Grinch 60th Anniversary Art Leeds Animation and Comic Art Auction

Rare How the Grinch Stole Christmas artwork, Chuck Jones and Looney Tunes material, and Peanuts classics all feature in the Heritage Auctions' June 19-21 The Art of Everything Cool Vol. VIII sale.

The original artwork from Chuck Jones’ 1966 television adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ book includes what is believed to be the largest group of original handpainted Master and Key Master backgrounds brought to market from the special, featuring rare production cels, animation drawings, layouts, storyboards, limited editions, and important material from the Chuck Jones Family Archive.

Grinch highlights include:

• a production cel setup featuring the Grinch and his dog Max paired with a matching Key Master background from the sequence in which the Grinch outfits Max with a makeshift reindeer antler
• a production-cel pairing of the Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who as she catches the Grinch in the act of stealing Christmas
• a 64-inch Key Master pan background featuring the Grinch and Max during the sleigh sequence Chuck Jones created to expand Dr. Seuss’ brief story 

The auction also features 500 lots of material related to Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew and other stars of the Warner Bros. universe. Original vintage Warner Bros. production art remains scarce as much of the studio’s animation archive was reportedly discarded decades ago.

Among them are:

• a rare production cel from the 1959 Baton Bunny signed by Jones and featuring Bugs Bunny conducting an orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl
• an original Chuck Jones preliminary drawing created for a Looney Tunes library-promotion poster depicting a chorus line of Warner Bros. characters carrying books and wearing academic mortarboards
• four signed production cels featuring Wile E. Coyote from the 1994 theatrical short Chariots of Fur 
• a rare original cel of Bugs Bunny from the 1956 Chuck Jones short Barbary Coast Bunny

Additionally, more than 45 Peanuts lots will be offered, including original production cels from television classics, original Charles M. Schulz artwork, and signed memorabilia. These include:

• an original production cel featuring Snoopy as his World War I Flying Ace alter ego on his doghouse from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
• a hand-painted production cel with Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, Shermy and Snoopy from the A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 special 
• a Charles Schulz daily strip from 1959 featuring Snoopy during a storyline involving Lucy’s attempt to transform him into a baby

Other items include a Rocky and Bullwinkle scene cel signed by Jay Ward, Bill Hurtz and Gerard Baldwin, and a group of The Simpsons artwork and memorabilia.