Marvel fans assemble! You’re all in for a real treat this month, as 10 striking works of art by celebrated pop artist and performance painter Rob Prior, each signed by comic book legend Stan Lee, will go on a special auction by Mogul Productions, a global non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace and decentralized finance (DeFi) platform for film and entertainment.
Part one of this series, titled The Legacy Collection: Portraits of Stan Lee, will consist of 10 artworks out of a planned run of 95. Each unique piece celebrates Lee on iconic comic covers from Marvel and the Golden Age of comics, either as one of his beloved characters or in a cameo role. This collection will be one of the most prestigious bodies of work ever released as a series of NFTs. The collection will go up for auction on Mogul on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 5 pm Pacific Time, with the sale running until Oct. 29 at 5 pm. Auction winners will receive an original physical artwork attached to a 1:1 ERC-1155 NFT.
The heartwarming story behind The Legacy Collection: Portraits of Stan Lee
The Legacy Collection: Portraits of Stan Lee was a multiyear effort that started in 2017, when David Gold, a mutual friend, suggested Prior and Lee collaborate to have the legend cameo on iconic comic book covers. The 95 paintings, in addition to a stack of blank sheets for character updates, were testament to decades of friendship and were among the last items Lee signed prior to his death in 2018.
The paintings themselves are monumental, both in terms of significance as well as size, with the largest painting standing at nearly nine feet tall. When speaking of the collection’s size, Prior noted it was intentional. “How better to honor the biggest content creator of our time than with some of the biggest paintings possible?”
The Legacy of Stan Lee and his characters
Lee was a true comic book icon who created some of the most adored characters in existence. He brought in a whole new wave of heroes and villains that transformed the comic book industry in multiple ways. His most popular characters include Spider Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Doctor Strange, Loki, Black Panther, The X-Men, Punisher, Ant Man, and countless more.
In many cases, Lee’s characters were ordinary people that were put in situations that happened by chance, awakening new abilities. This is seen in the case of Peter Parker being bitten by the radioactive spider, and the Fantastic Four being bombarded with cosmic radiation. His characters are also adored for being more/less relatable due to their storylines and character development. For instance, the Fantastic Four had family problems, and the X-Men faced problems that still exist in the world today, such as discrimination, racism, and bigotry.
To the delight of Stan Lee fans, as well as comic and art aficionados worldwide, this legacy will reach new heights through The Legacy Collection: Portraits of Stan Lee being released as a series of NFTs on Mogul’s marketplace. By extension, Lee will continue to make history from beyond.
The Legacy Collection builds on Rob Prior’s earlier NFT Success
The Legacy Collection: Portraits of Stan Lee marks Prior’s return to the Mogul NFT platform. Earlier in 2021, Prior joined Mogul for a first-ever “NFT Proof of Origin” event. During that event, thousands of NFT collectors from around the world watched Prior unveil “Reign of Money…what the f$ck,” an original painting inspired by the film Wolf of Wall Street. At the end of the event, just as the auction went live, Prior burned the painting, leaving the NFT.
“Reign of Money…what the f$ck” sold 24 hours later for $182,050, making it one of the best NFT debut drops of 2021. With The Legacy Collection, Prior hopes to give fans something digital and tangible to hold onto.
“Stan was an important part of pop culture for more than seventy years,” Prior said. “Hopefully, these paintings will give his fans, many of whom are also NFT collectors, a way to continue to celebrate his legacy.”