The idea of comics as fine art may seem like an oxymoron. For decades, comics were considered “disposable entertainment,” something to be read once or twice and thrown away. Even the original art panels developed by the first comic artists and writers were treated like used beer cans – rarely kept or cared for in the interest of posterity. That probably explains why there are so few issues or art panels from comics’ golden age around.

Ever since Roy Lichtenstein started using comic strips as inspirations for his paintings in the 1960’s, however, comic art has been steadily earning its due as an appreciable art form.

The practice of using sequential images or panels to tell a story actually dates back to before the birth of Christ, but it was the U.S. in the 19th century that made comics a mass medium with comic strips in newspapers. That led to comic books and the “pulp novels” of the first half of the 20th century—work that even its own creators never dreamed would one day hold a place among the fine arts.

Then something pivotal happened. In 1992, Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus, which used the comic medium to tell the story of his father’s experience during the Holocaust, won a Pulitzer Prize.

The notoriety of a Pulitzer led to a Maus exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York later that year, and suddenly the line between comic art and modern fine art was blurred. Over the next two decades, comic art regularly found a place in some of the nation’s most prestigious museums.

· Original panels from Chris Ware’s comic book Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth, were showcased in the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial celebration in 2002.

· In 2006, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles exhibited “Masters of American Comics,” featuring more than 900 pieces from 15 artists who had helped “define the form and bring it to the highest level of artistic expression.”

· The New York Museum of Modern Art opened “Comic Abstraction” in 2007, bringing together 13 contemporary artists and showing the interplay between abstraction and comic representation.

· In 2010, the Arlington Arts Center in Virginia held a show of original works called, “Party Crashers: Comic Book Culture Invades the Art World,” featuring commissioned comic works by well-known contemporary artists.

· In 2011, The Whitney Museum held a retrospective of painter Lyonel Feininger’s work featuring, among his well-known Bauhaus images, his cartoons for the Chicago Sunday Tribune.

· In 2012, the Oakland Museum held a special exhibition of work by Daniel Clowes, creator of Ghost World, while the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris held a retrospective exhibition of work by Robert Crumb, creator of Fritz the Cat.

That kind of credibility has attracted the eye of fine art collectors willing to pay a hefty price for original work. Lichtenstein’s “Sleeping Girl” sold for $44.8 million in 2012, and a single panel from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson sold for $448,000 that same year.

Those are extreme examples, of course. More often, original, high-quality works from today’s top comic artists sell for between $5,000 and $20,000. And people are buying. Albert Moy operates one of the largest online galleries of original comic art for sale and, if you look at what’s selling, the more expensive pieces are being snatched up first by collectors.

Not everyone can drop that kind of coin, but even as comic art reputation grows, very good, high quality art can still be had at reasonable prices at any comic convention, even from well known industry names like Terry Dodson....

Every event features an “Artist Alley” chock full of artists at every stage of their careers, from up and comers selling full figure pencil drawings for less than $100, to well established names selling work for $150 and up. Most of them are happy to take commission work, meaning for roughly the same price as a couple months of cable, you can get the character and pose that you want, and add an original one-of-a-kind piece to your wall. If you’re willing to pay upwards of $500 or more, you can get some amazing, full color work.

Comparatively speaking, that’s cheap. There are artists at these conventions who have incredible talent for portraying the human body, fantasy characters, and imaginary worlds. It’s more than just putting them on paper—it’s about capturing light, shadow, movement and emotions, and adding a level of depth and detail to the characters that seems to give them life. Every convention reveals another 4-5 artists who amaze me with the way they use the tools of their craft, be it pencils, colors, or paints, to create images that are nothing short of captivating.

Yet many of these incredible artists aren't well known by “the masses,” because the masses don’t read comics. They’re under-appreciated outside the comic world, but for collectors, that means great art can be had for a great price.

For would-be original art collectors, consider that the best pieces won’t necessarily be the ones drawn in front of you at a convention in 10 minutes. It’s better to meet an artist, get on their “commission list,” and let them take their time. It may cost a little more, and it may mean waiting several weeks, but letting them do their thing on their schedule always results in art they—and you—are happy with.

One last note- just like you should never buy comics as an investment, don’t buy art as an investment either. Sure, maybe that unknown guy or girl in Artist Alley will eventually go on to fame, but if you only buy for investment, you’ll never fully enjoy the art for what it is. Buy art that connects with you in some way. Maybe it’s a favorite character, or it triggers a memory or emotion, or it just grabs you. The only art that is ever really valuable is the art that speaks to you. Make sure you enjoy the conversation.