Hakes is gearing up to auction part one of the Lawrence Klein collection, an astounding assemblage of vintage comic books and original comic book art by one of the industrys legendary collectors and longtime insiders. The fully-illustrated catalog is up on Hakes website, and bidding opened on Sept. 28. All lots will begin closing at 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Lawrence Klein was bitten by the comic bug at an early age. His parents encouraged him to read as a child, and comics were a welcome presence in their home. Growing up outside New York City, he commuted into the city with his father for early comic conventions like Creation Con, meeting comic creators and getting them to sign copies of the comics they worked on. He fondly remembers trips to New York City comic shops, making collecting connections and hunting for his next four-color treasure. It was at one of these early 1980s conventions that Klein was first exposed to comic art as a collectible when he saw the late comic book artist Neal Adams (1941-2022), who had sketches for sale at his table. Adams was charging $75 for a sketch, but a nearby comic art dealers offer of published Neal Adams cover art for the same price seemed more reasonable. This first piece of cover art, Worlds Finest #209 (offered in this auction), inspired Klein to become a collector. Lot 161 and 162 in the 233-lot auction are artboards with original art by artist Todd McFarlane. The first is pen-and-ink artwork for Amazing Spider-Man #302 (Marvel Comics, July 1988). The page features four panels, showing Spider-Man web-swinging past the research laboratories of On-Line Research into a construction site. The second is original pencil art for Amazing Spider-Man #304 (Marvel Comics, Sept. 1988), with inks by Joe Rubinstein. The page shows a close-up of a hand holding a copy of the book Webs. Each of the artworks is in excellent condition and was obtained from McFarlane at a San Diego Comic-Con. Multi-signed reading copies of the comic books for which the art was produced are included with the lots and are signed on the title page by McFarlane, Rubinstein, letterer Rick Parker and editor Jim Salicrup, who added the date (92). The depictions of Spider-Man epitomize the highly-stylized body dynamics and signature webbing associated with McFarlane and the era during which he drew Spider-Man. The auctions opening item is a copy of Gobbledygook #1 (Mirage Studios, 1984), graded CGC 9.4 and featuring the first appearance of Fugitoid. The book was authenticated by Kevin Eastman who, along with Peter Laird, co-created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and provided the comics story, cover and art. Eastman signed the interior cover in pen. Notably, the issues back cover features an advertisement for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 that pre-dates the Turtles comic book debut. Speaking of which, lot 3 is a copy of the first printing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Mirage Studios, 1984), graded CGC/JSA 9.8 NM/MINT and featuring the origin and first appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Splinter and Shredder. The story and art were created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who also signed authenticated autographs on the interior front cover. Currently, there are no examples of a first printing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 graded higher. Kleins lifelong dedication to comic books and comic art later led to his founding the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) in 2001, followed by the MoCCA Arts Festival in 2002. That first MoCCA Fest attracted more than 2,000 artists, publishers, editors and enthusiasts, who united for an event The Village Voice called the Best Small-Press Comics Nexus Anywhere. Klein has chosen to offer some souvenirs from MoCCA shows (as well as the early Ramapo Comic Con shows from his high school days), which have been autographed. Many also bear original sketches from the likes of Art Spiegelman, Joe Staton, Jeff Smith, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Evan Dorkin, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Klaus Janson and other artists who were in attendance. These mementos have been set aside as a special section of the auction, with proceeds going to the Center for Cartoon Studies, the HERO Initiative, the Berkshire Humane Society, and the Berkshire Art Association. For a free printed catalog or additional information on any item in the sale, call 1 -866-404-9800 (toll-free) or 717-434-1600. To learn more, visit www.hakes.com. All images courtesy of Hakes Auctions.