Animation Cels from a 30-Year Old Cartoon Are for Sale at $35K

Battletoads, a beloved NES classic platformer released in 1991, was supposed to get a cartoon adaptation shortly after its release. The adaptation turned out unsuccessful and never went past the pilot. However, recently, someone put up its animation cels for sale on eBay, asking for $35,000.

First spotted by GamesRadar+, Brian A. Miller, a former Cartoon Network executive who worked at DIC Entertainment during the Battletoads production, took to Twitter and shared that the cartoon creators intended it to become a phenomenon as TMNT. The Ninja Turtles didn't take off successfully immediately, and the idea was turned out several times. Unfortunately, however, Battletoads' production didn't continue after the pilot. The executive commented on the animation cels listing: "The funny thing is, I don't think we paid much more than that for the animation on the pilot 34 years ago!"

5,500 Battletoads pilot animation cels with pencil production notes sketches are sold for $35,000 by Texas collectables store Space Cadets Collection Collection. According to the listing, the cels are "from the collection of a former video game executive." The animation sheets range "from full teams of toads to the black wipe opening of the show."

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