Original animation art from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s golden age delivered solid results April 4, as Heritage Auctions’The Art of Tom and Jerry and the MGM Studios Animation Art Showcase Auction realized $216,514 and achieved a 100% sell-through rate across 330 lots.

The Showcase-format sale—designed to provide collectors with access to original works at more approachable price points than the company’s Signature^® auctions—attracted 814 bidders and demonstrated continued demand for classic animation art anchored by the enduring appeal of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera’s Tom and Jerry.

“The strength of this sale reflects how deeply collectors continue to connect with the artistry behind Tom and Jerry and MGM’s animation legacy,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage’s Vice President of Animation & Anime Art. “Even in a Showcase format, we saw competitive bidding and strong participation across a wide range of material, from production drawings to rare storyboard sequences.”

Leading the auction was a Sleepy-Time Tom (1951) title card master background setup with a recreation title cel, which realized $7,930. The softly rendered production background—visible in the opening seconds of the short—captures Tom mid-ascent, candle in hand, in one of the character’s more quietly expressive moments.

Close behind was an original animation drawing from Flirty Birdy (1945), which brought $6,100. The dynamic graphite rendering shows Tom preparing to devour Jerry in a comedic “sandwich” gag, a classic example of the physical humor that defined the series at its peak.

Storyboard and layout material—particularly scarce in the marketplace—also performed well. A believed-complete sequence of 59 storyboard/layout drawings from Pecos Pest(1955), attributed to Joe Barbera and featuring the one-off character Uncle Pecos, realized $4,148. The group spans the full narrative arc of the short, from its opening telegram to its memorable finale.

Another standout was a rare complete sequence of 113 animation drawings from The Zoot Cat(1944), which achieved $3,416. Accompanied by a scene timing chart, the sequence captures Tom’s transformation into a jazz-playing performer in one of the series’ more stylized and dialogue-driven entries.

Rounding out the top results was a 112-sheet storyboard/layout sequence from Mice Follies (1954), attributed to Barbera, which realized $3,172. The extensive group follows Jerry and Nibbles through the short’s ice-filled kitchen antics, underscoring the scale and craftsmanship behind MGM’s production process.

While Tom and Jerry dominated the sale, collectors also showed interest in material tied to other MGM animation legends, including Tex Avery. The highest-priced non-Tom and Jerry lot was a rare pair of proof sculptures depicting Red Hot and Droopy from Wild and Woolfy, created by artist Kent Melton, which realized $2,684.

The auction also reflected sustained interest in a broad range of production material, from finished cels and master backgrounds to animation drawings, storyboards and rare studio artifacts tied to The Tom and Jerry Show television era and beyond.

“Collectors responded not just to the characters, but to the process—the drawings, the layouts, the storytelling behind the scenes,” Lentz says. “These works offer a direct connection to the artists who defined American animation, and that continues to resonate at every level of the market.”

The April 4 auction marked Heritage’s largest MGM-focused Animation Art auction to date and its second Animation Art Showcase Auction of 2026, reinforcing the category’s accessibility and depth for both new and established collectors.

Complete results can be found here.