Comic artist Rob Liefeld and Heritage Auctions are partnering up to auction off the two preliminary sketch pages that feature the first time he ever drew Deadpool! The character was ultimately introduced in 1990’s New Mutants #98.
The page obviously comes from Liefeld’s personal collection, and they are being offered as part of a Heritage auction focused on comic book art and pop culture collectibles next month. This being the first original sketches of Deadpool, there’s no doubt they are going to go for a lot of money! It’s rare to find pre-publication art for Deadpool!
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Liefeld told ComicBook in a statement: “These pages represent the literal birth of Deadpool at Marvel Comics. In ink, on paper, this is Stage One! It’s the launch pad! Nothing exists without these sketches in any stage of my work – ever. Collectors have been pursuing these pages for years, as Deadpool continues to grow in global popularity. Given the fact that early Deadpool art is so scarce, I’m happy to share them now through Heritage and see where they find a new home.”
Joe Mannarino, Heritage Auctions’ New York-based director of Comics & Comic Art added: “Rob is unquestionably one of the most influential artists of a generation. It’s rare to have the first concept of a character that so perfectly captures the imagination of an audience, both in comics and in film – to the point where you have successful and anticipated sequels, which is no sure thing. We are very appreciative that Rob has given us this extraordinary opportunity to offer this fantastic and historic piece. Everyone at Heritage is, of course, thrilled, and we are looking forward to great results.”
The pages are available as part of Heritage Auctions’ Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction, which is taking place on November 17-18th.
This is incredibly cool and I’m curious to see how much this Deadpool art ends up selling for.