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Press Release - June 7, 2010

Classic Uncle Scrooge Paintings on Display in Beverly Hills

Exhibit at Heritage Auction Galleries Beverly Hills; Kerby Confer Collection to be auctioned Aug. 5-6 with no reserves

BEVERLY HILLS -- Paintings of Uncle Scrooge by his creator, Carl Barks, highlight the incredible comic art collection of Maryland radio executive Kerby Confer, being sold by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Aug. 5-6.

The art is currently available for viewing at Heritage Auction Galleries Beverly Hills, 9478 West Olympic Boulevard, and will be on display through June 22.

Ten oil paintings by one of Disney’s most beloved comic artists – and one of the most beloved comic artists, period – Carl Barks.

“Barks paintings are among the most desirable of all comic art items and it’s been common knowledge in the hobby for years that Kerby owned most of the best examples, which is why they have been off the market all these years,” said Barry Sandoval, Director of Operations of the Comics category at Heritage. “When they do come to market, they’re often sold with reserve prices in six figures, so we’re particularly excited to announce that all of the pieces auctioned in August are being sold without reserve.”

The lavish oil paintings featuring Scrooge McDuck, the wealthy miser who loves to swim in his enormous money bin, are vintage Barks, featuring the character that he is most famous for. Though his name never appeared in a Disney comic, Barks wrote and drew Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge in some of the bestselling comics of the 1950s 1960s. His rollicking adventure tales have been cited as an inspiration by the likes of George Lucas.

Confer discovered Uncle Scrooge as an 8 year-old in Williamsport, PA, at a time when he was lucky if he even had a quarter in his pocket. Years later, his successful career as an owner and operator of radio stations gave him the means to acquire elite pieces, and when he happened to see a print of the Carl Barks painting An Embarrassment of Riches – one of the paintings in this exhibit – pictured in a catalog.

“I started laughing again the same way I did when I was a kid,” said Confer. “There will be no others like Carl Barks. He was a genius.”

He began focusing his collecting efforts on the character. In time, he acquired some 40 of the 200+ paintings Barks produced in his lifetime.

“If you have only seen the prints and other reproductions of these paintings, you don’t know how much you’re missing,” Sandoval said. “Seeing the originals in person makes you appreciate Barks’ talent so much more.”

Editors: Mr. Confer is available for interview, as is Barry Sandoval, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Operations of the Comics division. Please call Noah Fleisher at 310-492-8613 if you would like to schedule an interview.

Heritage Auctions, headed by Steve Ivy, Jim Halperin and Greg Rohan, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $600 million, and 500,000+ registered online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

Want to get the up-to-the-minute updates and breaking news stories about Heritage Auctions? Get them as they happen at: Twitter.com/HeritagePress; Twitter.com/JimHalperin; Facebook: Heritage Auction Galleries. To view a compete archive of Heritage press releases go to: HA.com/PR. To link to this press release on your blog or Website: HA.com/PR-1849.

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