Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Clifford Meth's Virtual Garage Sale

Welcome to my virtual garage sale.
ALL comics and books (not art) are half price, as in take 50% off the posted prices. Prices do not include postage.

Some art is marked for sale, other pieces require a bid.
High bids will update every day and bidding will end on November 30th.

THIS SHOULD ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS: 
"How do I contact you?" Email Cliffmeth@aol.com 
"Where/when do you ship?" Anywhere in the U.S., but only the U.S., and typically on Fridays. 
"Shipping fees?" Add $10 for total shipping for up to 5 books, then add $1/book for additional shipping fees (e.g., 6 books would mean $11 postage).  I will contact you re: shipping art.
"How do I place an order?" If using PayPal, your order must be sent via the "family and friends"
option
  (not "for goods and services") to amy7777am@yahoo.com. You can also mail a check or use Zelle (just email me first to discuss). After you've paid, please email me the list of what you've ordered.
"Refund Policy" If you order something and it's gone, you'll get a refund.

I'm happy to sign or personalize anything I wrote or edited -- and I offer DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK if you are not delighted with any of my personal books:

ART is listed further down (after comics and books)...

Futurians #0 – 
comic book written by Dave Cockrum and Clifford Meth, illustrated by Cockrum; only 1000 printed - $4.95

      One to Go (Tales of Vengeance & Symmetry) #1 by Clifford Meth, Paty Cockrum & Mike Pascale - (Aardwolf Publishing) signed and remarqued with small sketch by Mike Pascale $6
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·        The Futurians Return – graphic novel - Dave Cockrum’s final story – illustrated by Cockrum, inked by Bob Wiacek and Robin Rigg. Introduction by Neil Gaiman and additional pin-ups from Jae Lee, Bill Sienkiewicz and Ricardo Villagran – Only 800 printed. $13.95

·        The Futurians Return – graphic novel bookplate edition – Same as regular book but with tipped-in bookplates signed by cover artist Ray Lago and Bill Sienkiewicz– $27.95

·        The Futurians Return – graphic novel bookplate edition– Same as regular book but with tipped-in bookplate signed by Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert – $27.95

·        The Futurians Return – graphic novel bookplate edition– Same as regular book but with tipped-in bookplate signed by Neal Adams – $37.95

     Perverts, Pedophiles & Other Theologians– Clifford Meth’s dark-fiction collection (selected by Barnes and Nobles as a “horror pick of the week”) – features a gorgeous cover and illustrations from Gene Colan; introduction by Steve Gerber (trade paperback, 100 pages) $16.95

·        Perverts, Pedophiles and Other Theologians – Worlds of Westfield limited bookplate edition - Same as regular edition but with a tipped-in bookplate signed by Gene Colan and Clifford Meth - $27.95

·        Meth, Colan and Other Theologians – anniversary edition of Perverts, Pedophiles and Other Theologians includes new introduction essays from Marv Wolfman, Mark Evanier and Gail Simone (along with Steve Gerber’s original intro) and an additional story from Meth/Colan – 148-page trade paperback (only 500 printed) - $22.95

·         Conflicts of Disinterest – Short fiction by Clifford Meth illustrated by Alex Toth, Dave Cockrum, Mark Badger, Mike Pascale, Paty Cockrum, Dave DeVries, and David Boswell – introduction by rock and roll legend Peppi Marchello; cover by Jeff Amano (94-page trade paperback, short-printed) $16.95

·        From the KRACKED KRANIUM of DON PERLIN (84-page, square-bound, soft-cover black and white art portfolio) – Introductions by John Romita and Bob Layton – Numbered edition (limited to 200 prints) - $14.95.

·        The Uncanny Dave Cockrum (deluxe, prestige hardcover published by Marvel Entertainment) Edited by Clifford Meth, includes essays and art contributions from a veritable who’s who of the comics world, including Harlan Ellison, Alan Moore, Stan Lee, Neil Gaiman, Chris Claremont, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman, Neal Adams, Sergio Aragones, Frank Brunner, John Cassady, Gene Colan, Mike Deodato, Will Eisner, Dave Gibbons, Joe Kubert, Jim Lee, Tom Palmer, George Perez, John Romita, Marie Severin, Walt Simonson and Herb Trimpe - numbered (only 1000 printed) - $49.95
·        
Crib Death: The Babysitter’s Companion (softcover, 84 pages) – earliest stories by Clifford Meth (1995) illustrated by Dave Cockrum, Marie Severin, Paul Abrams, Bill Messner-Loebs, Rob Orzechowski, Paul Abrams, Paty Cockrum and Mike Witherby; cover by Joe Linsner; introduction by Tony Isabella - $15.95
·        
Aardwolf #1 (comic, 1994) the first Aardwolf Publishing offer, with art by Dave Cockrum, Paty Cockrum and Marie Severin (cover by Gray Morrow) - $3.95

·        Aardwolf #1 (comic) – signed by Dave Cockrum, Paty Cockrum and Clifford Meth - $14.95

      Aardwolf #2 (comic) stories by Robert Bloch and Clifford Meth; art by Dave Cockrum and Marie Severin - $3.95

·        Aardwolf #2 (comic) – limited bookplate edition - same as regular edition but with bookplate signed/numbered by Marie Severin and Clifford Meth - $13.95

·        Comic Book Babylon– Eye-opening and ofttimes unflattering peephole into the dirty workings of the comic book ‘industry’ by Clifford Meth with an introduction by Stan Lee and illustrations by Michael Netzer; 358-page trade paperback. Harlan Ellison calls it, "One helluva book. I read it twice."  $29.95

·        Comic Book Babylon bookplate edition – same as above with tipped in bookplate signed/numbered by Clifford Meth and Gene Colan (limited) - $39.95

·        BAMF: The Art of Dave Cockrum (art portfolio; 9x11, saddle-stitched short print) rare - $24.95

·        SNAKED #1 by Clifford Meth and Rufus Dayglo (IDW Publishing) comic – this story was optioned for film rights by Weinstein Company President Richard Saperstein - signed $5.95

·        SNAKED graphic novel (Clifford Meth and Rufus Dayglo) (IDW Publishing) collects SNAKED #1-3 (full story arc) and includes new introduction by Gene Colan and additional illustrations by Dave Cockrum and Rufus Dayglo - signed - $19.95

·        The Three Tenors: Off-Key– illustrated oddball stories by Dave Cockrum, Bill Messner-Loebs and Clifford Meth with an introduction by Dave Sim and a “finale” by Tom Spurgeon; additional illustrations from Al Milgrom, Steve Lieber and Paty Cockrum (138-page trade paperback) extremely short print - $24.95

·        The Three Tenors bookplate edition – same as the regular edition but with a tipped-in bookplate signed by Cockrum, Meth and Messner-Loebs - $39.95

·        Rich Buckler: Artist and Comics Creator– art portfolio, with introductions by Jim Steranko and Roy Thomas – numbered and publisher’s copies – $17.95

·        Rich Buckler: Artist and Comics Creator– bookplate edition - same as regular edition but also comes with tipped-in bookplate signed by Jim Steranko - $36.95

·        Balm in Gilead (hardcover) – Beautiful short-fiction collection from GooseTree Press edited by Clifford Meth with stories from Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, Dan Mishkin, Marv Wolfman, William Tenn, Owl Goingback, William Messner-Loebs and Clifford Meth; illustrated by Neal Adams, Jeff Jones and others. Introduction by Stan Lee and painted cover by Michael Kaluta. 105-page deluxe hardcover, short printed (only 400). $47.95

·        METHo.d.– dark fiction from Clifford Meth illustrated by Michael Netzer, Steve Lieber, Al Milgrom, Paty Cockrum, Earl Geier and Jordan Raskin – cover by Jim Streranko and introduction by Peter David (100-page trade paperback) $17.95

·        METHo.d. bookplate edition – same as regular edition but with tipped-in bookplate signed by Jim Steranko - $35.95

·        The Invincible Gene Colan (hardcover, Marvel Entertainment) shrink-wrapped art portfolio with written contributions from Gene’s peers. 132-page hardcover, full-color - $35.95

·        Crawling From the Wreckage – Clifford Meth (trade paperback, 80 pgs., 1996) cover by Joe Kubert, Foreword by Gene Colan; illustrations by Colan, George Perez, Dave Cockrum, Nelsen deCastro, Joe St. Pierre, Ron Wagner and Bill Messner-Loebs - $17.95

·        The Whorehouse Madrigals – dark stories by Clifford Meth, illustrated by Dave Cockrum and Mike Henderson; foreword by rock and roll legend Handsome Dick Manitoba; cover by Kelly Freas (trade paperback, 100 pages) $28.95

The Whorehouse Madrigals remarqued bookplate edition - 
same as regular edition but with an an original head sketch by Mike Henderson on a tipped-in bookplate - $36.95
·        
god’s 15 Minutes – Collects Clifford Meth’s first five books into an oversize, deluxe trade paperback with new foreword and story introductions by Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, Al Feldstein, Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas, Bill Messner-Loebs and rock and roll legend Andy Shernoff; illustrations by Gene Colan, Marie Severin, Joe Sinnott, Dave and Paty Cockrum, Gray Morrow, George Perez, Herb Trimpe and others; painted cover by Mike Kaluta - $27.95
·      
      Stranger Kaddishbookplate edition Short fiction from Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Peter David, Bill Messner-Loebs, Clifford Meth, Mike Pascale, Ilan Stavans and Waltyer Cummins; illustrated by Janet Aulisio, Messner-Loebs, Paty Cockrum, Pascale, others; cover by Dave Cockrum – 82-page trade paperback - comes with a Strange Kaddish bookplate signed by Harlan Ellison and Meth - $45

And now for the art:

The Futurians by Henry Martinez & Paty Cockrum
Two (2) separate pieces of art (ea. 8-1/2 x 11)
price: $55 for the pair

Silkie of The Futurians (pin-up from DAVE COCKRUM'S FUTURIANS RETURN graphic novel)
pencils by Michael Netzer, colors by Paty Cockrum, 11x17
min. bid $110

Bob Marley - full-color art by Gene Colan
min. bid $350

Terrain of the Futurians by Marvel/DC artist Neil Vokes
8-1/2x11 -- min. bid $60


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Luke Cage & Sandman pencil sketches by Joe Sinnott (both are 5 x 8-1/2)
min. bid $125 for the pair


Detective #658 pages 4 and 5 by Michael Netzer
min. bid -- $150 for the pair

Life With Archie #273 - page 1 - Gene Colan and Rudy Lapick
min. bid $275

Harrrowers #5 pg. 1 (1994) - Gene Colan art
min. bid $350

Huntress Mini-Series #4 pg. 10
Michael Netzer pencils and inks
Min. bid $225

Punisher War Journal #38 pg. 10
pencils by Wagner, inks by Witherby
min. bid $80




Action Comics #685 (DC) $2
Amazing Spider-Man #286 (Marvel) high-grade $3.50
Amazing Spider-Man #287 (Marvel) high-grade $3.50
Amazing Spider-Man #288 (Marvel) high-grade $3.50
Amazing Spider-Man #289 (Marvel) high-grade $5.50
Amazing Spider-Man #290 (Marvel, Peter proposes) high-grade $5.50
Batman #440 (DC) $4
Batman #442 (DC, first Tim Drake as Robin) $6.50
Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #1 (DC) $4.50
Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #22 (DC, Bart Sears) $2.50
Batman vs Predator  #1 (DC/Darkhorse) $3
Batman vs Predator graphic novel #3 (DC) $5.50
Black Panther: Panther's Prey Graphic Novel - Pt 1 (Marvel, Don McGregor, NM) $5.50
Brigade #1 (Image) $3
Cage #1 (Marvel) $3
Captain America #601 Variant (Marvel) - Gene Colan's file copy and signed by Gene $25
Charlemagne #1 (Defiant) signed by artist Mike Witherby w/ COE $2.50
Daredevil #295 (Marvel) $2
Darker Image #1 (Image) polybagged with card $3
Deathblow #1 (Image, Jim Lee) $3
Deathlok Special #1 (Marvel) $2
Doom 2099 #1 foil cover (Marvel) $3
Elektra Assassin #2 (Marvel, Ltd. series 1986) Frank Miller/Bill Sienkiewicz $4.50
Elektra Assassin #4 (Marvel, Ltd. series 1986) Frank Miller/Bill Sienkiewicz $4.50
Elektra Assassin #8 (Marvel, Ltd. series 1986) Frank Miller/Bill Sienkiewicz $4.50
Excalibur #1 (Marvel) $4.50
EX-Mutants #1 (Eternity, Ron Lim) $3
Fantastic Four #358 (Marvel, die-cut cover) $3
Fantastic Four #349 (Marvel) NM $3
Fantastic Four #371 (Marvel) VF- $2
The Fly #2 (Red Circle, Steranko) $5.50
Ghost #1 (Dark Horse) $2
Ghost Rider Vol. 2, #5 (Marvel, Jim Lee) $3.50
Ghost Rider Vol. 2, #6 (Marvel) $2.50
Green Lantern #1 (DC, 1990) $5
Green Lantern Emerald Dawn #6 (DC) $1
Grendel #1 (Comico) $3
Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor Special (Dark Horse) $7.50
Hawkworld #1 (DC, 1990, Nolan art) $4
Incredible Hulk #330 (Marvel, McFarlane) $5
Infinity War #1 (Marvel) $3
Iron Man #290 (Marvel, foil cover) $3
Jurassic Park #1 (Topps) - Dave Cockrum's file copy (Cockrum cover) $4.50
Magneto #0 (Marvel) $2.50
Manthing #1 (Marvel, 1979) VF/NM $8
Marvels #1 (Marvel, Busiak/Ross) $5
Marvel Comics Presents #1 (Marvel, Simonson Wolverine) $12
Monster #1 (Dark Horse) $2
Moon Knight #21 (Marvel) Spider-Man/Punisher $2
Mystery Inc. #1 (Image) signed $4
Namor #1 (Marvel) $4.50
Namor #2 (Marvel) $3
Namor #30 (Marvel) $3
Namor #37 (Marvel) $3
New Mutants #100 (Marvel, 1st X-Force) $4
Nightstalkers #1 (Marvel, polybagged with poster) $3
One to Go #1 (Aardwolf Schism) signed $3
Pit Bulls #1 (Dark Horse) $1
Pitt #1 (Image) $3
Predator vs Magnus Robot Fighter #1 (Dark Horse) $3
Punisher War Zone #1 (Marvel) $4
Punisher 2099 #1 (Marvel) $3
Punisher War Journal #1 (Marvel) $4.50
Sabre Tooth #1 (Marvel) $5
Sandman #46 (DC, Gaiman) $2
Savage Dragon #3 (Image) $2
Shadowman #11 (Valiant) $1
Shadowman #13 (Valiant) $1
Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel, 1987) NM $9.50
Silver Surfer #50 (Marvel, foil cover) NM $2.50
Solar #21 (Valiant) $1
Spawn #7 (Image) NM $3
Spawn #8 (Image) NM $3
The Spirit - Chicago Sun Comic Section - June 28, 1942 - Will Eisner coverless $3
(Peter Parker) The Spectacular Spider-Man #116 (Marvel) vs Sabre-Tooth $10
(Peter Parker) The Spectacular Spider-Man #119 (Marvel) vs Sabre-Tooth $4
(Peter Parker) The Spectacular Spider-Man #147 (Marvel) $3
Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 1990) Mint, polybagged $4
Spider-Man #1 silver (Marvel, 1990) NM, not polybagged $5.50
Spider-Man #2 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4.50
Spider-Man #3 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4.50
Spider-Man #5 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4.50
Spider-Man #6 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4
Spider-Man #7 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4
Spider-Man #8 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4
Spider-Man #9 (Marvel, 1990, Wolverine) NM $5 
Spider-Man #10 (Marvel, 1990) NM $4
Spider-Man #13 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #17 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #19 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #20 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #21 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #22 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #24 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spider-Man #26 (Marvel, 1990) NM $3
Spirits of Vengeance #1 (Marvel, polybagged with poster) $4
Star Trek Next Generation Shadowheart #1 (DC) $2
Strangers #1 (Malibu) $2
Stormwatch #1 (Image) $2.50
Superman #75 (DC, 1993, first print) Death of Superman NM $12.50
Turok #1 (Valiant) $4
Uncanny X-Men #276 (Marvel) $5
Uncanny X-Men #283 (Marvel, 1st Bishop) $12.50
Uncanny X-Men #288 (Marvel, Bishop cover / Jim Lee) $4
Uncanny X-Men #289 (Marvel) $3
Uncanny X-Men #290 (Marvel) $3
Uncanny X-Men #291 (Marvel) $3
Uncanny X-Men #292 (Marvel) $3
Uncanny X-Men #294 (Marvel, polybagged with card) $3.50
Uncanny X-Men #300 (Marvel, foil cover) $4
Vertigo #1 (DC, Neil Gaiman) $3
Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1 (Marvel) $1
Warlock Chronicles #1 (Marvel, prism cover) $2
Warriors of Plasm #1 (Defiant) signed by Witherby $2.50
Web of Spider-Man #90 (Marvel) Mint - polybagged $3
WildC.A.T.S. Covert Action Teams #1 (Image, Jim Lee) $3
WildC.A.T.S. Covert Action - Source Book #1 (Image, Jim Lee) $3
Wildstar #1 (Image) $3
Wolverine #50 (Marvel, die-cut cover) $3.50
X #1 (Frank Miller, Dark Horse) $3
X-Factor #1 (Marvel) $8.50
X-Force #1 (Marvel, polybagged w/ card) $3
X-Force #1 (Marvel, 2nd print) $2
X-Force #5 (Marvel) $1
X-Force #12 (Marvel) $1
X-Force #14 (Marvel) $1
X-Men #1 (Marvel) $4
X-Men #4 (Marvel) $4
X-Men #5 (Marvel) $4
X-Men #9 (Marvel) $4
X-Men #10 (Marvel) $4
X-Men #25 (Marvel, 48 pages) $5
X-Men Phoenix Warsong: Graphic Novel $9.95
X-Men Spotlight on Starjammers #1 (Marvel) $5
X-O Manowar #0 (Valiant, Quesada) $4
X-O Manowar #7 (Valiant) $3
X-O Manowar #8 (Valiant) $3
X-O Manowar #14 (Valiant) $1
Youngblood #0 (Image, Liefeld) FN- $1
Youngblood Strikefile #1 (Image, Liefeld)  $3
Youngblood - Yearbook #1 (Image, Liefeld) $2

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Help Izzy Meth Make Music: Books/Comics Sale

My son Izzy Meth writes:

If I told you all I ever wanted was to play music, it wouldn’t be true because I also wanted to play baseball. But I’ve been playing drums since I was 8, guitar since I was 12, and then learned piano and bass. My songs are now being released on all digital streaming platforms... 
To get to the next level, I need to spend money on promotion, so I’m now giving music lessons (inexpensively) and I am available to play on people's tracks. Also, my father, author Clifford Meth, is running a sale... I don’t want gifts or donations—I want to work. If you like my music, you can help by following me and one day coming to see me play… In the meantime, please see if there’s anything offered that you can use. You have my sincere appreciation and I hope to bring you music that will last a lifetime!

The following items are being sold to raise funds to promote Izzy Meth Music. Please email me the list of any item or items that you'd like and I'll send you a total with shipping. My email is cliffmeth@icloud.com. Thank you for your kind consideration:


SIGNED ITEMS:

Spider-Man card (Fleer Ultra Masterpieces) signed by Stan Lee $125 (we only have one)


Stranger Kaddish – Short fiction from Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Peter David, Bill Messner-Loebs, Clifford Meth, Mike Pascale, Ilan Stavans and Walter Cummins; illustrated by Janet Aulisio, Messner-Loebs, Paty Cockrum, Pascale, others; cover by Dave Cockrum – 82-page trade paperback - $13.95


The above book (Stranger Kadish) can also be ordered with a STRANGE KADDISH bookplate signed by Harlan Ellison (publisher's copy) total for the book and signed bookplate is $38.95


Aardwolf #1 (comic, 1994) the first Aardwolf Publishing offer, with art by Dave Cockrum, Paty Cockrum and Marie Severin (cover by Gray Morrow) - only $3.95 


You can also get Aardwolf #1 with a ltd. edition parchment bookplate signed/numbered by Dave Cockrum, Gray Morrow, Paty Cockrum and Clifford Meth - the cost for the comic and this signed bookplate is $18.95


Aardwolf #2 (comic) stories by Robert Bloch and Clifford Meth; art by Dave Cockrum and Marie Severin - only $3.95


You can also get Aardwolf #2 with a ltd. edition parchment bookplate signed/numbered by Marie Severin - the cost for the comic and the signed bookplate is $14.95


BAMF: The Art of Dave Cockrum (art portfolio; 9x11, saddle-stitched short print) rare - $19.95


You can also get BAMF with a ltd. edition bookplate "3 Tenors" bookplate signed by Dave Cockrum and Wm. Messner-Loebs - the cost for the art portfolio and signed bookplate is 29.95 


SNAKED #1, #2 and #3 (full set) by Clifford Meth and Rufus Dayglo (IDW Publishing) comic – this story was optioned for film rights by Weinstein Company President Richard Saperstein - all 3 comics signed $11.95


SNAKED graphic novel (Clifford Meth and Rufus Dayglo) (IDW Publishing) collects SNAKED #1-3 (full story arc) and includes new introduction by Gene Colan and additional illustrations by Dave Cockrum and Rufus Dayglo - signed - $17.95


Futurians #0 – comic book written by Dave Cockrum and Clifford Meth, illustrated by Cockrum; only 1000 printed - $4.95


You can also get the above book with a very limited-edition Dave Cockrum bookplate (drawn by Neal Adams and signed by Neil Gaiman) - The cost for this comic and signed bookplate is $38.95


The Futurians Return – graphic novel - Dave Cockrum’s final story – illustrated by Cockrum, inked by Bob Wiacek and Robin Rigg. Introduction by Neil Gaiman and additional pin-ups from Jae Lee, Bill Sienkiewicz and Ricardo Villagran – Only 800 printed. $14.95


You can also get the above book along with a special limited-edition bookplate signed by Bill Sienkiewicz - the cost for the book and the signed bookplate is $28.95


Rich Buckler: Artist and Comics Creator– art portfolio, B/W, with introductions by Jim Steranko and Roy Thomas – $14.95 


You can also get the above book along with a limited-edition bookplate signed by Jim Steranko - the cost for the book with the signed bookplate is $27.95


Kracked Kranium: The Don Perlin Art Portfolio – B/W, with introductions by Bob Layton and John Romita Sr.  Limited to 200 prints – $14.95 


You can also get this book along with a very special original drawing of Werewolf by Night by Don Perlin -- there's only one copy with original art - cost is $125


Perverts, Pedophiles & Other Theologians– Clifford Meth’s breakthrough dark-fiction collection (chosen by Barnes and Nobles as “horror pick of the week”) – features a gorgeous cover and illustrations from Gene Colan; introduction by Steve Gerber (trade paperback, 100 pages) signed $9.95


Perverts, Pedophiles and Other Theologians – Worlds of Westfield limited bookplate edition - Same as regular edition (above) but with a tipped-in bookplate signed by Gene Colan and Clifford Meth - $20 


Balm in Gilead (hardcover) – Beautiful short-fiction collection from GooseTree Press edited by Clifford Meth with stories from Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, Dan Mishkin, Marv Wolfman, William Tenn, Owl Goingback, William Messner-Loebs and Clifford Meth; illustrated by Neal Adams, Jeff Jones and others. Introduction by Stan Lee and painted cover by Michael Kaluta. 105-page deluxe hardcover, short printed (only 400). $28


 The Uncanny Dave Cockrum (deluxe, prestige hardcover published by Marvel Entertainment) Edited by Clifford Meth, includes essays and art contributions from a veritable who’s who of the comics world, including Harlan Ellison, Alan Moore, Stan Lee, Neil Gaiman, Chris Claremont, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman, Neal Adams, Sergio Aragones, Frank Brunner, John Cassady, Gene Colan, Miker Deodato, Will Eisner, Dave Gibbons, Joe Kubert, Jim Lee, Tom Palmer, George Perez, John Romita, Marie Severin, Walt Simonson and Herb Trimpe - signed/numbered (only 1000 printed) - $39.95


Comic Book Babylon– An eye-opening and ofttimes unflattering peephole into the dirty workings of the comic book ‘industry’ by Clifford Meth with an introduction by Stan Lee and illustrations by Michael Netzer; 358-page trade paperback. Harlan Ellison calls it, "One helluva book. I read it twice."  - signed $22.95


Comic Book Babylon (deluxe bookplate edition) – same as above but also comes with a tipped in bookplate signed by Gene Colan - $32.95


The Invincible Gene Colan (hardcover, Marvel Entertainment) beautiful, shrink-wrapped art portfolio with written contributions from Gene’s peers. 132-page hardcover, full-color - $24.95 


You can also get the above book with a special limited-edition bookplate signed by Gene Colan for $34.95 total


 Meth, Colan and Other Theologians – anniversary edition of Perverts, Pedophiles and Other Theologians includes new introduction essays from Marv Wolman, Mark Evanier and Gail Simone (along with Steve Gerber’s original intro) and an additional story from Meth/Colan – 148-page trade paperback (only 500 printed) - $15.95


 Conflicts of Disinterest – Short fiction by Clifford Meth illustrated by Alex Toth, Dave Cockrum, Mark Badger, Mike Pascale, Paty Cockrum, Dave DeVries, and David Boswell – introduction by rock and roll legend Peppi Marchello; cover by Jeff Amano (94-page trade paperback) short-printed $11.95


The Three Tenors: Off-Key– illustrated oddball stories by Dave Cockrum, Bill Messner-Loebs and Clifford Meth with an introduction by Dave Sim and a “finale” by Tom Spurgeon; additional illustrations from Al Milgrom, Steve Lieber and Paty Cockrum (138-page trade paperback) extremely short print - signed by all three authors - $22.95

METHo.d.– dark fiction from Clifford Meth illustrated by Michael Netzer, Steve Lieber, Al Milgrom, Paty Cockrum, Earl Geier and Jordan Raskin – cover by Jim Streranko and introduction by Peter David (100-page trade paperback) -- includes signed tipped-in bookplate  - $16.95

Crib Death: The Babysitter’s Companion (softcover, 84 pages) – earliest stories by Clifford Meth (1995) illustrated by Dave Cockrum, Marie Severin, Paul Abrams, Bill Messner-Loebs, Rob Orzechowski, Paul Abrams, Paty Cockrum and Mike Witherby; cover by Joe Linsner; introduction by Tony Isabella - signed $9.95

Crawling From the Wreckage – Clifford Meth (trade paperback, 80 pgs., 1996) cover by Joe Kubert, Foreword by Gene Colan; illustrations by Colan, George Perez, Dave Cockrum, Nelsen deCastro, Joe St. Pierre, Ron Wagner and Bill Messner-Loebs - signed $9.95

god’s 15 Minutes – Collects Clifford Meth’s first five books into an oversize, deluxe trade paperback with new foreword and story introductions by Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, Al Feldstein, Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas, Bill Messner-Loebs and rock and roll legend Andy Shernoff; illustrations by Gene Colan, Marie Severin, Joe Sinnott, Dave and Paty Cockrum, Gray Morrow, George Perez, Herb Trimpe and others; painted cover by Mike Kaluta - signed $23.95

Want a book or two (or three?) - email Cliffmeth@icloud.com 

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Using the WARpM Stat to Show Why Big Contracts in Baseball Don't Work

This article is (c) Copyright 2021 by Izzy Meth. All rights reserved.

by Izzy Meth

In a rapidly changing game, nothing has grasped the baseball world with no intention of leaving more than the relatively new, massive contract we’ve seen distributed over the last decade. While baseball has always been a very advanced sport in terms of economics, this recent outburst of the massive contract has had as large of an effect on baseball as any occurrence since 1969 when Curt Flood declared himself the first “free agent”. Despite being a career .293 hitter with seven gold gloves, Flood’s importance to the game lodged in his willingness to stand up to MLB ownership, an act that paved the way for countless contracts to come.
 
Once free agency arrived, not much changed. Although contracts became more pricey over time, that wasn't spurred by a change in the game but rather due to inflation. Some milestones included Dave Parker’s 1978 signing of the first contract to provide a $1 million AAV, and Albert Belle becoming the first player to rack up $10 million for one season. While those numbers were impressive for the time, they can’t compare to what superstars earn now. Albert Belle’s contract in 1997 made him the highest paid player in the game, and yet if he played today, that $10 million is only equivalent to about $16 million now; he’d only be today’s 33rd highest paid player.
 
The first major step toward the contact structures we are seeing today was when on December 11, 2000, Alex Rodriguez, the Texas Rangers young superstar shortstop, signed a whopping 10-year $252 million contract. The next $200+ million deals were distributed to sluggers Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Ironically, neither of those contracts paid off to any extent as Pujols’ numbers rapidly and drastically declined to a near mediocre level and worse, while Fielder's career was cut short by a tragic career-ending injury. Using WARpM (WAR per million), a stat I created to evaluate a player's value in terms of salary, you see that for each of the first three $200+ million deals signed, each team drastically overpaid these players.
 
The formula for my stat is (2/4,000,000 = WAR/X). The 2 represents the average WAR set on a scale that represents starters and bench players equally over a 162-game season. The 4,000,000 represents the average MLB player salary on the same scale just listed. Here’s an example of how to use this stat: In 2018, Andrelton Simmons posted a stellar 6.3 WAR while being paid $11 million. Using WARpM, he deserved $12.6 million. Now plug in A-Rod’s, Pujols’ and Fielder’s numbers. During the seven years of his original contract (before he opted out), A-Rod earned $158 million while posting a 56.4 WAR. While many of those seasons were on an elite level, several weaker seasons lowered his total value over those years to $112.8 million. He earned approximately $45.2 million over his WARpM value.
 
With Fielder, it wasn't as much an overpayment as bad luck for the Tigers and Rangers who paid an average of $23.5 million per season to a declining and soon-to-be-retired slugger. Out of Fielder’s six $23+ million seasons, he never once played up to his contract’s WARpM value; in fact, he posted two negative WAR seasons, and missed all of 2017, his final season. Overall, in those six seasons of Fielder's contract, he earned $142 million for a total of 7 WAR. At that level, his total WARpM was $14 million for those six years. All in all, the Tigers and Rangers overpaid a whopping, combined $128 million in what may go down as one of the worst contracts in MLB history.
 
As for Albert Pujols, when the Angels signed him to a 10-year, $240 million contract, they were signing a career .328 hitter with a staggering 1037 OPS, a 170 OPS+, and an outstanding glove at first base. Over Pujols’ first nine years in LA, he only posted a .257 AVG, with a mediocre 761 OPS and 109 OPS+, while his defense declined tremendously. During those 9 years, he posted a total 14.1 WAR making his average WAR on a 162-game scale approximately 1.6. When plugging those numbers in, Pujols’ WARpM becomes $3.2 million per season, or $28.8 million for the 9 seasons. A difference of $211.2 million separates Pujols’ actual contract from his adjusted contract, the largest ever on the negative side. This is why I consider this Baseball’s worst-ever contract. After watching two of the first three $200+ million contracts epic failures—and the third not quite failing but still over spending nearly $50 million—you would think teams would have learned their lessons… but they didn't.
 
While large contracts had become frequent by 2014, there had not been a $200+ million deal distributed to a pitcher until reigning and two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw became the first to do so in 2014. Kershaw, who was coming off of three consecutive ERA titles, seemed like the perfect pitcher to break this contract barrier; he was the established, once-in-a generation ace, and pitching for a top-budget, World Series contender. But with only one year left until he hits free agency, Kershaw has still not produced up to the level of his contract. He has earned approximately $200 million over six years since his contract extension, averaging about $33.3 million/season. Over those six years, he has accumulated a 29.6 WAR adjusted over a 162-game season, giving him an average WAR of ~ 4.9/season. When plugging those numbers in, Kershaw’s WARpM is $9.8 million/ season, a staggering $23.5 million less than what he actually earned. Although much of Kershaw’s shortcoming in value was due to injuries, this contract was yet another example of why big contracts tend to benefit a player more than a team.
 
Following Kershaw's contract, the next pitchers to jump the $200 million mark were Max Scherzer, David Price, and Zack Grienke. While it's safe to say that Price’s and Grienke’s contracts did not pay off, Scherzer’s actually did. In terms of WARpM he comes off a bit short of his contract, however he brought home two Cy Young Awards and a World Series title to Washington. For a franchise that had never won a title before, Scherzer was as important any player. His contract was ultimately a success.
 
Following all these $200+ million deals, the first man to break the $300 million milestone was Miami's super slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton was already prone to injuries so locking him up for a contract of that length was a desperate attempt for a franchise long missing a face to craft one where it did not exist. The contract failed despite Stanton’s posting an all-time great season in which he slugged 59 home runs in his final year in Miami before being dealt to the Yankees for an embarrassing return.
 
Soon after, $300+ dollar deals went to Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. How the Padres and Phillies didn't learn a lesson from the Marlins and previous teams listed is shocking, but they were more than happy to lock up Machado and Harper for the long run during 2018’s offseason. In Harper's case it is somewhat understandable; there are stretches where Harper’s game rivals Mike Trout’s. But when signing that contract, Harper had posted sub-900 OPS seasons in two of three recent years. For someone paid to be a top-five player, a sub-900 OPS doesn't cut it. In Machado’s case, the Padres were desperate to establish a new superstar. While Machado is as talented as any player, to give someone with a career .823 OPS that kind of money was a mistake. Although it is far too early to evaluate Harper’s and Machado’s contracts, through each of their first two seasons with their new teams, both players have underperformed given the value of their contracts.
 
To get it out of the way, Mike Trout's $426.5 million contract is in a league of its own. Although it is too early to evaluate the financial wisdom of Trout’s contract, he has been the best player in baseball for nine seasons without any signs of slowing down.
 
The off-season of 2019 saw multiple superstars seeking big contracts. I will not go into much detail about Anthony Rendon's $245-million contract, but I expect it to be one of the better big contracts we'll seen in recent history as Rendon is a shockingly consistent hitter and, in the words of former Met AllStar Ron Darling, “He has a slump-proof swing.” The other two big names on the board were Nationals’ postseason hero Stephen Strasburg, and his World Series rival Gerrit Cole. In Strasburg’s case, while he was coming off an excellent season, in which he finished 5th in Cy Young voting, and an even better postseason that ended with him taking home the World Series MVP trophy (unlike the Scherzer contract, which the Nationals had signed nearly five years earlier), this contract was not a very promising one. Strasburg, who at the time had ten seasons on his resume, had only managed to start 30 or more games in three of them. Throughout his career he suffered from injuries, but that didn't stop the Nationals from giving him a $245 million deal. His rival Gerrit Cole, who was coming off of two stellar seasons and postseasons, took $324 million from the Yankees—the largest contract ever for a pitcher. While like Strasburg, Cole had a history of injuries early in his career, but he was coming off three consecutive 30+ game seasons; the latter two with a sub-3 ERA. The Yankees finally got the ace they'd been seeking for so long. Although it's too early to tell, it's hard to believe Cole will play up to his record-breaking AAV throughout the entirety of his contract. If he leads to the Yankees winning number 28, his contract will have been a success.
 
The final contract worth examining is the recent 14-year $340 million contract extension of young Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. While I believe Tatis is exceptional, offering a 22 year old with just 143 games on his resume that lengthy and expensive of a contract was extremely risky. While he may continue to play on a superstar level for years to come, in which case his contract will have been a massive success for an emerging powerhouse of a team, there is an equal chance that he will not continue to play at this elite level, in which case the Padres will be in big financial trouble. Let’s not forget that many young players in recent history have emerged and put up big numbers before rapidly declining and never matching those numbers again. Consider Yasiel Puig, Gary Sanchez, and even Kris Bryant. Puig posted a .305 batting average along with an elite 888 OPS over his first two seasons, and Gold Glove caliber defense. He did all that over 252 games in his first season, more than 100 games greater than Tatis has played. Puig's numbers dropped off quickly and since those first two years he’s posted only a .264 average along with a 792 OPS.

Gary Sanchez established himself as the best offensive catcher over his first two seasons with an incredible 923 OPS and 139 OPS+ over 175 games. Since then he's been far from the best offensive catcher and he's actually posted slightly below average numbers with a 748 OPS and a 99 OPS+.
 
Kris Bryant, once baseball’s top prospect, began his career as well as anyone could, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first two seasons, and followed that with a career high 946 OPS in his third season. Since then he's posted a strong 846 OPS over the last three seasons. While his numbers have still been good, he's had a 79 point drop off in OPS, and is far from the MVP he once was.
 
The above examples should make it plain why one should be skeptical about giving Tatis a contract of such magnitude after just 143 games.

Baseball is a sport filled with inconsistency and unpredictability. This is why long contracts nearly unanimously benefit the player over the team. While these massive, lengthy contracts are likely here to stay, it's worth looking back critically on how similar contracts played out in the past. Will future massive contracts favor teams over players? No shot.

This article is (c) Copyright 2021 by Izzy Meth. All rights reserved.

update: This article also appears at https:js9innings.com

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Aardwolf Publishing: A Fond Farewell


It’s been a difficult time for the planet, but I can’t truly recall a time when I didn’t see things that way. Difficult times are the mother of invention. I believe we’re here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is… This was also the unstated philosophy of Aardwolf Publishing which, together with my business partner Jim Reeber, I helped forge in 1994. Aardwolf offered work to struggling veterans and quickly attracted some very celebrated ones, too. We were proud to publish stories from Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, Neil Gaiman, Marv Wolfman and Peter David; our books featured covers and illustrations from giants like Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Joe Kubert, Jeff Jones, Michael Kaluta, Marie Severin, Mike Ploog, Frank Brunner, George Perez, and Gray Morrow... Harlan Ellison, Stan Lee, Pete Townshend and Leonard Cohen were among those who owned and praised our exceptional limited editions. And Aardwolf gave me a launchpad for my own stories, a number of which were optioned by Hollywood producers, bringing me more opportunities that I was able to share with friends.

When I conceived of and then completed the acquisition of IDW Publishing for IDT Entertainment more than a decade ago and became, briefly, IDW’s Executive Vice President of Creative Development, I turned Aardwolf over to the capable hands of Jim Reeber. I never looked back.

Sadly, Aardwolf Publishing is now in permanent limbo. Several years ago, Jim, who is only in his mid-50s, suffered from a serious heart condition; he flat-lined and woke up with a permanent device in his chest. Memory issues quickly followed. More recently, he was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease.

Jim is unmarried and has no children. Upon learning of his prognosis, his presumed permanent girlfriend of many years told him and others, “I’m not capable to taking care of someone” and left. Clearly, she was raised wrong. Jim’s mother, who is in her 80’s, has stepped up to the plate and his friends (who are also my friends) have circled the wagons. We will make certain Jim is always okay.


Aardwolf Publishing’s website was taken down because orders could not be fulfilled. The corporation was dissolved. I am taking responsibility to fulfill any outstanding orders. I will also offer, in a very limited capacity, inventory items (including some expensive, rare premiums) directly from my blog, where I also handle comics from the Estate of Dave Cockrum. Patronage of these items by friends and long-time Aardwolf customers is appreciated.

A few important points:
  • Existing Aardwolf assets (i.e., unsold books) will only be offered on a limited basis. 
  • There is no intention of reprinting an Aardwolf title once books are sold out.
  • Aardwolf will continue to pay royalties to creators that it had contractual agreements with.
  • Aardwolf’s unpublished projects have been cancelled. There is a slim possibility that they will be resurrected by another publisher or by a later Aardwolf entity, if the opportunity presents itself, but slim is the operative word.
  • Many Aardwolf Publishing products—especially signed and remarqued limited editions—now sell on Ebay and Amazon for far more than they were offered for. Before purchasing one from resellers, people are wisely urged to check with me first as I may have those items in storage for far less than the speculators.
  • I am not sharing Jim’s contact information but will gladly forward messages. “Get well soon” is, unfortunately, inappropriate, but “thanks for everything you’ve done” is more than correct and suitable.

So, this has indeed been a difficult time, but, in truth, times have always been difficult for one party or another. When we started Aardwolf, Gene Colan was suffering from serious vision problems and didn’t have medical insurance; Dave Cockrum had been ignored by Marvel for years and wasn’t able to pay his bills without selling items from his collection (for a fraction of their value). We changed Gene and Dave's trajectories forever and, along the way, made a huge difference to a few others. There’s still plenty of work to be done. I hope we set a good example and some of you will pick up the slack. How? Buy art directly from artists; support creators’ projects that deserve support; be charitable; and selfishly pursue your own creative goals and help others pursue theirs. Life is short and art is long--and we're here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.

Clifford Meth