Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: adam hughes, Comics, con, j scott campbell

J Scott Campbell Keeps Sketching But Knows The Risks

It seems that J Scott Campbell got hit by the same sketch hunter as Adam Hughes did the past weekend, begging and pleading for a personal sketch then flipping it on eBay for a massive profit. Unlike Adam however, Campbell saw pretty much through the scamster, posting on Facebook;

SO Glad I didn't put an ounce of effort into THIS quickie sketch this weekend in Boston! It went up on eBay in less than 24hrs! Clue #1!: "Can I have a sketch of Black Cat for my 10 yo son?" "Wouldn't he rather have a Spider-Man?" "No, he likes Black Cat" … Yeah… Right!!

The artist Allison Sohn has also clarified her partner Adam Hughes' position over the controversy.

Adam and I agreed that it was time to stop the sketch list. After attending the Boston Comic Con this past weekend where Adam was only able to get 3 sketches done, we came home to learn that one of those sketches was within hours of it being drawn, put on eBay. The person that got the sketch told us elaborate lies about how much the piece meant to him, how long he'd been trying to get one, and all the usual, in order to make a profit off of Adam. The worst part for us is not that we won't make the $3000+ that the sketch sells for on eBay (and I wish that was an exaggeration) but that some fan who really DID want a sketch, and there were many that had been on our list for years, was denied the chance to take one home so that this person could instead make a profit at their loss.

Is this the sole reason for our decision? No. I have been saying for a long time that this day was coming, and to be honest, I thought we'd have had to stop the list long before now. As it became harder and harder for Adam to get drawings done, and as the lists grew longer and longer, the stress increased. At every show, people want books signed, they want to have a personal few minutes talking with Adam, they want a photo with him, to shake his hand, to ask him what he thought of the latest comic book movie. On the professional end, editors and fellow artists want a few minutes, and show promoters want him to do panels and signings. All of these things don't allow for very much time to draw. When Adam does finally sit down to draw, the list of requests is as much as 50 people long. When you look over that list and know that at best you might get 5 accomplished, the idea of disappointing so very many people can be really difficult to deal with.

Now take all of that, and add the possibility of one of those few drawings you do finish being collected and then re-sold by someone that doesn't care how hard you work or how much other fans really wanted the opportunity to be the one that took it home, and its just enough stress to help you decide that it is really no long worth it.

Going forward: there will still be art. Adam and I are discussing how we can have an eBay sketch winner for each day of the show, and how we can limit it to one per person per event. I'm hoping that with the tremendous strain of trying to draw at each show alleviated, Adam will be able to consider sketching from home. These drawings could then fill a portfolio that we could bring to events that fans could shop from. And maybe we can finally go ahead and start listing auctions for overseas fans; something we've always wanted to be able to do, and time and stress have never really allowed for.

I know many of you are disappointed. Please try and understand, Adam has been doing this for more than 20 years, at a rate of 10 – 12 conventions a year. We wanted to make everyone happy, and there comes a point where that pressure is simply too much, and you have to admit to yourself that it is an impossible task. Even knowing that, we still tried our best for as long as we could. I want to thank everyone that has posted, emailed, and tweeted their support. It really means a great deal to us. I look forward to the rest of the convention year, and the opportunities it will now present us. Hopefully with this stress lifted from his shoulders, Adam can do more panels, tutorials, portfolio reviews and generally spend more time with you guys, his fans.

You all have my gratitude for being so cool about this;

And the eBay seller in question who caused all this fuss? He has taken both the Adam Hughes and J Scott Campbell sketches down.

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