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OT: Cartoon Animation Cels

Started by helionaut,

42 posts in this topic

Scheradon

Scheradon

Posted
Posted
In the case of my neighbors piece, Hanna and Barbera made copies of the background (offset I think) for the cels to go in front of....

 

Is your friends cel a one of a kind original or one of these limited edition seri-cels produced by the studio? I always get confused over these things, which is one of the biggest reasons I've never bought any.

 

It seems like there are limited edition cels, seri-cels, giclees, lithographs, etc. It's like I have no idea of what I'm actually looking at. Many of these are stamped with the Hanna-Barbera seal, but what I'd really like is the actual animation cel used for the cartoon. In essence a 1 of 1 piece. I would love to have an original background too, but would be satisfied with an original cel framed with a reproduction of the background art if necessary.

 

Couple examples on eBay:

 

Limited Seri-Cel

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/RELP-ITS-THE-REEN-GH...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Another limited edition cel

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Scooby-Doo-WEREWOLF-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

And here's one that says it's an original anomation cel

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ORIGINAL-SCOOBY-DOO-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

confused.gif I just need to learn more about these before I start dropping serious cash on them.

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gpanalysis

gpanalysis

Posted
Posted

Rule #1 - only buy ORIGINAL HAND-PAINTED PRODUCTION cels.

 

Rule #2 - see Rule #1

 

This means, do not go for Limited Edition, 1/1 (one of one) production, Sericel, etc. These are produced often in the thousands, and there is no guarantee that the studios wont produce a couple more thousand down the track. WB are a good example of this, having saturated the market and eventually causing a big dip in value.

 

I've never purchased them and I've never sold them - couldn't bring myself to sell something that often is produced on a printer (or partly). Save your dollars and buy one offs, original hand-painted cels, that were actually used in the production of the animation. And, in my opinion, the original production drawings are even better (and usually you pay less).

 

And remember that for the non-vintage stuff (after the 50-60's), there will be many hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of cels from any particular cartoon episode. Within a specific scene there may be 10-12 setups (and usually one original production background). Big animation dealers will often have all the setups, showing the worst first and leaving the best to sell last (or keep for themselves) - ask to see them all, and go the extra mile and purchase the background too if available.

 

I hope I haven't scared you off.... crazy.gif

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gpanalysis

gpanalysis

Posted
Posted

Oh, and if they're vintage, try and buy cels that have provenance, are certified by reputable dealers, and can be authenticated by the original studio.

 

Seals are also good (although vintage pieces rarely carry them). More modern pieces without seals (especially on eBay) are often hand-painted reproductions; any competent artist can scan from books, produce line art on the cel with a printer and hand paint the colors. Be careful, although for less than $100, this is a better option than the limited edition/sericel stuff studios sell (at times for thousands!) if you're just looking for a nice cel image of a character/scene.

 

With some education you can also pick modern repros that are being passed as vintage originals by turning the cel over and looking at the way the cel was painted/finished (cels are painted on the reverse).

 

Anyway, I've ranted enough!

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micmack

micmack

Posted
Posted

[quote

Is your friends cel a one of a kind original or one of these limited edition seri-cels produced by the studio?

It is the real deal, not a seri-cel junk. Cost him a pretty penny he alluded.

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drbanner

drbanner

Posted
Posted

Here are a few dealer/retail sites that have a good selection so those interested can see the kind of stuff that's available (I have no idea how respectable any of these are, or how their prices compare):

 

Wonderful World of Animation Art Gallery

 

The Cartoon Factory

 

Gremlin Fine Arts

 

Van Eaton Galleries

 

Vintage Ink and Paint

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spider9698

spider9698

Posted
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Grail Obtained!!!! I was the underbidder on this piece back in Dec 1991 and have kicked myself ever since. I recently returned to collecting animation art and a long time friend/collector/dealer helped broker a deal to obtain the piece. If I don't add another piece of animation art to my collection, I would be content.

Without further ado:

 

 

RabbitSeason.jpg

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Erato

Erato

Posted
Posted

I have a couple of these. An Akira piece (Kaneda). A couple from X-Men TAS. But My Favorite has to be one from The Pink Panther; It's in four layers (five if you count the background), and it shows our "hero" doing K.P. duty peeling potatoes. As I collect art concerning Restaurants etc., This Is a heck of a find.

 

Brian

 

P.S. I'll post them as soon as I figure out what's wrong with my scanner.

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