Professional Documents
Culture Documents
which is well known for containing items of tremendous rarity pertaining to the Negro
Leagues. When we announced we would be auctioning other pieces from the Merkin
collection some years ago, we immediately started receiving calls from people asking if
this particular book was in the collection, and remarkably, we had to say no. Other
examples of this title have sold for more than $20,000 in the past, and if any of the
images shown in the book were individual 8 by 10 photos, I have no doubt theyd sell for
anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 apiece. Lot 885 is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.
Moving into the realm of fictional heroes, theres Lot 1433, one of two known prototype
ashcan pulp magazines printed in August 1936 to establish copyright for The Lone
Ranger. It was not until April 1937 that the first official issue of The Lone Ranger
Magazine actually saw the light of day, and by then, the cover art had been completely
changed. On the earlier iteration, The Lone Ranger wears a red bandanna to disguise his
face, rather than the later and more familiar black eye mask.
Already an extremely rare publication, the desirability of this prototype ashcan (so
named because it was meant to be discarded after reading) is further enhanced by its
CGC grading. As Winter explained, CGC does not typically grade pulps, so its an
anomaly that they chose to grade this one. The opening bid on the magazine is $5,000,
and its estimate is set at $10,000-$20,000.
One of Hakes areas of particular expertise is early, original comic strip art. The March
auction contains the actual hand-drawn and artist-signed original artwork for two
phenomenal Sunday newspaper pages drawn 80 years ago. Lot 1598 is George
Herrimans 11-panel art for the November 3, 1935 Krazy Kat strip featuring the lead
character plus Offissa Bull Pupp, Ignatz Mouse and Ignatzs rarely depicted wife and
three children. This well-known Sunday strip with multiple backgrounds, superb inking
and imaginative storyline has been reprinted in every major Krazy Kat book and
Herriman publication. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000.
Krazy Kat is followed by another favorite comic-strip feline, Felix, who stars in Otto
Messmers original artwork for the Sunday, Oct. 6, 1935 edition of Felix the Cat. Felix
appears in all 12 panels, with a storyline that places him in the laboratory of a scientist
who applies a powerful anesthetic to the cats midsection. Felix then goes on a hamburger
binge, obviously immune to a stomachache. One of the nicest Felix Sunday-page
originals ever offered by Hakes, it has a King Features Syndicate copyright label and
comes with provenance from the Jan Wahl collection. Estimate: $5,000-$10,000.
Lot 1635 is the original Jack Davis color cover art for the January 1962 Dell comic book
titled Yak Yak A Pathology of Humor. Bright and vividly hand-colored, the artist-signed
art comes with a pair of 4 by 6-inch color photos of Davis in his studio with the Yak Yak
artwork. All Jack Davis original cover art is scarce, and this lot should have no trouble
achieving its $5,000-$10,000 estimate.
Approximately 60 items will be offered from the revered Doug and Pat Wengel
Disneyana collection. Among the standout items is Lot 1797, a rare 14-inch tin sandpail
made in France in the mid 1930s. In a repeating scene against a shell-pink background,
Mickey plays the concertina while Minnie Mouse dances. In their reference book Comic
Character Metal Sand Toys, the Wengels describe the pail as perhaps the finestDisney
ever produced. Bidding is expected to reach $2,000-$5,000.
The piece de resistance in the Wengel selection is Lot 1764, a pair of circa-1935 Old
King Cole Mickey and Minnie Mouse mechanical store displays. Made of painted
composition, each figure is supported by a wood framework and motorized to enable an
action. When switched on, Mickey moves his outstretched arm up and down, while
Minnie holds a mirror in one stationary hand and moves her other arm up and down.
Striking, colorful and with provenance from one of the all-time great Disney collections,
the pair is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.
Other highlights include Lot 2156, a linen-mounted three-sheet movie serial poster for
Adventures of Captain Marvel, est. $2,000-$5,000; and Lot 2129, a hardcover Photoplay
edition of Tarzan and the Golden Lion signed by author Edgar Rice Burroughs,
publishers Alexander Grosset and George T. Dunlap, the film versions executive
producer Joseph P. Kennedy, and many others involved with the movies production,
including star Boris Karloff. Its estimate is $5,000-$10,000.
Hakes Americana Auction #214 is now open for bidding by phone, mail or online at
www.hakes.com. The first session will close on March 17, 2015, while the second session
will close on March 19. March 18 is an interim day in which bidders can peruse the
catalog and prepare for further bidding. To request a free printed catalog or for
information on any item in the sale, call toll-free: (866) 404-9800 or (717) 434-1600.
Email: hakes@hakes.com. Visit the catalog online at www.hakes.com.
CAPTION:
Mickey and Minnie Mouse mechanical Old King Cole store display pair, circa 1935, ex
Doug and Pat Wengel collection. Est. $10,000-$20,000. Hakes image
Contact info:
Hakes Americana & Collectibles
Alex Winter, President
Hakes.com
P O Box 12001
York, PA 17402
866-404-9800
hakes@hakes.com
www.hakes.com
About:
Hake's Americana & Collectibles located in York, PA, has established itself as the
premier Americana & collectible mail-and-phone-bid auction house holding online
auctions several times each year.
Keywords: auction, pop culture, political, sports and entertainment memorabilia, comic
strip art, Felix the Cat, 1935 Krazy Kat, Harry Houdini, Civil War, George Washington,
The Lone Ranger, Yak Yak comic book, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, tin litho, Atom Man,
Superman