About the item:
Created with Prismicolor pencils on acid-free heavy weight Strathmore watercolor paper, this striking original artwork by award-winning illustrator Dave Aikins captures the Golden Age Superman in all his 1930s and 1940s glory. Measuring approximately 18 by 24 inches, the piece is in excellent condition, with only minor creasing near the upper right-hand corner?well away from the artwork itself and easily concealed by framing or matting. This is a one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn original by Aikins?not a copy, print, or pre-printed image. The artwork will be shipped flat and very securely packaged. Of note, a similar piece, but featuring Captain America instead of the Man of Steel, realized a high bid of $1300 at the 2025 Heroes Con Charity Auction.
About the artist:
Dave Aikins is an award-winning illustrator whose work spans some of the most beloved properties in entertainment, including SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, ZOMBIES, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In addition to his illustration work, Aikins has created product designs for iconic brands such as Batman, The Simpsons, Super Friends, and Dora the Explorer.
His diverse client list includes major networks, publishers, and toy companies like Nickelodeon, Simon Schuster, Random House, Scholastic, Hasbro, and Mattel/Fisher-Price. He has also collaborated with a wide range of other clients, including Procter Gamble, The Bradford Exchange, Hawthorne Village, Boys? Life, Chase Bank, McDonald?s, Comair/Delta Air Lines, Stouffer?s, Nestle, Wilton, and Twilight Creations.
Aikins has illustrated over 200 children?s books and is the author of 50 Portraits: The Art of Dave Aikins, which showcases his exceptional talent for rendering lifelike portraits of characters from nearly a century of pop culture?including monsters, robots, aliens, superheroes, and more.
Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance:
Excepting pack-pulled autograph trading cards, CGC Signature Series, signed Sideshow prints, and like collectibles, all autographed items Vault Collectibles sells were personally witnessed, by myself, being signed by the writer, artist, or celebrity in question. No third party is involved. Further, art sketches - and most published original art I sell - were obtained directly from the artist themselves.
For buyers desiring this guarantee in written form, this statement guarantees that the above referenced item is as stated in the listing description. A screen capture of the completed auction page, which includes this statement of provenance, may be saved by the buyer as a digital file or print off in hardcopy form. As this serves as written proof of said guarantee, no physical documentation will be included in the package when the item is mailed.
J. Brian O?Bryant
VaultCollectibles
dba as empire.auctions