LOT Old Heritage Auctions.  /  2006 November Signature Comic Auction #822  / 

45184

Les Clark - Earliest Known Mickey Mouse Ad Drawing

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Comics Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:24,000.00 - 36,000.00 USD
Les Clark - Earliest Known Mickey Mouse Ad Drawing
<B>Les Clark - Earliest Known Mickey Mouse Advertising Drawing Original Art, Group of 2 (Walt Disney Studio, 1929).</B></I> These iconic images of Mickey Mouse were created in 1929 for use on Mickey's first licensed product, a school writing tablet. Animator Les Clark received his first Walt Disney Studio screen credit for his work on "Steamboat Willie." Because he started with Disney in 1927, Clark achieved the noteworthy distinction in the company's history as "the first of the nine old men" (the loving nickname for the most lasting members of Disney's famed animation staff). These drawings captured the seminal Mickey pose of the era, and the pose was used on countless movie posters, house ads, and an unimaginable array of products, both here and abroad. The drawings present the most recognizable image of Mickey Mouse from his early period. Their importance in the character's history can scarcely be overstated. Clark did two versions of the pose. One is as a classic "clear line" image, executed in graphite pencil on two-hole animation paper, while the other features the same pose superimposed within a scaled-off grid. The grid was used by other artists to help recreate the pose in exact proportion at a larger or smaller size. These "mouse-terpieces" were stored for years by their creator and were originally offered in the marketplace as hailing from "the Private Collection of Les Clark." The drawings are accompanied by a May, 1999 Letter of Authenticity from Joe Mannarino, former comic book and comic art auction organizer at Christie's East. Each drawing has an average overall size of 9.5" x 12", and both are in Excellent condition.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Framed (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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