Original Cover Art for The Amazing Spider-Man #100 Brings $478,000

Classic Cover By The Legendary John Romita Sr. Sets World Record

April 20, 2018

Led by the world-record $478,000 paid for the original art for “The Amazing Spider-Man #100,” Heritage Auctions’ Comics and Comic Art Auction soared to $8,620,797, topping its pre-auction estimate by more than $1.75 million.
The Spider-Man #100 cover art established a new world record for the most expensive Marvel Comics Silver or Bronze Age cover ever sold at public auction.
“‘The Spider-Man #100’ cover art is an extraordinary piece from an iconic artist,” said Barry Sandoval, Heritage Auctions Comics and Comic Art director of operations. “Its impact is magnified because the dominant image of Spider-Man is surrounded by so many of the villains and supporting characters from the history of the comic.”
Frank Frazetta’s “Tree of Death Painting” original art (1970) sparked a flurry of competitive bidding before ultimately realizing $430,200.
Comic books fared extremely well in the sale, with four realizing six-figure results. “Batman #1” (DC, 1940), CGC FN/VF 7.0, off-white to white pages, realized $334,600; “All-American Comics #16” (DC, 1940), CGC FN+ 6.5, off-white pages, brought $215,100; “Batman #1” (DC, 1940), CGC VG- 3.5, cream to off-white pages, drew $143,400; and “Captain America Comics #1” (Timely, 1941), CGC VG- 3.5, light tan to off-white pages, yielded $119,500.
Joining Spider-Man among the prized original cover art was Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta “Thor #154” cover original art (Marvel, 1968), which brought $161,325.
Collectors also pursued comic strip art, including Charles Schulz “Peanuts” Sunday comic strip with Snoopy and Lucy original art dated 9-27-53 (United Feature Syndicate, 1953), which realized $113,525. A Bill Watterson “Calvin and Hobbes” daily comic strip original art dated 5-20-86 (Universal Press Syndicate, 1986) sold for $95,600.
The auction included over 100 lots from what in the industry is referred to as the Simi Valley collection, consigned by an original owner from the Los Angeles area who compiled a complete Marvel collection. He bought books off the newsstand from 1960-75, many of which earned grades between VF 8.0 and NM/MT 9.8. He was an avid customer of the Hollywood-based Cherokee Book Shop, where he acquired back issues from assorted titles, including multiple copies of “Amazing Fantasy #15,” “Incredible Hulk #1,” and a fine plus copy of “All-American Comics #16,” which was the only Golden Age comic in this section of the auction. Among the auction’s top lots from the collection was the “All-American Comics #16” (DC, 1940), CGC FN+ 6.5, off-white pages, selling for $215,100. The “Amazing Fantasy #15” (Marvel, 1962), CGC FN- 5.5, off-white pages, realized $45,410, and “X-Men #1” (Marvel, 1963), CGC VF+ 8.5, off-white pages, sold for $38,240.
To learn more, visit www.HA.com.

 

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