Sunday, March 27, 2022

 DALLAS, TX.- Thirty-seven years ago Gary Colabuono saw his first ashcan. “And I did not know what they were,” he says now, decades after he began collecting, preserving and promoting these cheaply made, stapled-together black-and-white mock-ups made to secure a comic book title’s trademark and meant to be tossed into the trash.


In time, Colabuono became the expert on these lost rarities from the earliest days of the comic-book industry. Now, four of his ashcans – including one of two surviving Superman Comics ashcans from 1939 – head to market for the first time during Heritage Auctions’ history-making April 7-10 Comics & Comic Art Signature® Auction.
“Gary has been a close friend of mine for nearly 30 years, and I am extraordinarily grateful to be offering these on his behalf,” says Heritage Auctions Senior Vice President Ed Jaster. “I have no doubt the market will reward him for his decades of impeccable stewardship of these treasures.”
Colabuono’s collection, and his essays about ashcans, have appeared in numerous history books, among them the essential Comics Between the Panels and DC Comics’ 75th anniversary treasury The Art of Modern Mythmaking. The author of DC’s history, its former president Paul Levitz, even inscribed Colabuono’s copy with a thank-you note: “To Gary, without whom there’d be no pages 96-97, and so much less fun in the world of comics!”
But in 1985 he only knew of the ashcans’ significance due to their provenance.
“Because they came from the retired president of DC Comics Sol Harrison, I knew these were items of historical importance,” Colabuono says. “There was Wonder Woman on a white cover, and I had never seen something like this. I was like, ‘What am I looking at?’ Same with Superman Comics, with its black-and-white cover art from Action Comics No. 7. And I kept wondering: ‘What is this?’
“I was a history minor in college, so I started doing the research. At the beginning there was just a curiosity. There was no market. Nobody knew about them. It took a while for me to understand all this. I was friends with Paul Levitz, and I am the only guy who got to go into DC’s archives and do all this research.”



DALLAS, TX.- The first issue of Captain America Comics, which introduced super soldier Steve Rogers, his sidekick Bucky and their Nazi nemesis Red Skull, sold nearly 1 million copies upon its publication at the beginning of 1941. But few copies Captain America Comics No. 1 are in better condition today than the one that serves as a centerpiece offering in Heritage Auctions’ superpowered April 7-10 Comics & Comic Art Signature® Auction.
The copy of Cap’s debut featured in the April auction hails from the historic San Francisco Pedigree Collection and bears a grade of Near Mint 9.4 from Certified Guaranty Company. It’s the finest copy Heritage Auctions has offered in two decades.
Yet that platinum piece from comicdom’s Golden Age isn’t the lone Cap capstone available in this auction.
For the first time at auction, here, too, is the entirety of Captain America’s first solo Silver Age story – all 10 pages of original art, offered separately, from August 1964’s Tales of Suspense No. 59. This is the only time in 20 years when every single page of a truly key Silver Age story has been offered for sale at the same time.
“We couldn’t dream up two better auction lots if we tried,” says Heritage Auctions Vice President Barry Sandoval. “It’s the best of the Golden Age meets the best of the Silver Age bound up in the red, white and blue of one of comics’ most beloved characters – a near-mint copy of one of the most important comics ever from one of the most famous pedigreed collections, and the fresh-to-the-market original art of a story everyone remembers.”
It doesn’t get more historic than this: “Stan Lee, Author. Jack Kirby, Illustrator.”



CHICAGO: Serious collectors inspired by the 2021 blockbuster group exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, "Chicago Comics; 1960 Until Now!", curated by Dan Nadel, are searching comic books stores, indie sellers and online to learn more about the first indie Black Age, Rhythmistic Future-Primitif character created and published by ONLI Studios LLC in 1981. Due to its limited edition low press-run this book s a rare special find. It was created and published by a Black owned operation. splash page from that original image was featured mural sized on the outer wall of the MCA during the exhibition. 


 The entire original "NOG" story was featured in the 2021 Top 20 Graphic Novels New York Times listed, "It's Life As I See It", anthology by Dan Nadel.


Add to this that Turtel Onli coined the genre term, "The Black Age of Comics" in 1993 to expand the industry with a celebration of creators, concepts and products derived from the indie, Black, African or Urban experience.
ONLI STUDIOS LLC still produces events and publishes its influential line of Future-Primitif Rhythmistic Graphic Novels & Comix.

Monday, March 21, 2022

 "Sasa: The New Face of Horror!" Rhythmistic movie release for only $2.00.  

Adapted from the hot, creepy, new horror tale that will keep you up at nights.

Uniquely Afrofuturistic & Rhythmistic!


Trending now
! Produced by ONLI STUDIOS LLC.  

Directed & Created by Prof. Turtel Onli, the "Father of the Black Age of Comics" 

and the founder of the Rhythmistic visual arts genre.



TRAILER LINK!

Friday, March 18, 2022

  In 1982, long before the trending of "Afrofuturism" we, ONLI STUDIOS published the forward, ballistic moving z'ine, "Future Funk".  

We did this, not due to the likes of George Clinton or Sun Ra.....but because of Rhythmism.  

We welcome the notion and impact of all things "Afrofuturistic"....but we were about putting the Future in The Funk.   

That was in the 20th Century!!!!

Why? Cause Funk will never die!




Wednesday, March 09, 2022

The New York Times placed the landmark anthology, "It's Life As I See It!" on its Top 20 List of Graphic Novels for 2011.  

This book accompanied the blockbuster group exhibition that year, "Chicago Comics: 1960 Until Now!" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, curated by Dan Nadel,  which featured on the outer wall of the Musuem a mural sized enlargement of Black Age of Comics founder, Turtel Onli's "NOG: The Protector of the Pyramides"



 "NOG" is the first published Rhythmistic Future-Primitif character that opened the door to diversity and the growing Black Age of Comics when I was published in 1981.



 Note: The entire first run of Turtel Onli's Rhythmistic character, "NOG: The Nubian of Greatness, Protector of the Pyramides" is included in this important book. 

Created in the late 1970s and published in 1981 by ONLI STUDIOS LLC. The reviewers omit that Onli is the sole indie publisher in the book and that his operation ONLI STUDIOS LLC is still in full effect. Consistently active since 1981. 

 The tendency is to sequester the work in the grave of the marginalized....or the tombs of the 'unfortunately overlooked".

 Nor is there any reference to the growing dynamic Black Age of Comics genre / movement. Fortunately you know better! Its still an honor to be included in this vital unique Graphic Novel that is one part history and one part now! Reaching out and presenting awesome high valued rare works to a more deserving audience. not limited to the narrow bias of its reviewers.


LINK To ONLI STUDIOS LLC