Frank Kelly Freas: Heretic In A Balloon Illustrated Manuscript

Illustrated 8.5 x 11 inch manuscript with additional drawings and handwritten notes. This typed manuscript is Kelly's working copy of the first 95 pages of L. Sprague de Camp's HERETIC IN A BALLOON, first published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Winter 1977, pages 124-186. It was later published without illustrations as a paperback under the title "The Great Fetish," which I will include with this manuscript. On the photocopied pages (complete with de Camp's strikeouts and corrections!), Kelly drew, in black, red, blue, and green ink, seven sketches and eight preliminaries on 15 pages. Two preliminaries were tight enough for him to sign (see images). Also included are three additional drawings done for this story on tracing paper. One is a small (roughly 2 x 2.5), but detailed, ink drawing of a horse from the battle scene on page 54. The second "off and running" study is from the illustration on manuscript page 42, which, according to Kelly's notes, was moved to page 45-48. When we spoke about it back in 1977, he told me he was trying to get the right balance and sense of movement from the critters for the larger published work. There were several variations of this study. If you look at this particular one and the published final, the figures are pretty darn close. The original artwork (roughly 7 x 3) is signed and dated by Kelly and inscribed to me. The completed original was also used as the illustration on the unnumbered title page (3) in Kelly's book "The Art Of Science Fiction." The third original is a nicely detailed pencil study (roughly 8.5 x 5) that is signed and dated by Kelly. Either the completed version or an ink study of this appears on page 41 of Kelly's book "As He Sees It." It's identified as "Men and Axe" with "Publication history lost." Well, I found it. It's from "Heretic In A Balloon." Also, the older looking "man" is the character Marko's mother. Yikes! So, it's really more like "Marko with Ax and his Mom," rather than "Men and Axe." I hate to sound like a huckster, "but wait, there's more!" You will also get Kelly's handwritten layout notes for this manuscript. It's one page with writing on both sides, detailing where his drawings will be placed in the story (Kelly's signature is even on this page!). Plus, another single sided note page with handwritten plot points and doodles on it. Lastly, a note to get "gas tomorrow pm" with a squiggly doodle that I believe got incorporated onto the page 54 battle scene. All 95 pages of this manuscript are protected under plastic covers. From two multi-Hugo Award winners, you get a total of 18 original drawings and handwritten notes from Kelly Freas, plus the unedited manuscript from L. Sprague de Camp, in this science fiction fan's one-of-a-kind dream collectible! L. Sprague de Camp died on November 6, 2000. Kelly Freas died on January 2, 2005. All for $2,200