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A vibrant original storyboard drawing featuring Heimlich, Slim, and Francis from Pixar's A Bug's Life (1998) by artist Jorgen Klubien.
A Bug's Life was Pixar's second feature film, following Toy Story, and marked a significant step forward in world-building and ensemble storytelling. Inspired by Aesop's fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, the film's story of individuality, cooperation, and courage resonated deeply with audiences. Its lush microcosmic world was brought to life through technical innovation and heartfelt character animation, earning widespread acclaim for its humour and emotional depth.
As one of Pixar's earliest story artists, Jorgen Klubien played a key role in shaping narrative rhythm and tone through expressive, character-driven boards like this. His background as a Disney veteran lent warmth and personality to Pixar's emerging visual language, bridging the studio's hand-drawn legacy with its pioneering CG future. The expressive poses here -Heimlich's cheerful innocence, Slim's wiry apprehension, and Francis's tough but lovable stance -distil their personalities in a few confident strokes.
Rendered in pen and coloured graphite, this lively composition captures three of the film's most beloved supporting characters in a rare pre-visualisation moment, long before the film's digital rendering brought them to life. The drawing exemplifies Pixar's early creative process, when ideas were still explored through traditional hand-drawn storytelling, despite the studio's groundbreaking work in computer animation. It is signed in the lower left corner by Klubein.
This original storyboard captures that creative energy at its earliest stage. Storyboards like this were essential tools for directors John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, helping define timing, composition, and emotional beats before animation began. Each drawing was part of a much larger visual conversation, shaping tone and rhythm scene by scene.
Beyond its production importance, the piece stands as a beautifully composed work of animation art in its own right; expressive, witty, and full of life. Fans of Pixar history will recognise this as a rare glimpse into the handmade storytelling that underpinned one of the studio's formative classics, a perfect embodiment of how A Bug's Life balanced humour, humanity, and heart through its unforgettable ensemble of characters. Dimensions: 14 cm x 25.5 cm (5.5" x 10")
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £700 - 1,400 Ω
View all lots from BUG'S LIFE, A (1998)