As you may know, I have been the co-maker of Groo the Wanderer comic books, along with my best buddy Sergio Aragonés, for several decades now. So you can probably believe me when I tell you the following facts about the two drawings of Groo seen above…
- They are (or were) for sale on eBay from a seller with many sales to his or her name and 100% Positive Feedback.
- They were put up as "Original authentic" drawings by Sergio Aragonés.
- They are absolute, total forgeries not done by Sergio but done instead by a very poor forger.
- The seller has other sketches allegedly by other artists for sale and says he or she does not accept returns.
The Groo drawing on the left is listed as selling for its minimum bid of $149. The one on the right is currently offered for a minimum bid of $149 with, as of this writing, no takers.
In the past when I've seen stuff like this, I've written to the sellers and politely informed them that they're selling fakes. Often, that makes the offering disappear, at least for a while. Sometimes, I get back a note that says something like, "Oh, thanks. I didn't know. I'll look into it." I am unconvinced any of these sellers were innocent dupes. What they didn't know was that someone with some authority could notice. At best, this probably doesn't mean they won't sell the phony drawing. They just might not sell it on eBay where I can see.
Take a look at those drawings. If you're the kind of person who might someday like an original Sergio drawing and you can't tell that those aren't original Sergio drawings, perhaps you shouldn't buy an original Sergio drawing from anyone but Sergio.