Getting Original Artwork

Purchasing Arsenic Lullaby original art

or

You can’t please everyone

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I brought Arsenic Lullaby artwork to shows just for the sake of having something on the table as a conversation piece. Now a days most of it never even makes it to shows, for that matter most of it gets purchased before the book it is in even reaches the shelves. I have never actually sat down and figured out a fair way for everyone to get a fair shake at getting the page they want. Before I get into the new rules, let’s take a look at things from my perspective.

I personally am not interested in keeping any of it. First it was in my brain annoying me because i knew how much of a pain in the ass it would be to draw. Then it was in my sketchbook as a thumbnail scribble mocking me because i knew that every stage of completion after that scribble would lose some of the life and expression. It is much like trying to reproduce a signature, it never seems to have the same fluidity and expression as the original. Then , depending on my own competence or lack there of, it is one two three or five full sized penciled pages that i screw up, over do, or spill something on until i say “good enough” and start the 10-15 hours of inking. So pardon me if i am truly sick of the sight of it by the time it is done. I am not so detached though that i don’t recognize that it good and most importantly HAS VALUE.

So from my perspective, I see the dollar value and not the joy of ownership. Just one of the many facets of joy that is robbed from you when you start doing this sort of thing for a living. from time to time I finish a page and decide to keep it because it signifies some stage of my career…only to sell it off a few months later. I say all this because the thought of arguing about artwork or letting it’s acquisition or lack of acquisition ruin your day is foreign to me. Just as foreign then was the notion that i should come up with some sort of procedure for everyone to get the same chance at owning it. The best I can do to relate is compare it to things i collect, old car parts for my old car. Old car parts are sold by people much like people who sell comic book collectable’s. they are often fat, swarthy, and think their mountain of obscure knowledge makes them better than the people buying. You think guys who know the issue “the ultimate nullifier” was used to scare off Galactus are obnoxious, try dealing with people who can tell whether or not a headlight in a 69 Chevy Nova is original or aftermarket. Greasy, oil stain handed cretins who expect you to pay more for windshield trim because it’s serial number matches the headlight trim. It’s maddening. And by the way, when you ask for windshield trim they point you to a cardboard box of trim that is basically a birds nest of chrome strips that you have to weed through as they hover over you making sure you don’t crease any of is while untangling it from the rest. Once you do untangle it, it immediately is their rarest prized possession that must get top dollar for despite the fact that two minutes ago it was part of a mess that resembled a chrome wicker basket constructed by a retard and given no care to it’s condition what so ever. At least comic book nerds keep things clean and organized before they over charge you.

Did i stray from the point? Not really. My point is this …I have no pity for any of you. After long consideration, that is the conclusion I have come to …i have no pity. I am in this to make a buck. I have reached the point in my career where my original pages are in high demand and because of this there is no way I am going to please everyone in whatever way I choose to distribute it. Trying to come up with some way that is fair is A- impossible and B-not really necessary. You know why i dig through that box of chrome strips at the swap meet? because I want that piece. I want that piece and i know if i don’t dig through it, the next guy will. The fat slob doesn’t organize that box because he doesn’t have to. I will buy it whether it is in a box, on a table with a fancy tag, or on ebay. I want it and I will buy it. And to be honest with myself…in a sick way, digging through that box and dealing with the fat slob is part of the fun. It is part of the story that will go along with the car once it’s completed. Be honest with yourselves too …isn’t d snaking a piece out of me before anyone else knows about it half the fun? Sure I could just put them up on the web site and announce it a week before hand, but that doesn’t give you as good a story as if you just happened to figure out it was there before anyone else because you deciphered the archaic rhythm to how and when I post things? And sure I could tell you all I am going to give everyone a weeks notice before I put something up…but I would be lying to you and to myself. I don’t have time for that, and contrary to popular belief, I’m not in any financial position to do that. The money you spend on art is immediately used for the laundry list of things I could do do promote the book, get printing started, reserve tickets, get better computer programs and so on …Arsenic Lullaby is a great big self feeding machine, the faster you feed it the faster it spins and the bigger it gets. I wait a week to start taking money, the price of an airline ticket goes up 50.00 or a booth at a convention disappears, or some other opportunity gets scoped up by someone else. So with all that in mind…

Here are the new rules for getting artwork from me.

1- money talks and the rest walk.

2- see rule no. 1

I will post what I am working on regularly on my FB page ( douglas paszkiewiz illustrator ) and on the ” link of the week ” section of www.arseniclullabies.com . That is all the heads up you are going to get about what is going to be available. Artwork that is for sale will be on the web sites store when it’s done. If i think it is something that several people are going to want, I may put it up on ebay to get the best price for it that i can. As I said, The revenue from the artwork does go towards printing more comics, buying airline tickets to shows and my own bills, so why wouldn’t I? If you see that I am working on something you want and you jump the gun and are willing to fork over cash before it’s listed on the web site, guess what? I’m probably going to accept that offer. Does this mean the only way for you to make sure you get the artwork you want is to watch my web site like a hawk? yep…and that is in my best interest as well. Some may call that unfair, but really…what is more fair than people who want artwork enough to watch the listings like a hawk getting first crack at it over people who only check once or twice a month? I can do this much for you though. If you e-mail me and ask to be put on the “original artwork list” and maybe let me know what subjects or characters you are most interested in, I will send you a heads up when I am working on something like that. “well what if i don’t have the money?” …here is fair warning – start saving. The electric company doesn’t give a crap when I don’t have the money, the airlines don’t give a crap, and so on. They want their money when they want their money…and so do I.

As for how much to save…here are some guidelines.

mistakes/preliminary sketches 50.00-100.00

Single page (part of a larger story) 150.00-250.00

Single page (part of a larger story with a main character 250.00-400.00

Single page complete story 250.00-400.00

Cover or splash page 500-1200.00

all of these prices depend on how clean the page is ( how much white out and covering up of mistakes I had to do)

Many of you are used to getting some “i knew you before you were a big deal” discount, or military discount, or “I buy allot of your stuff” discount…well guess what ….I still accept all those discounts. I appreciate everybody who pitched in when I was small time, who have allot of A.L. and who serve our country. The “i slept with you ” discount is a myth…If we slept together it is very likely you got more out of it than me and so I often raise the price.