Iconic Marvel comic book art makes UK debut at Harrogate gallery with classic superheroes

A Harrogate gallery is highlighting the world's most famous comic book art which has influenced popular culture from Peking to Hollywood.
The Legacy Collection at Castle Fine Art in Harrogate - A section from The Most Dangerous Man Alive by Patrick Zircher. Picture: Washington Green Fine Art Group LimitedThe Legacy Collection at Castle Fine Art in Harrogate - A section from The Most Dangerous Man Alive by Patrick Zircher. Picture: Washington Green Fine Art Group Limited
The Legacy Collection at Castle Fine Art in Harrogate - A section from The Most Dangerous Man Alive by Patrick Zircher. Picture: Washington Green Fine Art Group Limited

In 2019, Castle Fine Art was given access to one of the largest collections of Marvel comic book art in the United States.

From these archives, a selection of rare editions and genuine pieces of comic book history was curated into a dynamic and eminently desirable collection of Marvel fine art entitled The Legacy Collection.

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Now fans can see some of these classic images of superheroes - all hand-signed by the late, great Stan Lee - at Castle Fine Art's Harrogate gallery on 2-6 James Street.

Never before exhibited in the UK, these graphics provide a snapshot into the early modern era of Marvel comics.

Fans will instantly recognise the significant illustrations by some of the world’s most acclaimed comic book artists, including John Romita Srand Daniel Acuna.

Each piece of artwork is individually hand-signed by Stan Lee, who was credited with introducing complex characters with both light and dark qualities to the industry, in contrast to the archetypal American superhero.

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This type of characterisation had rarely been seen in comics before, contributing to Marvel’s widespread success as one of the most popular brands in the world today.

With sales in excess 200,000 Marvel Comics in 2019, and Marvel holding over 40% of the retail market share so far this year*, the Marvel universe reigns as strongly as ever.

Ian Weatherby-Blythe, group managing director for Castle Fine Art galleries said: "With comic book sales increasing year on year, and the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the box office, it's no surprise that our Marvel fine art programme continues to rank among the company's most popular to date.

"Marvel has had a huge impact on popular culture - I think we can all relate to its very human characters in some way.

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"This collection will appeal both to art collectors and superhero fans alike - giving them the chance to own a portion of comic book history."

Created using specialised techniques and materials, the striking artwork reflects the vivid and powerful legacy of Marvel.

"Each image is represented in three editions: a deluxe edition of 4, a collector’s edition of 10 and a standard edition of 99.

"However, they were not all ultimately printed in their entirety – and even fewer were signed – making these graphics even more collectible.

Prices start at £1,950 for framed limited edition graphics.

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More information can be found on our website www.castlefineart.com

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