Rob Liefeld Selling First Deadpool Drawings He Ever Did

Rob Liefeld and Heritage Auctions are teaming up to offer collectors an opportunity to own a piece of comics history: the two preliminary sketch pages that represent the first time he ever drew Deadpool with an eye toward publication in 1990's New Mutants #98. The pages, unearthed in Liefeld's personal collection, are being offered as part of a Heritage auction focused on comic book art and pop culture collectibles next month. Finding early Deadpool art is rare as it is, but this is pre-publication art that few have even seen in person, making it a truly historic thing to find its way to the market.

Originally introduced as a villain in New Mutants, response to the character of Deadpool was so huge that he became a fixture in the X-Force launch and in the larger X-Men family of titles beyond. X-Force #1 sold more than 5 million copies upon publication, and has held its resale value much better than most top-selling '90s hits. 

"These pages represent the literal birth of Deadpool at Marvel Comics," Liefeld told ComicBook.com in a statement. "In ink, on paper, this is Stage One! It's the launch pad! Nothing exists without these sketches in any stage of my work – ever. Collectors have been pursuing these pages for years, as Deadpool continues to grow in global popularity. Given the fact that early Deadpool art is so scarce, I'm happy to share them now through Heritage and see where they find a new home." 

The pages are available as part of Heritage Auctions' November 17-18 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction. You can see the pages here. Both of these extraordinary scarcities – Pages 14 and 15 – come from Liefeld's personal art collection.

The only illustrations prior to these prelims, were the character sheets Liefeld created before determining his final look and getting Marvel's approval. 

The pages obviously give fans a sense for the process Liefeld used to conceive and flesh out Deadpool, and how his creative process has always begun, from his early work on Hawk and Dove until today. Liefeld creates a mini-version of the comic book before expanding it to 11 inches by 17 inches, where he inks the final versions. He works out the storytelling, the gestures, details and rendering that are finalized on the finished boards.

"Rob is unquestionably one of the most influential artists of a generation," says Joe Mannarino, Heritage Auctions' New York-based director of Comics & Comic Art. "It's rare to have the first concept of a character that so perfectly captures the imagination of an audience, both in comics and in film – to the point where you have successful and anticipated sequels, which is no sure thing. We are very appreciative that Rob has given us this extraordinary opportunity to offer this fantastic and historic piece. Everyone at Heritage is, of course, thrilled, and we are looking forward to great results."

Liefeld's work on New Mutants and X-Force established him as a 20-something wunderkind in the comic-book industry, and his Deadpool has been an ever-expanding presence in comics and other media for 30 years. The character has been featured in more than a dozen best-selling Marvel video games, as well as in cartoons, comics, toys, and a pair of live-action movies starring Ryan Reynolds, which are some of the highest-grossing R-rated movies ever made, with both films grossing a combined $1.6 billion dollars. Deadpool 3 has been announced and set for release in 2024, and feature Hugh Jackman's anticipated return as Wolverine.