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| Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid and Hugh Jackman attend the premiere of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ in New York City, |
Cover artwork featuring Deadpool’s first appearance in the comics went on sale this week at Heritage Auctions with an asking price of $7.5 million (Ksh.967.5 million). If it sells at that price, it will be the most valuable comic book art ever sold.
The penciled artwork was created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld, at age 23, for New Mutants #98, which was released in February 1991.Liefeld does not own the artwork. He sold it to a collector 25 years ago, although he said he is thrilled that the character he created is doing so well financially.
“I just keep smiling,” said Liefeld about the auction.
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Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool in the box-office hit “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a movie from Walt Disney-owned Marvel Studios. The film ranks as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with more than $879 million in global ticket sales.
When New Mutants #98 was released in 1991, the comic book cost $1. Now the original editions have become one of the most sought-after comics for collectors, with issues selling from $350 to $55,000 on eBay.
“Selling artwork was part of the income stream back then,” Liefeld told Reuters. “I sold this 25 years ago. I have zero regrets.”
Liefeld created Deadpool as a combination between Spider-Man and G.I. Joe. Immediately after his first appearance, Marvel Comics was flooded with fan mail.
“Marvel contacted me and said, this is the most fan mail we’ve had on a new character in 15 years,” said Liefeld. “They were flooded with letters, fan letters, which they sent me. And the box that that mail arrived in … I thought I was getting a washer and dryer,” he joked.
The current record holder in comic-book auctions is a copy of Action Comics #1, which features the first appearance of Superman and sold for $6 million earlier in the year, also at Heritage Auctions.
By Reuters
