We cover a lot of pop culture auctions here at io9, mostly because it’s a mistake to think that you might be able to own a piece of film or TV history — something that Indiana Jones, Boba Fett, or Captain Kirk actually wore or used on-screen, or gorgeous original artwork from Studio Ghibli classics. The auction caters to fans with deep pockets, so most of us just admire and daydream when we look at what’s on offer. And if you thought Darth Vader’s lightsaber was worth about $4 million earlier this year, wait until you hear about the $10 million Frank Frazetta bought.
that’s 10 million dollars Just to start biddingSo Heritage Auctions has a good idea that it will go for more, especially considering that Heritage also sold another original from the Fantasy Art Master for $13.5 million. On top of that, it is original painting One of Frazetta’s most famous and recognizable works: Conan the Conqueror (Bergerkar),
“Created in 1967 for the Lancer paperback edition conan the conqueror, fearless “Audiences were forever transformed by Robert E. Howard’s imagination of the iconic Barbarian, ushering in a new era that reshaped the visual language of fantasy art,” states a Heritage Auctions press release.
The current owner of the painting is Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who along with Guillermo del Toro is on the list of “famous collectors who have amassed a ridiculously astonishing amount of horror and fantasy art.” According to Heritage Auctions, Hammett purchased fearless from Frazetta in 2009, for the incredible sum of $1 million, before the artist passed away in 2010.
Clearly this was a sound investment. A few months earlier, Heritage had set a new record for a comic or fantasy art sale by achieving $13.5 million for Frazetta. Man Ape (Conan the Barbarian)Other Frazetta works sold through the auction house include dark kingdom (which sold for $6 million in 2023) and queen of egypt (which sold for $5.4 million in 2019).
Here’s a short video of Hammett talking about Frazetta and his Conan He is soon going to leave painting:
Conan the Conqueror (Berserker) The auction is part of Heritage’s Hollywood and Entertainment Signature Auction running Dec. 9-10. You can learn more details, including how to bid, here.
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