Original Art for Edgar Rice Burroughs Titles Leads Illustration Auction

Frank Earle Schoonover’s Where is the Key, Sola? painted for the first book edition of A Princess of Mars in 1917 and one of the earliest depictions of John Carter and Dejah Thoris is among the highlights of Heritage Auctions’ October 29 Illustration Art sale.

The painting, which has an estimate of $50,000, comes from the collection of Robert Barrett who assemble one of the most significant private collections of original artwork inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ storytelling.

“Schoonover’s art for A Princess of Mars is a cornerstone of early science fiction and fantasy art,” said Sarahjane Blum, Heritage’s Director of Illustration Art. “It’s a groundbreaking artwork from one of the 20th century’s most talented illustrators."

Among other original art for Rice Burroughs titles in the auction are:

• Michael Whelan's acrylic on panel Barsoom: The Gods of Mars wraparound paperback cover, 1979 (estimate: $20,000)
• Tarzan at the Earth's Core paperback cover, 1964, gouache on board by Richard M. Powers (estimate: $3,000)
• Richard Hescox's Lost on Venus paperback cover, 1991, acrylic on board (estimate: $2,000)
• Betty Monroe's Tarzan and the Ant Men book cover, 1950, oil on board (estimate: $2,000)

Other highlights in the auction include:

* Hugh Joseph Ward’s June 1940 cover for Red Star Mystery #1 debuting magician-detective Don Diavolo 'The Scarlet Wizard' with an image of him pulling Satan from a top hat above the New York skyline, and which comes directly from the family of Clayton Rawson the mystery writer who created both The Scarlet Wizard and The Great Merlini

* Jeffrey Lindberg’s original cover for R.L. Stine’s Blind Date which appeared on the 1986 book that marked the author’s turn toward horror for young readers before Goosebumps

* from the Estate of Don Brautigam, his covers for the first edition of Stephen King’s 1985 story collection Skeleton Crew and the first hardcover edition of Dean Koontz’s Watchers, published in 1987

* Greg and Tim Hildebrandt’s Cirith Ungol, painted for the official 1977 J.R.R. Tolkien calendar, portraying Samwise Gamgee before the tower where Frodo is imprisoned