Holli Would
Cool World (1992)
Original Animation Production Cel
Sequence 42 • Scene F • Cel #743
A beautifully surreal moment where Holly Would stands at the center of a world limited only by imagination.
- ORIGINAL Hand-painted cel (ink & paint on acetate) laser copy of the painted background
- Approx. 12-field animation format
- Sequence: HAScene: 2Cel: #3
- Size: 11" x 13"
- Original Hand Drawn, Hand Painted Animation Production Cel on acetate used in the 1992 Feature Film Cool World.
- This Original Animation Production Cel is an actual frame in the feature film and is an historical piece of art. By acquiring this art you agree to be the caretaker of a significant piece of animation history for future generations to experience. This exact cel is THE ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE IN THE WORLD. It is NOT a reproduction. Paired with a laser Background from the film.
- Ralph Bakshi Signs for proof of authenticity from Bakshi Private Archives.
- COA on Request
- Original Hand-Painted Animation Cel on Acetate Over Laser copy from Original Production Background
Holly Would commands the scene in this striking original production cel from Ralph Bakshi's Cool World. Standing confidently against a dreamlike sky, she faces one of the film's wonderfully bizarre inhabitants—a mischievous crescent moon carrying a tiny flying doodle through the clouds.
Bakshi's Cool World is a place where nothing obeys the rules of reality. The moon smiles, clouds become stages, and every corner of the world is alive with unpredictable characters. This scene perfectly captures that playful spirit, balancing Holly's elegant, statuesque pose against the whimsical absurdity unfolding around her.
Marked Sequence 42, Scene F, Cel #743, this original hand-painted cel comes from one of the film's increasingly surreal later sequences, where the boundaries between fantasy and reality begin to dissolve. The rich painted sky and expressive supporting characters create a composition that feels as much like a fantasy illustration as a single frame of animation.
Collector Significance
Holly Would remains the defining image of Cool World and one of Ralph Bakshi's most recognizable creations. Production cels featuring Holly against complete, hand-painted backgrounds are among the most desirable examples from the film, especially when paired with the imaginative environmental characters that made Cool World unlike any animated feature before or since.
This piece beautifully showcases Bakshi's fusion of classic cartoon humor, fantasy illustration, and adult animation—an unforgettable visual language that continues to captivate collectors more than three decades after the film's release.
What are Cels?
Traditionally, animated films were created by each motion or movement of every character being hand painted on a transparent material called a cel – short for celluloid acetate. These cels – whether it is one layer or many characters moving separately on many layers, are then laid over a painted background and photographed by an animation camera to create one single frame of the film. This process is repeated for the entire film to be completed. By painting on cels, the illusion is created of a different world inhabited by the painted characters moving within the background they are placed upon.
Original Production Cels
Original production cels are the actual cels used to create the animated film (or TV show) that they were created for. Each one has been hand drawn and painted by an artist and has been then photographed over a background by the animation camera to eventually take part in the entire creation of the film.
This is very different from what are called Limited Edition cels or Serigraph cels. Limited Edition cels are re-creations of a favorite image or scene which is then hand painted. Serigraph cels are silk-screened re-creations. Here at Bakshi Productions we offer to you the real, original production cels used in each of the films.
These production cels are preciously collected and becoming more and more valuable as we progress into the future of animation through computers. There are animation cels from the early days that are valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. These cels are rare and there is only one like it in the world! No wonder they collectible and only increase in value.
Original Production Drawings
Original production drawings are also one of a kind pieces of art from an animated film. Before the image is drawn and painted on cel, the entire film is drawn in pencil by animators. This is where the experimentation and fun truly happens by the artist who creates the image. These are also highly sought after because they are the original drawings and considered “the backbone” of any animated creation. They also can cost much less than an original production cel because they are not painted.
Some Pointers in what to look for in an original piece of animation art
First and foremost, the image has to appeal to you. It jumps out at you, you have to have it. Looking at it illicit some sort of emotional response or reminds you of something or recalls a memory. Other than that – Here are some pointers that many collectors (NOT ALL) use:
-Artwork that depicts a characteristic pose or expression, an emotion common with the film it is from
-Some people like to collect the more obscure characters who show up rarely in the film. Others like the main characters. It is obviously up to your preference for which characters you like looking at really!
We hope this helps a bit. Any questions you might have please feel free to e-mail us at shop@ralphbakshi.com.
As always…ENJOY!
