October 7th, 2024 
Lauren Ashton 
Iconic Animation Characters and Creators Featured in Heritage’s The Art of Anime and Everything Cool…Volume V Signature® Auction
The event, running from October 18-22 in Dallas, Texas, showcases highlights like Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z, Streamline Pictures’ Akira and Robotech, classic couch gags from The Simpsons, a blue-eyed Grinch, and more.
Among the standout pieces is the Dragon Ball Z “Vegeta’s Pride” Majin Vegeta Production Cel with Key Master Background (Toei Animation, …).
“I often draw in my sleep. That alone made for twice the work … I couldn’t use the weird stuff I drew while dozing off, so I’d end up having to draw it all over again,” said Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball Z.
The profound influence of anime on Western culture is difficult to measure, yet its growth in recognition and fandom can certainly be observed. The journey began in the U.S. in the 1960s with dubbed versions of Astro Boy and Speed Racer. The trend continued with reimagined imports like Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers in the 1970s, and Robotech in the 1980s. By the late 1990s, titles such as Akira, Sailor Moon, and the Evangelion series became well-known, alongside the English dubs of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball, based on Akira Toriyama’s manga, stands out as one of the most successful franchises in animation history. From October 18-22, Heritage will celebrate the late Toriyama and other animation icons (animators, producers, and characters) in its extensive The Art of Anime and Everything Cool…Volume V Signature® Auction.
This event marks Volume V in Heritage’s record-breaking, multi-million-dollar annual “Anime and Everything Cool” series, spanning five days with over 2,300 lots available. It honors legends of anime and those who introduced the genre to Western audiences, featuring production cels of unforgettable scenes with characters from Peanuts, the Grinch, The Simpsons, Scooby-Doo, and much more.
“It is with great pride that we bring The Art of Anime and Everything Cool Volume V to auction,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage’s Vice President of Animation and Anime Art. “This sale has grown in popularity beyond our wildest dreams and is our largest sale of this auction category ever!”
In memory of Akira Toriyama, who passed away earlier this year, the auction features over 80 lots showcasing four decades of the Dragon Ball franchise, from Goku and Bulma’s early adventures to Dragon Ball GT. For many anime fans, Dragon Ball served as an introduction to the captivating world of Japanese animation. These production cels, including key scenes of Vegeta from the episodes “Vegeta’s Pride” and “The Losses Begin,” are bound to evoke nostalgia, alongside significant cels featuring Goku, Frieza, Broly, and other iconic characters from epic battles and adventures.
Robotech II: The Sentinels Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes Wedding Production Cel and Animation Drawing (Str… This auction features more than 900 anime lots, with many notable items linked to Streamline Pictures. This company, starting in the 1980s, was pivotal in bringing Japanese animation to American audiences, introducing iconic properties like Robotech, Akira, and Hayao Miyazaki’s classics such as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. A significant collection of anime cels comes from the personal collection of Streamline founders Carl and Svea Macek, featuring exquisite production cels and rare materials from Akira, Robot Carnival, the cult favorite Heavy Metal, and Robotech. The Maceks played a crucial role in establishing anime as a beloved genre in pop culture, and this collection reflects their influence and discerning taste.
This auction boasts the largest assortment of anime ever presented by Heritage in a single event. Unique hand-painted production cels, animation drawings, original hand-painted production backgrounds, and rare original manga pages from fan favorites like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Outlaw Star, Golden Boy, Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura, and many others will be available later this month.
As the title suggests, this auction isn’t solely focused on anime. The term “Everything Cool” is fitting, as it features the most extensive collection of classic cartoon characters Heritage has ever assembled. When it comes to beloved animation, few are as cherished as A Charlie Brown Christmas. The auction includes several production cels and artworks from the 1965 classic, including a hand-painted cel of Lucy and Charlie in Lucy’s Psychiatric 5-Cents Help office, as well as a production cel showcasing the Peanuts gang as they venture into the snowy night to admire their Christmas tree.
On the holiday front, fans of Chuck Jones’ animation and Dr. Seuss’ Grinch will be thrilled with the selection of beautiful production cels, storyboards, and other items from the 1966 special How The Grinch Stole Christmas, many signed by Jones. These include sought-after production cels of the “blue-eyed Grinch,” depicting his transformation after realizing he must save Christmas for Whoville.
Jones’ influence resonates through a unique Bugs Bunny statuette that once belonged to the legendary voice actor Mel Blanc. This “Oscar” resembles Bugs and was inspired by his appearance in the 1944 short What’s Cookin’ Doc?, where he demands a recount at the Oscars. The award was specially created for Blanc and presented to him during his recovery from a near-fatal car accident in 1961, representing a priceless piece of animation history and highlighting the lasting legacy of this iconic voice actor and the characters he brought to life. “The Art of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies is in full force for this sale,” Lentz remarks. “This may be our largest vintage Warner Brothers studio offering we have ever had.”
Among the most coveted collectibles in animation art are the production cels from The Simpsons’ couch gags, and the innovative and constantly changing introductions to the series. Heritage features cels from throughout the series’ extensive run, including six couch-gag production cels spanning nearly two decades, showcasing the family in various humorous scenarios.
Generations have fondly associated Saturday mornings with classic cartoons. The beloved shows Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and the superhero-packed Super Friends are represented with high-quality animation artwork that exemplifies Heritage’s reputation. An early stock color model cel from Scooby-Doo features Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, and Velma in an iconic scene that became a staple of the show. This 1969 cel is one of the earliest classic “run” cels from the series. Similarly, a vibrant presentation “pitch” cel from Super Friends showcases Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, along with Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog, all facing the audience cheerfully. This original hand-painted piece was used by Hanna-Barbera to pitch the show to sponsors and networks for its inaugural season in 1973, and has remained in the archives of one of Hanna-Barbera’s executive artists.
“This may be our largest animation art auction of the world’s most recognizable cartoon characters we have ever assembled,” Lentz declares. “It truly has… ‘Everything Cool’ in it!”
Images and details about all lots in the October 18-22 The Art of Anime and Everything Cool…Volume V Signature® Auction can be found at HA.com/7380. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house in the United States and the world’s leading auctioneer of collectibles. Heritage operates offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
Heritage also holds the title for the highest online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house worldwide (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The most popular auction-house website, HA.com, boasts over 1,750,000 registered bidder-members and searchable archives with more than 6,000,000 past auction records, complete with realized prices, descriptions, and enlarged photos. Reproduction rights are routinely granted to media for photo credit.
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