Rare Packing Art offered to Collectors
New York, NY, October 27, 2009 To the delight of Toy and Art Collectors, Heritage Auctions will be auctioning a rare toy-package painting for the 1960’s Captain Action model kit.
While collectors fondly remember the Captain Action as the “original super hero action figure”, this artwork was used for the exceedingly rare Aurora model kit.
Recently, Michael Eury’s celebrated coffee table book Captain Action: The Original Super Hero Action Figure, published by Twomorrows, provided an exhaustive history of details and minutiae for a rabid fan base. Unearthing this new “find” engages collectors with new mysteries for collectors.
This packaging artwork is the original painting commissioned by model kit maker Aurora for the1966 release of the Captain Action model kit. A 2008 re-issue by Captain Action Enterprises and Moebius Models quickly sold out.
The identity of the painter remains shrouded in speculation. It was modeled on the Ideal packaging with slight pose modifications. The original Ideal toy art is thought to have been painted by the legendary pulp painter Norm Saunders. The artist who painted this derivative piece remains a mystery as well.
Captain Action occupies a unique niche for toy and comic collectors, as a “Who’s Who” of the comic industry’s top artists have contributed on the character in his many incarnations. These artists include Murphy Anderson, Wally Wood, Jack Kirby, Milt Caniff, Chic Stone, Gil Kane, Dick Giordano and possibly Norm Saunders. This tradition has continues with luminaries such as Paul Gulacy, Michael Allred, Thomas Yeates, Eduardo Baretto, Art Thibert, Ed Hannigan, Ron Frenz and Marc Wheatley, among others, providing artwork for the Captain Action relaunch.
Private collector Mike Senishen offered the history of his acquisition of the piece. "The art was acquired through a purchase on e-bay a few years ago. The person had the original Captain America art that went to the original issue Aurora kit. After purchasing this piece, I then asked if he owned anything else as far as original art goes, he then told me that he owned the original Captain Action piece also. A purchase was made at that time for both pieces.”
Senishen probed the original owner further; “I asked him how he came upon these pieces. The comic shop that he visited had these original works of art from the recently (at the time) shut down Aurora plant. He would go into the comic shop with his grandmother, who he begged to buy him these pieces, which she finally did. The story also goes that there was a piece that he didn’t buy– the original Spider-Man art for the model kit!! The grandmother only had money to purchase 2 pieces of art, and he chose the Captain America along with the Captain Action.”
Senishen told Captain Action’s Joe Ahearn that he had these pieces displayed in his dining room for years.
“This is a great find” said Ed Catto of Captain Action Enterprises, “and it’s because of intriguing things like this that Captain Action continues to garner so much interest. And we just love making new products and growing the mythology in new and exciting directions.”
This artwork can be found at Heritage Auctions website. Bidding is scheduled to start on or about October 31st and will end on November 20th.
About Captain Action Enterprises
To Joe Ahearn and Ed Catto, the founders of Captain Action Enterprises, the beloved toy line of the mid-1960 produced by the Ideal Toy Company was more than just a source of fond childhood memories; Captain Action was an intellectual property screaming with potential. Under their guidance the character has already appeared or will soon appear in an ongoing new comic book series, lithographs, a prose short fiction collection, statues, action figures, T-shirts, model kits and iPhone app. Additional products are development, including a dynamic new spin-off character, Lady Action.
Captain Action, Action Boy, Lady Action and all related characters ©2009 and ™ Captain Action Enterprises. All other characters are ©2009 their respective copyright holders. All rights reserved.
For all the latest on Captain Action, visit www.CaptainActionNow.com.
Information on the Captain Action: The Original Super-Hero Action Figure can be found at www.twomorrows.com and Captain Action Comics at www.MoonstoneBooks.com.
