Tales of Suspense #39 Kirby Heck Colan Marvel Promotion Acetate Signed Stan Lee

$

21

Tales of Suspense #39 Cover Acetate 

Original Promotional Art - Jack Kirby & Don Heck

2007

Answer to all: Yes, these are exactly the same as the production art that the well known and well liked eBay seller ‘leadpink’ sells. Only difference is these have the signatures (which is better, in my opinion) and are promotional, not production. The other difference is I have flooded eBay all at once and his key covers come up once or twice per month. These are very rare, as are the production acetate (contrary to popular belief, production acetates were not always a single and unique item). Often an intern would make a copy for themselves (especially of a great page), another copy could be made to file in-house, a copy went to the outside print house for the printing plates, etc…. and if on any day a copy was misplaced or coffee spilled… another copy would be shot without delay.

Hello, thanks for checking this auction, this is a real acetate of the legendary Tales of Suspense #39 Cover by the legendary Jack Kirby & Don Heck and it is Auto Signed all three legendary Stan Lee, Don Heck & Gene Colan!

Please read carefully, this item is not hand signed. Again, this is not hand signed! If you are looking for hand signed this is not for you. Did I mention this is not hand signed? Thanks for looking :)

Measures: 8 1/2" x 11"

Condition: Excellent.

Date: 2007

Now, if you're still reading this you are in for a treat. I have been keeping a look out for several years and have not seen any others!

This is not hand signed, however, this was approved by Stan Lee & Marvel because it was officially created as a promotional for the Toronto Comic Con. The promotional consisted of creating acetates of the most historic Covers in Marvel history. Check my other listings for other acetate covers of this promotion!

Ok, first the basics:

The item being auctioned is shown in the first three photos only. It is comprised of two acetate sheets, one contains the artwork and signature and the other contains the text, issue #, price and comics code stamp. The first photo shows both acetate sheets combined. The second photo shows only the art page with signature. The third photo shows just the text page.

I took the photos by gently placing the acetates on the the clip board and standing the clipboard... Therefore, please excuse if there is the slightest space of air standing between the acetate and background paper casting shadows, the lines are clean and there is no shadow around the lines on the acetate. Also, please excuse any slight misalignment (real acetates are slippery) and photo quality (if you need more pics let me know).

The other photos shown (photos 4-10) are only informational for comparing real acetates to counterfeits (and I will write a paragraph below to explained the differences) and the last two photos are to show how great these are when framed (photos 11-12).

Now some details...

As mentioned, this acetate was officially created as a promotional for the Toronto Comic Con and is labeled as such.

On the acetate sheet that contains the art and signature there is very small text on the bottom left margin that reads the book title and issue # and on the bottom right margin reads the year of the promotion followed by TCC (Toronto Comic Con).

I collected the set of forty-four different Acetate Covers and four different Acetate 'Pin-Ups' and each is being listed in separate auctions (48 auctions total). The TCC promotion dates on them span from 2007 to 2009 (I was not at the convention... I got them all a year or two later). Also, you will see that a few of the acetate covers don't show the small text of title, issue# and TCC/date very well due to the art and or colors matching the text.

Now the incredible part...
Each and every one of the acetates in this special collection of 44 covers and 4 pin-ups has the great Stan Lee signature but many also have artists signatures as well!
In fact, not only are most of them double signed (ie. Spiderman #121 = Lee & Romita) but many are triple signed (ie. Hulk #181 = Lee, Trimpe & Wein)!!!
The only artists signatures that are absent are Ditko, Kirby, Wood and Windsor-Smith.
Otherwise, of the 44 covers 16 are Stan Lee signed, 19 are Stan Lee and one artist signed and 9 are Stan Lee and two artists signed! Check them out!
Again, none of them are hand signed. However, as a promotional, the Marvel marketing team created what we could only dream of (of course they know exactly what we want because they wish they had it as well!).

I would also like to say that acetates are one of the best framable art media as the clear acetate film ads another layer of depth beneath the glass. Also, the lines are crisp and the colors are vibrant in comparison to other media that has gone through a process of degradation such as in mass printing. I included a couple photos showing a framed acetate but the amateur camera work in no way does it justice.

Is it real or is it Memorex?

I am not an expert on counterfeiting anything, however, acetates are clear film (does anyone remember film?) and counterfeits have a slight opacity to them. Perhaps they are mylar or something and have a slight opacity (perhaps its cost prohibitive for counterfeiters to use real acetate, I don't know).

While at a NYCC many years ago a fella approached a famous artist and asked to have his acetate signed. The artist signed and casually explained the acetate was not real. The fella pointed to where he acquired it and I later went to buy one (Hulk) to bring home and compare to the ones I've had for decades...

In photos #4 & #5 I am showing a side by side comparison between the Hulk counterfeit and the Marvel Saga original acetate that I've had for decades.

In photo #6 I am showing how the counterfeit looks on a white background... there is no way to see the opacity, but in person it lacks the extra depth or 'float' that clear acetate presents. I'll also point out that none of the dozens of acetates that I acquired decades ago have a color bar code on any margins as dose the fake Hulk (I got my acetates directly from staff at Marvel).

 In photos #7 & #8 I am showing Hulk on a black background in normal light and with a florescent light.

 In photo #9 I show the Marvel Saga original acetate with the same florescent light.

 In photo #10 I am showing a side by side of the Hulk next to the combined art sheet and text sheet of the genuine Marvel acetates cover. Even both acetates sheets together are clear as a bell compared to the fake Hulk.

In photos 11 & 12 I show one of these genuine Marvel acetates when I had it framed (he has since returned to his brothers in the portfolio). If I had just a little photography skill you would see how great these acetates present. In person it will be ten times better, the lines are crisp and the colors vibrant and the acetate film under glass give it a depth that you don't get from any other media... they look great in portfolios or top loaders as well!

You should be aware of another characteristic of genuine acetate as opposed to mylar or whatever it is they use... Acetate is film and these smudge with finger prints very easily, which is to say one should handle it like you would camera film (remember?) or you'll transfer finger prints (and don't try to wipe them off, you'll just make it worse). In other words - dry hands, gloves, by the edges, don't get a drop of liquid on it, etc., etc.).

Getting into the weeds...

Finally, there were questions I had since acquiring these acetates 8-9 years ago that the source couldn't answer and over the years I have picked a lot of brains (good brains) and I got stories but I really couldn't confirm them. My main question was how many of these acetates were made? I have not seen another in my programed searches in all this time... I was told by another that # made is unknown, but he knew it was strictly stipulated under contract that any unsold acetates were to be destroyed and it's not worth a lawsuit. Also, it was stated that attendance and sales were not good at the TCC during these waining years. Probably many destroyed and not many sold due to low attendance that TCC was struggling with in the late 2000's... Wizard Entertainment bought TCC in 2009.

Another brain said that the promotional campaign was handed to or had something to do with Top Cow Productions (Marc Silvestri's studio) because the four pin-ups in the collection are labeled TCPU rather than TCC and speculated that perhaps it was a job negotiated during other negotiations that were going on between Marvel and Image during this time (regarding crossovers, etc.).

I was also told these covers were shot on the old Marvel camera table which was long since out of use for production since virtually everything was digital.

Well, I don't know but it all makes sense to me. If you have more info for me I will update the descriptions, I like to give as much info as possible so that most questions might be answered with just a couple more minutes of description reading and less of your time is spent waiting for a reply (even if I reply within an hour or two but no less than 24).

Please ask any questions you may have before bidding.

Please check out my other auctions for more great items. Thank you.

Terms and Conditions:

Payment is Pay Pal only. Buy it Now requires immediate payment. If best offer is accepted payment is due within 48 hours. No returns are accepted on original or production art. Shipping is to the Continental United States only. Item(s) are packaged well and insured. I will usually use five or more priority mail boxes (flattened) with the art placed inside the middle one, usually within a top loader or similar. Then then all is wrapped with copies packing tape. It will not bend.

Please ask any questions you may have before bidding.