Heritage Auctions’ Comics & Comics Art Auction Soars Beyond $15.2 Million to Shatter World Record

Frank Frazetta's Egyptian Queen leads auction at $5.4 million



DALLAS, Texas (May 24, 2019) — Led by the most expensive piece of original comic book art ever sold at public auction, Heritage Auctions smashed its own world record when its Comics & Comic Art auction May 16-18 in Chicago brought in $15,201,836.

The sale, which boasted sell-through rates of 99.8% by lots sold and 97.7% by value, crushed the previous world record of $12,201,974, which was set at the same event in Chicago in May 2018.

Frank Frazetta Egyptian Queen Painting Original Art (1969) demolished the world record for the most ever paid for a piece of original comic book art at auction when it sold for $5,400,000. The price more than tripled the previous record of $1.79 million paid for Frazetta's Death Dealer 6, 1990, which was sold by Heritage in May 2018.

"Having a top lot that yields a record result, or a large sale with strong results across the board, can lead to impressive final numbers," Heritage Auctions Vice President Todd Hignite said. "This auction had both, with Egyptian Queen leading 1,409 lots sold, allowing this sale to reach and surpass all pre-auction expectations."

Nearly three dozen bids were submitted forSuperman #1 (DC, 1939) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Cream to off-white pages before it closed at $456,000. The finest unrestored copy of the issue ever offered by Heritage Auctions, the issue ranks No. 3 on Overstreet's "Top 100 Golden Age Comics" list.

Captain America Comics #1 (Timely, 1941) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Cream to off-white pages, which brought a winning bid of $228,000, leads the finest run of Captain America comics that Heritage Auctions ever has offered in an auction. Nearly two dozen collectors submitted bids for this copy of the issue that rarely reaches the auction market.

Batman #1 (DC, 1940) CGC FN- 5.5 Cream to off-white pages also drew bids from 21 collectors before finishing at $210,000. Ranked No. 5 on Overstreet's list of "Top 100 Golden Age Comics" and a candidate to climb into at least a top for the No. 4 spot, the issue includes the first appearances of both the Joker and the Cat (who later was known as Catwoman) and features a pin-up of Batman and Robin on the back cover.

John Byrne and Terry Austin X-Men #137 Double Splash Pages 2-3 Original Art (Marvel, 1980) prompted bids from more than two dozen collectors before it ultimately drew $204,000. Widely considered one of the most memorable splash pages of all time, the two-page spread features one of the best full-team images of the X-Men, featuring Cyclops, Jean Grey (a.k.a. Marvel Girl/Phoenix), the Beast, Angel, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Professor X, Lilandra and Gladiator. It is signed by writer Chris Claremont, Stan Lee, Jim Shooter and co-plotter John Byrne.

Other top lots included, but were not limited to:

Carl Barks McDuck of Duckburg Painting CB-OIL 84 Original Art (1974) $162,000

Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott Fantastic Four #70 Cover Original Art (Marvel, 1968) $156,000

Tales of Suspense #39 Iron Man (Marvel, 1963) CBCS NM+ 9.6 White pages $111,000

Carl Barks The Wadfather Painting CB-OIL 21 Original Art (1972) $108,000

Carl Barks Menace out of the Myths Painting CB-OIL 50 Original Art (1973) $102,000

A collection of works by comic artist/inker Murphy Anderson also was in high demand, selling for a total of $806,496. The top Anderson lots included, but were not limited to:

· Murphy Anderson Hawkman #4 Zatanna First Appearance Complete 13-Page Story "The Girl Who Split In Two!" Original Art (DC, 1964): $126,000

· Murphy Anderson Showcase #60 The Spectre Part 1 "War That Shook the Universe!" Original Art Group of 8 Consecutive Pages (DC, 1966): $90,000

· Murphy Anderson Showcase #60 The Spectre Part 2 "War That Shook the Universe!" Original Art Group of 10 Consecutive Pages (DC, 1966): $66,000

The marquee Superman and Batman issues were among a collection of 58 lots from the collection of Robert Huber, which sold for a combined $728,094. Other top lots in the collection included:

· All Star Comics #3 (DC, 1940) CGC FN 6.0 Cream to off-white pages: $19,800

· Superman #3 (DC, 1940) CGC VG+ 4.5 Off-white to white pages: $4,320

· Batman #9 (DC, 1942) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Off-white to white pages: $3,840

The auction included the sale of 52 vintage video games. Some of the games in highest demand among collectors were:

· Donkey Kong 3 (NES, Nintendo, 1986) Wata 9.2 A (Seal Rating) Variant: Sealed Hangtab, 4th Revision, 2 Codes: $28,800

· Nintendo World Championships 1990 Gray (NES, Nintendo, 1990) Wata 5.5 (Loose) Cartridge #260: $26,400

· Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis, Sega, 1991) Wata 9.4 B+ (Seal Rating) Variant: Black Label: $7,800

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has over one million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of four million past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit.



Steve Lansdale, Public Relations Specialist
214-409-1699; SteveL@HA.com