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This original production cel setup from DIC Animation City's The Wizard of Oz (1990) brings together the beloved central quartet -Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion -on the iconic Yellow Brick Road.
The 1990 Wizard of Oz series ran for 13 episodes on ABC, produced in association with DIC Animation City and France's C&D (Creativite et Developpement). It reimagined L. Frank Baum's characters for a new generation, bridging classic storybook charm with the brighter, stylised aesthetic of 1990s Saturday-morning animation. The show revisited the Emerald City and its neighbouring lands through episodic adventures, introducing younger audiences to Oz mythology beyond the 1939 MGM film.
This cel is presented over its matching hand-painted key master production background; it captures the warm palette and painterly forest depth characteristic of DIC's early-90s animation work, when studios continued to combine traditional techniques with emerging digital compositing. Cel setups featuring all four lead characters together are increasingly rare. Most production material from the series featured single or paired figures, making complete ensemble scenes like this highly desirable among collectors.
The cel layers have been meticulously hand-painted on acetate, each colour applied in the traditional reverse-paint process used by animation studios for decades. The matching production background, rendered in gouache on board, adds dimensional context to the image and enhances the natural light effect of the forest. Several production annotations are present along the bottom edge of both the cel and background.
The piece bears the official Hanna Barbera Animation Art program seal, confirming its authenticity within the studio's limited authorised release. Art from The Wizard of Oz series occupies a unique place in modern animation history, among the last wave of fully hand-painted television productions before digital colouring became standard. As such, pieces like this appeal to both nostalgic fans and collectors seeking to preserve the craftsmanship of late 20th-century animation. The lot is accompanied by a Clampett Studio Collections certificate of authenticity. Dimensions: 26.75 cm x 34.5 cm (10.5" x 13.5")
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Estimate: £600 - 1,200 Ω
View all lots from WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1986)