Mego-related Michael Jackson News

[MegoSteve]

In Michael Jackson Painting, He Wore Red Velvet - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

Check the second picture in the slideshow of this link:

Brett-Livingstone Strong's Rare Portrait Of Michael Jackson May Be Up For Sale (PHOTOS)

[palitoy]

What the hell?

[JPkempo]

[hobub]

Nice. I wonder if anyone will bid to buy his body in a hundred years to prop up in a showcase like he tried to do with poor Joseph Merrick.

[MegoSteve]

What the hell?

That's what I thought, too.

[hobub]

That's what I thought, too.

One gue$$.

[MIB41]

Selling that would be a nice return and possibly allow him to invest more in the Mego rebirth. I'm all for it!!!

[Mikey]

Marty and Larry from Three's Company teamed up ?

[cjefferys]

More info:

"The painting was sold in 1990 for $2.1 million. It is now owned by two toy inventors, Marty Abrams and John Gentilly, who received the painting in 1992 from a Japanese businessman who had bought it to make good on a debt he owed the inventors.


They never displayed it in their own homes though.

“It’s so expensive that the insurance was too expensive. I have prints for $600. I might have a sketch for $1,000. But to put a $2 million painting in the middle of all that would be a little bit overwhelming.”

They were inspired to bring the painting out of storage after Michael Jackson’s death in June, in part because Mr. Abrams saw a news story about a sketch portrait of Michael Jackson by Andy Warhol that was being put up for auction.

The current owners of the original painting have received calls from as far away as Dubai after Michael Jackson’s death from people who knew they owned the painting.

“If someone came with a legitimate offer, I’d probably sell it,” said Mr. Abrams, who lives in Great Neck. He tried selling it when he first took possession of it in 1992, but couldn’t find any good offers. “I couldn’t get anyone at that time interested in the painting. I put it in storage for 17 years, and it has been there for 17 years.

Up to this point we’ve been very skittish." They have reached out to Phillips De Pury auction house to get an assessment. “I am not an art expert. I don’t understand the art market. We have no idea what it’s worth. Is it worth $1 million? Is it worth $10 million?”



This seemed to come out of the blue. I wonder why a Japanese businessman owed Marty money? And who is John Gentilly?

[SUP-Ronin]

Maybe Marty has ties to Yakuza. Or perhaps he saved the mans life.

[Mego Milk]

Uncle Marty?

[palitoy]

And who is John Gentilly?

I think they misprinted his name, which is actually Gentile. Abrams and Gentile are partners in AGE inc.

[cjefferys]

Oh yes of course, that makes sense. I recognize that name, perhaps the "e" at the end isn't silent and that caused the misprint.

[palitoy]

Every time I've heard it, it sounds like "Gentilly" so you're correct.

[Mikey]

I used to go to school with an Italian American kid who's name was Gentile and pronouced Jen-tillie