FUTURAMA: Fry's New Year Countdown Hand-Painted Cel Autographed by Matt Groening and Matching Production Drawing

A superb hand-painted cel and matching production drawing featuring Philip J. Fry from the opening moments of Futurama's debut episode, "Space Pilot 3000." This defining scene shows Fry slouched at his delivery desk, nursing a LöBrau Beer as the New Year's Eve countdown begins, seconds before he's frozen and wakes up 1,000 years in the future. It's the image that launched the entire series.

Though no hand-painted cels were used in production, this example was created exclusively for Fox's official Futurama collector art program, replicating the traditional animation process with hand-inked linework and vibrant paint on acetate. The matching original production drawing, bearing the 20th Century Fox seal, reveals the precise pencil work behind Fry's posture and expression, a perfect encapsulation of the show's dry wit and human warmth.

Created by The Simpsons visionary Matt Groening alongside executive producer David X. Cohen, Futurama combined science fiction parody, character-driven storytelling, and sharp social commentary. The first episode remains one of television's most memorable pilots, introducing Fry as the accidental everyman who bridges 20th-century cynicism with 31st-century absurdity.

What makes this piece particularly special is Groening's own signature in black ink at lower left, an exceedingly rare addition that elevates it from a collector's cel to a cornerstone piece of Futurama history.