"Far as I'm concerned, the real superheroes are those great guys at Heritage. I really lucked out when I met 'em ' cause they got me prices that exceeded my wildest expectations, plus it was a real kick to work with them. I don't want this to sound like a TV commercial but, so help me Spidey, there's no one I'd rather entrust with my collection. Excelsior!" -Stan Lee

Records weren't just broken, they were smashed at Heritage's Signature Auction in Chicago last weekend. It had been touted as biggest and best Heritage auction ever - but it actually went above and beyond even those high expectations. "On the plane home to Dallas, we all felt like we'd just won the Superbowl," enthused Heritage Comics Auctions (HCA) Director John Petty. "With over $5 million in sales and an 83% sell-through, I guess we're still riding quite a wave of euphoria." Held in conjunction with Wizard World Chicago 2002, this was the highest-grossing auction ever conducted in the comics, original art, or movie posters categories - with 2105 lots sold out of 2530 for a total sell-through of $5,027,553.90 (including the 15% Buyer's Premium).

Some of the amazing pieces included were rare and vast Golden, Silver and Bronze Age comic books, one of which - a Mad #7 Gaines File pedigree (EC, 1953) CGC NM+
9.6 - went for $4,600.00, over six times the Overstreet Guide price. There was also a fascinating collection of movie posters that ran the gamut from the obscure and campy (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers) to the internationally beloved classics (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Gone With The Wind) and a ton of original artwork.

Stan Lee's phenomenal consignment included his personal file copies of key Marvel comics such as Fantastic Four #1, Amazing Spider-Man#1, Daredevil #1, X-Men #1 and others. "The Stan Lee File Copies, all graded and certified by Comics Guaranty LLC, surpassed everyone's expectations, even mine," said Petty. "In fact Stan's books brought anywhere from 2 to 45 times our estimates."

Not only these big names, but also secondary titles broke records. Stan's copy of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, CGC graded 3.0 with cream to off-white pages, which would normally be worth about $20, sold for $899. A non-pedigreed copy of Avengers #1, CGC graded 8.0, sold for $1,840 while Stan's copy grading only 3.0 sold for $2,357.50! The total realization of the Stan Lee-consigned lots came in just shy of $200,000, about triple the presale estimate. When asked to comment, Stan Lee said, "Far as I'm concerned, the real superheroes are those great guys at Heritage. I really lucked out when I met 'em 'cause they got me prices that exceeded my wildest expectations, plus it was a real kick to work with them. I don't want this to sound like a TV commercial but, so help me Spidey, there's no one I'd rather entrust with my collection."

Steve Geppi, owner and founder of Diamond Distribution and another high-profile consignor, was equally pleased. "The team at Heritage did a great job on the July Signature Auction," said Geppi. "They got the word out, increased the general public's awareness of the value of collectible comics, and raised the bar for those of us in the industry. I'm looking forward to continuing our relationship with Heritage for a very long time."

John Snyder, President of Diamond International Galleries, who negotiated the Steve Geppi consignment added, "In my long experience in this business, I've never seen such an atmosphere of professionalism and teamwork as demonstrated by the Heritage group. I was present at each of the auction sessions and it was energizing to see Jim Halperin not only attending but taking an active role. It's not unusual for the top people in an auction firm to not attend the actual events, but Jim was involved, enthusiastic and effective. His team reflected his commitment. It was an exceptional bit of history. Congratulations also go out to Ed Jaster and John Petty and their staff for the immense work on the catalog and assisting with the reserves!"

"It's been a pleasure working with these gentlemen, and with all of our consignors," said Petty. "Before the auction, there was some concern in the hobby about whether or not the industry could absorb a sale of this magnitude. I'm happy to report that those fears were unfounded, and that the state of the comics, art and movie posters market is strong indeed."

Other auction highlights, with their prices realized, include (you can see images of these items at the bottom of the page):

Hal Foster - Original Comic Strip Art for Prince Valiant Sunday, 1944 - sold for $20,700
In one of Foster's most significant (and beautifully drawn) pages of the Prince Valiant saga, the dashing prince rushed to the scene just before the young Queen Aleta was about to choose a husband. This 29"x11.5" piece sold in excellent, un-restored condition.

Dick Sprang and Charles Paris - Original Art for Batman #56 Complete 13-Page Story "The Riddle of the Seven Birds," 1949 - sold for $34,500
This action-packed Penguin tale not only featured antics from the Felonious Fowl, Pengy and the Dynamic Duo, but also two panels that were not published with the original story - featuring a concluding short coda. The story sold in overall excellent condition.

Johnny Craig - Original Cover Art for Crypt of Terror #17 - sold for $37,950
This piece, arguably the first horror cover ever produced by EC, was drawn with amazing detail right down to the scruffy alley cat searching for food. This 13.5"x19" work sold in exceptional condition.

Frank Frazetta - Original Art for the Back Cover of Mad Magazine (circa. 1970) - sold for $27,600
This piece, titled, "Early One morning in the Jungle," consisted of four panels rendered on one board, with each panel measuring 4.75"x14".

Al Feldstein - Original Art for The Crypt of Terror #17, Complete 8-page story, "Death Must Come," - sold for $10,063
This tale about the search for eternal youth marked a new direction for Feldstein in the EC line. With art measuring 13"x18", this piece sold in excellent condition.

John Romita Sr. - Original Cover Art for Spectacular Spider-Man #2 (Marvel, 1968) - sold for $63,250
This, one of the most recognized covers of the Silver Age, featured a classic battle between Spider-Man and the loathsome Green Goblin. It was thought to have been destroyed in a fire years ago, but was recently re-discovered in beautiful condition.

John Romita Sr. - Original Cover Art for The Amazing Spider-Man #69 (Marvel 1968) - sold for $41,400
Spidey appeared helpless at the hands of The Kingpin in this rare Silver Age cover. With smooth inkwork and brilliant angles, this piece sold in excellent condition.

Steve Ditko - Original Art for Amazing Spider-Man 10, Complete 22-page story (Marvel, 1964) - sold for $161,000
This was one of the earliest complete Spider-Man stories ever brought to auction. With breath-taking brushwork and spine-tingling emotion, Ditko made this tale come to life. With white 12.5"x18.5" pages, this story sold in excellent condition.

E.C. Segar - Original Comic Strip Art for Thimble Theatre, 1930 - sold for $9,488
This piece, from very early in Popeye's life, was one of what many experts think may be less than 50 Segar Sunday pages currently in existence. It measured 21"x19.5" and sold in beautiful shape.

Charles Schulz - Original Comic Strip Art for Peanuts Sunday, 1977 - sold for $9,488
Schultz's work has reached an extraordinary level of value since his untimely passing. This piece, in particular, because it included an autographed, color photo of Schultz at work.

Bob Kane - Original Comic Strip Art for Batman Sunday, 1946 - sold for $42,550
The horrid Penguin was up to his usual antics in this very rare Sunday strip. With great shots of the evil bird, as well as Batman and Robin, this 20.25"x26.5" piece sold in excellent condition.


Superboy #1 (DC, 1949) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Cream to off-white pages - sold for $12,075

Detective Comics #1 (DC, 1937) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages - sold for $21,850

Batman #1 (DC, 1940) CGC VF 8.0 Cream to off-white pages - sold for $57,500

Young Allies Comics #1 Pennsylvania pedigree (Timely, 1941) CGC VF/NM Off-white pages - sold for $20,700

Marvel Comics #1 (Timely, 1939) CGC VG+ 4.5 Cream to off-white pages - sold for $34,500

All Winners Comics #1 (Timely, 1941) CGC VF+ 6.5 Tan to off-white pages - sold for $14,950

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC NM-9.2 Off-white pages - sold for $43,700

Four Color #9 (Dell, 1942) CGC VF+ 8.5 Cream to off-white pages - sold for $11,500

Carl Barks - "The Flying Dutchman" (circa 1972) - sold for $80,500
Here, those lovable Ducks were seen confronting the legendary lost galleon in Bark's classic rich hues. At 18"x24", this oil on masonite work sold in excellent condition.

The Black Cat (Universal, 1934) half sheet - sold for $43,700
This 22"x28" sheet represented the first teaming of Universal's masters of horror, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, in a fascinating tale of murder and jealousy. This was believed to have been the only known copy of this poster in existence.

The Black Cat (Universal, 1934) half sheet - sold for $32,200
Another successful Black Cat sale was made with this rare half sheet, which featured the same artwork that appeared on the title lobby card for the film.

Gone With The Wind (MGM, 1939) one sheet -sold for $18,400
This 27"x41" poster of one of the most beloved films of all time showed Scarlett running through the streets of a burning Atlanta. A very rare, first release issue, this Very Fine piece was printed on Linen.

Cimarron (RKO, 1931) Swedish one sheet - sold for $3,680
This Swedish stone litho poster of the Academy Award winning picture rivaled the American one sheet in beauty. It sold in Near Mint/ Mint condition.