The late Jack Davis' original artwork to Casey at the Bat!, a MAD Magazine favourite, is offered at Heritage Auctions.
It will headline an auction of underground comic art from the collection of Eric Sacks in Beverly Hills on November 17-19.
 Legendary artist Jack Davis illustrates Ernest Thayer's classic poem |
The six page story illustrates Ernest Thayer's classic 1888 humorous poem concerning the trials of the Mudville Nine baseball team and their star player Casey.
The work dates to 1953, but has been reprinted in other MAD publications over the years.
Davis, who died in July this year, was one of America's greatest comic artists.
As MAD's art director Sam Viviano wrote in an editorial following Davis' death: "More than any one piece, it was Jack's immediately recognizable style that revolutionized comic illustration.
"There is not a humorous illustrator in the past 50 years who hasn't been influenced by him."
Bidding is already at $28,680 and looks set to go much higher ahead of the November 19 close date.
Marvin Bradley and Frank Edgington's cover for Teen-Age Dope Slaves (Harvey Comics Library #1) has an opening bid of $9,560.
 1952's Teen-Age Dope Slaves caused a sensation |
The lurid cover is mentioned in German psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's anti-comic screed Seduction of the Innocent, which led to greater censorship among publishers.
Harvey Comics is best known for more child oriented titles such as Casper the Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich, making its brief dalliances with adult content popular collectibles.
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