Heritages June 20 to 23 Comics and Comic Art SignatureAuction, which realized more than $19.68 million, left no doubt that there are occasions when aBlack Catbrings good fortune. The four-day event scared up numerous major auction records, led by one of the most (in)famous horror comic-book covers of all time:Lee Elias original art for Black Cat MysteryNo. 50, which sold for $840,000after a prolonged bidding war. Elias cover was among the auctionsmore than 270 lots that hailed from the collection of vaunted fan, historian, and author Roger Hill. Its now one of the worlds most valuable comic book covers and tied with Wally Woods cover of 1952sShock SuspenStoriesNo. 6 as the most expensive horror comic book cover sold at auction. That was just one of numerous records set during the sold-out event thanks to the more than 6,200 bidders who participated worldwide. Hills collection alone realized $4,334,640. By the end of day four, it was like a vinyl shop after an earthquake: Records had fallen everywhere, from Golden Age comic books to classic horror and Silver Age and modern-day original superhero art. Sessions also went long thanks to collectors vying for books and original artwork that are not likely to appear in public again soon. The material from our friend Roger Hills collection was truly the best of the best, and rarest of the rare, so we were confident the market would respond accordingly, summarized Todd Hignite, an executive vice president at Heritage. But the multiples over even the most ambitious estimates for the top lots, and the sheer number of auction records, truly amazed us.We couldnt be happier for both his family as well as the collecting community, and there are scores more highlights from the famed collection to come. Johnny Craigs cover of The Haunt of FearNo. 15from June 1950 blew past the previous auction record for the legendary EC Comics artist, writer and editor. Craigs toothless Old Witch, not yet the cadaverous crone made infamous by colleague Graham Ghastly Ingels, scared up one of the auctionsmanyprotracted bidding wars that took this historic piece to $264,000. Speaking of Ingels,his August 1952 cover for The Haunt of FearNo. 14isnt just one of Ghastlys greatest works, but its now his most valuable. A tense tussle among collectors drove this EC landmark, which told the Old Witchs origin story, to a record-setting $204,000. Hills collection also featured several original Famous Monsterscovers, including Basil Gogos first one for the publication:1960s rendering of Vincent Price as Roderick Usher. It sold for $90,000, a Gogos auction record. Wally Wood set another auction record, as well, whenhis original art for the 1953 Planet Storiesstory The Un-Reconstructed Woman realized $57,600. This intricate, thrilling work is now, deservedly, the most valuable pulp magazine interior illustration ever sold at auction. Hills collection included several Chamber of Chillscovers, among themElias cover of Chambers of ChillsNo. 23, which collectors have long singled out as a huge key from the era. That original artwork realized $180,000 to become the worlds most valuable Chamber of Chillscover, toppling the $174,000 record held by Elias cover of Issue No. 19, which punk-rocker-turned-heavy-metal-man Glenn Danzig famously used as the artwork adorning the Misfits 1984 single Die, Die My Darling. And all that glittered in this auction wasnt just Golden Age. Heritage also offeredFrank Millers earliest cover to reach the auction block, 1980s DaredevilNo. 165. It realized $324,000. From that mini-series second book, Dark Knight Triumphant, came a page set in the Batcave that kicks the tale into overdrive, where all is seemingly lost until Bruce Wayne dons the Batmans cowl to proclaim, But the war goes on.That page realized $156,000. Bidders also tussled over a page from one of the most significant Silver Age stories, The Amazing Spider-ManNo. 50, which introduced Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin who continues to chew scenery and everything else in Marvels small-screen universe.This page by John Romita Sr. and Mike Esposito sold for $216,000. Another Spider-Man cover also set a record for its artist, asMark Bagleys cover of The Amazing Spider-ManNo. 379 featuring Venom, Carnage, Doppelganger, Demogoblin and Deathlok realized $126,000 to set an auction recordfor the longtime Spidey chronicler. Numerous comic books realized six figures during the event, among them a few record-setters. As expected, collectors wentShazam!overthe highest-graded unrestored copy Heritage had ever offered ofWhiz Comics premiere issue, featuring the debut of Captain Marvel. There is just one other copy graded CGC 7.0 and only two graded higher; getting thisWhizwas like capturing lightning in a bottle, which is why it sold for $288,000, a new auction record for the historic book. And one collector made theirs Marvel, all right, snapping upa CGC Apparent FN/VF 7.0 copy of 1939s Marvel ComicsNo. 1 for $228,000, a record for a restored copy of the book that introduced Human Torch, Ka-Zar and the Angel and told Sub-Mariners origin story. The whole auction was an adventure right from the beginning, as the very first comic book offered during the four-day event, a CGC Fine/Very Fine 7.0 copy of Adventure ComicsNo. 40,sold for $90,000, setting an auction record for this historic book in any grade. AdventureNo. 40 features the first story ever written for Westley Dodds, the original Sandman, and is among the rarest and top-ranked Golden Age books. Collectors responded accordingly. On the opposite spectrum, at least subject-wise, Diary of HorrorNo. 1 from the White Mountain Pedigree realized a record-setting $43,200. This CGC Near Mint+ 9.6 copy of this pre-Code horror masterpiece from 1952 is the best Heritage has ever seen. And it perfectly set the stage for Hills legendary assemblage: In the coming months, Heritage will continue to offer original art, comic books and ephemera from the storied collection. To learn more, visit www.HA.com.