LYNBROOK, N.Y. – Part 1 of the massive comic collection of legendary comic book artist Joe Kubert (1926-2012), an original color art page by French artist, cartoonist and writer Moebius (1938-2012), and a pair of sneakers signed by Michael Jordan and worn by the NBA star during the 1991 championship playoff series will be sold Saturday, Feb. 27th, by Philip Weiss Auctions.

They are just part of a major auction featuring over 600 lots of sports items, comics and comic art, animation, Star Wars toys and collectibles and more. The sale will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time and will be held in Philip Weiss Auctions’ gallery at 74 Merrick Road in Lynbrook, plus online at Proxibid.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken.

Joe Kubert was a renowned American comic book artist, art teacher and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. He was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998. Some choice lots in the auction will consist of items from his sizable collection.

These will include signed original cover art (for Hawkman #103, Hawk Son of Tomahawk #140, House of Mystery #307, G.I. Combat #159 and #253, and others), hundreds of comic books (to include rare examples from the Big Apple collection), pages, stories, strip art and more, as well as works by other artists. The remainder of Kubert’s collection will be sold over future auctions.

Moebius (real name: Jean Henri Gaston Giraud) was a French artist who worked in the Franco-Belgian bandes dessinees tradition. He used the pseudonym Moebius (and to a lesser extent Gir), for the Blueberry series, which he created with writer Jean-Michel Charlier. It featured one of the first anti-heroes in Western comics. He was esteemed by Stan Lee, Federico Fellini and others.

The Moebius work being auctioned is an original direct color art page, drawn for Metal Hurlant in 1977 for The Ballade. Also in the sale are Golden and Silver age comics, a nice run of All Star comics (#20-#57), key issues, including Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider Man; The Incredible Hulk #1, Fantastic Four #1, X-Men #1 and many others, all very collectible.

The pair of black, Michael Jordan game-worn sneakers are not in pristine condition (they were game-worn, after all), but the star’s signature has been declared genuine (with a certificate of authenticity) and the back-story is compelling: Jordan wore the sneakers during the 1991 NBA championship playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

Additional sports memorabilia will feature a huge collection of sports (and non-sports) cards, a thousand autographed jersey and equipment cards, signed bats, photos and more. A wonderful Star Wars collection includes a set of 12 back mint on card figures. Also sold will be boxed toys, a Sears Early Bird display, puzzles, games, movie posters, trading cards, magazines and more.

Animation art will include original Charles Schulz artwork for a Peanuts daily comic strip (a staple at many Philip Weiss auctions) dated March 2, 1964; production cels (including a Dopey production cel from Snow White, a Briar Rose production cel from Sleeping Beauty and a Peter, Chief and Tiger Lily production cel from Peter Pan); limited editions, drawings and much more.

Philip Weiss Auctions’ next big sale after this will be a 700-lot blockbuster event scheduled for Saturday, March 19th, also at 10 a.m. in the firm’s Lynbrook gallery. Categories will include militaria, World’s Fair, historical, advertising, Hollywood, rock ‘n’ roll, rare books and more.

Expected top lots will feature a 1966 US tour concert program book signed by all four Beatles, a collection of Marilyn Monroe lobby cards, an Andy Warhol audio tape archive, rare mid-20th century Edgar Bergen ventriloquist dummy models, a pair of Eames leather benches from the IBM Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, signed Grace Kelly memorabilia and more.

Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (516) 594-0731; or, you can send an e-mail to Philip Weiss at Phil@WeissAuctions.com. For more information about Philip Weiss Auctions and the upcoming February 27th and March 19th sales, visit www.WeissAuctions.com.

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