Author Ray Bradbury's Sci-Fi Art Collection Up for Auction

The cover illustration from Bradbury's acclaimed novel, Fahrenheit 451, now up for auction. (Image credit: Nate D. Sanders auction)

Fans of the renowned American author Ray Bradbury take note: The writer's personal collection of sci-fi memorabilia and art is now being auctioned off online.

Bradbury is best known for his 1953 dystopian masterpiece, "Fahrenheit 451," as well as a collection of short stories about a human colony on Mars, called "The Martian Chronicles," published in 1950. For decades, he worked in Hollywood, where his writing was adapted for television, the big screen and comic books.

Bradbury died in 2012 at the age of 91, leaving behind a huge collection of art and memorabilia inspired by space, science fiction and fantasy. Among the items up for sale are the original-concept drawings and illustrations for many of Bradbury's novels and short stories, most of them by Joseph Mugnaini, Bradbury's longtime collaborator. [See photos of Ray Bradbury's sci-fi art collection]

Bradbury's personal print of "The Burning Man," a Mugnaini illustration depicting a newspaper-clad man engulfed in flames, is expected to fetch $500, according to Nate D. Sanders, the Los Angeles-based auction house handling the sale. The illustration became the iconic hardcover image for Bradbury's seminal work, "Fahrenheit 451."

Also up for sale is a painting by Charles Addams, creator of the macabre comic series (and later television series) The Addams Family. Addams' 1946 depiction of an eerie twilight scene — complete with ghoulish figures flying over a gothic mansion — was used as the cover art for Bradbury's 2001 novel "From the Dust Returned." The mixed-media painting could sell for up to $32,500, according to officials from Nate D. Sanders.

Another Bradbury-owned painting up for auction depicts a classic scene from H.G. Wells' classic sci-fi novel "War of the Worlds," in which a futuristic weapontakes on an English warship in battle. The painting, by American artist Raymond Bayless, is expected to go for at least $17,500 at auction.

There's also something for comic fans at this online auction. Bradbury collected signed comic strips and comic books dating back to the 1940s. Included in his collection were several strips from the popular 1950s comic strip "Li'l Abner," as well as several whole comic books from the 1940s series "Prince Valiant." Bidding for a larger collection of Bradbury's vintage comics, which include classics like "Popeye," "Mickey Mouse" and "Tarzan," starts at $500.

Bradbury also collected animation cels (the transparent, cellulose sheets on which animations were traditionally drawn) from popular cartoon series and movies. Included in his collection are cels from Warner Brothers' Bugs Bunny cartoon, as well as cels from the 1973 film "Charlotte's Web."

One of the most famous cels for sale depicts a climactic scene from Disney's 1937 film "Snow White," in which the heroine is offered a poisonous apple from the evil queen in disguise. Bidding for the iconic cel starts at $21,000.

Bidding for the Bradbury auction will close Thursday (Sept. 25) at 5 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. EDT). More information can be found on the Nate D. Sanders website.

Follow Elizabeth Palermo @techEpalermo. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

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