Signed by hand by Ramona Fradon as well as Howard Chaykin (who conducted the interview with Fradon contained in the hardcover) and Walt Simonson (who wrote the foreword) , this Limited Edition 152-page hardcover book is in new and unread condition and will be shipped with the utmost care.  Released in 2013, in addition to the interview it is full of images of Fradon's artwork, both published pieces and numerous examples of commissions she illustrated for fans over the years.  Please note- the signatures are real. They are the actual, hand-signed signatures of Fradon (the limited edition came pre-signed) and Chaykin and Simonson (signed by both at their 2024 Baltimore Comic Con appearance).  

About Ramona Fradon:

One of the first women to break into the comics business, Ramona Fradon (1926 – 2024) is best known for her work on the Brenda Starr comic strip as well as co-creating both Aqualad and Metamorpho during the Silver Age. To fans of her artwork, she is known for her lush pencil work, most evident in commissions and both individual and group character studies. 

Fradon started working for DC Comics in 1950, illustrating Shining Knight before landing her first regular assignment illustrating Aquaman in Adventure Comics. She went on to co-create Metamorpho (one of her personal favorites) and to pencil DC’s comic adaptation of the popular Super Friends cartoon for nearly its entire run.  Her other credits include House of Mystery and Plastic Man (another of Fradon’s favorites) for DC as well as The Cat and The Fantastic Four for Marvel. Upon Dale Messick’s retirement from the Brenda Starr newspaper strip in 1980, Fradon took over and continued the strip until her own retirement in 1995. 

Fradon is a graduate of Parsons School of Design, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious art and design universities in the world. She is a recipient of the Eisner Lifetime Achievement Award, an Ink Pot award, and was inducted into the Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006.

~Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance: 

Excepting pack-pulled autograph trading cards, CGC Signature Series, signed Sideshow prints, and like collectibles, all autographed items Vault Collectibles sells were personally witnessed, by myself, being signed by the writer, artist, or celebrity in question.  No third party is involved.  Further, art sketches - and most published original art I sell - were obtained directly from the artist themselves.  

For buyers desiring this guarantee in written form, this statement guarantees that the above referenced item is as stated in the listing description.  A screen capture of the completed auction page, which includes this statement of provenance, may be saved by the buyer as a digital file or print off in hardcopy form.  As this serves as written proof of said guarantee, no physical documentation will be included in the package when the item is mailed.  

J. Brian O’Bryant

VaultCollectibles

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