Market-watchers pounced on rare original comic strip art at Hake’s $2.7M pop culture memorabilia auction
Six unpublished concept artworks for Star Wars daily comic strip commanded a hefty $171,505YORK, Pa. – Original comic strip art continues to solidify its position alongside fine art in the collector marketplace, with the latest proof coming on day two of Hake’s July 26-27 auction of pop culture rarities. Amongst the highlights of the $2.7 million sale was a selection of six consecutive lots of original concept art created in the late 1970s for a proposed Star Wars daily newspaper comic strip. Drawn by legendary comic strip artist Al Williamson (1931-2020) as part of a series of twelve strips, the artworks never saw publication.One of six lots of Al Williamson (1931-2020) original, unpublished concept art that preceded the ‘Star Wars’ daily newspaper comic strip (which was ultimately written and drawn by Russ Manning and ran from 1979-1984). Of 12 proposal strips created by Williamson, the first six were gifted to George Lucas; the other six were given to Star Wars marketing genius Charles Lippincott, whose widow has consigned them to Hake’s. Sold for $46,730“Six of the artworks were gifted to George Lucas, while the other six were given to Star Wars marketing genius Charles Lippincott (1939-2020),” explained Alex Winter, president of Hake’s Auctions. “For more than forty years Mr Lippincott’s six artworks remained with his family until they were consigned to Hake’s by his widow earlier this year.” Offered consecutively, the six lots sold for $171,505, against hopes that they would reach a combined $100,000. Winter added: “It was a great result, and the consignor was pleased, which is how we ultimately define ‘success.’”One of the most sought-after of original comic book artworks in the sale was the Gil Kane/Dick Giordano seven-panel art for Page 27 of Marvel Premiere #15, published in May 1974. This issue saw the debut of the