The auction of 125 pieces from Neil Gaiman’s personal collection at Heritage Auctions raised over $1 million, which will go to benefit comic creators and authors in need, and the artists who created some of the works, the Gaiman and the auction house announced. The items auctioned included original comic art, signed books, a film-used Coraline puppet, awards Gaiman received, and other collectibles.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Hero Initiative, which provides medical and other assistance to veteran comic creators in need, and the Authors League Fund, which helps professional authors, journalists, critics, poets, and dramatists in need of assistance. Gaiman also plans to share a portion of the proceeds with the artists whose work is auctioned.
The top item was a page of original art from Watchmen #7, signed and inscribed by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, which went for $132,000 last Thursday. The page was a gift to Gaiman from Moore and Gibbons; Gaiman worked on the title and was one of three people to whom it was dedicated.
Other top items included a Jean Giraud (Moebius) painting of Gaiman character Death of the Endless and the John Totleben cover art for Miracleman #16, the last issue written by Moore, which tied at $96,000 each; and the on-screen camera-used Coraline puppet, which went for $72,000.
Gaiman shared his thoughts on the uses of the proceeds. “I love the idea of benefitting charities that look after authors who’ve fallen on hard times, that look after the artists and writers and creators of comics who’ve had hard times,” Gaiman said at the live auction Thursday morning. “And I like the idea of normalizing the idea that we who do have art we bought for $50 a page or $100 a page that now sells for tens of thousands of dollars a page get into the idea of giving something back to the artists who originally drew it. That seems to me an important thing to do.”
Source: ICV2
