Bidding for this lot will end on Friday, March 27th. The auction will begin at 2:00 PM (PDT) / 5:00 PM (EDT) / 9:00 PM (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 Wednesday, March 25th or Thursday, March 26th.
An outstanding original production cel setup from Jetsons: The Movie (Hanna-Barbera/Universal, 1990), featuring Elroy and Judy Jetson paired with their original hand-painted key master production background, one of the most desirable configurations in animation art collecting.
Jetsons: The Movie carries more history within it than its modest box office suggested. It was the final theatrical production directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and the last time the original voice cast came together. George O'Hanlon, who had voiced George Jetson since 1962, and Mel Blanc as Mr. Spacely both died during production, their remaining dialogue completed by Jeff Bergman. For all its bumpy journey to the screen, the film represents the end of an era, and production artwork from it carries that weight.
This cel captures Elroy and Judy in a moment of pure, joyful movement, lit by the sweeping spotlights of a sleek futuristic interior that is the Jetsons world at its most visually confident. Judy, voiced in the film by pop star Tiffany, radiates the teenage exuberance that was central to her character throughout the production.
The hand-painted key master production background, reference BG-214, is a beautiful piece of work in its own right, that distinctive mid-century space-age palette of teal and blue that art director Iwao Takamoto's team made so recognisable across the Hanna-Barbera universe. Production codes 0008-8401 and BG-214 are clearly legible on the cel.
Key master setups, where the original hand-painted production background is reunited with its matching production cels, are always the most sought-after configurations in animation collecting. They represent the artwork exactly as it existed in the studio, and exactly as it appeared on screen.
We are delighted to offer this one as a genuinely fine example from a production that closed a remarkable chapter in American animation history.
Estimate: $600 - 1,200