AN UNPRECEDENTED ASSEMBLAGE OF ORIGINAL GRINCH ARTWORK AND HUNDREDS OF LOONEY TUNES GEMS OFFER A RARE LOOK AT A HOST OF CARTOON CLASSICS
By Christina Rees | June 16, 2026
Sixty years ago, a grouchy green recluse descended from Mount Crumpit with a plan to steal Christmas.
Instead, he stole America’s heart.
When How the Grinch Stole Christmas! debuted on CBS in December 1966, it transformed Dr. Seuss’ mischievous holiday tale into a television classic that has endured across generations. Much of that success belongs to legendary animator Chuck Jones, whose expressive character design and visual storytelling brought the Grinch to life in ways that continue to define the character six decades later.
Now, as the beloved special celebrates its 60th anniversary, collectors have a rare opportunity to revisit Jones’ masterpiece through an extraordinary collection of original production artwork featured in Heritage Auctions’ June 19-21 Art of Everything Cool – Vol. VIII Signature® Auction.
Grinch and Max production cel signed by Chuck Jones with Key Master background from ‘Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ (MGM, 1966). Available in Heritage’s June 19-21 Art of Everything Cool – Vol. VIII Signature® Auction.
The offering includes what is believed to be one of the largest groups of original hand-painted Master and Key Master backgrounds ever assembled from the special, along with production cels, animation drawings, layouts, storyboards, and material from the Chuck Jones Family Archive. Together, they provide a remarkable look behind the scenes of a production that became part of the American holiday tradition.
For animation collectors, the backgrounds are especially significant. While characters naturally command attention, the hand-painted environments that established the look and mood of Whoville are often far rarer survivors of the animation process.
“Animation collectors dream about finding artwork like this,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage’s Vice President of Animation & Anime Art. “We’ve never seen a collection of Grinch production backgrounds of this magnitude. These pieces tell the entire story, from the Grinch’s scheming beginnings to his transformation, and many of them have simply never been available to collectors before.”
Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who production cel pair signed by Chuck Jones from ‘Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ (MGM, 1966). Available in Heritage’s June 19-21 Art of Everything Cool – Vol. VIII Signature® Auction.
Among the highlights is a production cel setup featuring the Grinch and his faithful dog Max paired with a matching Key Master background from the memorable sequence in which the Grinch fashions a single antler for his reluctant canine companion. Another standout captures one of the special’s most suspenseful moments — an actual cliffhanger — combining production cels, matching backgrounds, and an original layout drawing into a presentation that showcases the artistry behind the animation process.
Perhaps no scene better represents the emotional center of the story than the encounter between the Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who. A production-cel pairing featuring the two characters preserves the moment when the young Who catches the disguised Grinch in the act of stealing Christmas, setting the stage for his momentous transformation.
Collectors will also find an impressive 64-inch Key Master panoramic background depicting the Grinch and Max during the elaborate sleigh sequence Jones created to expand Dr. Seuss’ concise story into a half-hour television event. The piece serves as a reminder that Jones was not merely adapting Seuss’ work; he was translating it into an entirely new visual language.
A trio of original production art from‘Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ (MGM, 1966). Available in Heritage’s June 19-21 Art of Everything Cool – Vol. VIII Signature® Auction.
That achievement helps explain why the Grinch remains such an enduring figure in popular culture. The special’s message may be timeless, but its distinctive, near-mannerist (if not graphically colorful) look, from the Grinch’s sly expressions to the whimsical architecture of Whoville, belongs unmistakably to Chuck Jones.
And while the Grinch may provide the entry point, he is only one chapter in Jones’ larger artistic legacy.
Few creative figures have left a greater mark on American animation. Across decades at Warner Bros., Jones refined and reimagined characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, and Pepé Le Pew, helping elevate theatrical cartoons into an art form celebrated for its design, timing, and storytelling.
Bugs Bunny production cel signed by Chuck Jones from ‘Baton Bunny’ (Warner Bros., 1959). Available in Heritage’s June 19-21 Art of Everything Cool – Vol. VIII Signature® Auction.
The June auction reflects that influence with nearly 500 lots devoted to the Looney Tunes universe, making it one of Heritage’s most substantial offerings of Warner Bros. animation art to date.
Part of the appeal lies in the scarcity of original material. To save on the studio’s storage space, much of Warner Bros.’ production artwork disappeared long ago, making surviving cels, drawings, and backgrounds increasingly desirable among collectors. As demand grew, Jones became one of the pioneers who helped establish animation art as a serious collecting category, producing limited editions based on his original drawings and introducing new audiences to the artistry behind the cartoons they loved.
Several highlights demonstrate the breadth of that legacy. A rare signed production cel from the 1959 classic Baton Bunny features Bugs Bunny conducting an orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, while an original preliminary drawing created for a Looney Tunes library-promotion poster gathers a parade of familiar Warner Bros. characters beneath Jones’ pencil.
Sequence of four Wile E. Coyote production cels signed by Chuck Jones from ‘Chariots of Fur’ (Warner Bros., 1994). Available in Heritage’s June 19-21 Art of Everything Cool – Vol. VIII Signature® Auction.
Elsewhere, a sequence of four signed production cels from the 1994 short Chariots of Fur captures Wile E. Coyote in motion, revealing the painstaking craftsmanship required to create even a few seconds of animation. A rare artist’s proof of the celebrated Duck Dodgers Group limited edition traces the origins of the Chuck Jones Art Program, which helped preserve and popularize animation art during an era when original production material had become increasingly difficult to obtain.
“Chuck Jones had an extraordinary ability to create characters that felt timeless from the moment they appeared on screen,” Lentz says. “Whether it was Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, or the Grinch, he brought personality, humor, and humanity to every frame. That’s why collectors continue to seek out his work decades later.”
Sixty years after the Grinch first descended into Whoville, the appeal of Jones’ work shows no signs of fading. For collectors, these pieces are more than nostalgic reminders of childhood favorites. They are original works from an artist whose creations helped define American popular culture, and whose influence continues to grow with each passing generation.
