40.  Yay!

If you want to win a bet this is the way to go.  Ask someone the question above; if they had a choice between $5 million now or a penny that is doubled each day for a month, which would they rather have.  Most people would pick the $5 million dollars.  But you wouldn't, would you?  Show the math and walk away with your winnings.

If you're gutsy enough you could even ask if the person would rather have $1 billion or a penny doubled for each space on a checkerboard.  The dollar value you would have in pennies after doubling 1 penny for each spot on a checkerboard (in other words, doubling it 64 times) is $184,467,440,737,095,516.15.  WOW!  That is $184 sextillion dollars!  Ah, the power of compounding...

Now I need to go out and ask someone if they're willing to donate a penny and double it for each day for a month year.  Kids would never be without books again and I might even have some left over for a couple of comics for myself.

Did You Tell Me To Go To Shell?

It's an interesting argument that is going on nowadays.  What appraiser should be used for accurate grading and do you want your appraised comic in a Shell that, if opened, voids the appraisal?  I have heard, and read, both sides of the argument and needed to take a stand on the shell, the large appraisal companies, and what those same companies are doing to the comic industry.

First, I have to praise Metropolis Comics and Collectibles.  When I do a search on "comic appraising" or "comic appraisals",  Metropolis Comics and Collectibles is the first to come up.  That is either incredible search engine optimization (SEO) management or it's just that so many searches are made on them it puts them near the top.  My vote is that they do some incredible SEO management.  Either way, my hat is off to Metropolis Comics and Collectibles.  I'd like to go there just to tip my hat in person.

The funny thing is that the big appraisal houses aren't even on the first page of the search.  Neither is the Comic Whisperer, mind you, but we don't even have a site up yet.

Now, let's talk numbers really quick, they will be used to prove a point:

In order for CGC to do their "Modern" service they estimate turnaround time at 20 business days.  BUT their current turnaround time, according to their website, is 55 business days.

Cost?  $18 per book, with the book only being allowed to have an estimated value of $200.

For the "Modern Fast Track" service the estimated turnaround time is 10 business days.  BUT their current turnaround time, according to their website, is 25 business days.

Cost?  $28 per book, again with the maximum value of $200.

So, let me see if I get this right, their current turnaround time for the "Fast Track" is LONGER than their estimated turnaround time for the "Modern" service of 20 business days, but you are paying $10 more per book.

Don't forget the $5 "handling fee" per invoice that applies to all grading tiers.

Let's do some more math.  CGC claims to have over 100,000 comics submitted to them per year.

If we make the assumption that they don't work on weekends (which you can bet on) we can estimate that they work approximately 22 business days per month.  22 x 12 is 264 working days per year.  BUT WAIT!  Don't forget holidays.  Companies offer between 10 and 17 holidays per year.  Let's go with 10.  264-10=254 working days per year.  Check my math.

So, we take 100,000 comics divided by 254 days per year and we get...um...394 (actually 393.7) comics going through their door per business day.

Assuming an 8 hour work day you have 394 divided by 8 and we get...hmmm...49 (49.25 actually) comics being graded per hour.  Keep in mind that each comic goes through 3 different people looking at it before being graded.  So, let's say your comic gets some incredible levels of attention and you have 3 people taking a total of 1 hour to look at it.  That's 147 people looking at 1 comic per hour (49 comics per hour times 3 people doing the grading).  How do they pay for all that?  Wait, they don't...you do.

Although I could go into the other big house, it's a lot of the same, just different prices.

So, after they're done, they put your comic is a custom designed shell with all sorts of gadgets and doohickeys that keep it from being opened.  You pay for that too.  But should you do a shell at all?  Here are the two side of the argument:

TO SHELL:  If you are submitting a comic that you intend to sell there is no better way to confirm value than to have it appraised and have it in a shell with the grading right on it.  To make it even better, as long as the seal isn't broken the appraisal will always be considered accurate.  If I then look in a pricing guide I can make the grade to a price and put it up for sale.  Another advantage is preservation.  If I have a $5,000 comic and I don't want anything to happen to it, the shell is an excellent way to preserve your comic.  There is no doubt that for the person selling the comic or preserving a comic, this may be a good choice.

NOT TO SHELL:  If you're a comic collector like me, you read your comics.  You enjoy them.  It's why you bought it in the first place.  You may even go so far as to bag and board them in a quality bag with a quality board.  You then keep them in a box in a dry cool place.  I can pull out a comic from 20 years ago that I bagged and boarded and it will be in the same shape it was when I got it and without a shell.  The key part?  I can read it, put it back in, and not have to pay to get it reappraised.  I know I didn't damage it, and I know the value didn't change, so why all the fuss?  If I really want to sell them, non-shelled books take top dollar all the time on buyer boards, eBay, etc.

The choice is yours and there are advantages either way, but there is a catch that not many are aware of...so let me fill you in.

The big comic appraising houses can sway the marketplace.  In one of my previous posts I talked about my own test with the two big houses where the same comic was was graded different and the grades were 1.0 full point apart (see my previous post Comic Book Appraising...Why People Need To Think Twice About Who Does The Appraising).

So, let's use the example from that blog...the same comic came back from one appraisal house at a 7.2,  the same comic came back from the second appraisal house at a grade of 8.4.  A difference of 1.2 points.  That is over a 10% difference on the 10 point grading scale.

But how could that effect the industry?  By swaying the prices garnered by those comics and possibly devaluating them.

Let's look at Captain America #100.  According to Comic Book Realm, our favorite pricing site, that comic at an 8.4 (or VF+) is valued at $900.  But if you go by the grading of 7.2 (or F/VF) you get a value of $550.  That's a difference of $350 that's a remarkable 38% difference!  And, take my word for this, if we are talking Action Comics #1, the price difference is closer to $1,100,000.  Ouch!

So, when these comics are let go into the marketplace they can swing pricing dramatically and overvalue or undervalue comics.  Think of it this way.  If you and one other person showed up for auction, and the same comic (but two copies) went up for sale would you rather buy the 8.4 or the 7.2?  Would you rather be the seller for the 8.4 or the 7.2?

Will it make a sweeping change that will destroy the industry?  No. Is the pricing and turnaround time for 2 different ratings on the same comic out of hand?  Sure it is.  Metropolis Comics and Collectibles offers to give your comic the once over and give an estimated appraisal for FREE.  How far off would it be from the big houses, not much.

But the fault for all of this lies with the sellers and buyers.  Yes, those of you who INSIST on a shelled, big appraisal house, grading.  I was in a pawn shop recently and I asked if he carried comic books.  He said that he didn't and, if he did, he would insist on grading from CGC.  It's a shame really.

Am I saying the big houses are not worth it or they should step aside for your hometown appraisers?  No, there are needs that are met thoroughly and easily by them.  Should they be the only grades worth working with?  Not when they can be separated by 1.2 they're not.

A Story of Solid Appraisals and Humanity

My wife was watching a TV show the other night that was mildly amusing.  It's about a group of 3 guys that offer to clean out storage spaces (such as houses, garages, etc.) for free as long as they can keep the contents.  Frankly, I'm amazed at what people let them clean out for free because they were PACKED with valuable items.  It's called Garage Brothers.

The mildly amusing part is the guy who is in charge, his name is Kraig.  Although he is the brains behind the whole thing, and this concept is incredible on his part, he doesn't give off a strong visual impression.  He certainly doesn't have a comb.  His hair looks like it just came out of a blender, his glasses look they were run over by a bus then put back on, and he looks like he just rolled out of bed.  All that being said, the guy is a genius.  This concept he came up with is pure gold.  So he looks like that, with a big smile, all the way to the bank.  I admire that.

The reason I bring it up is because on one of the episodes he traversed into my arena...comic book stuff.  In one of the garages they found a statue of the Silver Surfer which was a limited edition.  There were approximately 350 made in celebration of the Fantastic Four movie, Rise of the Silver Surfer.  The movie was mediocre at best, but the statue was pristine.  No scratches, no breakage, nothing.  It was, as we say, Near Mint.

That wasn't the only thing they found, though.  They also found a drawing of the Ghost Rider done by Joe and Andy Kubert, legends in the comic book arena.  Unfortunately, Joe passed away in 2012.

So, Kraig said he was calling in a "Comic Book Expert" to value the Silver Surfer statue and the drawing of Ghost Rider by Joe and Andy Kubert.

Just to be on the same page I researched them both myself.  Not that I'm trying to prove anybody right or anybody wrong, I just like to stay in practice so I can be on top of my game.

Researching the Silver Surfer statue the prices ranged from $1,600 to $6,500.  The comic guy came in at the low end at $1,600.  It's a safe call on his part, but it's also the price it was going for on eBay at the time.  With it being a limited edition and not having a single thing wrong with it, the estimate seemed low.  That being said, he was giving market value as to what he felt it could sell for and that appraisal seemed reasonable.  So, although it may be appraised for $6,500 on the high end, the appraiser made a safe call with what he felt it would sell for.  Frankly, there's probably not much of a market for a 4' tall and 6' long Silver Surfer statues even if it was limited edition.  Also, I can't imagine that an appraiser with that much knowledge would go strictly by the eBay pricing.  The statue might draw a high price tag, but it would take awhile to sell, and it wouldn't be cheap to ship.  Good call on the statue.

The drawing, however, is another story.  I was first surprised that an established comic book person would not recognize the picture as the actual cover of a Ghost Rider comic.  After first looking at it he made some guesses as to what it could be, made some comments that were irrelevant about the front and back, and then said he had to go back and research it.  I appreciated the research part, the worst thing we can do as appraisers it take a wild guess as to what the value is.  It's a disservice to our clients. I didn't appreciate his comments about what should and should not be on the front and back, they didn't make much sense. That's a story for another blog.

As an aside,the creation of a comic book is an amazing and under-appreciated process that has changed over the years.  There are various stages such as pencilling and inking and there are a number of marks that can be made on the pages.  Many are artist notes or specific things to focus on during the process.  See below for some drawings and sketches that illustrate part of the process.

Anyway, he came back and valued the picture at a reasonable price between $4,000 and $6,000.  I believe he was dead-on based on the incredible standing the Kubert's have in the comic industry, the fact that Joe Kubert is no longer with us, and the fact that sketches like that can appraise very high, but sell for about half of the real value.  Good call on the sketch, but I am hoping some the the random comments were made for TV and inserted to sound impressive.

I give high marks to the appraiser's pricing but low marks to the comments he made and the inability to recognize a cover from Ghost Rider given the prominence of the title.  He should stick with the appraising and less with the pontificating.  I would say that by his vast knowledge (and I mean that sincerely) that he was coaxed by the TV crew to keep talking to fill space.  I applaud him for even getting in front of cameras where he can be critiqued by comic lovers everywhere.  It can't be easy.

The most impressive thing, however, was the ending of the show.  Remember, Garage Brothers is a show about emptying out storage spaces, houses, garages, etc. for free, but they get to keep what's in the space.  Kraig could have walked away with both the Silver Surfer and the incredible Ghost Rider drawing and netted a possible $6,000 - $8,000, but he did the thing I thought I would never see on TV.  He did the right thing.  He took the drawing back to the owner of the space, told him the value, and gave it back to him.  It turns out that the drawing had special significance to the owner.  It had an emotional tie because it was given to him by a loved one and it held some strong memories.  The owner said it was the hardest thing he would have had to part with and it was difficult for him to let it go.

Yes, you read it right.  Someone had the humanity to let the money go and give a high value item back to the owner even though, by contract, it was property of the Garage Brothers.  I was humbled.  I was taken aback.  In this day and age where shows like Pawn Stars offer excessively low values on items they buy, and then sell them for ungodly prices, we see a show with humanity?  Wow!

My hat is off to Kraig and all the members of the cast of Garage Brothers.  Some cynics may say that the network reimbursed Kraig for the drawing so it was no loss for him to give it back, but I prefer to think otherwise.  I prefer to think that this was a blatant demonstration of humanity in lieu of the almighty dollar.  Although I may not continue to watch Garage Brothers because it's not my cup of tea, I have to say it restored my belief in humanity.