Bolstered by many connections within the comic art community, the Gary and Dawn Guzzo Collection offers an impressive assortment of original art, many sourced directly from the artists themselves. Comic book covers, pages and specialty art populate the collection, featuring art by some of the most beloved names in the industry.

A comic book reader as a child, Gary Guzzo became a collector after attending his first New York Comic Art Convention and discovering The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. He later opened his own comic shop - Amazing Tales - in Dobbs Ferry, New York in 1984.

“I became very friendly with the sales departments at Marvel, DC, and Archie Comics, so Amazing Tales quickly became a store with almost weekly comic book creator appearances, and a place that comic book pros would hang around in, so I became very involved with publishers, artists, writers and the like,” Guzzo recalled.

His association with Marvel and notice of his efforts organizing relief efforts for retailers affected by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 brought him into the Marvel fold as Director of Publicity. In that role he worked to connect Marvel with the press and their readers. Meeting with The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide’s Robert and Carol Overstreet, and Comics Buyer’s Guide’s Don and Maggie Thompson, they developed a new open-door policy for releasing material to the press and to fans. Among other duties, he often escorted Stan Lee to his various appearances.

While at Marvel, Gary met Dawn Geiger, a graphic designer who served as Production Manager, heading Marvel’s fabled Bullpen. Her connections with various Marvel comic artists compounded Gary’s associations within the comic industry, making them a well-connected couple in regards to comic art and the comic art community.

Gary joined Hake’s as a comic art consultant and artist representative, acting as an in-house representative for artists and their estates, helping to bring their art to auction in a logical and profitable way.

Sadly, Gary lost his battle with cancer in January 2023 and Dawn has decided the time has come to part with much of the comic art from their extensive collection. This auction presents the first selections from the Gary and Dawn Guzzo Collection, with more to follow in future auctions.