We cover a lot of pop culture auctions here at io9, mostly because it’s neat to think you might be able to own a piece of movie or TV history—something that Indiana Jones, Boba Fett, or Captain Kirk actually wore or used on-screen, or stunning original artwork from Studio Ghibli classics. Auctions cater to deep-pocketed fans, so most of us are just admiring and daydreaming when we look at what’s on offer. And if you thought that nearly $4 million price tag that Darth Vader’s lightsaber commanded earlier this year was something, wait until you hear about the $10 million Frank Frazetta.
That’s $10 million just to start the bidding, so Heritage Auctions has a good idea it’ll go for more, especially considering Heritage just sold another original from the fantasy art master for $13.5 million. On top of that, this is the original painting of one of Frazetta’s most famous and recognizable works: Conan the Conqueror (Berzerker).
© Heritage Auctions, HA.com“Created in 1967 for the Lancer paperback edition of Conan the Conqueror, Berserker forever altered how audiences imagined Robert E. Howard’s iconic barbarian, ushering in a new era that reshaped the visual language of fantasy art,” a Heritage Auctions press release explains.
The painting’s current owner is Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who is up there with Guillermo del Toro on the list of “famous collectors who’ve piled up a ridiculously amazing amount of horror and fantasy art.” According to Heritage Auctions, Hammett bought Berserker from Frazetta himself in 2009, ahead of the artist’s passing in 2010, for the then-unbelievable sum of $1 million.
Clearly it was a solid investment. A few months back, Heritage set a new record for a comic or fantasy art sale by fetching $13.5 million for Frazetta’s Man Ape (Conan the Barbarian); other Frazetta works sold through the auction house include Dark Kingdom (which sold for $6 million in 2023) and Egyptian Queen (which sold for $5.4 million in 2019).
Here’s a short video of Hammett talking about Frazetta and the Conan painting he’s soon to be parting with:
Conan the Conqueror (Berserker) is part of Heritage’s Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction running December 9-10. You can learn more details, including how to bid, here.
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