This lot will be auctioned on Tuesday, November 9th. The auction will begin at 3:00pm GMT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on November 10th or November 11th.

This lot comes from the collection of Charles "Charley" Lippincott. Lippincott is considered among the foremost marketing and merchandising experts in the history of science-fiction. After an early start in traditional Hollywood publicity, his career exploded when college friend George Lucas hired him as Lucasfilm's VP of Advertising, Publicity, Promotion & Merchandising, a role he used to create arguably the most successful - and bombastic - marketing campaign ever for Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy. Lippincott subsequently masterminded the publicity strategies for such era-defining properties as Ridley Scott's Alien and Mike Hodges' Flash Gordon, both of which are represented in this auction. The popularity of these projects further propelled him into the top ranks of film executives, leading him to produce Danny Cannon's cult classic Judge Dredd, which is also heavily featured in this catalog. While Charley Lippincott passed away in 2020, his personal collection reflects a legacy of rare influence and lifelong fandom.

A hand-drawn Mentor Huebner "Ming the Merciless" storyboard concept sketch from the production of Mike Hodges' sci-fi adventure Flash Gordon. The emperor of planet Mongo, Ming (Max von Sydow), battled earthling Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones).

This sketch comes from the collection of the film's marketing director, Charles "Charley" Lippincott. It is rendered in mixed media on illustration paper and features a close up of Ming with scene number 276 (d) and the description "Ming's face darkens with unspeakable rage". The sketch exhibits signs of wear from use and age. Dimensions: 29.25 cm x 21.75 cm (11½" x 8½")

Sold without copyright; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: £800 - 1,200 Ω