The first piece of original comic art that I purchased was a Hawkman page by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson. This was sometime in the sixties before I moved to Los Angeles, so I probably got it at a science fiction convention. As an aspiring cartoonist, I got great satisfaction from looking at the under-drawing and how the ink was applied to create a finished page. It was almost as if original art held a little bit of magic.

It wasn’t until years later that I seriously began collecting all sorts of cartoon art. It was a hobby and a passion that necessitated a regular and somewhat discretionary income, a luxury my career in animation provided. By the time I decided to stop collecting (just a few years ago) and began letting go of some pieces, I had amassed around three hundred works of original comic art.

My decision to stop acquiring art stemmed from retirement and the realization that while my wife and daughter appreciated the collection, it was really not their thing. It was time to pass some of these drawings on to others who could derive some pleasure from the history and craftsmanship of the pieces. So, I said goodbye to my originals from Charles Schulz, Milt Gross, George Herriman, and others. 

I’ll admit that I find it difficult to part with some pieces because, for me, they still hold some magic. I imagine I’ll hang on to my Popeye strips, T.S.Sullivant illustration, and Pogos for a few more years. I’m also keeping artwork from any living creator out of respect for the artist. This, of course, includes the prize of my collection, my original Calvin & Hobbes.

On November 25, 1986, Christie’s held an auction of all the original art from the Cartoonists Thanksgiving Day Hunger Project. I was working at Filmation Studios at the time and was unable to fly to New York for the event. So, I enlisted the aid of my brother Ed, who worked in NYC, to represent me at the auction. I gave him a list of the strips that I was interested in bidding on and hoped for the best. Boy, did he deliver! My fabulous brother scored me original works by Jeff MacNelly, Bud Blake, Bill Watterson, William Overgard, Pat Brady, Bill Schorr, and Doug Marlette.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at themythfits@gmail.com.