DALLAS, TX.- Iconic and rare comic books and original art sold for $6,332,633 at Heritage Auctions Feb. 23-25, with the first appearance of Spider-Man and art by Frank Frazetta and Robert Crumb selling for $155,350 each.

"The auction exceeded our estimates by more than $1.2 million," said Barry Sandoval, Director of Comics Operations at Heritage Auctions. "The market is red hot."

A high-grade copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel, 1962), CGC VF+ 8.5 sold for $155,350 during the first day of the sale. It was followed by Frank Frazetta's oil painting Thor's Flight, published on the cover of the paperback edition of Thongor in the City of Magicians by Lin Carter, which also sold for $155,350. Likewise a four-page complete story of original art by Underground Comix master Robert Crumb, closed at $155,350.

Batman fans had much from which to choose from as the first edition of Batman, CGC VG- 3.5, sold for $143,400 and a copy of Detective Comics #35, CGC VF- 7.5, sold for $119,500.

Several important collections performed well, as the Ethan Roberts Estate Collection of comics and comic art sold for a combined $1.2 million, as artist Alex Raymond's original art for a Flash Gordon comic strip dated Oct. 27, 1935 sold for $131,450. The collection featured two important examples of original cover art by genre masters Bernie Wrightson, as his cover art for Swamp Thing #6 sold for $58,555 and the original cover art for The Amazing Spider-Man #259 sold for $33,460.

A small selection from the landmark collection of American cartoonist Richard Felton Outcault — considered by historians as the father of the American comic strip — realized more than $100,000 led by a Buster Brown Sunday comic strip original art dated Oct. 29, 1916, which sold for $35,850.

Additional highlights include, but are not limited to:

• From the Roberts Estate Collection, Alex Raymond Flash Gordon with Jungle Jim Topper Sunday Comic Strip Original Art dated Nov. 12, 1939: realized $95,600.

• Ken Bald (attributed) Captain America Comics #68 Cover Original Art (Timely, 1948): realized $77,675.

• Bill Watterson Calvin and Hobbes Daily Comic Strip Original Art dated April, 28, 1986 (Universal Press Syndicate, 1986): realized $71,700.

• Hit Comics #5, Mile High Pedigree (Quality, 1940), CGC NM+ 9.6,: realized $59,750.