LOT Old Heritage Auctions.  /  2004 June Comic Auction Signature Auction #811 -...  / 

8003

Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye - Superman Sunday Original Art, dated 4-17-49 (McClure Syndicate, 1949).

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Comics Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye - Superman Sunday Original Art, dated 4-17-49 (McClure Syndicate, 1949).
<B>Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye - Superman Sunday Original Art, dated 4-17-49 (McClure Syndicate, 1949).</B></I> This tabloid-sized artwork for <I>Superman</B></I> Sunday page #494 is a wonderful example of the classic Golden Age Superman as drawn by two of his finest interpreters, with dynamic penciling by Wayne Boring, and lustrous inks by Stan Kaye. This Sunday came from the estate of artist Win Mortimer several years ago, and it has been in private hands ever since. Mortimer took over the drawing duties on the <I>Superman</B></I> daily from Boring in 1949, and he was given this original to use for reference. Mortimer maintained Boring's style for several months, during a transition period, before gradually bringing his own style to the dailies. This strip showcases most of the Man of Steel's hallmark features, seldom seen together at the same time, in one concise example. Superman (or his alter-ego, Clark Kent) is depicted in each and every panel, Clark's trademark costume quick-change is seen, and Daily Planet "Chief" Perry White makes a cameo. This example was ideal for Mortimer, not only because of these factors, but also because of its helpful reference -- four clear shots of Superman's chest emblem, Superman in action, close-up portraits of Clark Kent, and a wide variety of Metropolis background characters. In keeping with the standard production procedures of this period, the art was drawn on two pieces of 14.25" x 22.5" Strathmore paper, each with an approximate image area of 12.75" x 19.5". The original registration marks remain in the margins, and the original vintage logo and copyright notice are still attached to the first panel. With Stan Kaye's skillful inking, there are no white-out corrections on the art, and only two or three tiny white-out corrections were made to the lettering. Overall, the art is in Very Good condition. Wayne Boring's underpenciling can be seen beneath the Kaye inks, including in the last panel, where Clark's mouth was originally drawn to be open. Stan Kaye inked the mouth as closed (since Clark is thinking rather than speaking). As an added bonus, Wayne Boring has sketched a cowboy and a leaping bull on the reverse side of the top tier. Small pieces are missing from the corners of the paper, well outside of the image area. They do not affect the art, and would not be seen if the piece were to be matted and framed. A two-inch tear in the next-to-last panel was professionally repaired by a Chicago restoration lab, where it was mended on the back of the paper with archival Chinese rice paper. The large <I>Superman</B></I> Sundays of this era were usually taped together on the reverse, after completion. The tape used during this time was not archival, and so it was professionally removed to prevent acids and glue from damaging the paper, which was then also deacidified. No india ink was removed, added, or replaced; the inking remains clean, robust, and striking. This quintessential <I>Superman</B></I> Sunday is sure to be the pride of any Superman collection. <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.
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