Media Relations
Press Release - July 31, 2025
1994 Fleer Marvel Masterpieces Spider-Man Original Trading Card Art by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt Swings In To Heritage Auctions
| Simpsons sketch art and Garbage Pail Kids art also among August 14 Non-Sports Trading Cards event highlights DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT The 1994 Fleer Marvel Masterpieces - Holofoil #8 Spider-Man - Original Trading Card Artwork by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt offered in this auction is the original acrylic painting used for Spider-Man Holofoil Card No. 8 from the 1994 Fleer Marvel Masterpieces trading card set. This third installment in the Marvel Masterpieces line marked a creative leap forward, with the entire set, including insert cards, illustrated by the Hildebrandt brothers, who are known for their iconic work on The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars posters and Magic: The Gathering. This extraordinary image of Spider-Man swinging through the glowing nightscape of New York City was featured across the bronze, silver and gold holofoil insert sets. “This kind of artwork completely changed the game for art related to the trading card hobby,” says Jeremy J.J. Allen, Associate Director of Popular Culture at Heritage Auctions. “This piece very well could set the standard for non-sports items related to trading cards.” The auction record for a work by the Hildrebrandt brothers was set at Heritage Auctions, when a 1994 Fleer Marvel Masterpieces #115 Spider-Man - Original Trading Card Artwork, Preliminary Sketch & PSA 10 Card by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt sold in May 2025 for $81,250. Collectors of artwork by the Hildebrandts also will be intrigued by another pair of 1994 Fleer Marvel Masterpieces works by the artists: a #137 Wolverine — Original Trading Card Artwork by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt and a #49 Hawkeye — Original Trading Card Artwork. This edition marked the third release in the acclaimed series that is distinguished by its fantasy-inspired artwork and elevated Marvel’s characters into the realm of high fantasy art. The #137 scene features Wolverine charging through a snowy mountain landscape in an image that is instantly recognizable to fans of the set and represents one of its most iconic portrayals, while the #49 image depicts Hawkeye in a dynamic pose, with his bow drawn and ready to strike. Also offered in the auction is a 1985 Topps Garbage Pail Kids - Series 2 - #64a Hot Scott / #64b Luke Warm - Original Trading Card Artwork by John Pound With Topps Vault COA that is a rare piece of original artwork Pound created for Garbage Pail Kids Series 2 and used in the production of stickers #64a “Hot Scott” and #64b “Luke Warm.” The image features a devilish baby engulfed in flames — a perfect example of the artist’s grotesque wit, meticulous detail and vibrant, cartoonish surrealism. Pound is a foundational figure in Garbage Pail Kids history, one of only two artists to work on the original 1985 Series 1. His impact also extends to Topps’ Wacky Packages, to which he contributed significantly during its 1970s and 1980s revival. A 1993 Skybox Simpsons Matt Groening DeBart Sketch Card - 123/400 - PSA 10, AUTO 10 is from the set that is widely recognized for introducing one of the first mainstream sketch card inserts. The centerpiece of the series was the elusive “Art DeBart” redemption card, which was inserted at staggering odds of just one in every 9,000 packs. Those who redeemed this card received a hand-drawn sketch by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Only 400 sketch cards ever were produced, establishing them as one of the earliest and most influential examples of sketch cards in the collectibles market. The offered sketch card, individually hand-numbered 123/400 and featuring Bart Simpson simply waving is rendered in Groening’s unmistakable linework and carries the coveted PSA GEM MT 10 grade. In addition, Groening’s signature has been authenticated and awarded a perfect PSA Auto Grade of 10. An important and immediately recognizable image will land in a new collection when a rare 1985 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Stickers - Series 1 - BBCE Sealed Wax Box with 48 Packs crosses the block. Released in June 1985, this debut series parodied the popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls with a satirical, subversive twist that thrilled kids and horrified parents — a formula for instant success. The Garbage Pail Kids series followed in the irreverent tradition of Wacky Packages, with outrageous humor, grotesque gags and unforgettable artwork. The first series features the work of two now-legendary artists: John Pound, who illustrated all the card fronts, and Tom Bunk, who created the card backs and pack wrapper art. Series 1 is the only GPK series that does not feature puzzle-back cards, making it a unique entry in the long-running line. Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/43214. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2 million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Steve Lansdale, Public Relations Specialist 214-409-1699 or SteveL@HA.com |

