Prologue
This story started as what should have been a standard acquisition, with all the usual joy and excitement of adding to my collection. It quickly turned into a multi-year journey of anguish, frustration, research, and discovery. It ends with a lesson that I hope others involved with collecting animation cels, Little Mermaid or otherwise, can learn, without the financial or emotional costs I’ve had to endure.
Chapter 1: The Purchase
The source of my collection varies, but nearly half of it was sold to me through ArtInsights. Most of the rest is through eBay, but in this case I found a few cels being offered on an obscure marketplace called KONG. The storefront in question was called "Fantasia's Collections" [the site is no longer live], and it featured a number of Disneyana products. Of course, I had eyes only for the Little Mermaid cels in their inventory, and one in particular caught my eye:
It was a cel of Ursula charging towards Ariel as she turns back into a Mermaid upon the sun setting on the third day. Ursula has just burst out of her disguise and is crawling across the ship's deck to claim her. This is an intense moment in the film, and the image on the cel is one of the best in the entire sequence: about as close as she gets to the foreground, with her face and posture clear and expressive. She's nothing short of menacing! This is one of the scenes I most vividly remember when watching the movie for the first time, and I have an amazing emotional attachment to it.
The cel was clearly authentic, with a seal and COA, which were both pictured like so:
These three images are the exact photos from the site, which I used to assess the piece.
I was acutely interested, and the price on the listing was £699; which at the time converted to about US$900. I contacted the seller to ask if it was still available, and what price they wanted (surely not just US$900). A Mr J.O. replied, saying that it was available, and that it would cost US$2150, which was a little short of £1699 upon conversion.
I surmised the difference as a typo, and that the '1' was simply missing. That was quite a leap above US$900, and I couldn't quite afford that, so I made him an offer of US$1800, plus postage, which he accepted. I paid through PayPal, as I trusted in their Buyer Protection Program, and the cel arrived a little over a week later. The merchant was called "Sox and Stories" (no longer active).
I gave it a cursory look-over to make sure everything was present and real, and then placed it safely back in its packaging and out of the way, as I had a mess in my home, and didn't want it damaged.
This would normally be the end of the story, but there was something about this cel I hadn't noticed...
Chapter 2: The Discovery
About nine days later, I took the cel out to admire it, and give a more careful examination of the glass and framing. As I was going over the glass with a microfibre cloth, my eyes focused on the details of the lines that made up her hair. This is what I saw:
My heart stopped, and a haunting memory of an old ArtInsights Collector's Education Series video reverberated through my brain:
I couldn't believe what I was seeing: clumsy felt-pen marks scratched onto the cel, contrasting against the xerographic lines of the line art! I sent photos to a couple of friends who are intimately familiar with artwork conservation, and my hobby in particular, who both confirmed that these were definitely out of place.
How in Hell could this happen to a Little Mermaid cel? The movie was released after everyone realised Disney production art was valuable. Who would have done something this stupid, and why? Was this done during production, to patch up some stray lines at the last minute? Was it done by the Disney Art Program, which was post-production, but pre-market? Or, unthinkably, was it done by a careless art dealer who mishandled the cel, and tried to "fix" it.
I contacted the seller, J.O., three times:
The first time, I vaguely alluded to a problem with the cel, because I didn't want to come across as accusatory. I didn't receive a response.
The second time, I was more specific, and he insisted that there was nothing wrong with the cel, and that it had come from a Disney Store long since defunct.
The third and final time, I asked him for further details about where and when he had acquired it. I didn't receive a response.
In short, he was evasive. This should have told me he was dishonest, but I wasn't sure what the truth of the matter was. So, I kept looking for answers elsewhere.
Chapter 3: The Quest
The first thing I did was check the frame on home media, specifically my copy of The Little Mermaid on Blu Ray:
The affected part of the cel doesn't actually appear in that aspect ratio, so I couldn't be sure it wasn't part of the production process.
I started searching for answers from anyone who could tell me about the cel. I started with Animation Art Galleries and Auction Houses, in case one of them had seen the piece before. The most substantial response I received was a frivolous passage from one well-established source about different types of cels (production, LTD ED, Tv Series, etc.).
When I clarified it had a seal, cert, and I could place it in the film, they simply responded that "In the Disney Art Program under Walt Disney are Classics, cels were routinely touched up to make them more saleable."
I branched out further, sending emails to places like the ARL and the Getty Museum.
Eventually, I made contact with an animator who worked not only on The Little Mermaid, but specifically on the Ursula team. I won't post the entire length of our conversation, but I will extract a few lines:
"My take on this is that it was done for presentation of the framed artwork. Often the xerox can rub off, or possibly since the drawing extended out of our field of view, it was never completed. This could cause the gallery to attempt to make a prettier picture by filling in what was missing.
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They also look like they were added by someone who did not know what they were doing. Obviously sloppy next to the carefully drawn and xeroxed lines. I hope this is in no way upsetting. You noticed them because they are a different color and not even lined up
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I believe this is a Kathy Zielinski scene. She's one of the nicest, most talented and and most underrated animators.
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Hopefully I helped. This is a beautiful cel!."
I've withheld the Animator's identity, because this was a private conversation, and I didn't seek their permission to share it. Obviously, it's not Kathy Zielinski (unless she's known for praising herself in the third person). You can check out examples of her work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zdYq0pQngw&ab_channel=Dizographies
She seems to have a penchant for drawing characters that consume the entire frame, and this scene is no exception.
The animator was very kind and supportive, and I wasn't upset by the sobering message they'd sent, but I was clearly in denial about the reality of the situation. Could the piece be salvaged? When had the damage occurred? Who had tried to fix it? It is indeed a beautiful cel, but I am an anxious person who tends to focus on perfection.
I finally found a laboratory who specialized in cel restoration, including the ink line. They even had an example of an Ursula cel that they had worked on. I emailed them and asked for their opinion. They explained, in the case of they cel upon which they had worked, that the xerographic lines had smudged off when someone had tried to clean the cel, resulting in the damage they were asked to repair. They have withheld permission for me to link their work to this post, but they explained that it appeared that the lines added to the cel were to cover up the erasure of the xerographic ink lines.
Taking a very close look at the cel, I was finally able to process the damage to the ink lines.
Not only should there be lines that go all the way around the edges of Ursula's hair, but the lines that have been smudged taper off, instead of ending naturally as a pencil stroke would.
Finally able to see the problem for what it was, I contacted a few people who could re-evaluate it on that basis.
The first person I contacted stated the following:
- Given the damage, the piece would be worth maybe USD $800, if there was even a buyer for it.
- It doesn't matter who did the damage, only that it was damaged.
- It's not important whether that part of the cel appears on the screen, because it is about the piece itself.
- Confirmed that the framing was not Disney Store framing.
They also stated that:
- Even in good condition, the cel would only be worth about USD $1000.
- Cels from The Little Mermaid were hand-inked
- Ursula cels are hard to sell; cels of Ariel are much easier.
- Cels that sold for USD $2500 back-in-the-day are lucky to get $1500 now.
With these last points I disagree. I believe:
- The price I paid for it would be perfectly justified if not for the damage.
- Cels from The Little Mermaid are obviously not hand-inked.
- Ursula cels might not have the same universal appeal as cels of Ariel, but they are still worth quite a bit. Recent sales results from auctions (this being written in 2024) show that a good Ursula cel can go for quite a bit!
- The disparity of cel value between retail prices and current market value does depend, and I have a few examples of cels that match that last point, but there are also cels that far exceed their initial sales price and, again, you have only to look up recent sales results from leading animation auction houses to see what I mean.
I understand that the market sooner favours heart-warming and feel-good scenes over scary scenes, but Ursula is an impressive character, with a dedicated fanbase. Just recently, Heritage Auctions sold a cel of Ursula for USD $7500!
There was nothing special about this cel. It didn't come with it's original background, and a similar cel sold on eBay on 17.03.2024 for only USD $1525.
I really think some people underestimate Ursula's appeal, but I digress.
The second person I contacted provided a similar estimate, but agreed that the price would otherwise have been fair for what I paid. They also stated that the damage to the ink lines was not such a big deal compared to the felt pen marks that had been added.
Chapter 4: The Defeat
Having assessed that the ink lines were not a normal addition as a result of the animation process, and that it affected the value of the cel, I launched a PayPal dispute with the seller, as this was still within six months of purchase. I requested either a partial refund for the difference in value of the item, or else a complete refund and a return of the item.
Since the seller has to defend themselves in order to keep the money, J.O. finally responded, only in order to feign ignorance of the situation, and to make nonsensical accusations, such as me taking it out of the frame (at this point, I had done no such thing!). He finished with a gut-wrenchingly smug "I look forward to doing business with him again in the future."
Since I now had his attention, I sent to him a lengthy missive, detailing how much anguish this had caused me, that he had acted dishonestly, and that it had taken joy away from my hobby.
PayPal ruled in his favour, however, and I was left with no further recourse. This was the first and, so far, only time PayPal has ruled against me as a buyer in a dispute.
Chapter 5: The Truth
I was disheartened by the result, but also by the reality of the piece. I tried in vain to find any evidence that this had been done in production: I got out all my old VHS copies and checked to see if I could see the damaged area in that format.
Eventually, I managed to find someone who had taken a scan of the film from a 35mm print, which shows a taller aspect ratio. Although showing only a tiny part of the area, it was enough for me to see that the damage had definitely occurred post-production:
As per my highlights, there are a few lines that are weakened on the cel, that are clearly solid when it was photographed for the film.
Nearly a year passed, while I squirmed with the discomfort of what I'd gone through.
Then, a breakthrough occurred.
While completing my routine searches, I discovered a new piece on eBay:
A decent piece, but the style of framing drew my attention, specifically the plaque beneath the cel:
The font of the plaque was identical to the one that had come with my cel.
I sent a message to the seller, and asked if he knew who had framed it. He replied, and pointed out a sticker on the back of the framing:
"ARA - American Royal Arts Corp."
I finally had something to go on. I googled the name.
What I found was disturbing:
TLDR: Selling defaced animation cels is the least of their sins. Apparently, the head of the ARA, Jerry Gladstone, got into a lot of trouble for selling Beatles forgeries!
I have found several catalogues from the ARA's heyday that show they were dealing with animation cels. Example: https://archive.org/details/american-royal-arts-circa-1996/mode/2up
I started looking specifically for examples of the ARA dealing in Disney cels, and the first I managed to find were in J.O.'s store inventory on KONG! He absolutely knew where the cel had come from, because he had a whole store full of items with ARA COAs. I wish I had thought to save those images before the site went down, but the old adage "The Internet is forever!" has proven to be not quite so true lately, not even including the Wayback Machine.
I do have this example, though:
I seriously doubt those signatures are authentic, though the cel and drawing probably are.
It does not surprise me that the origins of the ink lines originated with this person and this organisation, but the article linked above had a detail that was quite relevant to me:
Not only did the ARA sell fake and misrepresented products, but they also packaged them poorly. My cel was definitely authentic, but I realised that it wasn't just the pen marks I had to worry about.
I took the cel to a conservation framing specialist in my city, who helped me to carefully disassemble the framing. Here, at last, lay the truth:
The framing was a nightmare:
- Corrugated cardboard as a backing material. This is both bad for acidity and its ability to attract dangerous insects (e.g. Silverfish).
- Mouldy backing paper.
- Improperly cut "float" Pane glass, which not only does not filter out UV light, but can shatter and damage the artwork.
- Acidic matting and backing.
- Several types of regular tape: to rigidly bind the cel to the backing. The spine of the mat was stuck with sellotape; three types of self-adhesive tape holding the cel to the backing mount; both adhesive and masking tape on the plaque.
- Accretions on the photographic background.
- Poor mitering of the framing joints (not necessarily a conservation issue, but poor form!).
- And there, on the back of the corrugated cardboard, the ARA's sticker, as if they were so proud of what they had done.
Chapter 6: The Final Battle
Contrary to J.O.'s accusation, this was in fact the first time I had unframed the cel. The conditions in which I found it were horrific. Not only did the cel need to be reframed, but it needed additional conservation treatment in order to rescue it from the materials that had been used to bind it to the backing.
I started shopping around for a conservationist who specialised in film (since cellulose acetate was used both for cels and filmstock). By this time, COVID had started, and everything had to be put on hold for months. I had several conservation specialists look at the piece, assess its condition, and give me quotes for treatment.
One thing in which they were all consistent: leave the pen marks alone! Not only would any attempt to remove them surely further damage the xerographic lines that are supposed to be there, but introducing any further foreign chemicals to the cel would increase the risk that they could ultimately destabilise the chemical composition of the acetate. Above all else, I did not want that.
Finally, in late 2020, I sent the cel to a conservation specialist for treatment. She was able to remove the tape, as well as much of the dirt and accretions that had built up, before backing and matting the cel using real conservation materials. I asked her to give Ursula a little breathing space: The ARA had matted along the registration lines, but this cut off part of her nails, and I wanted her full form.
While she worked, she sent me photos of each layer of the piece, which I enjoyed, as I got to see the underlying details and how the scene was animated:
I held off properly reframing for a couple of years, as I moved around a lot for work during this time.
Finally, at the start of 2024, I returned to the conservation framer to finish the job:
I am very happy with the final results. The matting technique is not 100% the best, but it's not worth fussing over at this point.
Despite my efforts to make the best of this, there are a few points which overshadow this experience. The cost of conservation and reframing was almost as much as the cost of the cel, and much more than it’s estimated actual worth. But I knew it would be before I even sought treatment.
This is, first and foremost, an emotional investment, rather than financial. If you are confused by this, consider that, at its core, my collection is technically a stack of plastic sheets, made of about $1’s worth of cellulose acetate, ink and paint. I'd greatly prefer not to have cels in this condition, but my collection gives me a focus and a purpose, and in acquiring these pieces, it's the responsibility I shoulder as part of my hobby.
The Future
All this started because of a few ink scratches on the cel. I may never have known about the framing if not for the marks. That's not to say I am grateful for the scratches, but that can't be helped. I have since started noting Little Mermaid cels that appear on the market in ARA framing, often with a plaque in the exact same style as the one that came with my Ursula cel.
I also managed to pull some images from the Internet Archive's records of the ARA's long defunct website. If you look at enough of them, a clear pattern starts to emerge with the style they used when framing these pieces.
It would also seem that, at some point, the ARA had Jodi Benson in for an autograph session. Those signatures are actually probably authentic, as Jodi has been known to do the rounds, but still...
Outwardly, here's what to look for in a cel that's been framed by the ARA:
- The telltale ARA bumper sticker (obviously).
- A black plaque with gold text in the font displayed in the images above, embedded at the base of the mat, beneath the cel.
- A studded metal pattern around the borders of the mat.
- Triple matting (white on top, then two coloured mats underneath that complement the piece).
- Sometimes quite ornate-looking framing with poor mitering.
- Cels that have been signed by Jodi Benson. While those signatures are probably authentic, I have seen quite a few ARA-framed cels with her signature, so it's a reminder to take a closer look at the rest of the piece when I see it.
What this means for the internal state of the framing:
- Corrugated cardboard as a backing material.
- Pane glass.
- Acidic materials.
- Adhesive tape.
- Other materials not otherwise meeting a conservationist/archival standard.
This is important, because if left in that state for too long, the shifting form of the cel from heat/humidity/age will struggle against the rigid bindings of the poor mounting and framing. Additionally, the introduction of materials that do not meet a conservation standard can expedite the onset of warping and hydrolysis.
The people selling cels in this condition do not even bother replying to my messages when I tell them that the cel needs to be reframed; the cyclic disingenuity of sellers continues. I haven't yet found another cel with pen marks, but I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a couple more out there. If you find yourself in possession of, or else contemplating the acquisition of, a cel that had been framed by the ARA, consider:
- Is the ink line intact, and are there any marks that jump out that look like they don't belong there?
- Are you willing to go to the additional expense of reframing the cel to properly conserve it and maximise its lifespan?
- If you were to find yourself in need to sell such a cel in the future, can you bring yourself to be honest with a prospective buyer as to the true history of the piece?
If you aren't willing to go through what I've just detailed in this exceptionally long post, then don't buy a piece that has been touched by the ARA.
Epilogue
This piece cost USD $1800, plus AUD $1270 for conservation treatment, and AUD $541 to reframe, though the cel itself may only be worth about US$900.
I purchased this piece on 30.04.2018, and have spent the ensuing six-and-a-half years getting over it. I didn't want to tell my collecting story out-of-order, and I can now finally move on and post about my subsequent purchases, as well as other topics. My entire blog has been on hold while I slowly resolved the issues with this piece and wrote this lengthy post.
To both J.O. and Jerry Gladstone: you can’t see it from the other side of the Pacific Ocean, but I have two long, dexterous middle fingers extended in your general direction; one for each of you. Go fuck yourselves!
To collectors:
- Beware Jerry Gladstone.
- Beware cels with plaques and studded framing.
- Beware the American Royal Arts Corp.
And to buyers:
- Beware J.O.
- Beware Sox and Stories.
- Beware Fantasia's Collections.
Buyer, Beware!
