Shuster Art Appraisal

Framed Joe Shuster Cartoon Character Concept Art (1980)

These are two framed pieces of art, likely animation cels or concept drawings, illustrating a series of four distinct cartoon characters. Each artwork features two characters seemingly in motion, running or fleeing. The top piece depicts an older male character, resembling an adventurer or explorer, dressed in a safari-style shirt, shorts, and a hat, with a grey beard. He is running to the left. Alongside him, to the right, is a female character with dark hair, a headband, and a somewhat primitive or tribal attire, including a brown bustier and a white skirt. She holds what appears to be a large pair of scissors in one hand and possibly another tool or weapon in the other, and she is also running to the left. Both characters exhibit an expressive, somewhat startled or energetic demeanor. The bottom piece features two other characters. On the left is a male character, possibly a caveman or wild man, with blonde spiky hair and a leopard-print loincloth, also running left with an open-mouthed, surprised expression. To his right is a female character with red hair, a cheerful expression, wearing a patterned top, what looks like a diaper or primitive undergarment, and also holding a large pair of scissors. Both artworks are rendered in vibrant colors, appearing to be watercolor, marker, or colored pencil on paper, with a distinctly hand-drawn quality. The paper itself shows some signs of age, with a slight yellowing or discoloration, common in older paper-based art. Each piece is signed 'Joe Shuster' and dated '1980' in the bottom right corner, suggesting these could be original works by the famous comic book artist Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman, from later in his career. The frames are simple, black, slender profiles with a gold inner edge, under glass, indicating they are designed to protect the artwork. There are no obvious signs of damage to the artwork itself, though the frames show minor wear consistent with display and handling. The clarity of the lines and the distinctiveness of the character designs suggest a professional hand, indicative of animation or comic art.