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Comic creators signal boost news of million dollar art theft from Mark Evanier

By John Freeman on April 11, 2026 • ( 0 )

American animation and comics writer and comics historian Mark Evanier is appealing for help to recover multiple pieces of original comics art stolen from his collection by a contractor.

Mark announced the news on his blog, News from ME, and has posted examples of the stolen works, and provided a PDF list of stolen items.

He has also filed a police report, and all major auction houses have been alerted, which hopefully will lead to his art being returned.

Jack Kirby’s cover art for Fantastic Four #87 - stolen from Mark Evanier — *Art stolen from Mark Evanier includes Jack Kirby’s cover for Fantastic Four #87 | Here’s a PDF list of stolen items*

Fantastic Four #87 cover by Jack Kirby — *Art stolen from Mark Evanier includes Jack Kirby’s cover for Fantastic Four #87 | Here’s a PDF list of stolen items*

Collectors are being asked to help recover the stolen pieces and report any suspicious sales or online listings, and Mark’s appeal for help is being circulated widely by his many friends in the comic industry, and by several comic news outlets, including Bleeding Cool and ICV2.com, in the hope they can be recovered.

“Please spread the word,” asks publisher Scott Dunbier. “This is a major theft of valuable and historically important original comic art.”

The stolen items – estimated to value at over one million dollars – include a Thor story from Marvel Comics Journey Into Mystery #98, autographed to Evanier by Don Heck; two pages from Spider-Woman #8 that feature a character named “Marcus Evanier”; and a page from What If? #7 signed “For Mark and all his help” by Rick Hoberg.

Other stolen, irreplaceable pieces are signed or autographed by creators such as John Byrne, and the late Carmine Infantino and Jack Kirby.

“What really hurts is that I know who did it and it was someone I trusted a lot and not for a short time,” Mark notes in a blog post. “This person, possibly in cahoots with others, stole a lot of original comic book artwork from my collection, many of them pieces that were gifts to me from the people who drew them. And most of those people are no longer with us.

“I have compiled a not-quite-complete list of the items taken and some of them have already turned up on the collectors’ market. Naturally, I want them back and I want to see the responsible party/parties brought to justice.

“If you are all involved in the marketplace for such items, please download the list… share it with others…post the link online. I don’t have access to all the online forums for artwork selling or trading but if you’re on one, please make sure it gets there. Thank you and I’ll keep you posted.”

• You can download Mark Evanier’s list of stolen works as a four page PDF here from his News from ME web blog

• If you come across the unique pages of original artwork please get in touch with Mark Evanier

“Of all the eighty-seven quadrillion pages Jack Kirby drew in his career, my favourite might be this one from Captain America #112,”Mark Evanier notes. “I italicised "might" because there are so many to pick from but when I think of Captain America, I think of this remarkable page. And one reason it's remarkable is that it's from an issue which Jack had to draw over a weekend… and the inker of it, George Tuska, probably didn't have much longer to ink the twenty pages. Jack probably did his end of this in about two hours. I was quite thrilled to own this page and quite upset that it was among many that were stolen from my home recently.” — “Of all the eighty-seven quadrillion pages Jack Kirby drew in his career, my favourite might be this one from Captain America #112,”Mark notes. “I italicised “might” because there are so many to pick from but when I think of Captain America, I think of this remarkable page. And one reason it’s remarkable is that it’s from an issue which Jack had to draw over a weekend… and the inker of it, George Tuska, probably didn’t have much longer to ink the twenty pages. Jack probably did his end of this in about two hours. I was quite thrilled to own this page and quite upset that it was among many that were stolen from my home recently.”

The original art for this cover for Detective Comics #371 is among the stolen items, “drawn by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson with lettering by Gaspar Saladino and colouring by (I assume) Jack Adler,” Mark Evanier notes. “Is this one of the silliest covers ever on a comic book with Batman on it or is this one of the silliest covers ever on a comic book with Batman on it? But I kinda like it and I'd like it back if only so I can spend more time trying to figure out why the left hand of the crook in the orange shirt seems to be underground. Lemme know if you see the original art anywhere.” — The original art for this cover for Detective Comics #371 is among the stolen items, “drawn by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson with lettering by Gaspar Saladino and colouring by (I assume) Jack Adler,” Mark Evanier notes. “Is this one of the silliest covers ever on a comic book with Batman on it or is this one of the silliest covers ever on a comic book with Batman on it? But I kinda like it and I’d like it back if only so I can spend more time trying to figure out why the left hand of the crook in the orange shirt seems to be underground. Lemme know if you see the original art anywhere.”

Who is Mark Evanier?

Mark Evanier - News From Me | https://www.newsfromme.com/

Kirby King of Comics by Mark Evanier | https://amzn.to/41tsQy1

Groo: Friends and Foes Volume One by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés | https://amzn.to/4cCoRW5

Mark Evanier has been a comic book fan and writer, sitcom and variety show writer, and is the creator of hundreds of TV animation scripts, his professional career beginning shortly after leaving high school, writing for Los Angeles-based magazines, before moving into comic books, including working as an assistant for Jack Kirby, and on situation comedies and variety shows, before commencing a long, career in animation, where he has also worked as a voice director. He is an Emmy-nominated writer for The Garfield Show.

In comics, he’s probably best known for his work with Sergio Aragonés on titles such as Groo the Wanderer and Garfield with Jim Davis, and as the author of books such as Kirby: King of Comics, published in 2008, and, recently, The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz: The Greatest Comic Strip of All Time, published by Abrams ComicArts last year.

Comic Art Theft a Major Issue

Comic art theft is, sadly, an ongoing issue among collectors, not just in the United States, but high profile cases there have, at least, highlighted the growing issue.

ICV2 reported, for example, that Insight Studios creators Marc Hempel and Mark Wheatley also recently announced that Jonny Quest artwork stolen from them was being marketed to collectors.

*The Jonny Quest #17 complete artwork was sold via Heritage Auctions in 2017 and again in 2021, before the discovery of the theft*

Flaming Carrot Comics #16 Cover by Bob Burden — *Two pages of art stolen from Bob Burden*

Krazy Comic #5 Cover by Bob Burden — *Two pages of art stolen from Bob Burden*

American comic creator Bob Burden, best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics and the Mystery Men, was also victim to art theft from a storage unit in Georgia, one of several that were burglarised in late December 2022 or early January 2023.

• You can download Mark Evanier’s list of stolen works as a four page PDF here from his News from ME web blog

• If you come across the unique pages of original artwork please get in touch with Mark Evanier

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.