A production cel and key master background of the “Evil Queen and her Magic Mirror” from Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” conjured $59,750 to lead Heritage Auctions’ $1,385,924 Animation Art Auction that was held in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Dec. 10. The speciality sale is the fifth straight animation auction to surpass $1 million during the last two years, realizing a grand total of $7.4 million.
“This only proves the animation market is increasingly being considered as fine art,” said Jim Lentz, director of animation at Heritage Auctions. “No other auction house has been able to deliver consignors anywhere near our $7 million in successful bids over the last two years.”
A rare production cel sequence and pan key master background setup from the 1965 holiday classic, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” sold for $59,750, but it was art from Walt Disney Studios that claimed the majority of the interest and top lots.
Concept art from artist Mary Blair proved popular, as her imagining of Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” attraction sold for $31,070. Her concept painting for the mermaid sequence in 1953’s “Peter Pan” ended at $26,290, and concept art of Pan and Wendy, Michael, John and Tinker Bell flying off to Neverland sold for $14,340.
A handpainted cel setup of the Blue Fairy chatting with Jiminy Cricket from “Pinocchio” sold for $21,510, and production cels and master pan production background setup of the main characters from 1955’s “Lady and the Tramp” ended at $13,145.
Warner Brothers cels by Chuck Jones saw intense bidder interest as 15 bidders competed to own a single production cel of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny from the animated short “What’s Opera, Doc?,” which sold for $13,145. A color painting of Bugs Bunny and Friends hand-drawn by Jones realized $12,547. A group of four original drawings of various Disney characters published by Good Housekeeping in the 1930s and 1940s sold for a combined $21,569. An original painting featuring Snow White by Peter Max sold for $11,950.
A drawing of the Horned King by Tim Burton for the 1985 film “The Black Cauldron” brought $11,950. A circa 1935-39 production cel and background setup featuring both Mickey and Minnie Mouse from the short “Brave Little Tailor/Music Land” realized $10,755. A rare, detailed model sheet from 1940, showing early renditions of title character “Pinocchio,” sold for $9,560, nearly double its $5,000 pre-auction estimate. A “Gulliver's Travels” production cel setup and key master background setup (Max Fleischer, 1939) sold for $7,170, and a rare title cel and master background setup for the “Super Friends” animated television program sold for $1,673.
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