Lawrence Klein Comic Books and Comic Book Art to Auction

Part 1 of the Lawrence Klein collection at Hakes Auctions features a collection of vintage comic books and original comic book art by one of the industry’s most notable collectors and featuring original Todd McFarlane pen-and-ink artwork for Amazing Spider-Man #302 (Marvel Comics, July 1988), and first-printing issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Mirage Studios, 1984).

Lawrence Klein grew up outside New York City and commuted into the city with his father for early comic conventions like Creation Con, and trips to New York City comic shops. At one of these early 1980s conventions Klein saw the late comic book artist Neal Adams and bought his first piece of cover art, World’s Finest #209 which is offered in this auction.

Also going under the hammer are artboards with original art by artist Todd McFarlane including a pen-and-ink artwork for Amazing Spider-Man #302 (Marvel Comics, July 1988) showing Spider-Man web-swinging past the research laboratories of On-Line Research into a construction site (estimate: $50,000), and original pencil art for Amazing Spider-Man #304 (Marvel Comics, Sept. 1988), with inks by Joe Rubinstein depicting a close-up of a hand holding a copy of the book Webs (estimate: $75,000).

Other highlights include:

• a copy of Gobbledygook #1 (Mirage Studios, 1984) featuring the first appearance of Fugitoid (estimate: $100,000)
• a first printing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Mirage Studios, 1984) featuring the origin and first appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Splinter and Shredder (estimate: $100,000)
• an 11-inch by 17-inch artboard with pencil-and-ink original art by Michael Allred for Batman Black And White #4 (DC Comics, Feb 2014) from Michael and Lee Allred's Tea-Minus Party storyline showing Batman crashing through a glass skylight and dropping in on a paralyzed Mad Hatter, Tweedledum, Tweedledee and the Mayor's kidnapped son (estimate: $5,000)
• a DC Comics Sparta artboard with original art penciled by Mike Grell and layout by Alex Saviuk for the cover to Green Lantern Vol. 2 #102 (DC Comics, March 1978) (estimate: $20,000)
• Tom Grindberg’s original pen-and-ink art for the cover to Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #102 (Marvel Comics, March 1995) with an estimate of $10,000

Lots will begin closing on October 21.