BEVERLY HILLS, CA.- LAIKA, the visionary animation studio behind the Golden Globe and Annie Award-nominated The Boxtrolls and the BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, will open its archives for the first time for a limited auction of more than 250 puppets, models, props and art in The Art of LAIKA, to be held by Heritage Auctions on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 in Beverly Hills.

A portion of the proceeds of the auction will be donated to The Art of Elysium, anon-profit arts organization that works to make art a catalyst for social change by bringing creativity and inspiration to children, artists, and various populations in need.

"LAIKA is known for its artistry and revolutionary stop-motion animation techniques," says Jim Lentz, Heritage Auctions' Director of Animation Art. "The studio's legions of die-hard fans regularly ask LAIKA for the opportunity to own some of the masterfully engineered puppets, props and other artwork used to make these beloved films. So the studio is finally offering a specially curated collection of items from its production archives. This is the chance that those fans, and animation and film collectors of all stripes, have been waiting for."

"LAIKA's films aim to promote thought, feeling, and connectivity through art, inspired by our shared humanity," says Travis Knight, President & CEO of the studio and an Annie-Award-winning animator and producer. "We're deeply gratified that the spirit of our work has resonated so strongly with audiences around the world. LAIKA's artists and craftspeople are consummate creators, and each piece of this collection is a testament to their talents and imagination. These are beautiful, unique, and handcrafted works of art of the highest order. We're so pleased to open up our vaults for animation fans around the world and to support The Art of Elysium, whose mission is so close to our hearts."

Selected highlights from The Art of LAIKA will be on display in Dallas, Jan. 27-29, at Heritage Auctions (3500 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75219); Feb. 3-5 at Heritage Auctions Park Avenue (445 Park Avenue at 57th Street); and Feb. 9-12, Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills (9478 West Olympic Avenue).

Some of the items in the auction include, but are not limited to:

From Coraline
• Coraline production puppet in her iconic blue-starred sweater

• The Cat production puppet

• Coraline production puppet in her iconic blue-starred sweaterOther Mother production puppet in her elaborately realized black dress

From ParaNorman
• Norman production puppet in his baseball shirt outfit

• Zombie Judge production puppet with fully articulated mouth and face

• Intricate large-scale production props such as Mitch's Van and "Zombie Attack"

• vending machine

• Annie Award-winning character design originals


From The Boxtrolls
• Eggs and Boxtrolls production puppets complete with their "Box" outfits

• Snatcher production puppet in his exquisite hand and laser-etched velvet jacket

• Snatcher's Mecha-Drill, at over five feet, the largest prop ever created for a stop-motion film

Fueled by the vision of its owner, Nike co-founder and Chairman Philip H. Knight, and its President & CEO Travis Knight, LAIKA (www.laika.com) is a Portland-Oregon based animation studio specializing in feature films. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2015, LAIKA has begun production on its fourth film, Kubo and the Two Strings, being directed by Mr. Knight and set for release by Focus Features on August 19, 2016. A sweeping, swashbuckling adventure set in a mythical ancient Japan, Kubo boasts a voice cast led by Academy Award winners Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey; Academy Award nominees Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, and Brenda Vaccaro, and Art Parkinson, who plays Rickon Stark on Game of Thrones, as Kubo.

Also released by Focus Features, LAIKA's current film The Boxtrolls has earned Golden Globe and Critics' Choice nominations for Best Animated Film and 13 Annie Award (the animation community's Oscar equivalent) nominations, the most of any animated film this year. The company's first feature, Coraline (2009), earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, PGA, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film; and was named one of the year's 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). ParaNorman (2012) garnered BAFTA, Critics' Choice, GLAAD Media Award, PGA, and Academy Award nominations, won two Annies and was cited as the year's best animated film by 14 critics' groups.