Helluva pedigree on this one…
Waaaaaaay back in the earliest days of 13th Dimension I interviewed Dave Gibbons. To this day, it remains one of the most interesting interviews I’ve done and in one anecdote, the storied artist and writer spoke of a page from Watchmen that he and Alan Moore had given Neil Gaiman as a thank-you for some behind-the-scenes help.
Now, about 10 years later, Gaiman is auctioning off that page, via Heritage, as part of March’s Neil Gaiman Collection sale.
Dig the page — and the official description:
Dave Gibbons and John Higgins Watchmen #7 Story Page 16 Original Art with Matching Production Color Guide (DC, 1987). This staggering 17-panel page was gifted to Neil Gaiman by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons for his work on Watchmen. Dan (Nite Owl) wakes from a horrifying dream in which he and Laurie (Silk Spectre) were reduced to skeletons in the wake of an atomic blast. The images of both the mushroom cloud and the skeletal lovers recur on the following page, and the atomic kiss ranks among the series’ most poignant images. This page tells a complete story across a beautiful grid of panels, broken only in the final moment as Dan wakes in fear. This lot includes both the original art by Dave Gibbons and the original color guide by John Higgins, showcasing the impressive page in both black-and-white and color.
As both a 12-issue series and a graphic novel, the influence of Watchmen cannot be understated; the series became a pop culture touchstone that affected comics for decades after its initial release and inspired adaptations in multiple mediums. Watchmen is a masterwork of design with one of the series’ central metaphors revolving around the intricate designs of watches themselves, and this page is no exception. The original art was created in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10″ x 15.5″, matted and framed to 15.5″ x 21.75″. Higgins created the color guide in hand-colored watercolor over printed line art, with an image area of 7″ x 11″, matted and framed to 12.5″ x 16″. The lower left panel of the color guide is created on a paste-up, and production notes/marks for color appear throughout. The page is signed by both Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore, and personalized to Neil Gaiman. The signatures alone are a unique piece of comics history, and they make an incredible compliment to this extraordinary lot! Both items are in Excellent condition. Accompanied by a hand-signed COA. From the Personal Collection of Neil Gaiman.
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“It sort of presaged the fact that I would go and write Sandman, which would be the dream comic,” Gaiman said to our pal George Gene Gustines of The New York Times.
“I like the idea of spreading joy,” Gaiman told Gustines about why he is selling some of his original comic book art and other collectibles. “It’s your job to keep (art) safe and hope the house doesn’t burn down while it is in your care.” Then, you pass it on.
Gaiman will donate part of the auction proceeds to the Hero Initiative. As of this writing, bidding is already up to $81,000, including buyer’s premium. Expect it to go for much higher. You can follow the auction here.
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MORE
— The WATCHMEN Page That Gibbons and Moore Gave to Neil Gaiman. Click here.
— How ALAN MOORE Helped Create the WATCHMEN Role-Playing Game. Click here.
