Original artwork from the Watchmen comic made $132,000 as the most valuable item in a $1 million auction of writer Neil Gaiman’s personal collection.
Proceeds from the sale will help the Hero Foundation, which gives aid to comic writers.
The page was from issue 7 of Watchmen, the British comic first published from 1986 to 1987 by author Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons.
The page from Watchmen valued at over $130,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
It has since been filmed and adapted for television, famously to the displeasure of Moore.
Gibbons and Moore have both signed and inscribed this page of artwork that was gifted to Gaiman.
Another Moore-related item, John Totleben’s art work for the last issue of Miracleman, written by Moore, made $96,000.
A Moebius (the name used by artist Jean Giraud) painting of Gaiman’s own character, Death of the Endless, made the same amount.
Gaiman told the live audience at the sale on March 14: “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.”
Comic artwork can be very valuable. The most valuable comic collectibles though are early issues of legendary titles. Superman #1 sold for $5.3 million in 2022.
The Watchmen series is highly prized by its fans and collectors. A first issue of the comic from 1986 can make over $300.
