We’re always happy to tell you about whatever gems Russ Cochran has turned up for his auctions, but this time we’re just going to stand back and let the Old Professor himself tell you about them.

Why?

Well, there are three answers to that: Frank Frazetta, George Herriman, and Hal Foster.

Not only is Cochran a long acknowledged master on the subjects, he’s lined up six pieces (four great Edgar Rice Burroughs illustrations by Frazetta) to talk about.

Take it away, Russ:

“The first Frank Frazetta piece is the, original title page illustration for Land of Terror by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ace Books, 1963, signed lower left "Frazetta", matted and professionally framed. Breaking into paperback illustration for the first time, Frazetta wanted his covers and title page drawings to impress and also have a casual style. And he achieves both in this wonderful sabre-tooth and mastodon drawing. His quick lines give texture to the planar surfaces of the rocks and to the wooly hair of the mastodon,” Cochran said.

“The second is the original title page illustration for The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ace Books, 1963, initialed lower left "F.F.", matted and professionally framed. Although Tarzan and Sheeta the leopard were not all that friendly in the Burroughs novels, Frazetta created a lovely silhouette of them against a full moon,” he said.

“The third is the original title page illustration for Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ace Books, 1963, initialed lower right "F.F.", matted and professionally framed. It’s interesting to compare these pen and ink drawings, which Frazetta knew would be reproduced strictly as line drawings, with the Canaveral Press drawings of the same time period, which are beautifully toned brush drawings, or ‘ink paintings’” he said.

“The last of these particular Frazetta pieces is the title page illustration for The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ace Books, 1963, signed lower left "Frazetta", matted and professionally framed. This drawing of a primitive girl has wonderful economy of line; Frazetta knew when to stop. Great example of his 1963 signature,” he said.

“Shifting to George Herriman, we have the spectacular Krazy Kat Sunday from February 19, 1922. I am always at a loss for words when I try to explain the art in a Herriman page. The eternal triangle: Offisa Pupp is after the errant Ignatz Mouse, Krazy Kat is the innocent, good-natured one who, as usual, is doing a good deed, bringing a baby gift to the Winsome Widow ‘Marihuanna Pelona.’The story is told in fifteen panels; it is a visual poem,” Cochran said.

“Last, but certainly not least, we have Harold R. Foster’s Tarzan Sunday date 7/10/1932, ‘Through the Top of the Jungle,’ matted and framed. This might be the best Foster Tarzan original known to exist. It contains all the elements you want to see in a Tarzan Sunday page: action, adventure, apes and family. Tarzan gets away from the gorillas by diving into the water and swimming underwater. He escapes, but one of the apes has Tarzan’s son Korak on a high cliff and throws him to the ground below. The last panel shows Tarzan saving his own son. This is also the earliest Foster Tarzan complete page known to exist, and one of only a few from 1932. It is also one of only three known pages where Tarzan wears his over-the-shoulder leopard skin. On Sept. 25, 1932, Tarzan appears for the first time in the new abbreviated outfit, to match Johnny Weissmuller’s loin cloth in the 1932 movie Tarzan the Ape Man. If there is a better Hal Foster Tarzan in existence, I haven’t seen it. This one has it all. The Tarzan pages of this period and the next year, 1933, were inspirational to young comic artists like Frank Frazetta, Wally Wood, Al Williamson, Joe Kubert, Jack Kirby, and so many others. Foster wrote the book, and this original is page one of the book.”

These pieces and many others will be up for auction on March 11, 2010 at RussCochran.com.