DALLAS — At Heritage Auctions’ February 21–23 comics and comic art Signature auction, two dozen collectors pursued Frank Frazetta’s Famous Funnies #209 cover original art (Eastern Color, 1953) until its price climbed to $552,000—beating its auction estimate by $152,000. One of Frazetta’s most famous comic covers, this is from the first of eight Famous Funnies issues (#209-316) that featured a cover by Frazetta; images many collectors consider an apex of artistic perfection of comic art.

This cover features Buck Rogers, but more importantly, it also includes a stunning full-body image of Wilma Deering, bolstering Frazetta’s legacy as one of the all-time greatest at delineating the female form. Epitomizing the 1950s “retro” style beloved by so many fans, this is the first example of that Famous Funnies run offered through Heritage Auctions since 2003. Done in ink over graphite on Bristol board, with an image area of 14 by 14-1/2 inches, the image is signed at the bottom by the artist.

For more information, www.ha.com or 877-437-4824.