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Collection of 13 original Willis O’Brien Valley of Gwangi storyboards and concept art

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Collection of 13 original Willis O’Brien Valley of Gwangi storyboards and concept art
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On 15 in. x 20 in. illustration board, accomplished in pencil, some with watercolor wash. Hidden for years, this is a remarkable collection of story boards and concept art by Willis O'Brien for his story, Gwangi or Valley Where Time Stood Still, later to be completed by Ray Harryhausen and titled, Valley of Gwangi (1969). Valley of the Mist, Emilio and Guloso, El Toro Estrella were all working titles for O’Brien’s visions of a hidden world where dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures lived, but in more modern times, a recurrent theme in this artwork.  He spent years trying to bring Gwangi to the screen. According to his official website, one of Harryhausen’s greatest regrets was not acknowledging his mentor in the credits in that O’Brien was not credited on the original screenplay. Harryhausen drew from many sources for Gwangi, and the artwork’s resemblance to the film, completed seven years after O’Brien’s passing, is often uncanny.  These detailed drawings are rendered in colored pencil, charcoal and water color.  The charm of these unique pieces is not just in the artwork itself, but what can be found on the backside of the story boards. One bears calculations and a dimension drawing in pencil as if he used it as scratch paper to calculate the sizing of a set. Also, most have his name and address written in pen, another is signed in pencil, and yet on another he wrote his nickname, “Obie.” Included is an incomplete pencil drawing of a woman bathing in a pond as a cowboy rides up.  A very unique storyboard titled, “Typical Continuity Drawing” articulates with foldout panels to illustrate stop motion “keying.” This technique utilized projection and paintings on glass to mix live action film, with stop motion animation. The artist received a patent for this process in 1933.  Drawn by the hand of Hollywood’s first Oscar winner for Special Effects, Willis O’Brien, this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an incredible piece of stop motion history.