DISNEY LEGENDS AND A LOONEY TUNES FAVORITE ARE AMONG THE TALENTED CREATORS WHO HAVE CHARMED THE LIFELONG ANIMATION FAN
By Rhonda Reinhart • Photo Illustrations by Josh David Jordan
In 2024, Heritage Auctions’ Animation Art category surpassed $17 million in sales, a record-breaking sum that could be attributed to several factors. For one thing, as Heritage’s Jim Lentz points out, animation art is an “art form that provides a lifetime of smiles.” As the Vice President and Director of Animation & Anime Art at Heritage, Lentz oversaw 10 Signature and Showcase auctions in 2024, including a record-setting sale of vintage Disney art and themed auctions of everything from 1990s Nickelodeon to Dragon Ball Z.
Before joining Heritage Auctions, Jim Lentz owned Stay Tooned Galleries, a chain of animation art galleries in the Midwest.
“Last year was extraordinary for Animation Art at Heritage,” Lentz says. “We’ve seen the enduring magic of Disney’s Golden Age and Renaissance-era works – and animation overall – captivate collectors worldwide. The passion for the work of these extraordinary artists reaffirms the timeless appeal of animation’s greatest treasures.”
Lentz has a long history in the animation art world. He is the former president and owner of the Midwest animation art gallery chain Stay Tooned Galleries. He has also served as the national sales manager for Disney Fine Art, been a consultant to Walt Disney Art Classics and sat on the Disney Advisory Board of Dealers. From 1989 to 1999, Lentz was curator for the Midwest Animation Lecture Series, a virtual who’s who of animation, including animators, directors, writers, voice talent and studio heads.
Lentz has been a fan of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse for as long as he can remember.
Lentz’s extensive experience and dedication have been a big part of the Animation Art category’s recent achievements, but there’s one more secret to his success – what he calls his “Good Luck Chucks.”
“I have worn Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers my whole life,” he says. “During one of my auctions, a Bugs Bunny anniversary was going on, and Converse released a low white Chuck Taylor sneaker with images of Bugs Bunny on the side. I bought them and wore them to the auction. We had a great auction, and Jimmy’s Good Luck Chucks were born. Now, each and every Signature sale, I wear a brand-new pair of Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers.”
To kick off Lentz’s 2025 series of auctions – which begins with a March 15 sale celebrating the art of The Simpsons – we asked the animation expert to share his Top 5 animation artists. Keep reading to see which artists have brought Lentz a lifetime of smiles.
This original illustration by Marc Davis, titled ‘Four Artists Paint One Tree,’ realized $84,000 in an April 2024 Heritage auction. In addition to his contributions to Disney films, Davis was instrumental in creating some of Disneyland’s landmark attractions, from the Jungle Cruise to Pirates of the Caribbean.
Marc Davis
Marc Davis is a Disney Legends inductee and one of Walt Disney’s original Nine Old Men. I had the honor of having Marc and his wife, Alice Davis (also a Disney Legend), speak at my Stay Tooned Gallery in the early 1990s. Years later, I attended Marc’s one-man show in Hollywood, where he put on display his non-Disney artwork. I bought a limited-edition signed print of Four Artists Paint One Tree that hangs in my home today. Little did I know that over 30 years later I would have the honor of handling his and his wife’s estate for a Heritage auction and that I would sell the original painting of that exact print that still hangs in my home. Marc was a great artist and a truly great man.
Peter Ellenshaw won an Academy Award for his work on the 1964 Disney film ‘Mary Poppins.’ This production illustration from the popular movie sold for $22,800 in a December 2022 Heritage auction and came from the artist’s private collection.
Peter Ellenshaw
When I was working at Walt Disney Studios, I was shown a series of four paintings depicting the four seasons and showcasing all the Winnie the Pooh characters. The paintings were being used for the making of consumer products for the Disney Store. I looked over these magnificent paintings and said, “This is what our art program needs.” A short time later, Peter Ellenshaw himself walked in, and we talked about him creating artwork for Walt Disney Art Classics. Each piece he produced was an almost instant sellout. A few years back I met with his family and was given the honor of representing the Peter and Harrison Ellenshaw Family Archive in all of our Disney auctions.
This production cel featuring Bugs Bunny and Gossamer is from the 1946 cartoon ‘Hair-Raising Hare’ directed by Chuck Jones. The cel sold for $52,800 in an August 2021 Heritage auction.
Chuck Jones
In my line of work, I am always asked, “Who is your favorite cartoon character?” Without any hesitation, my answer is always Bugs Bunny. While there were a few directors of Bugs Bunny cartoons, I could always tell which ones were directed by Chuck Jones. His style is instantly recognizable. Jones also directed my favorite cartoon, Doctor Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! from 1966.
This dreamlike scene from 1950’s ‘Cinderella’exhibits Mary Blair’s mastery of color, featuring a wonderous landscape created with a limited palette of blue shades and subtle pink details. The concept painting realized $90,000 in a June 2023 Heritage auction.
Mary Blair
The very first art exhibit held by the Walt Disney Family Museum was The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, and now the museum is getting ready to house a second Mary Blair exhibit. For our first Animation Art Signature® Auction, almost 15 years ago, we gave Blair her own section within the catalog. I have been drawn to her style and her subliminal laid-back genius for years, and I am especially fond of her work on Cinderella. These are my favorite pieces of hers from all the films she worked on while at Disney.
Animator Fred Moore was famous around Walt Disney Studios for his ‘Freddie’s Girls’ drawings, like this 1940s illustration that sold for $10,200 in a June 2023 Heritage auction. In the book ‘The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation,’ authors Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston write, ‘Everyone at the Studio wanted a Fred Moore drawing, especially a sketch of one of his girls – a charming little breed of females, strictly Fred’s creations, sexy in an innocent way and often humorous because of his choice of poses.’
Fred Moore
I always tell people, “My grandparents always wanted a Renoir. My parents always wanted a Rockwell. But I always wanted a Mickey Mouse!” Of all the great Disney animators from Disney’s Golden Age of animation, I was always drawn to Fred Moore. A self-taught genius, he was the animator who redesigned Mickey Mouse and gave him pupils. His in-studio “Freddie’s Girls” drawings were something every artist at Walt Disney Studios craved. Disney Legend animator Ollie Johnston even wrote about them in his book with Frank Thomas, The Illusion of Life. At a Studio art gallery dinner once, I was seated next to Ollie. He asked what I collected, and I told him about my “Freddie’s Girls” collection – actually, it was my wife’s collection and her eye who brought them to my attention. His eyes lit up as I found out he had a serious collection of them. He chuckled and said, “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” We exchanged photos through the mail about our collections. I am thrilled every time an original “Freddie’s Girl” drawing comes up in our auctions.
RHONDA REINHART is editor of Intelligent Collector.