From: rfd@po.CWRU.Edu (Richard F. Drushel)
Subject: Re: Animation cels from Trek ""cartoon""
Reply-To: rfd@po.CWRU.Edu (Richard F. Drushel)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 20:30:45 GMT


In a previous article, schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov (gary l. schroeder) says:

>That's a
>price that's more like it.  Hell, back in the late 70's,
>Star_log_ magazine was advertising the things for prices in the
>multi-hundred dollar ranges.  A bit rich for my blood, I'm afraid.  

	I have one of the "Limited Edition" series of Star Trek cels
which were marketed around 1976.  (First editions of the "early" wave
of Bantam novels have color insets for these and an order form.)  I
can't remember what they originally sold for (probably $40-$50).  There
were about 6 different cels available, 300 made of each, signed and
imprinted with a seal by Filmation.  Mine is the ship graveyard from
"Time Trap".  Of the others, there was one with Mer-People swimming,
the "Galileo" leaving the shuttlebay, Kukulan menacing the "Enterprise",
and Spock snapping a photo of the crew on the bridge.  I can't remember
the others.  Anyway, I got mine in 1981 from Gallery Lainsberg, one of
the premiere dealers of original animation art.  They came to the
student center here at CWRU, set up shop for a couple days, filling
the atrium with matted cels in portfolios for sale.  I paid $40 for
my cel.  Not sure if they do touring sales these days, probably catalogue
only.  I have no idea what this cel would garner on the open market
today.  (No, it's not for sale.)

	Now, as to the existence of *ORIGINAL PRODUCTION* cels from
TAS, I have no idea.  If any survive, they are certain to be of crummy
quality, mostly due to poor Xerography.  (Just watch TAS and you'll
see what I mean.)  As collector items, they would fetch a King's ransom,
even though they would not be so pretty to hang on your wall.  The
Xerography of my "Limited Edition" cel is quite good--the source drawing
may even have been ink instead of pencil, to improve the reproduction;
I don't know.

>I'm no expert where cells are concerned, but I've noticed that it's easy
>to get ripped off.  For instance, I've seen the art of Chuck Jones
>(Warner Brothers guru from way back) touring the country.  Some of the
>cells were for sale.  In many cases, the cells on display were not from
>any cartoon that _ever_ appeared, but were just some bits he'd done on
>the same plastic cell medium!  What's the point of that?  Not only that,
>but the art was very poor, as CJ had gotten very sloppy in his later
>years compared to his inspired work from the 40's and 50's.
>
>Buyer, beware.

	I agree, Chuck Jones' limited edition cels are not aesthetically
pleasing.  He has totally restructured Bugs Bunny's face, uses a very
scribbly line (he draws the masters of these with a Magic Marker, for
heaven''s sake!), and in general, these are only cheezy money-makers.
(How much would some idiot pay for a Picasso dropcloth?)  At least Bob
Clampett Productions sells hand-inked remakes made from actual animation
drawings, so they *look* like the '40s cartoons.

	Followups to rec.arts.animation :)
-- 
Rich Drushel ** rfd@po.CWRU.edu *** Biology Ph.D. Student ** Cleveland FreeNet
Co-Sysop, Coleco ADAM Forum --- Assistant Sysop, Science Fiction & Fantasy SIG
"Solda pung apfashat ro des-marno, / Marn ladir o armag noth yeni arno. / Hell
miryat it, / Jambo iat it, / Os lasse wei ticip kati baldo." / Old Ennish poem